from the Standardbred Owners Association of New York

Yonkers, NY — Mike Santa Maria, a former USTA director and a fixture for decades at Roosevelt and Yonkers Raceways in New York, suffered a serious heart problem involving his aorta and aortic valve.

Santa Maria, a tough cookie on the racetrack, endured a lengthy surgical procedure. Hospitalized since last Thursday, Santa Maria, as always, is hanging in tough.

He served the New York harness racing community as the SOA’s field representative, exhibiting the strength and compassion that still makes him a special friend to all horsemen.

Maybe you can spare him a thought and a little prayer for a speedy and complete recovery. While his family has converged around him in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., a note to wish him well would put a little smile on his face. It’s the very least we can do for a fellow horseman.

Santa Maria is a patient at Palm Beach Gardens Memorial Medical Center, 3360 Burns Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410.