Calvin Stuart Rainey, who started in racing as an exercise rider and later became executive director of The Jockey Club, died July 6 at his home in Green Valley, Ariz. He was 93.
Rainey entered racing in 1930 as an exercise rider and started riding as an apprentice in 1932. He rode until 1937 in the East and the Midwest. He won several stakes on King Saxon, including the 1935 Metropolitan Handicap.
Rainey began his career as a racing official in 1938 when he worked as an identification clerk at New York racetracks. He held various official positions until joining the United States Army during World War II.
After returning from the military, Rainey resumed his career as a racing official at the New York tracks. In 1957, he was appointed a steward and served in that post until April 1972. He also served as a steward at other tracks, including Hialeah, Delaware Park, Garden State Park, and Beulah Park.
Rainey was executive director of The Jockey Club from 1972 until he retired in 1980. His association with The Jockey Club was the source of many of his favorite memories.
After retiring, Rainey and his wife, Connie, married since 1940, moved to Arizona, where he remained active in racing. He assisted in the development of the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program. He was a member of the Arizona Racing Commission, president of the Friends of Western Art, longtime member of Los Charros del Desierto, and a Tucson Art Museum board member.
Rainey’s survivors include his wife; sons Calvin, John, Thomas, and Stuart; and a daughter, Jennifer.
