Noted Turf Writer, Historian Mooney Passes Peacefully

William P. "Bill" Mooney, the award-winning turf writer who ranked among Thoroughbred racing’s premier historians, died peacefully at his Lexington home Jan. 28 after a devastating two-year battle with renal cell carcinoma. He was 69.

Mooney insisted there be no moments of silence in his memory, requesting instead that if people feel so compelled, they “have a moment of noise.”

A friend and mentor to many, Mooney offered his wise counsel to both aspiring and veteran journalists and also to cancer patients. In his last months, he showed not only how to live but how to die with courage and grace.

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and the Kentucky Senate in December recognized Mooney for his contributions to the horse industry and valor in confronting the cancer he knew would kill him.

The Senate proclamation on the motion of Sen. Reggie Thomas read in part that Mooney “worked tirelessly to preserve for posterity horse racing’s illustrious history, using details and descriptions which, for the reader, bring to life the colorful world of horse racing, both today and throughout history.”

Gray declared December “Bill Mooney Month in Lexington,” the proclamation stating in part that Mooney “is a kind, loving person who goes out of his way to help others in need; who has been a role model for journalists; and who has taught us all how to face overwhelming adversity with great strength, courage, grit and class; and … has made incredible contributions to horse racing that will last in perpetuity.”

Mooney was known for his relentless pursuit of accuracy, painstaking research, and terrific storytelling during his work for the Thoroughbred Record, Thoroughbred Times, and BloodHorse. He was a frequent contributor to the New York Times and numerous magazines.

He was also a two-time Eclipse Award winner, in 1985 for the quintessential story about Ellis Park that ran in the Thoroughbred Record and in 2007 for a poignant story about the euthanization of champion Precisionist at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm that ran in Post Time USA. The native New Englander was awarded the 2012 Walter Haight Award by the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters Association for career excellence, co-authored multiple editions of The Complete Encyclopedia of Horse Racing: The Illustrated Guide to the World of the Thoroughbred, and is author of the Tony Ryan Book Award-winning Keeneland’s Ted Bassett: My Life. He also served as a racetrack publicist, including for years for Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort and the West Virginia Derby.

In 2015, the NTWAB created and named Mooney the inaugural recipient of the Bill Mooney Courage Award for displaying courage in the face of tremendous adversity.

Mooney's magnificent and voluminous history and story-telling were typed with one finger, a byproduct of being in a horrific auto crash at age 15. During his six-week hospital stay, his passion for horse racing was kindled by an orderly who was a fan and would bring him the race charts from the Providence Journal.

Mooney received an undergraduate degree from North Texas State and his Masters and PhD in English at Michigan State. He was preceded in death by his parents, noted circus performers James P. Mooney Jr. and Maria Anna Antalek, and a brother, Jim. He is survived by another brother, John. He loved Brittany Kovacs and Zack Sharp, who called him Uncle Bill, as if they were his children. He treasured all the visits, phone calls, and emails in his final months from his friends and writing and racing colleagues. Friend of 45 years and former grad-school roommate Dr. Thomas Tobin, Mary and Mark Simon, Alicia and John Hughes, and neighbor Barbara White provided an unending source of comfort. Bill immensely appreciated the loving care provided by Duchess Campbell Peach, his caregiver who became a friend.

There will be a celebration of Bill’s life at 5:30 p.m. ET Feb. 18 at The Thoroughbred Club of America in Lexington. Memorial gifts may be made to Hospice of the Bluegrass and Old Friends Equine.