Pat Lamberty, the multi-talented former Suffolk Downs on-air TV handicapper, pedigree expert, bloodstock agent, and syndicate manager known throughout the New England racing community for his convivial personality, died Dec. 16, 2020, in Pompano Beach, Fla. He was 43.
It was not known until Feb. 2, 2021, that he had passed away and no cause of death was listed in an online tribute to him created by friends.
During his multi-faceted career in racing, Lamberty also worked for several years as the head of client management and sales for Centennial Farms, the multiple grade 1-winning bloodstock and racing syndicate based in Massachusetts. He was the point-person for the syndicate's clients into early 2010 after working his way up the ladder there.
"Pat was a great person to be around, and he was a fun person. He had an uncharacteristic and effortless passion for this sport. He loved it," said Donald Little Jr., president and co-owner of Centennial Farms. "He enjoyed being involved in all aspects of it from handicapping to looking at horses to owning small pieces to working with Centennial. He was a big personality. He was charming to clients. He was a bright face in our sport."
Lamberty grew up in Revere, Mass., near Suffolk Downs and began his love affair with Thoroughbreds and racing when he and a group of friends would sneak into the track after high school classes to watch the last few races on the card. He got his foot in the front office door while an undergraduate at Boston University studying business management when he secured an internship in the track's press box, and then he went on to work seasonally in the Monmouth Park publicity department for a few years.
He was fascinated by pedigrees and was a dedicated student of bloodlines, and he thoroughly enjoyed handicapping. His knowledge, personality, and charm made him a natural to segue onto Suffolk Downs' on-air broadcast crew in 1999. From there, he earned his way into jobs as co-host on the track's nightly replay TV show, the weekly radio show, and as back-up race caller; years later he was an on-air handicapper for the New York City Off-Track Betting shows.
Lamberty was also a racehorse owner. With his old school friends that used to sneak into the track with him, he put together a small syndicate in 2003, and he managed their Suffolk Downs-based stable.
Throughout the years Lamberty also lived in South Florida and New Orleans, where he was involved with different bloodstock and racing endeavors and worked as the agent for a few riders.
There are no known survivors. Anyone wishing to honor his memory may contribute to the accredited Thoroughbred welfare agency of his or her choice.
