Bob Coglianese, whose work from Belmont Park, Saratoga Speedway and Aqueduct Track have been the standard of excellence in racing photography for a generation, died Friday in Boynton Beach, Florida, Racing Association. New York announced. He was 88,
Coglianese had been ill for several months after a fall that required surgery.
As the official NYRA track photographer for more than 50 years, Coglianese has been noted for her photographs of horses from Kelso and Dr. Fager to the Secretariat, Affirmations and Cigars, and above all, his iconic head-to-head photograph of the Secretariat in the Belmont Stock in 1973, which Sports Illustrated called the greatest racing photograph of the 20th century.
“My father works almost 300 days a year taking pictures at the track, and every day he treats it as if it were Belmont Stakes,” said his son, Adam, who took over the business from his father. himself in 2013, said. “Every day is the same. –joint dedication to racing and to the NYRA. He taught me everything I knew, and when teaching people who work for me or amateur photographers, I go back to the advice and lessons my father taught me.”
“Bob Coglianese is a giant in the world of race photography, with his photographs among the best ever taken of thoroughbred races,” said Dave O’Rourke President and Director. NYRA executive said. “Bob has combined an extraordinary work ethic with a knack for innovation and a passion for sport. He is a master of his craft and a mentor to countless photographers working today. The NYRA sends its condolences to Bob’s family and friends, and we look forward to remembering him in the months to come.”
The secretariat, with jockey Ron Turcotte, won the 1973 Belmont Stakes with 31 lengths to become the race’s ninth Triple Crown winner, and Coglianese’s memorable front-stroke captures the importance of the race. What many consider to be the greatest racing performance ever. The image still appears in books and magazines and is commemorated in a floor-to-ceiling mural on the first floor of the Belmont Park stands.
Bob Coglia’s photo
In his style, Coglianese underperformed the way he happened to get the shot. “It was a big race, it was the Belmont Stakes, and there was a photo booth over there and I was up there, shooting the race,” he said in 2018. “It happened to be that I did. that picture.”
Coglianese has won two Eclipse Awards for excellence in racing photography. “He always says the Eclipse Award is lucky,” says Adam, “but he is very proud of his Eclipse Award. For a long time, he was the only person to win two Eclipse Awards. He captured two images that you can’t copy if you try.” Coglianese was also a winner of the George Featherston Prize in the mid-eighties.
His Eclipse Award-winning photographs came in 1972, when he caught a horse and a bird hitting power lines at the same time at the Aqueduct, and in 1980 for “The Savage,” a photograph of Tremont. S. 1980, where the Great Prospector came to an end and defeated the winner, the Golden Derby.
Coglianese is part of the NYRA’s small and elite group of official photographers that originated more than a century ago. In 1952, as a teenager, he went to work at the New York racetrack, assisting his uncle, Mike Sirico, who had been the NYRA photographer since 1920. Sirico was brought into the game with as an apprentice to Charles C. [C.C.] Cook, whose photos follow New York from the early years of the 20th century.
In 1955, Sirico assumed the position of official NYRA photographer. Coglianese assumed the role in 1962, and was succeeded by his son, Adam, who holds the position today. Along the way, Bob Coglianese’s photographs become memorable not only for all the famous horses and races he captures from Belmont Park, the Aqueduct and Saratoga Racecourse and Gulfstream Park into winter, which is sometimes a historical document that demonstrates how racing evolved.
Adam and Bob Coglianese | NYRA photo
On March 14, 1969 at the Aqueduct, Coglianese was on hand to document Barbara Jo Rubin’s victory aboard the Bravy Galaxy, making her the first female jockey to win a race in New York. . And he was also there in the parade after Rubin recalled a few years ago, everyone yelled at her to give up the race and go home. Later, he was also there when Rubin was warmly congratulated by the future Angel Cordero; Photos of the two of them appeared in newspapers around the country and signaled the acceptance of Rubin in New York that she had eluded elsewhere.
He also shot a lot of celebrities who also participated in the races. “He used to talk about famous people over and over again,” says Adam. “I remember growing up and he told me he shot Barbra Streisand and asked her to host the Aqueduct show. He would say, ‘imagine getting Barbra Streisand today!’”
A strict manager who insisted that everyone do their jobs, Coglianese joined his son Adam in the business after graduating from high school in the early 1990s.
“I decided to get into business in the ’90s after graduating from college,” says Adam. “That’s the end of the movie, which has more to do with the digital world we live in today. I have to get to work on time, I have to develop the movie, I have to get my hands on it. My father didn’t let me rest when it rained, snowed, or was cold. I went through the same upbringing as my father because my father worked for his uncle, Mike Sirico.”
Adam worked with his father for 20 years before Bob Coglianese retired in 2013. Before retiring completely, when he felt comfortable letting his son continue the business, he began to spend the winter in South of France, where he fell in love. Then the owner Seymour Cohn introduced him to Anguilla, and he began to spend the winter there. But even after his retirement, he still spends his summers in Saratoga.
His son said: “He would spend the summer at the stall in Saratoga with my mother, selling famous photographs of him, current champions and featured horses of the year. “And he will have countless interactions with people about the history of the photos, how he took this photo and the horses he likes. He will argue with everyone that Seattle Slew is better than the Secretariat and vice versa, and voice his opinion on who he likes best.
Barbarian | Bob Coglia’s photo
Among his favorite photos are two workout photos of the Secretariat. “He remembered how good the horse looked,” Adam said. “The way Ron Turcotte is for him is too long. He always talks about that picture.” The second painting of one of the Secretariat’s works served as a model for the Belmont paddock statue. “He said it was taken early in the morning with a very slow shutter speed,” says Adam.
But while in essence he will always be associated with the Secretariat, his son says he has seen and missed a lot of great people. “His favorite horses are Seattle Slew, Kelso. They just go and come back. He has seen countless champions, and not just the Secretariat. His first time at the racetrack was in 1952, when the Native Dancer broke his maidenhood, and he’s kept that show all his life.
Coglianese is survived by his wife Rosalind, son Adam, nephew Ethan and daughter-in-law Tia Sozzi.
In lieu of flowers, the Coglianese family asked the equestrian community to please consider making a donation to the Belmont Child Care Association, Backstretch Staff Service Team or the New York Racetrack Chaplain.
These nonprofits provide a variety of services and support to disadvantaged New York communities, and Bob appreciates their collective mission.
“He loves going to the track,” said Adam Coglianese. “He likes to sit in the backyard talking to people. It always talks about racing history in Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct. He loved what he did. Loved it. And he’s definitely a trailblazer in photography.”
