Daryl Parker, the first black racing official in North America, has passed away in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. The father of three-time national leading rider DeShawn Parker, he served as a steward at all three of the Ohio Thoroughbred tracks over the course of his career.
“I'm sad to let everybody in the Twitter and racing world know that I lost my dad Daryl E Parker last night,” DeShawn Parker posted on Twitter Friday morning. “He fought a long battle with cancer that took his life.. he's going to be missed but never forgotten!! He was loved by everybody that knew him.”
Daryl Parker also served as an exercise rider, pony boy, and jockey's agent before his tenure as a steward began in 1986.
“If you look up the definition of 'class act' in the dictionary, Daryl's photo would be there,” wrote John Engelhardt. “He always went about his business in a professional manner and lived his life surrounded by a positive outlook. In DeShawn, you can see that the apple did not fall far from the tree.”
My idol my best friend and a great father!! He meant so much to my life and my career I can only hope to be as great as he was ..
— DeShawn Parker (@JockDeShawn) March 5, 2021
I'm going to miss my dad so much but I know he's in a better place with no pain and living his life to the fullest up there hanging with friends and family talking up a storm!! Until we meet again… I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!❤️❤️🏇🏇
— DeShawn Parker (@JockDeShawn) March 5, 2021
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