Southwest Trainer Morris Nicks Dies at 74

Longtime trainer Morris Nicks, also the father of trainer Ralph Nicks, died Nov. 25 at home in Waskom, Texas, at age 74. He had been battling cancer. 

"His upbringing and bringing me up was to have a good work ethic and to start doing things early," said Ralph, who trained 2017 champion 2-year-old filly Caledonia Road . "If you were big enough to hold a pitchfork, you were big enough to start cleaning a stall. Basically if you were big enough to walk, you learned how to lead a horse; the list goes on from there. It's how he brought me around, which probably has to do with some of the things I was able to accomplish and carry on."

Morris was born in Clarksville, Texas, and grew up in the nearby town of Avery. He became a mainstay at the Southwest racetracks. Since official statistics began being tracked in 1976, he trained 819 Thoroughbred winners that earned $15,737,189 through 2018, according to Equibase. Morris retired in 2018 due to leukemia.

"I can remember as a kid a photo of him winning a Quarter Horse futurity or handicap at Blue Ribbon Downs, before it was a recognized racetrack, hanging in our house, which was probably the early 70s," Ralph said.

"His main thing was Louisiana Downs and the Oaklawn Park circuit for the majority of his life," Ralph said. "He took a stint and would go to Kentucky with my mom for about five or six years, but he finished his career at Louisiana Downs and the Fair Grounds."

Morris saddled Run Johnny to win the 1999 Aristides Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs and Golden Sonata to capture the 2004 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3). His top earner was Smitty's Sunshine, a seven-time black-type winner who collected $532,219 racing from 2006-08. Smitty's Sunshine's stakes victories came in Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, and Texas. Morris was also a stakes-winning owner with Pure Tactics, who took the 2013 Barksdale Stakes at Louisiana Downs. Pure Tactics went on to win four more stakes in California for trainer Doug O'Neill and owner Nita Winner. Morris also trained multiple stakes winners Carolina Sky, Groovy Jett, Master Link, Northern Scene, Old Bushmill, Pretty Squall, and Tensas Yucatan.

"Dad was an all-in horseman for the last 30 to 40 years of his life," Ralph said. "If he had an afternoon off he was out buying supplies and hay for the rest of the week. He never took days off."