William A. Levin Dead

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William A. Levin, who won the 1971 Travers Stakes with Bold Reason, died Jan. 26, one day after his 84th birthday. He lived in recent years mostly in Florida.

A textile manufacturer, Levin was active in virtually every sector of the New York breeding and racing industry. He served as New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund board chairman from 1994 through 2005. Levin also was the unpaid chairman for more than 20 years of the now-defunct New York State Thoroughbred Capital Investment Fund (CIF), which was created as the official bank and overseer of capital improvements at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. The CIF was replaced by a new state agency in 2005.

Bold Reason, whom Levin bought for $52,000 as a yearling at Harry F. Guggenheim's Cain Hoy Stable dispersal, won the Travers at Saratoga in front of a record crowd. That year, he also captured three other important stakes and ran third in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

As a syndicated stallion, Bold Reason sired Canadian champion and classic winner Sound Reason and the dam of leading Irish stallion Sadler's Wells.

Levin was president and chairman of the board of Gold Mills, Inc., a textile manufacturing company. He owned Gold Mills Farm near Old Westbury, Long Island, N.Y.

In his name and in his farm name, Levin raced nine stakes winners, three of which were homebreds, including popular New York runners Sir Ack and Sir Keys. He bred a total nine added-money winners.

Levin's survivors include his wife, Corinne; and a daughter, Dr. Linda Levin Carmine.

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