Hall of Fame trainer J. Elliott Burch dies at 86
January 30, 2011OZONE PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Hall of Fame horse trainer J. Elliott Burch, who won the Belmont Stakes with Sword Dancer, Quadrangle, and Arts and Letters, has died after complications from pneumonia. He was 86.
Burch died Saturday at Newport Hospital in Rhode Island, the New York Racing Association said. A memorial service is scheduled for next Saturday in Middletown, R.I.
The son of Hall of Famer Preston Burch and grandson of Hall of Famer William Burch, J. Elliott Burch began his 30-year training career in 1955. He went on to saddle more than 60 stakes winners, including Key to the Mint, the 3-year-old champion in 1972.
Burch was inducted into horse racing's Hall of Fame in 1980.