Greyhound, horse racing entrepreneur Funk dies

Friday, Dec. 13, 2002 | 9:03 a.m.

In 1947, 18-year-old Albert Funk and his father, David, opened the Caliente Race Track in Tijuana, Mexico -- the first combination dog-horse track in North America.

They dreamed that one day they would open the first combination track in the United States. Though that dream died when Las Vegas Downs closed its doors in the early 1980s after just two seasons of dog racing, Albert followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a top racetrack executive and an innovator in greyhound racing.

Albert C. Funk, who also was a key figure in the formation and marketing of Southwest swap meets, died Tuesday at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., following a brief illness. He was 73.

Services will be private for the Las Vegas resident of 11 years who had served as vice president of Las Vegas Downs, located on Racetrack Road in Henderson.

"When Albert Funk came to Las Vegas to build and operate a racetrack, he came in the same spirit that so many other visionaries before him had come -- and that is, he came with his money, he came with his experience and he came with a desire to build bigger and better than had been done before," said longtime friend Brian Greenspun, editor and president of the Las Vegas Sun.

"I knew Albert to be a man of integrity and a man who was concerned about the well-being of his newly adopted community."

Albert Funk was the first dog track operator to issue electronic wagering tickets. He also developed interesting marketing tools that revolutionized the business. Among them was the "Big Q," a daily double that utilized the last two races of a 12-race card to encourage bettors to stick around for the entire program.

"He saw much beauty in the animals and he saw a way of developing the sport into a great entertainment venue," said sister-in-law Cindy Funk, a former Las Vegan who also was involved in the family business.

Born May 15, 1929 in Phoenix, Albert was the eldest of four children of David K. and Charlotte Funk. At age 12 he broke into the greyhound racing business as a popcorn vendor at the family's Phoenix Greyhound Park.

In 1961, Funk, a graduate of San Diego State University, became secretary of the Western Racing Association, a post he would hold for 19 years.

In 1967 Funk became secretary of Greyhound Parks of Arizona, Apache Greyhound Park, Yuma Greyhound Park, Black Canyon Greyhound Park, Tucson Greyhound Park and Phoenix Greyhound Park of the American Greyhound Racing Association. That year, he also became secretary of Prescott Downs thoroughbred racetrack. In 1970, he was promoted to president of those facilities.

Funk established a residency in Las Vegas in 1972, and the Funk family in the late 1970s looked to Las Vegas for a chance to create the nation's first combination horse and dog track.

Las Vegas Downs opened on Jan. 15, 1981, with a 12-race show. A crowd of 5,000 greyhound fans packed the 3,500-seat facility. But the success of that night never again was duplicated. Crowds dwindled to less than 1,000 a night and the track eventually closed without having ever held a horse race.

In 1954 Funk established a swap meet circuit, utilizing the racetracks' parking lots during daylight hours.

Funk is survived by two sons, Stephen Funk of San Diego and Cleave Funk of Las Vegas; two daughters Cindy Haddick of Phoenix; and Jodi Ward of Scottsdale, Ariz; two brothers, David J. Funk and Richard Funk, both of San Diego; a sister Charlotte Kobey Morton of La Jolla, Calif.; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.