Saratoga Salutes the Go-To Guy at Racing and Wagering

Joe Lynch was the “go-to guy” at the Racing and Wagering Board, and when he passed away suddenly of a heart attack this past January he left a gaping hole at the Board and in the hearts of his family.

On Saturday, the Fund sponsored a fitting tribute to Joseph Lynch, as NYRA named the ninth race after the late Chief of Operations at RWB: the Joe Lynch Memorial.

His brother Tom speaks with reverence about how Joe rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most trusted and liked men in all of racing.
Board Chairman John Sabini noted that when he had a question about anything, he would go to Joe for an answer he could count on.

Joe and Tom’s parents bought a house three blocks from the track on Nelson Avenue in Saratoga Springs, NY when Joe was just a year old. The excitement that poured out of the historic track every summer lured the whole family, but Joe in particular was fascinated by the horses, the people, and the issues of racing.

So it’s not too surprising that Tom Lynch, along with Joe’s girlfriend Kathy Broadhead and two of his cousins, Colleen Lynch and Jean Cummings, felt the spirit of Joe was somehow with them as they sat patiently through eight races waiting for the NY-bred allowance race that was special to them.

Minutes before post, Kathy confided to me that Joe was her “everything” and that she was certain that Theresmyeverything would prevail in what was another of those five-and-a-half-furlong turf contests that seem to confound even the best handicappers.

I should have put a lot more trust in Kathy’s intuition. Theresmyeverything sat a length or two off the pace, lugged out a bit on the turn, then confidently surged past Hysterical Cat to win by two-and-a-half lengths. Kathy considered her bet to be an investment every step of the way, and took the $9.30 payout as a sign that the go-to guy can still be counted on.

– Tracy Egan

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