Curtis Hazlett, 66, dies

Curtis William Hazlett, 66, of Frankfort, Kentucky, passed away on Sunday, December 11, 2005.  He was born March 18, 1939, and involved in Harness Racing for most of his life.  In the late 80s and early 90s, his horses included: Bretweiser, James Owen Tudor, Stormin Special, Skipper Nick, and Rebel Line.  Though not consider superstars of our sport, they were good racehorses and kept Curtis in the business.

His daughter, Donna, is married to horseman Tommy Smith.  Mr. Hazlett was considered the "backbone" of the Tommy Smith stable for the past 15 or 16 years.  In recent years, Curtis was never listed as the owner of horses in the stable.  He chose to stay in the background.  Working hard, he kept the stable together and running smoothly.

The stable spent several years traveling between Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, as they raced on this circuit.  When Louisville Downs closed its doors, they then included Lebanon, Ohio, as part of their racing schedule.  In 2005, the stable earned the honor of the leading trainer at both The Red Mile (Lexington, KY) and Lebanon Raceway (Spring meet).  In addition, horses from the stable competed at both Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs with success.

One of Curtis' favorite horses was the pacer Raque Concert.  Now age 10, he has been with the family stable since he was a yearling.  The old horse is a pet to Curtis' granddaughter, Destany.  Currently, the stable is campaigning a horse named Soul Patrol.  He has competed in the top classes this year and earned nearly $35,000.

In addition to his daughter, Curtis is survived by his wife, Sue, also of Frankfort, Kentucky.  In lieu of flowers, those close to the family have recommended making monetary donations to the family to help with the funeral expenses. These can be mailed to:  The Curtis Hazlett Estate, c/o Donna Smith, 17 Rock Creek Dr., Frankfort, KY  40601