Just found out on Facebook that our dear friend Stefanie Maccario (Shammy) passed away this morning after a long illness. For those not familiar with Stefanie, she was involved in the horse racing industry for decades, as her family owned several harness horses, including some recently. Stefanie was also a fan of the flats, forging friendships with many horsemen, most notably Gary Contessa, and had involvement in horse rescue. Stefanie was a long-time presence on the old NYRA message board and its successors, always engaging in passionate debate with the people here. She was also a regular at our old board meetings, and loved Belmont Park. She is survived by her husband Fred, her daughter Megan - who has carried on the family’s racing tradition, a son Freddy, and a grandson Carter. Stefanie was 55 years old.

RIP my friend. My heart is broken today.

Awful News. She was one of a kind.

Sad. Remember Shammy well.

RIP. Life is short

May she rest in peace. She was one of the first folks I met from this group back in 2003. She was a devoted friend and Mr. Contessa's number one advocate.