A small beachfront cottage in Del Mar owned by John and Rebecca Moores closed escrow this month for $16 million.
The three-bedroom, 3.5-bath home was listed for only five days by Barry Estates when a full-price offer came in.
The owners of the San Diego Padres had purchased the 1,672-square-foot cottage, which sits on 0.08 of an acre, in 1999 for $3.425 million, county records show. The sales listing said the house recently had been rebuilt, with “custom materials used throughout.”
Records list the buyer as Ernest W. Moody of Las Vegas. Moody is a developer of video poker and electronic casino games. He is president of Action Gaming.
Also for sale is the Mooreses' 10,500-square-foot home near Pebble Beach. Sitting on 1.7 acres overlooking the prestigious Pebble Beach Golf Links, it went on the market last spring for $35 million and still is available.
The Mooreses, who are splitting after 45 years of marriage, are keeping a low profile, but it appears they are liquidating some of their assets.
Del Mar lost a friend
On the opening day of the Del Mar races last week, Jenny and Sid Craig were absent from their customary table overlooking the finish line.
It was the first opening of the summer racing season that Sid Craig had missed in 40 years, his wife said. The Rancho Santa Fe couple had a horse, Bien Dulcé, running in the seventh race that day.
They had just learned that Sid's cancer had returned.
“He was just too weak to make it,” Jenny Craig said. “He kept telling me, 'Why don't you go?' . . . I think I knew that day that he was not going to get better.”
He died at home Monday, five days later.
Bertrand Hug, a close friend, said Sid Craig was eagerly awaiting this season because two young offspring of his winning thoroughbred, Candy Ride, will start racing.
The Craigs own several horses, and Jenny, whose name graces the couple's former weight-loss empire, plans to stay involved in the sport. One of their thoroughbreds was called Symphony Sid – a tribute to her husband, said Jenny, and his favorite song, “Jumpin' With Symphony Sid.”
A basketball connection
Retired basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, who spends summers in Pacific Beach, roomed with Sid Craig during their Fresno State college days, when Craig was a cheerleader and Tarkanian shot the hoops.
Later, Craig introduced Tarkanian to his future wife, Lois, a Las Vegas city councilwoman. After Tarkanian's resignation in 1992 as basketball coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, following a clash with the NCAA, Craig promoted his return to Fresno State to coach. Craig was a generous donor to the university.
In fact, the hiring news conference was made in a building on campus named for Craig, Tarkanian said. “He was a great friend to so many people.”
Street seen
On a recent trip to Denver, San Diegan John Kennett had to chuckle when he saw a street sign behind the Denver Health Center. The street was aptly named: Acoma.
'Jeopardy!' recognition
Birch Aquarium at Scripps has earned a place on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!” When the show airs at 7:30 tonight on KNSD Channel 7, the aquarium will be one of the quiz categories contestants can choose. A “clue crew” from the show visited the aquarium in March to tape and research questions.
Thus, Birch Aquarium joins the ranks of institutions that have achieved “Jeopardy!” category status, such as NASA, the United Nations, the film “Star Wars” and San Diego author Dr. Seuss.
Diane Bell's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Fax items to (619) 260-5009; call (619) 293-1518; e-mail to diane.bell@uniontrib.com; or mail to The San Diego Union-Tribune, P.O. Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191.
