Fred Foley, a multiple stakes-winning jockey on the old New England circuit, died in Massachusetts Oct. 15. He was 68.
Foley, a native of East Boston, grew up in the shadow of Suffolk Downs. He competed primarily on the East Boston oval from 1981-89 but he also rode at Rockingham Park and on the long-defunct Massachusetts fair circuit. He had a record of 273-289-314 from 2,871 mounts and earned purses of $1,319,602, according to Equibase statistics.
After he hung up his tack, he was the jockeys' room supervisor and the silks man at Rockingham and Suffolk, and for many years, he worked as an exercise rider in the mornings until those tracks ended live Thoroughbred racing in 2002 and 2019, respectively.
Foley was a beloved figure on the racetrack, and tributes to him poured in on social media.
"Freddy Foley was kind and funny and a huge part of my every day at the East Boston oval," Jessica Paquette, the current track announcer at Parx Racing and the former vice president of marketing and public relations at Suffolk Downs, posted on Facebook.
"He was a treasure. I learned so much from him when I first started galloping," posted Jennifer Young, a trainer based in South Florida. "He was a class act who will be missed by many."
Foley is survived by his longtime partner Marie D'Avella, daughter Ryan Elizabeth Clark, and granddaughters Cordelia and Serafina.
Visiting hours will be Friday, Oct. 20, from 2 to 6 p.m. ET at the Magrath Funeral Home, 366 Chelsea Street at Day Square in East Boston. A prayer service will be held at 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory to the American Alzheimer's Association.
