Dennis Dodge, the longtime Daily Racing Form columnist/handicapper in the Northwest, died suddenly Tuesday evening of apparent heart failure in Seattle. Dodge was 62.

A fixture at racetracks throughout the region, Dodge was an avid enthusiast of horse racing, and his columns and handicaps were Northwest staples and widely read by fans and horsemen alike.

“We’re shocked to learn of the untimely death of Dennis Dodge,” said Emerald Downs President Ron Crockett. “Dennis had a marvelous dedication to the sport of horse racing, and he was a very fair reporter. Obviously, he will be greatly missed, and our thoughts are with his wife and family.”

Born in Silverton, Ore. on May 4, 1946, Dodge worked for Daily Racing Form for 32 years. Working in the Seattle office, he began in the statistics department in 1976, and for several years was “Sweep” in the Northwest edition of DRF. Since 1985, Dodge was the columnist/handicapper at Longacres and Emerald Downs.

His wife Melissa, daughter Mary and son Sam survive Dodge, who lived in Seattle. Service arrangements are pending.