Ruben Sierra tries his hand at training

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Ask Ruben Sierra if he’s the retired major-league baseball player who hit 306 home runs, and he’ll break into a broad smile.

“No, but he’s a friend of mine,” said Sierra, a longtime Thoroughbred owner who embarked on a training career this month. “He’s bigger, stronger.”

Sierra, a 58-year-old Venezuela native, has been involved with Thoroughbreds since he was 12, including through his Just for Fun Stable, but it was only recently that he ran his first two horses as a licensed trainer. Impetuous Soul was third last Sunday and Interesting Gem was fifth Thursday, both in maiden-$12,500 claiming races.

:: Get ready for Gulfstream Park racing with DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports.

◗ Announcer Larry Collmus was to leave his South Florida winter base this weekend for Dubai, where next Saturday he will become the first American to call the Dubai World Cup for an international audience. Collmus works for a variety of outlets, most notably NBC as the caller for all Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup events.

◗ The Texas Glitter for 3-year-olds and the Melody of Colors for 3-year-old fillies, both $100,000 turf-sprint stakes, will serve as highlights of the penultimate weekend of the championship meet next Saturday. They’ll be the last stakes here prior to Florida Derby Day, April 1.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.