Award-winning Asbury Park Press columnist Bill Handleman, the paper's leading authority on horse racing, passed away early this morning at the age of 62

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Handleman, of Neptune, New Jersey, was with the APP for 30 years.

“It is a sad loss,” Hollis R. Towns, executive editor and vice president of news at APP, was quoted as saying in an APP article. “He was a valuable part of this newspaper as well as the community.”

The article explains that though Handleman was more than well versed in all virtually all sports, his expertise, and abiding passion, was horse racing, however. A fixture at Monmouth Park, where he had a bird's eye view from his tiny office high above the track, he had an uncanny ability to mine the backstretch and luxury parterre boxes for juicy scoops and hidden story gems. He was respected not just as a sportswriter but as a handicapper. He burnished his reputation in that regard considerably in 1995 when he walked away with the top prize in the prestigious $100,000 Penn National World Series of Handicapping.

As a columnist, Handleman relished championing the underdog, be it an overachieving claimer at the track, out-gunned homeowners fighting to save their Long Branch neighborhood from eminent domain, or a group of plucky student journalists at Ocean County College standing up to administrative intimidation.

Handleman's friends and colleagues had planned to hold 'A Tribute to Bill Handleman' on Saturday, June 12 from 9:30 a.m. until noon at Mister C’s Beach Bistro, Ocean and Allen Ave., Allenhurst, NJ.

A $50 donation to the tribute includes Brunch at Mister C’s, and two clubhouse passes to Monmouth Park.

It is currently unclear whether or not the event is still taking place (due to Handleman's unfortunate passing), although, for further information, contact Tom Luicci at [email protected] or 973-951-3924.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bill Handleman.

(With files from the APP)