Robert P. (Bob) Benoit (1927–2008) was chief operating officer and general manager of the Hollywood Park Racetrack in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

. In 2004, he became the first recipient of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award, given by Hollywood Park to a person who served racing with "integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination, and distinction"."Bob Benoit Receives Inaugural Pincay Award," ''Bloodhorse.com,'' July 10, 2004
/ref>

Biography

Benoit was born in Gary, Indiana, on Feb. 8, 1927. He graduated from Los Angeles (Calif.) High School, after which he joined the Army. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles, beginning in 1947 and was on the sports staff of the

Daily Bruin The ''Daily Bruin'' is the student newspaper at the University of California, Los Angeles. It began publishing in 1919, the year UCLA was founded. The ''Daily Bruin'' distributes about 6,000 copies across campus each school day. It also publis ...

, the student newspaper.Press release as edited and updated August 16, 2008, a
''Bloodhorse.com,''
with a photo. An obituary including much of the same information is in "Passings; Robert P. Benoit; Hollywood Park publicity director," ''Los Angeles Times,'' August 19, 2008, p. B-6. In 1951, Benoit became sports editor of the ''

Inglewood Daily News The ''Inglewood Daily News'' was published in Inglewood, California, beginning around 1908 and ending in 1979 or after. Founding and early days The newspaper which preceded the ''Inglewood Daily News'' published its first edition as the ''Inglewo ...

'', then worked part-time for the track until he became a full-time employee in 1955. He was promoted to publicity director in 1969. He became chief operating officer and general manager of the track in 1977. He also founded a company that provided track photographers at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Fairplex Park race courses. He became publicity director at Playfair. According to a Hollywood Park press release, Benoit was "instrumental in forming the Racetrack Chaplaincy of California and in bringing jockeys

Sandy Hawley Desmond Sandford "Sandy" Hawley, (born April 16, 1949 in Oshawa, Ontario) is a Canadian Hall of Fame jockey. Sandy Hawley decided to be a jockey when he was a 17-year-old boy, hotwalking, grooming and excise horses at a Woodbine racetrack in Toro ...

, Chris McCarron,

Eddie Delahoussaye Edward J. Delahoussaye (born September 21, 1951) is a retired American Thoroughbred jockey from New Iberia, Louisiana. He began his career in 1968 and ten years later became the top American jockey with 384 wins. He has won the Kentucky Derby in ...

, and Darrel McHargue to Southern California". He died of pneumonia on August 15, 2008, at Centinela Valley Hospital in Inglewood.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benoit, Bob 1927 births 2008 deaths Hollywood Park Racetrack Deaths from pneumonia in California