HIALEAH, FL-MARCH 3, 2018--Hialeah Park owner John Brunetti, a horse breeder and the owner of historic Hialeah Park died Friday (March 2) at his home in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 87.

As Hialeah's owner, Brunetti feuded with nearby Gulfstream Park and Calder Race Course for the best racing dates. When the state of Florida stopped assigning dates in 1989, Hialeah found itself unable to compete with the other tracks, and its prominence quickly faded.

Hialeah opened in 1925 and its heyday was a showplace for celebrities, pink flamingos and many of the sport's greatest horses. A statue of Citation stands as a reminder of the track's past.

Hialeah made a resurgence in recent years and was able to gain casino licenses by running a Quarter Horse meet at his track. After four seasons Brunetti had a falling out with the horsemen's group and began running non-sanctioned Quarter Horse races.

Legislators in the State of Florida have done nothing to protect horsemen by upholding the law that gave Hialeah Park the right to have gaming licenses by running Quarter Horse races.

A memorial service will be held in the Clubhouse on the third floor at Hialeah Park on Monday, March 12, 2018 at 12:30 PM.