Steve Davidowitz, whose "Betting Thoroughbreds" is considered of the most influential handicapping books even written, has died, his son, Brad, said Sunday.

Davidowitz, 77, was found at his apartment in Summerlin, Nev., a suburb of Las Vegas where he most recently lived.

"I'd like to imagine he basically died doing what he loved, that he passed while doing what he loved," Brad Davidowitz said from his home in Minneapolis. "Romantically, I envision that he was writing a story, watching replays preparing for a story. He really enjoyed still being able to do relevant things about horse racing."

Davidowitz most recently wrote for Horse Racing Nation, but he had a career that took him to all corners of the nation, writing for newspapers in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Houston, Oakland, and St. Petersburg, Fla. He also worked for Daily Racing Form, and was the Northern California correspondent for The Racing Times. He was an editor of Turf and Sport Digest, and wrote for Sport magazine and Gaming Today.

Davidowitz a decade ago updated his seminal book, re-releasing it as "Betting Thoroughbreds for the 21st  Century." His other racing books included "The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing." He also was a previous editor of The American Racing Manual.

Davidowitz also was a featured speaker at Horseplayer's Expo, and did numerous handicapping seminars at tracks and racebooks.

He is survived by his son, two grandchildren, a brother, and two sisters.

Services are pending.