Sports

Veitch, Hall of Fame horse trainer, dies at 77

Published

3 years ago

February 16, 2023

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2:57 PM ET

Associated Press

John Veitch, who trained Alydar to narrow losses in all three Triple Crown races against rival Affirmed in 1978 during a Hall of Fame career, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 77.

Veitch died Tuesday of natural causes at home in Lexington, Kentucky, said Michael Veitch, his second cousin who spoke to Veitch’s daughter, Shannon.

During his training career from 1974 to 2003, Veitch had 410 winners from 2,340 starts and earnings of $20,097,980, according to Equibase.

He was born into a family that had been training horses for three generations. His father, Sylvester, is in the Hall of Fame and the younger Veitch started out as his assistant.

In the late 1970s, Veitch became head trainer for famed Calumet Farm, which he helped revitalize before leaving in 1982. He later trained for real estate developer John W. Galbreath and prominent owner Frances A. Genter.

In 1998, Veitch closed his public stable and became racing consultant to a member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family. He returned to the U.S. two years later and again trained for Calumet Farm. Veitch was a memorable figure in the winner’s circle with his bald head and penchant for wearing suits and ties.

Veitch trained four champions: fillies Our Mims, Davona Dale and Before Dawn, as well as Sunshine Forever, the nation’s top male turf horse in 1988.

He trained Proud Truth to victory in the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Veitch is best remembered for overseeing Alydar, who with Affirmed formed one of racing’s most storied rivalries. Affirmed beat Alydar by 1½ lengths in the Kentucky Derby, by a neck in the Preakness and by a head in the Belmont Stakes.

In the Belmont, Alydar and jockey Jorge Velásquez battled Affirmed and Steve Cauthen side-by-side from the middle of the far turn all the way to the finish line. Affirmed’s victory gave racing back-to-back Triple Crown winners, with Seattle Slew having swept all three races in 1977.

“What I remember about it most is that he was such a sportsman in the national spotlight,” Michael Veitch said. “Being so respectful and not hesitating to be gracious. John had a very good sense of racing history and he was fully aware of what was going on in that sense of the word.”

Alydar beat Affirmed three times in his career, including the 1977 Champagne Stakes and the 1978 Travers Stakes via disqualification.

Alydar was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989 and Veitch joined the horse there in 2007.

“I don’t know that there could have been a happier day in his life,” said Michael Veitch, who serves as historian at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.

“My fondest memory of him is being at Saratoga in the summer and after finishing training hours with Calumet in the morning, he would walk down the lane to his father’s barn and chat about the day’s events and who was going to do what,” Michael Veitch said.

After retiring from training in 2003, Veitch became chief steward for the Kentucky Horseracing Authority. He was fired in 2010 after being accused of mishandling a situation with favorite Life At Ten in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. She finished last after her jockey, John Velazquez, had raised concerns about how she was warming up beforehand.

Veitch also was suspended for a year. He eventually reached a settlement with the authority. He later worked as a racing official at Keeneland in Lexington.

Besides his daughter, he is survived by son Jason. He was preceded in death by his third wife, Ellen, in 2017. Veitch will be buried in Saratoga Springs.

Sports

Foligno takes puck off hand, will miss 4 weeks

Published

4 hours ago

November 16, 2025

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Foligno takes puck off hand, will miss 4 weeks

Ryan S. ClarkNov 16, 2025, 12:28 AM ET
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Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno will miss four weeks after injuring his hand Saturday in his team’s 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, coach Jeff Blashill said.

Foligno, 38, suffered the injury with 90 seconds left in the second period when he was skating near the top of the Blackhawks’ defensive zone and Jake McCabe‘s shot on net deflected off Foligno’s hand.

Foligno immediately hunched over and favored his hand while skating back to the Blackhawks’ bench. Foligno, who did not return for the third period, finished with three shots on goal and logged 10:41 in ice time.

The absence of Foligno, who has six points in 15 games, means the Blackhawks will be without their fourth-line center who was anchoring a combination featuring Sam Lafferty and Landon Slaggert. His injury is also the second to impact the Blackhawks’ forward group with winger Jason Dickinson currently on injured reserve.

After finishing last season with the second-fewest points in the NHL, the Blackhawks (9-5-4) have emerged into one of the biggest surprises through the first quarter of the regular season. With their win against the Maple Leafs, they enter Sunday third in the Central Division and a point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken in the Western Conference wild-card race.

Sports

Devils’ Hughes out 8 weeks after finger surgery

Published

4 hours ago

November 16, 2025

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Devils' Hughes out 8 weeks after finger surgery

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes had successful surgery on his finger Saturday, the team announced. The expected recovery time is eight weeks, though he will be reevaluated in six weeks.

According to sources, Hughes injured his hand in a “freak accident” that involved getting cut by glass at a team dinner Thursday.

Hughes’ procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

The 24-year-old was off to a terrific start for New Jersey, which is 12-4-1 and atop the Metropolitan Division entering Friday. The American-born star has 10 goals and 20 points in his first 17 games.

The injury will create an interesting predicament for Team USA ahead of the 2026 Olympics in Milan. Hughes’ brother, Quinn, has already been named to the team while the Devils star was expected to be a front-runner for the roster. Federations must submit rosters by Dec. 31. The Devils’ projected return-to-play timeline is around the second week of January. The Olympic men’s hockey tournament begins Feb. 11.

Olympic rosters feature 25 players, which is two more spots than teams had at Four Nations.

Sports

Canucks sign ex-Leaf Kampf to one-year deal

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4 hours ago

November 16, 2025

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Canucks sign ex-Leaf Kampf to one-year deal

Ryan S. ClarkNov 15, 2025, 06:36 PM ET
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Center David Kampf signed a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, just a day after the Toronto Maple Leafs terminated his previous deal.

Kampf, whose deal with the Canucks will carry a $1.1 million cap hit, was entering the third year of his four-year contract with the Maple Leafs that was worth $2.4 million annually.

The Leafs waived Kampf before the season, and he began the year with their AHL affiliate. Kampf played four games in the AHL before taking a voluntary leave of absence, which wasn’t sanctioned by the Leafs, to evaluate his options.

Kampf, who scored 5 goals and 13 points in 59 games last season, gives the Canucks a two-way center who has logged more than 110 short-handed minutes in seven straight seasons.

The Canucks have faced defensive challenges under first-year coach Adam Foote, who already has had to navigate injuries to Filip Chytil, Thatcher Demko, Derek Forbort, Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes, among others.

Entering Saturday, the Canucks were allowing 3.53 goals per game, which is the fifth most in the NHL, while their penalty kill is the worst in the league at 66.1%. The Los Angeles Kings set the NHL record for the worst penalty kill in league history with a 68.2% success rate in the 1979-80 campaign.

Kampf also provides a veteran presence at center for the Canucks, who entered the season with questions at the position. Those concerns have intensified with Teddy Blueger and Chytil on injured reserve.

Entering Saturday, the Canucks (8-9-2) had the second-fewest points in the Pacific Division but were two points behind the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets for Western Conference wild-card spots.