NEWS
Chicago trainer Tomillo succumbs to pancreatic cancer
Posted: Friday, September 03, 2010 5:21 PM
Thomas Tomillo, who was born in Chicago and trained horses on that circuit for 30 years, died on Wednesday at age 66.
Tomillo was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about six weeks ago. He also had a leg amputated four years ago due to an unrelated illness.
“Tommy wanted to do two things all his life,” said Arlington clocker Bobby Belpedio during training hours Friday morning. “The most important thing for Tommy was to be at the racetrack every day, and the second most important thing was to be able to bet. For more than 40 years, he got to do both those things, so when you think about it that way he had a very successful life because that’s exactly what he did.
“He was a good contributor. Let’s put it this way. When he won, the money got re-circulated quickly … Tommy was a trip – a real racetrack character.”
Tomillo was born in Chicago on January 4, 1944. Tomillo’s father, Matt, was a jockey.
After owning horses in the mid 1960s, Tomillo took up training and scored his first career winner at Arlington Park in 1971. Operating primarily in the claiming ranks, he won 1,731 races during his career, according to Daily Racing Form. His usual winter headquarters was Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
Tomillo best horse was multiple graded stakes winner Lord of the Game, whom he claimed for $10,000 on behalf of William A Slevin. Tomillo claimed the Saint Ballado gelding in his career debut at Hawthorne Race Course on December 31, 2004. Lord of the Game won that day by 22 ¾ lengths and then reeled off four consecutive victories for his new connections.
Lord of the Game went on to win the 2005 Hanshin Cup Handicap (G3) at Arlington and Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2) and finished second in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2).
“The last time I really got to spend a little time with him was during [Arlington] Million week,” said Belpedio. “He was sitting down on the apron on his golf cart, so I went down and talked to him for about 45 minutes, talking, telling stories, and reminiscing about our time together during the ‘70s. His demeanor and his sense of humor were the same as they always were. He didn’t even look sick. He never let it (the illness) get to him.”
Other horses trained by Tomillo include multiple stakes winners Talknow and Irish Open.
