Sad Day for Southern Illinois Racing

[richiebee]

While the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and shareholders of AMBev are ecstatic at
Fairmount\'s recent press release, another one of the greats in St Louis area
thoroughbred racing has passed.

I watched David Gall at both Fairmount and the bull ring Cahokia Downs. We are
talking night racing, and when the lights came on every fly and mosquito in
Southern Illinois headed for these facilities. There were two things I do not
think I ever saw David Gall do: a) smile (he was often referred to as being dour)
and b) ride a winner that paid more than $12.

Gall dominated Southern Illinois racing like no jockey I have seen on any other circuit.

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/people/david-the-general-gall-79-fifth-all-time-leading-north-american-rider-passes/

[shanahan]

You are correct on both counts regarding Gall.  I wonder all the times he won 7 races on a card if the total payout on the win pool was $40!?

No mention in today\'s P-D what he did after retiring, nor cause of death.

[richiebee]

Shan:

Article says he trained after hanging it up, 10% winners over 1500 starters; his
wife passed away about a year ago and I guess sometimes this hastens ones demise.

The Paulick article does not mention if Gall was a \"natural lightweight\", like Pat
Day, who never had to diet or reduce to make weight, but I would imagine this
would be the case given Gall\'s longevity.

[Fairmount1]

His training was nothing special whatsoever.  His wife worked for Fairmount while he was training.  The Fairmount paddock set up allowed you to speak to trainers while they were saddling the horse at the time.  He never said much of anything. And he was still a very small guy at that time.  

His last race was the end of a Fairmount meet on a Sat night circa 2000.  His mount should have been 3 to 1 or 4 to 1 but went off at 3-5 and he made his patented late move from last to pass them all in the stretch.  It was the ultimate setup and with good reason.  He owned the place for a long, long time.  That is what most around Fairmount would recall about him.  That he waited, waited, waited and then moved past them all.  The 2 summers I watched him I can\'t recall more than just a very few amount of times he won on the front end.  

I believe he is in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame but not the Racing Hall of Fame?