Coronato "Cory" Meilak was born on November 7, 1942, on the Mediterranean island of Malta. He grew up with four siblings Paul, Josephine, Michael and Maria. In 1957, he immigrated to the United States with his family and settled in Chelsea, Manhattan, where he adopted the name Cory as part of embracing his new life in America.

After high school, Cory joined the Merchant Marine and traveled extensively. He even "jumped ship" in Paraguay and lived with the Amazon Indians for a while. Following his return to the United States, he worked in the plastic slipcover industry before finding his true calling in harness racing. He began as a groom and later became a trainer of standardbred horses. While working at Yonkers Raceway, he met his wife and lifelong partner, Raeline. They married on September 11, 1970, and together raised three daughters: Melissa, Jenna, and Lucia.

Cory devoted much of his life to working with horses, a passion he shared with Raeline. In addition to the horses he trained, they owned two of their own, JD and Killington. He retired at age 62 but remained closely connected to the racing world and spent more time with his family.

He was a proud grandfather to five grandchildren—Victoria, John Cory (JC), Taylor, Benjamin, and Aleksey—and cherished the time he spent with them. Cory also enjoyed gardening and took pride in tending his vegetables and fig trees. Known for his active lifestyle, he walked daily and carefully maintained his home. His family thought he would live to 100.

In October 2026, Cory was diagnosed with cancer. After a courageous battle, he passed away on February 23, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. He was deeply loved and will be remembered always.

In lieu of flowers please donate to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation