Howard Craig, who at one time ranked 11th among jockeys by wins, died Oct. 31. He was 78.
A native of Springfield, Ohio, Craig starting riding in the late 1940s. He rode primarily in the Midwest and South, and won the 1954 Arkansas Derby on Timely Tip.
Craig was a fixture at Detroit Race Track in the 1950s and '60s. He finished second in the track's signature event, the Michigan Mile, in 1959 aboard Racetracker.
At Waterford Park in West Virginia, he rode the last six winners on the card one day, and then won the first two winners the following day.
Craig rode in the 1970s and retired with more than 2,700 wins. Even in his retirement, he came out several times to ride in a race called the Good Old Times for ex-jockeys at DRC. Craig won it several times.
Like many former riders, Craig stayed in racing. His jobs included training horses and working at DRC as a patrol judge and clerk of scales. Craig later worked at the Galbreath family's Darby Dan Farm near Galloway, Ohio, for 16 years.
Craig, who collected antique cars, is survived by his wife, Joyce, and a daughter, Fredericia.
