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Trainer Morris Nicks, Father Of Ralph Nicks, Dies At Age 74

Multiple graded stakes-winning trainer Morris Nicks passed away on Nov. 25 after a battle with leukemia, reports bloodhorse.com. The veteran Southwest-based trainer was 74 years old.

Nicks passed the majority of his career between Louisiana Downs and Oaklawn Park. Since records began being tracked in 1976, Nicks saddled 819 Thoroughbred winners including Run Johnny in the 1999 Aristides Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs and Golden Sonata in the 2004 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3).

He is also the father of Breeders' Cup-winning trainer Ralph Nicks.

“Dad was an all-in horseman for the last 30 to 40 years of his life,” Ralph told bloodhorse.com. “If he had an afternoon off he was out buying supplies and hay for the rest of the week. He never took days off.”

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

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Trainer Morris Nicks Dies at 74

Morris G. Nicks, who trained for parts of six decades, primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana and Kentucky, died Nov. 25 at his home in Waskom, Texas. He had been fighting cancer and was 74 years old.

His passing was confirmed by his wife Ellen in a Daily Racing Form story that broke the news Sunday. His son, the trainer Ralph Nicks, told DRF that his father had requested no funeral services to be held. According to DRF, Nicks grew up on a farm in Texas and galloped horses and rode in match races before spending a summer at age 17 working at Ruidoso Downs. He began training shortly thereafter, around 1965, at Oaklawn Park.

According to Equibase, Nicks won graded stakes with the sprinter Run Johnny in the 1999 GIII Aristides H. at Churchill Downs and with Golden Sonata in the 2004 GII Oaklawn Breeders' Cup S. at Oaklawn Park.

Nicks won the 2011 Louisiana Downs training title. He had retired from running a stable in 2018, citing health issues.

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