The Innovators

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Tell me about Jim Mc Kay. I know the name, but...

Bob Umphrey (racing secretary at Calder. Only 53 when he died) thought up the Summit of Speed (which was called something else at first... cannot think of it!) and I believe he had a lot to do with the Extreme Day and all those fun races (wrong way, grey horses,etc).

Mr. Umphrey, the horse, died running for a 7k tag at Penn or Parx, forget which. He had been in the Met Mile (as a rabbit, but still...)

Jim McKay was the host of Wide World of Sports, Olympics ('72 hostage situation) and in racing the creator of the Maryland Million, leading the way to the big statebred racing days we have today throughout the country as well as the Breeders Cup.