Funeral Services for Antley in South Carolina

Funeral services for jockey Chris Antley, who was found dead late Saturday night at his Pasadena home, will be held Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Elloree, S.C.

According to a spokesperson at Fogle-Hunger Piller Funeral Home, burial will follow immediately afterward.

Antley, who was honored Tuesday at a memorial service in Arcadia, is survived by his wife Natalie Jowett, father Les, mother Shelly, stepmother Annie, brothers Brian and Richie, sister Leslie and paternal grandmother Eugenia.

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J.B. Faulconer, who named the Eclipse Awards and brought the sponsoring groups together to form the Eclipse program in 1971, died Tuesday at 81 at a hospice in Vero Beach, Fla. He had been suffering from lung cancer.

A former executive at Keeneland, Faulconer was the executive vice president of the Thoroughbred Racing Assn. from 1976-88. The TRA--which has since been replaced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Assn.--the Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers’ Assn. were the original sponsors of the Eclipse Awards.

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Defending champion Tailor Fit will miss the $400,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 17 because of a foot injury.

Trained by Steve Van Bebber, Tailor Fit, who was the world champion quarter horse in 1999, was injured while running in the $75,000 Refrigerator Handicap last Saturday at Lone Star Park in Texas.

Hes My Dasher, who was second in the Champion of Champions last year, will take Tailor Fit’s place in the 440-yard race. Jakes Jockmo, A Ransom, A Delightful Dasher, Deelish, Runaway Wil, Corona Kool, Separatist, Chicks First Policy and Willie Wanta Dash round out the field of 10 for the Grade I.

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Old Topper, a stakes winner for owner Barbara Hunter and trainer Noble Threewitt, will likely be retired after suffering a tendon injury in his right front leg.

A 5-year-old son of Gilded Time, Old Topper finished with seven victories from 25 starts and earned $655,861. He won in his last appearance, Aug. 28 at Del Mar.

“It’s an awful blow to me,” Threewitt said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse I was more fond of.”

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Times staff writer Bill Christine contributed to this story.