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Levin dies at 84 Thoroughbred owner and breeder William A. Levin died on January 26, one day after his 84th birthday. Levin was active in virtually every sector of New York's breeding and racing industry, and was instrumental in standing his most famous racehorse, major dirt and turf stakes winner Bold Reason, at his Gold Mills Farm near Old Westbury, Long Island, New York, from 1980 through 1985. Bold Reason was the first stakes winner to race for Levin, who was president and chairman of the board of Gold Mills Inc., a textile manufacturing company. The $52,000 yearling purchase from the late Captain Harry F. Guggenheim's Cain Hoy Stable dispersal at Belmont in November of 1969 emerged in the summer of 1971 with six consecutive victories, including the Hollywood Derby, Aqueduct's grassy Lexington H., Arlington Park's American Derby on the turf and Saratoga's Travers S. Bold Reason was the 1971 leading money-earning three-year-old and was co-highweighted in his division in the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap along with Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Canonero II, behind whom he had placed third in the Kentucky Derby but had finished ahead of when third in the Belmont S. Bold Reason generated even more significant news when his $3.2-million syndication was announced shortly prior to the Travers. His Travers appearance drew a record Saratoga crowd of 30,011, breaking the record set when his champion half-brother, Never Bend, had led but faded in the 1963 Travers. At stud, Bold Reason sired Canadian juvenile champion and Queen's Plate winner Sound Reason, 1979 Brooklyn H. (G1) winner The Liberal Member and Irish juvenile filly champion Fairy Bridge, who would go on and produce champion and super sire Sadler's Wells. Levin served as the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund board chairman from July of 1994 to December of 2005. He was also the unpaid chairman for more than 20 years of the now-defunct New York State Thoroughbred Capital Investment Fund (CIF), which was created as the official bank and overseer of capital improvements at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. Mr. Levin is survived by his wife, Corinne Knepper Levin; his daughter, Dr. Linda Levin Carmine; his son-in-law, Professor Michael Carmine; and his granddaughter, Gabrielle Carmine. Mr. Levin was predeceased by his late son, Louis R. Levin.
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