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John J. Brunetti Sr., owner of Hialeah Park since 1977, died Friday at 87 at his home in Boca Raton. Brunetti was in failing health in recent years. He had a cancerous lung removed last summer, had a kidney transplant in 2013 and underwent heart bypass surgery in 1996.
Brunetti built a fortune in the construction business in Florida and New Jersey and was hailed as the savior of the celebrated race track known for its Mediterranean architecture and graceful flamingos. The track was so picturesque it was featured on the opening credits of the “Miami Vice” TV show.
Brunetti’s purchase of the property thwarted an attempt by the Donn family, then the owners of Gulfstream Park, to acquire Hialeah and end racing there, shifting the racing dates to the family’s track in Hallandale Beach.
The good will wasn’t lasting. During his tenure at Hialeah, Brunetti became frequently embroiled in controversies. He battled Gulfstream, Calder and Florida lawmakers over his claim to the most lucrative winter racing dates. Brunetti felt they were Hialeah’s birthright, since it was the original thoroughbred track in South Florida. Hialeah maintained a stranglehold on those dates until 1972, when the legislature threw them open for bid with Gulfstream, which has a superior location. Gulfstream was able to break the monopoly and get the best dates on a rotating basis. This was the beginning of the end of Hialeah as the mecca of winter racing. When the state deregulated racing dates entirely, it led to the track shutting down in 2001.
Brunetti, a horseman himself, also had frequent disputes with the owners and trainers who raced at Hialeah over purses being paid late or underpaid. He also alienated fans by charging one of the highest takeouts (the amount deducted before winners are paid) in the nation.
Brunetti restored racing at Hialeah in 2009 with an annual quarterhorse meeting. However, he acknowledged this was solely to satisfy a state requirement to qualify for a casino, which he opened in the track’s grandstand in 2013. Last month, the city of Hialeah, in appreciation for his contributions, named a street near the track John J. Brunetti Sr. Way.
Thoroughbred racing remained his passion. He owned Red Oak Stable, which has bred several stakes winners and was the leading owner in races won at Monmouth Park this past summer. Bal Harbour, a Red Oak Kentucky Derby hopeful, won the Smooth Air Stakes at Gulfstream in December and was second in the Mucho Macho Man. Unbridled Mo, the winner of a couple of stakes last year, recently ran fourth at Gulfstream in the Royal Delta Stakes.
A graduate of the University of Miami, Brunetti, through his foundation, has given generously to the school. His charities extend to campaigns against human trafficking, the Wounded Warriors Project and public broadcasting.
Brunetti is survived by is wife, Tracee; his sons, John Jr. and Steven; and his sister, JoAnn Brunetti.. A memorial service will be held March 12 at 12:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Hialeah clubhouse.