Sunday Reads

 Famous horse racing photographer Bob Coglianese, 88, died Friday after a short illness.  Starting as a pro photographer in the mid-1950s, he became the official photographer for the New York Racing Association (NYRA).  His son, Adam, continues in the role.

Bob, though, was one of the best photographers in the business.  His most famous photograph, the black-and-white photo of Secretariat as the champ was approaching the finish line in the 1973 Belmont Stakes with jockey Ron Turcotte looking at the timer and the rest of the field seemingly miles back, is without question the most famous photo of Secretariat.  It might well be not just the greatest photograph in the history of horse racing, but the greatest in the history of sports.  It surely must rank as one of the greatest photos of the 20th century.

If ever a picture told a million words, this one was it:

Coglianese for his part didn't make a fuss over the photo:

"There was a photo stand over there, and I was on it, shooting the race," he told the New York Racing Association in 2018. "It just so happened I got that shot."

Most professional photographers spend a lifetime getting that perfect picture, but for Bob it was all in a day's work.

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