Trainer Glenn DiSanto passed away Saturday. He was 62 and had been battling cancer. A native of Carmel, New York, DiSanto started in the business with show horses at West Creek Farm in Sharon Springs, where he began his involvement with the state breeding program. He then purchased Summit View Farm in Greenwich, New York in 1984. Hildaskova gave him his first winner as a trainer in 1991 at Aqueduct. He amassed 49 career victories, most recently with Lotza Heat at Belmont Park in 2015.
“I've known Glenn since I was a young man just galloping horses,” said NYRA steward Braulio Baeza, Jr. “He was a great guy. Even when he was sick, he always had a pleasant and good-natured demeanor. Glenn was one of the nicest people and one of the few on the backstretch who would help you with whatever you needed in any way he could.”
DiSanto was well known for his advocacy for retired Thoroughbred horses.
“He was a big supporter who did a lot for us,” said Lisa Molloy, an executive director at Rerun Thoroughbred Adoption, a nonprofit whose mission is to rehabilitate , retrain, and find adoptive homes for Thoroughbred racehorses when their careers on the track are over. “He would also tell people about the program. When his horses had finished running, he would take them home to live on his farm. Eventually he'd bring them over to ReRun, and he always liked to bring them himself. He was very hands-on. He was one of the best horsemen around. He never lost his temper with anything. He always knew what he was doing and the animals just loved him.”
DiSanto is survived by his wife Melanie and sons Brett and Brendon. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.
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