Sixth Annual Dick McGuire Trot Remembers Basketball Hall of Famer

The sixth annual Dick McGuire Trot, inaugurated in 2010 and remembering the Knicks and St. John’s point guard and basketball Hall of Famer, is on tap for Monday night, August 10th, at Empire City Casino’s historic Yonkers Raceway.

The New York Sire Stakes for three-year-old colts and geldings is worth a total purse of $163,874, split into two divisions worth more than $81,000 apiece. The “McGuire” pays homage to the ardent $2 horse player who starred at St. John’s and then at the Garden with the Knickerbockers as one of the game’s greatest playmakers.

Members of the McGuire family who have been on hand for past renditions have included Dick’s wife Teri, sons Richard, Scott and Michael, daughter Leslie, Dick’s brother John, numerous grand-children, and a slew of old friends.

Casino and Raceway president and CEO Timothy J. Rooney and COO Bob Galterio put their stamp of approval on the McGuire Trot for its inaugural rendition in 2010 soon after McGuire’s passing, and it has become a fixture on the summer stakes schedule for New York-bred sophomore trotters.

McGuire was a racing devotee, and could be regularly found at harness and thoroughbred tracks across the country, including the venerable Yonkers half-mile oval, and wherever his Knicks scouting missions and training camps might take him.

According to his wife Teri, “Dick said he ‘broke even’ every time he returned home from a night at the races.”

Said Rooney: “We are truly delighted and privileged to continue to honor one of New York’s greatest sportsmen, and an avid racing fan, with the sixth annual Dick McGuire Trot. Yonkers Raceway looks forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come, and to having Dick’s family, friends and many fans honor his memory at our historic track during the height of our summer stakes season.”

Born in the Bronx, a product of the Rockaways, and a long time Dix Hills, Long Island resident, McGuire was a part of the Knicks organization for 53 seasons as a player, coach and scout before his passing on February 3, 2010 at age 84. The St. John’s University star was one of the most selfless players in NBA history. The deft-passing McGuire was a five-time NBA All-Star and led the Knicks to three straight NBA Finals in the fifties. His number 15 was retired to the Madison Square Garden rafters in 1992, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame the following year. McGuire’s legend, along with his historic NBA career, includes his love of horse racing, spending memorable times at racetracks across the country during his travels as a player, coach and scout.

Here are the fields for the two divisions of the Dick McGuire Trot, in post position order, followed by driver and trainer:

HE $163,874 DICK MCGUIRE TROT **1ST DIVISION** Sixth Race Trot Purse $81,187

1. ROYAL LAD MaMacDonald/ RoLopez

2. CRAZY WOW YaGingras /RoBurke

3. APOSTLES CREED DaDube/ JiTakter

4. MAESTRO BLUE CHIP TSmedshmr/ TSmedshmr

5. DOUBLEDAY BrSears /MaMelander

6. THE PHYSICIAN DaDube /AnLorentzon

THE $163,874 DICK MCGUIRE TROT ***2ND DIVISION** Seventh Race Trot Purse $82,687

1. TIDQUIST JeLong/ JeLong

2. CURLYS SON DaDaley /DaDaley

3. MAMBO BLUE CHIP TiTetrick /LiToscano

4. ROYAL DECEPTOR MiMcGivern /ChMcgivern

5. GABE THE BEAR DEAN RaSchnittker /RaSchnittker

6. BUEN CAMINO TSmedshmr /TSmedshmr

7. HOME’N DRY BrSears /RoBaggittJr

Contacts: Cirillo World/John Cirillo, 914.260.7436, johnnycigarpr@aol.com; Yonkers Raceway/Frank Drucker, 914-968-4200, fdrucker@yonkersraceway.com