Victor J. Nickerson

Lefty Nickerson
Lefty Nickerson
Occupation	Trainer
Born	December 25, 1928; Boston, Massachusetts,; United States
Died	March 26, 2004
Career wins	Not found
Major racing wins
	Whitney Stakes (1966); Jerome Handicap (1967); Bay Shore Stakes (1968); Discovery Handicap (1970); Lawrence Realization Stakes (1971); Firenze Handicap (1972); Coaching Club American Oaks (1973); Derby Trial Stakes (1973); Test Stakes (1973); San Luis Rey Handicap (1973); Gallant Fox Handicap (1973, 1974); Governor Stakes (1974); Marlboro Cup (1974); Secretariat Stakes (1974, 1981); Alabama Stakes (1975); Violet Handicap (1977, 1985); Brighton Beach Handicap (1980); Jockey Club Gold Cup (1981); Sword Dancer Handicap (1981); Excelsior Handicap (1982); Super Derby (1982)
Significant horses
	Big Spruce, John Henry, Verbatim

Last updated April 14, 2019

Victor J. "Lefty" Nickerson (December 25, 1928 – March 26, 2004) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer. He embarked on a career as a professional trainer in 1953, working primarily at racetracks in the Northeastern United States. Late in his career he trained from a base at Santa Anita Park in California.

A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals’ physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for events, which may include contests and other riding purposes. The level of education and the yearly salary they can earn for this profession may differ depending on where the person is employed.

The Northeastern United States, also referred to as simply the Northeast, is a geographical region of the United States bordered to the north by Canada, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Southern United States, and to the west by the Midwestern United States. The Northeast is one of the four regions defined by the United States Census Bureau for the collection and analysis of statistics.

Santa Anita Park thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States

Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, and from 2012 to 2014, plus 2016. In 2011, Santa Anita's ownership was moved to The Stronach Group.

During his career, Lefty Nickerson conditioned Thoroughbreds for owners such as Harbor View Farm, Maxwell Henry Gluck of Elmendorf Farm, Pam & Martin Wygod, and Sam and Dorothy Rubin of Dotsam Stable. For the Rubins, Nickerson trained the great John Henry in 1979–1981, notably winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Sword Dancer Handicap and Brighton Beach Handicap. A mentor to future National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee, Ron McAnally, when the Rubins decided to send the gelding to race in California, Nickerson recommended Ron McAnally. However, on John Henry's trips back to New York to race, Nickerson would be the trainer of record.

Maxwell Henry Gluck was an American businessman, diplomat, thoroughbred horsebreeder and philanthropist. He served as the United States Ambassador to Ceylon from September 19, 1957 to October 2, 1958.

Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. Most of the land acquired during Haggin's era has since been sold off to neighboring stud farms, but the original 765 acres including the columns and many of the historic barns and houses still exist at Elmendorf.

Martin J. Wygod is an American businessman and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder.

Of Lefty Nickerson, Ron McAnally said: "Lefty could say one sentence and answer all the things I wondered about all my life. I didn't even have to ask. He just knew what to say all the time. I wanted to learn so badly, and he's such an intelligent guy, and not only as a horseman. I'd never been around anyone like him. He knew so much."

Nickerson suffered a stroke in 1997 and retired from racing. He died in his sleep at his home in Smithtown, New York.

A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both result in parts of the brain not functioning properly. Signs and symptoms of a stroke may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, dizziness, or loss of vision to one side. Signs and symptoms often appear soon after the stroke has occurred. If symptoms last less than one or two hours it is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke may also be associated with a severe headache. The symptoms of a stroke can be permanent. Long-term complications may include pneumonia or loss of bladder control.

Smithtown, New York Town in New York, United States

Smithtown is an affluent town in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island. This town is an eastern suburb of New York City. The population was 117,801 at the 2010 Census.

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References

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