Popular Santa Anita Press Box Figure Cambianica Retiring

(from Santa Anita Park notes)
Santa Anita will lose one of its most cherished press box fixtures at the end of the current meet when Fermo Cambianica is to retire. The unofficial press box steward, he began his reign at Santa Anita in 1955.

The 79-year-old turf writer and handicapper for the Long Beach Press-Telegram cited health reasons for the decision to shut down his computer April 22.

A popular figure in Southern California horse racing for decades, Cambianica is a curmudgeon-like figure with a droll sense of humor. Helpful to a fault, no one is more unanimously liked among his peers. Cambianica also is an accomplished ballroom dancer and played college basketball at Long Beach State for two seasons, 1952 and 1953.

“I don’t think they’ll be doing back flips when I leave,” Cambianica said with tongue in cheek.