Williard (Bill) Christine Jr., a multiple award-winning journalist who spent 23 years covering horse racing for the Los Angeles Times, died on Monday (Aug. 25) after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia three years ago. He died at his home in Hermosa Beach, California, with family by his side. He was 87.

While Christine was known in Southern California as the Times' voice of horse racing, it was really just the end of a storied career that saw him at seven different newspapers over 42 years that also contained a stopover in racing pubic relations.

The East St. Louis native and 1956 Assumption High graduate got his college degree from Southern Illinois Carbondale.

He was the author of three books, one on Roberto Clemente, another on jockey Bill Hartack and one on a pair of songwri

See Full Page