Trainer of 1968 Ohio Derby victor still sending out winners

George Berthold should be a familiar name to longtime Thistledown fans as well as students of local racing history.
Berthold, who saddled winners Saturday and Monday, trained the 1968 Ohio Derby winner Te Vega, the first Ohio-bred to win the state’s most prestigious race.

Both of Berthold’s recent winners, Frankly Scarlett on Saturday and Teakoa on Monday, are owned and were bred by his wife, Gayle.

◗ Boardwalkbillie, a 9-year-old mare, finally won a maiden race in her 45th try on Monday. Kevin McCollough owns and bred her. She had been second three times and third 12 times. McCollough wasn’t in the winner circle. A member of the track’s maintenance crew, he was busy driving the water wagon.

◗ Cat Man, a winner of all three of his starts, is the winningest horse at the Randall-Cranwood meeting. An 8-year-old gelding owned by Ira Novak and trained by Joe Poole, Cat Man was claimed out of a win here on Aug. 2.

◗ Jamie Ness has locked up the race for leading trainer at the meet, building up a 30-13 advantage over Jeff Radovsevich. Yamil Rosario leads the jockey standings with 36 winners, nine more that Luis Gonzalez.

◗ Last year’s leading rider, Ernesto Oro, who left here after the Aug. 24 program, is now riding at Charles Town, where he was 1 for 17 through Tuesday.