NEWS
Longtime jockey agent Gilardi dies
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2009 6:06 PM
Vic Gilardi, a longtime jockey agent who represented Racing Hall of Fame rider Jorge Velasquez for 23 years, died on Thursday after a one-month stay at Long Island Jewish Hospital. He was 78.
A Staten Island, New York, native and a United States Marine Corps veteran, Gilardi began his career as a jockey agent by working for his brother-in-law, jockey Tony Russo. Velasquez was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1990, and retired from riding seven years later with 6,795 North American wins.
“The best thing that ever happened to me was meeting Victor Gilardi and having him as my agent,” Velasquez said. “I was 19 in 1965 and came to this country under contract to [owner] Fred Hooper. I was riding the last two weeks in Atlantic City without an agent when we hooked up.
“Because of Vic, I am in the Hall of Fame and I won just about every major race in this country. Vic was a workaholic, and knew everything about the game. His dedication was amazing, and everybody respected him. He was one of a kind and we always remained close. I learned a lot from him.”
Gilardi also represented jockeys Karl Korte, Tommy Lee, Kenny Church, Phil Grimm, Richard Migliore, Jorge Chavez, and Shaun Bridgmohan.
Visitation will be held on March 24-25 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. EDT at Bordentown Home for Funerals in Bordentown, New Jersey. A funeral mass will be held on March 26 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Bordentown. Internment will follow at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, New Jersey.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the United Service Organizations (USO). To donate, click here.
