Coglianese Funeral Home

Nelson, a multiple graded-stakes winning jockey who rode over 1,000 winners while capitalizing on her good looks with a modeling career, has died. She was 54.Nelson died July 5, according to a post on the Moloney Family Funeral Homes of New York’s website. There was no cause of death listed and no obituary.A memorial service was held Monday at Mother Teresa Tribute Center at Nassau Suffolk Crematory in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York. Denise Bisset, a relative of Nelson’s, wrote on the website’s condolence page that the service was for immediate family only.Nelson was the sixth female jockey in North America to reach 1,000 winners. She had 1,095 victories from 9,905 career races and purse earnings of $19,106,392, according to Equibase.Nelson was one of the elite women jockeys in the sport, although she never rode in any of most prestigious Triple Crown or Breeders’ Cup races.She rode regularly on the highly competitive New York circuit, where at times she was the lone woman.“I’m realistic enough to know that I’m not going to get all the good mounts,” she told the New York Daily News in 2001. “There are 10 riders in here that are the top riders in the country. I would prefer to stay here and ride less and ride quality. I’ve gotten to ride some unbelievable horses in my career. That means more to me than winning a lot of races.”Nelson’s career began at New York’s Aqueduct Racetrack on Feb. 27, 1986. She rode her last race at the same track on Jan. 20, 2007.She won eight graded stakes races in her career, including the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes with Acey Deucey in 2005 at Saratoga.After debuting at Aqueduct, she moved to New Hampshire’s now-defunct Rockingham Park and later Suffolk Downs in Boston. Eventually, she went on to ride at the New Jersey tracks and the New York circuit near her Long Island home.“Being in New York is incredible,” she told the Daily News. “I’m not going to get rich, but there’s always a chance of riding a really nice horse and winning $100,000 stake races.”Nelson s... (Post Register)

Q: What did you want to be when you were growing up?A: A flight attendant. After college I did that for about seven years with private airlines and charters. I traveled the world doing that, with professional basketball and baseball teams, with Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign, for Apple vacations. I got to go to Cuba with the military. I moved around with the airlines. I lived in Ocean City, N.J., Fort Lauderdale, Colorado Springs, Dallas. You had to be young and have no commitments. When I had enough of flying, I came back and went to work full-time for my dad's funeral business.Q: What was your degree in?A: I went to Eastern Illinois University and majored in family services, which is like social services, and psychology.Q: Do you have a family?A: My husband, Brad, and I have a 12-year-old daughter Hana.Q: Do you have any pets?A: A 4-pound Havanese dog named Ceili. Ceili is a very traditional Irish dance.Q: Where is the farthest you have traveled?A: As a family, we went to Scotland for the World Irish Dancing Championship. My daughter is an Irish dancer. Her specialty is solos, but she also on teams, so she competes in both.Q: What is the last live performance you saw?A: The Mid-America Irish Dance competition in Schaumburg in November 2016. In two weeks, we are leaving for the nationals in New Orleans.Q: What was your favorite vacation?A: Going to Maui. There's the most beautiful town there, called Hana. I named my daughter after the town. She is my favorite souvenir from Hawaii.Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?A: Greco's of Willow Springs. Their lasagna is fantastic.Q: What is your favorite movie?A: My all-time favorite movie is 'My Girl.' It's about a girl who grows up in a funeral home.Q: What is your pet peeve?A: Not finishing something you have already started. If you start a project, finish it.Q: What supernatural power would you like to have?A: To be able to hear what other people are thinking. In the funeral home business, you have to be really ale... (Chicago Tribune)