Sonny Hine

Horseracing personalities infobox
name = Sonny Hine


caption =
occupation = Trainer
birthplace = The Bronx, New York, U.S.
birth date = January 9, 1931
death date = March 17, 2000
career wins = 1,305
race = Vosburgh Stakes (1981)
Arlington Classic (1983)
Carter Handicap (1984)
Haskell Invitational Handicap (1985, 1992)
Ohio Derby (1983, 1985)
Pegasus Handicap (1985, 1989)
Pennsylvania Derby (1985)
Gulfstream Park Handicap (1986, 1987, 1998)
Massachusetts Handicap (1986, 1997, 1998)
Florida Derby (1992)
Suburban Handicap (1997)
Donn Handicap (1998)
Hollywood Gold Cup (1998)
Massachusetts Handicap (1998)
Pimlico Special (1998)
Woodward Stakes (1998)

American Classics / Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Classic (1997)

International races:
Molson Export Million (1996)
awards = Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner (1997)
honours = National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2003)
horses = Skip Trial, Technology, Bet Big
Norquestor, Skip Away
updated = CURRENTTIME, CURRENTDAYNAME CURRENTMONTHNAME CURRENTDAY CURRENTYEAR (UTC)

Hubert "Sonny" Hine (January 9, 1931 - March 17, 2000) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer best known as the trainer of 1998 U.S. Horse of the Year, Skip Away.

Early life

Hine was born in The Bronx, New York, the son of clothing merchant and trainer Arthur Hine. Predating his training career in horse racing he often rode match races with his brother, Marvin. His training career began after high school upon hitchhiking to Charles Town and training Miss Economy at Marlboro Race Course.

Before becoming a trainer, Sonny joined the United States Air Force and attended Yale University for a year. While enrolled in a pre-veterinary course at Pennsylvania State University he was contacted by the United States Department of State to become a special investigator in Hong Kong, allowing him to become fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Thoroughbred racing career

Sonny Hine became a full-time trainer in 1957, struggling upward with horses such as Amber Pass, Bet Big, Cojak, Guilty Conscience, Norquestor, Royal Hierarchy, Skip Trial and Technology, securing himself at venues such as the Monmouth Park and Meadowlands Racetracks.

With Skip Away, Sonny Hine won the 1997 Breeders' Cup Classic at Hollywood Park Racetrack. Raced under his wife Carolyn's name, she would receive the 1997 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner. In 1998, Skip Away logged victories in the Donn Handicap, the Gulfstream Park Handicap, the Pimlico Special, the Massachusetts Handicap, the Hollywood Gold Cup, the Philip H. Iselin Stakes and the Woodward Stakes. He finished the year by winning the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.

After a three-year battle with cancer, Sonny Hine died on March 17, 2000. In 2003, he was inducted into the U.S. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

References

*cite web
url = http://horseracing.about.com/library/weekly/aa031700a.htm
title = Sonny Hine - Horse Racing - 3/17/00
accessdate = 2006-07-05
author = Cindy Pierson Dulay
authorlink = http://horseracing.about.com/mbiopage.htm
date = 2000-03-17
*cite web
url = http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/trainer.asp?ID=383
title = Hubert (Sonny) Hine
accessdate = 2006-07-05
publisher = National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
date = 2000-03-17
* [http://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/18/sports/sp-10166 Los Angeles Times obituary for Sonny Hine]