Padres owners get $16 million for beach home

Tag : Full Birch


UNION-TRIBUNE
July 24, 2008
A small beachfront cottage in Del Mar owned by John and RebeccaMoores closed escrow this month for $16 million.
The three-bedroom, 3.5-bath home was listed for only five days byBarry Estates when a full-price offer came in.
The owners of the San Diego Padres had purchased the1,672-square-foot cottage, which sits on 0.08 of an acre, in 1999for $3.425 million, county records show. The sales listing said the house recently had been rebuilt, with “custommaterials used throughout.”
Records list the buyer as Ernest W. Moody of Las Vegas. Moody is adeveloper of video poker and electronic casino games. He ispresident of Action Gaming.
Also for sale is the Mooreses' 10,500-square-foot home near PebbleBeach. Sitting on 1.7 acres overlooking the prestigious PebbleBeach Golf Links, it went on the market last spring for $35 millionand still is available.
The Mooreses, who are splitting after 45 years of marriage, arekeeping a low profile, but it appears they are liquidating some oftheir assets. Del Mar lost a friend On the opening day of the Del Mar races last week, Jenny and SidCraig were absent from their customary table overlooking the finishline.
It was the first opening of the summer racing season that Sid Craighad missed in 40 years, his wife said. The Rancho Santa Fe couplehad a horse, Bien Dulcé, running in the seventh race thatday.
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 knewthat 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 awaitingthis season because two young offspring of his winningthoroughbred, Candy Ride, will start racing.
The Craigs own several horses, and Jenny, whose name graces thecouple's former weight-loss empire, plans to stay involved in thesport. One of their thoroughbreds was called Symphony Sid – atribute to her husband, said Jenny, and his favorite song,“Jumpin' With Symphony Sid.” A basketball connection Retired basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, who spends summers inPacific Beach, roomed with Sid Craig during their Fresno Statecollege days, when Craig was a cheerleader and Tarkanian shot thehoops.
Later, Craig introduced Tarkanian to his future wife, Lois, a LasVegas city councilwoman. After Tarkanian's resignation in 1992 asbasketball coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, followinga clash with the NCAA, Craig promoted his return to Fresno State tocoach. Craig was a generous donor to the university.
In fact, the hiring news conference was made in a building oncampus named for Craig, Tarkanian said. “He was a greatfriend to so many people.” Street seen On a recent trip to Denver, San Diegan John Kennett had to chucklewhen he saw a street sign behind the Denver Health Center. Thestreet was aptly named: Acoma. 'Jeopardy!' recognition Birch Aquarium at Scripps has earned a place on the TV quiz showJeopardy!” When the show airs at 7:30 tonight on KNSD Channel7, the aquarium will be one of the quiz categories contestants canchoose. A “clue crew” from the show visited theaquarium in March to tape and research questions.
Thus, Birch Aquarium joins the ranks of institutions that haveachieved “Jeopardy!” category status, such as NASA, theUnited Nations, the film “Star Wars” and San Diegoauthor Dr. Seuss. Diane Bell's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Faxitems 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, SanDiego, CA 92112-0191.