Veteran Kentucky trainer Michael A. Tammaro died of a heart attack at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Ky., Jan. 27 following a long illness. He was 57.
Born in East St. Louis, Ill., the resident of Burlington, Ky. was a member of a successful racing family. His late father, John Tammaro Sr., trained 1981 2-year-old champion male Deputy Minister, who developed into a leading sire. Mike’s brother, John Tammaro III, is a trainer. A sister, Cathy Tammaro, had been Mike’s assistant until recent years. Mike’s nephew, Dean Sarvis, is a jockey, and another nephew, John Tammaro IV, is a blacksmith.
Mike Tammaro earned his first win as a trainer in 1975. His career took him to tracks across the midwestern and eastern United States and to Florida and Canada.
According to records maintained from 1976 to the present by Equibase, Tammaro trained 8,380 starters with 930 wins and purse earnings of more than $17 million.
Tammaro trained 16 stakes winners including Golden Choice, Canada’s champion 3-year-old male of 1986. Golden Choice won two classics, the Queen’s Plate Stakes and the Prince of Wales Stakes.
Among Tammaro’s other stakes winners are graded winners Claire's Honor and Three Fanfares.
At Turfway Park, Tammaro was leading trainer for the winter/spring meets of 1992 and 1993.
A public memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in the Turfway Park Racing Club, fifth floor.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the racehorse adoption agency CANTER Kentucky (www.canterusa.org) or to any racehorse adoption agency of the donor’s choice.