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NEWS BRIEFS
and cutting horses, and he was also the owner of several racehorses, mares, foals and stallion shares. He is survived by his wife Shelley, son Spencer, several grandchildren, and many other family members and friends.
Robert Bork Passes Away
Robert Bork, 83, passed away on June 11 in Houston,
Texas. Bork
had been
involved in
the horse
racing
industry for
over four
decades. He
graduated
from La Salle
University in
Philadelphia
and then
worked as an
agent for the Internal Revenue Service. He was hired by the Rooney Family in 1969 to serve as a controller of Philadelphia Park, later becoming vice president and general manager. He was general manager of Garden State Park in New Jersey, then vice president, general manager and chief operating officer of Arlington International in Chicago. In 1995, he was hired as senior vice president and general manager of Sam Houston Race Park and was promoted to president in 2002. Bork served as director and secretary
of the Thoroughbred Racing Association and chaired its 2020 Technology Committee. He
is survived by his wife Judith of 58 years, 3 children and 7 grandchildren. Donations in his name can be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center or the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
Denman Glenn Wight Passes Away
Longtime Idaho horseman Denman “Denny” Wight, 88, passed away on June 6. Born in 1933, Wight excelled in athletics and was a cow- boy from his early years. He spent years serving with the National Guard. Wight married his wife Sandra in 1970, and together with daugh- ter Larke built a ranch south of Jerome called DSW Ranch. Together, they raised Quarter Horses and raced them in Idaho, with earners
of more than $860,000. Among their top horses are: unbeaten from seven starts Illtacmanhattan, who won the Bitterroot Futurity-G3, Beehive Futurity and Sandy Downs Juvenile Challenge; Snazzy Special Lead, winner of the Bitterroot Futurity-G2 and Northwest Juvenile Challenge- G3; and Northwest Juvenile Challenge-G3 and Pot O’ Gold Futurity winner Princess Of Zoom. Denny is survived by his wife Sandra, their daughter Larke, and many other family mem- bers and friends.
Joseph Thomas Passes Away
Trainer Joseph “Joe”
Thomas, 81, of Ponca
City, Oklahoma,
passed away on June
17. Thomas was the
trainer of over $5
million in money
earners with 1,107
wins from 5,207
starts. Perhaps his top
horse was Remington
Park Oklahoma-Bred
Futurity-G3 winner Im A Fancy PYC, who won five of six starts and was also a finalist in the Heritage Place Futurity-G1 with $454,765 in earnings. Thomas was also the trainer of Dash For Cash Derby, Flinthills Derby, Garfield Downs Poor Boy Futurity and Garfield Downs Laddie Futurity winner The Shogun, a 23-time winner and multiple Graded stakes finalist with $374,052 banked. Thomas is survived by many family members and friends.
Dean Lester Passes Away
Longtime American Paint Horse Association member, breeder and owner Dean Lester of Skiatook, Oklahoma, passed away on June 20. Lester, 54, was born in Edmond, Oklahoma, and was married to wife Tonya Annette Mahan. Dean was a custom cabinet maker and partner in Wooden Solutions for many years before becoming an owner of H&L Custom cabinets. He loved to hunt, fish, coach basketball, football and baseball, and racehorses. He and Tonya are known for their ‘DTL’ horses, which include
the #10 all-time leading Paint money earner and 3-time stakes winner DTL Chasin Tale (2021, $234,245) as well as 2019 APHA World Cham- pion and 10-time stakes winner DTL Samureye ($185,915). Dean and Tonya are the #6 all-time leading Paint breeders of $1,099,178. Dean
is survived by his wife Tonya, children Tyson, Jordan and Casen, and many other family mem- bers and friends.
Streakin Victory Dies
Multiple stakes winner and iron-horse Streakin Victory (Streakin Six-Running Blood, Victory Stride TB) died in early June at the age of 33. The 1988 bay gelding was bred by Clarence Scharbauer Jr. and was owned and trained by Scott L. Willoughby. Streakin Victory raced from two until 12 years of age and competed
in 121 races at 12 tracks, including 51 stakes events. He won 26 races, finished second in 12 and third in 17 with $180,394 in earnings and eight stakes wins. After retirement, Streakin Victory excelled on the California trails and in the roping arena for Willoughby. He competed in the Rancho Vistadores ride, winning the 550-yard race there for three consecutive years for Danny Cardoza and Scoop Vessels. After the gelding was pensioned, he lived his final years at Ed Allred’s Rolling A Ranch. “Streakin
Victory was my first winner at Los Alamitos, my first stakes winner at Los Alamitos and my first Grade 1 winner period. He was a pretty amazing horse,” Willoughby told StallioneSearch. “He will always be my special horse.”
150 SPEEDHORSE July 2021
James H. Cordell Passes Away
Former AQHA Committee member James
H. Cordell, 88, passed away at his home in Crockett, Texas, on June 19. Cordell was born in Houston and graduated from Jeff Davis High School with Caralyn McKittrick, whom he married in 1951. He attended the University
of Houston and, with his father, started Andy Cordell Brick in 1955. He and son Howard began JaHo Incorporated, an underground utility contracting company, in the early 1970’s. Using waste from the brick company, he stabi- lized land near his brick plant and commercially developed the property under Jamcar Partners, where James remained an active participant until his death. He was a Director of Port City Bank and Channelview Bank, was a member of the Houston Contractor’s Association, served on the Board of Shriners Hospital for Chil- dren, and was a member of the Harris County Sherriff ’s Mounted Posse. He loved horses as a child and he and his wife’s first Quarter Horse purchase won the prestigious Graham Farms Futurity. Cordell was a member of the AQHA and TQHA, where he served on the Racing Committee. He is survived by his wife Caralyn, a daughter and son, and numerous other family members and friends.