I saw the piece on DRF the other day that Robert P. Lake had passed at 82. He certainly was not a famous or a infamous trainer; just a good honest horseman who had some moderate success in NY in the 70's and 80's.

The last 20 years of his life were not very kind to him, he ended up working in a couple different Capital OTB's as a barely above minimum wage teller not because he wanted something to do! His retirement was a bit pre mature in 1991 as a couple of his main owners passed and he wasn't a juice guy.The unholy trinity of Oscar, Pistol and the Gas Man had taken over the NY claiming game the previous few years and guy's like Bob just didn't fit any longer.

I had many a chat with him but none recently, maybe 6-7 years since I saw him last. He was an admitted horrible gambler who nearly blew his business in his early years and rarely even bet the last 30 years of his career. To my knowledge he never had a positive test or suspension of any sort, he said he "always ran them clean" and I had no reason to doubt him.

Bob was stuck on 992 wins and desperately wanted to get to 1000. He was always trying to work an old connection to give him a few horses or had a story of someone in Texas or California that was going to put him back in business. It never happened; time, drugs and the changes in the game had passed him by.

He was a total gentleman and it always was a pleasure to listen to some old race track stories. I recall one where Jimmy The Greek had heavily touted to his entourage a particular horse in a small stake at Saratoga and his crew was betting with both hands. Bob ran into him in the clubhouse and said Jimmy you don't have a prayer, I'm 20/1 and going coast to coast. Supposedly The Greek bet Bob's horse without telling any of his entourage about it and collected very quietly!

RIP Bob,

Frank D.