New England Trainer John Botty Dies at 65

Trainer John T. Botty, who campaigned two New England Horses of the Year and multiple regional champions, passed away suddenly April 30. The Pelham, N.H., resident was 65.

During his career spanning from 1987 to 2015, the Syracuse University graduate trained Sassy City  and Lovethatdirtywater , who each received prestigious New England Horse of the Year honors. Of all the hundreds he conditioned over the decades, Sassy City held a special place in his heart. Owned by his wife and top assistant, Kathy, the mare was the stable's top earner who won races throughout the East Coast and was the runner-up in the 2011 Endine Stakes (G3) at Delaware Park.

Bedazzler  and Snow Down  are among the many New England champions trained by Botty, who saddled 2,132 runners with a record of 333-352-301 and earnings of $3,176,455, according to Equibase.

Botty was well-known and widely respected for his dedication to Thoroughbred aftercare, and he took great pride in watching his former runners enjoy a well-earned retirement at Old Friends in Kentucky. In 2012 John was honored by the New England Turf Writers Association with the Lou Smith Award for contributions to New England racing and in recognition of his efforts to save a mare he had trained, Our Revival , from slaughter.

In the summer of 2012, he learned that Our Revival, then age 12, was among 10 broodmares to be sold at a Texas auction where horses were reportedly being shipped to a Mexican slaughterhouse. Botty then called Old Friends founder Michael Blowen, who remembered the mare from his time as a writer for the Boston Globe, and they arranged for her to be transported to Kentucky, where she was able to live out her days comfortably.

At the time, the story received considerable media attention, including in a story published by Bloodhorse.com, and Botty's actions helped increase awareness of the importance of aftercare.

Botty is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kathleen Botty of Pelham, N.H., sister Carol Botty and her partner Martin Linder of Sutton, Mass., and niece Mikaela Linder of Boston.

Memorial services will be held on Monday, May 10, at the Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel, 370 Plantation Street, Worcester, Mass. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m., with the service at 7 p.m.

The family requests contributions in John's memory be made to Old Friends, 1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown KY, 40324.