Like Blanche DuBois, the champion Turkoman depends on the kindness of strangers.
I’m a diehard Turkoman fan – as are countless others smitten more than a quarter-century ago by his pedigree, thrilling out-of-the-clouds running style, and magnificent, oversized physique. And so I recently made the trek to Turkoman’s home, the 1,000-acre E. A. Ranches in Ramona, Calif.
The Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on Sunday takes place in the American Southwest, so it could be a shootout, and since the track is in New Mexico, hard by El Paso, Texas, it could be a border war. But, really, it’s nothing more than a schoolyard brawl.
You see, Joel Marr, who trains local hero Dry Summer, and Todd Pletcher, who is bringing in Abraham, went to school together nearly 40 years ago at nearby Zach White Elementary School, a little more than two miles from the track.
Who beat up whom on the playground?
In response to the spate of breakdowns at Laurel Park this winter, the Maryland Racing Commission on Wednesday adopted a new claiming rule while expanding the number of members on its Safety and Welfare Committee.
Meanwhile, Maryland continues to try and progress toward adopting a new medication policy that will be adopted by the majority of tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region and New York by the beginning of next year.
At its Wednesday meeting, the Ohio State Racing Commission delayed a decision on whether to let River Downs run its 2013 live meet at Beulah Park. The commission is expected to rule on the matter at its meeting next Wednesday, March 27.
River Downs, which is owned by Pinnacle Gaming, and Beulah Park, which is owned by Penn National Gaming, have an agreement in place for River Downs to run its 2013 racing dates at Beulah Park but need commission approval to do so.
Thoroughbred racing and portrait artist Anthony M. Alonso, whose paintings graced every major racetrack in North America and who enjoyed an affiliation with Saratoga Race Course that lasted more than 30 years, died March 15 in Stuart, Fla., of cancer. He was 81.
War Academy is headed to a major Kentucky Derby prep race following an authoritative entry-level, optional-claiming victory at Santa Anita on March 15.
Trained by Bob Baffert, War Academy raced around two turns for the first time and handled the additional distance without any fuss. Breaking from post 4 in the five-horse event at 1 1/16 miles, War Academy tracked the early leader, uncoupled stablemate Manando, through fractions of 24.41 and 48.64 seconds.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Dice Flavor, upset winner of the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby on the synthetic surface at Golden Gate Fields, will make his next start in Dubai on March 30.
After working the colt six furlongs Sunday at Betfair Hollywood Park, trainer Paddy Gallagher said Dice Flavor would start next in $2 million UAE Derby at Meydan. Like the surface at Golden Gate, the synthetic surface at Meydan is Tapeta.
Trainer's penalty for medication use lacking in muscle
I am shocked that Aqueduct's leading trainer, Rudy Rodriguez, has been suspended for 20 days recently by New York's gaming board for two drug infractions committed over the past year ("Rodriguez suspended, fined," March 15).
