Dutrow

Saratoga Springs romped to the most decisive victory on Maryland Million day, a 7 1/2-length score in the $100,000 Maryland Million Oaks. Her triumph prompted an emotional celebration in the winner's circle.Her former trainer, the renowned Dick Dutrow, was one of her owners along with his wife, Vicki, and friends Sondra and Howard Bender, Arlene and Herb Kushner, and Marion and Al Akman -- Marylanders all.After Dutrow died in February and his son Tony took over training, the owners changed the name of their group to Saratoga Friends Stable, reflecting their relationship with Dutrow.

A minor electrical glitch couldn't short-circuit a glorious opening day at Pimlico Race Course yesterday.Beautiful spring weather and a slew of first-day promotions combined to bring nearly 2,000 more persons to Old Hilltop than last year and swelled the crowd at the three major Maryland sites (Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway included) to 10,161. That was a 37 percent increase over 1998.But the day had a gloomy spell when the power went out for about a half-hour at approximately 10 a.m."

Anthony Dutrow is violating his own rules, and not minding one bit.The veteran trainer strongly believes that horses should specialize in racing on one surface and not switch from dirt to grass and back again.And then there's his filly Inside Affair, turning Dutrow into a hypocrite of sorts. Fresh off an impressive win on the grass at Monmouth Park, Dutrow had his prize filly winning yesterday's $50,000 Marlboro Handicap on Laurel Park's dirt course.Jockey Edgar Prado did the honors, riding the 4-year-old from just off the pace to prevail with relative ease as the 4-to-5 favorite.

Noted thoroughbred trainer Richard "Dick" Dutrow, who once held the world record for wins in a season, died yesterday of cancer. He was 61.Dutrow compiled 3,666 first-place finishes in his career, ranking him among the winningest trainers in history.Described as calm in demeanor but hard driving, Dutrow arrived at his barns at 4 a.m. each morning to feed the horses -- a task many trainers leave to underlings."He was a superb trainer and one of the finest men I have ever known. His barns were the most orderly, the neatest and cleanest.

Last year, Greenspring Willy was running at a moderate claiming level and doing all right for himself.Now, the Smarten colt is a stakes winner, the second straight for trainer Dick Dutrow during the weekend.Greenspring Willy came from slightly off the pace under jockey Larry Reynolds and beat favored P Day by three lengths in the $60,000 Goss L. Stryker Stakes yesterday at Laurel Park to mark his third win in four starts.It was a significant step forward for the Maryland-bred owned by a syndicate of Baltimore-based businessmen, but he isn't likely to stretch longer than the seven furlongs he ran yesterday.

Was it a mistake to put Greenspring Willy in against $14,500 claimers earlier in his career?"Not really," said Dick Dutrow, the 61-year-old trainer with 40 years experience in the business. "He couldn't win for $25,000, so I put him there."That was before he was put on Lasix. Since receiving the diuretic to help a routine breathing disorder in December, the 3-year-old son of Smarten has been beating all comers.Yesterday, his four opponents in the $50,000-added Harriman Stakes saw him swoosh by in the stretch, clocking 1: 10 1/5 for six furlongs.

Dick Dutrow, a leading trainer in Maryland during the 1970s, is leaving Aqueduct Park after 13 years and returning to his beloved home state.By telephone from New York, Dutrow said this week that he and eight horses, including the Maryland-bred Romano Gucci, will arrive Sunday at Laurel Park where, "like a doctor, I'll hang up my sign: Open for business."A native of Hagerstown, Dutrow, 59, trained horses in Maryland from 1966 to 1984. In 1975, he set what was then a world record for most victories by a trainer in one year: 352. In 1984, he left for, as he described it, the "greener pastures" of New York.

Union Bridge is to receive the last grant available to Carroll County from a state program for sidewalk improvements.The Town Council is expected to receive formal notice of a $54,100 State Highway Administration grant for sidewalk reconstruction at its meeting tonight.The meeting, rescheduled because of the holidays, begins at 7 p.m. in the town hall, 104 W. Locust St.The sidewalk project is designed to make pedestrian traffic between the downtown business district and the supermarket on Route 75 easier and safer.

Lite The Fuse prevailed by a nose after a breathtaking stretch battle yesterday at Laurel Park and became the first dual winner of the prestigious Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash.Trained by former Marylander Dick Dutrow, Lite The Fuse out-dueled Meadow Monster during a frantic side-by-side sprint to the wire. The thrilling photo finish proved again that this $300,000 six-furlong dash is one of the top sprint races in the country.Created in memory of Frank J. De Francis, widely credited with reviving Maryland horse racing in the 1980s, the race is the nation's richest sprint of the summer.

For years, Dick Dutrow virtually owned the winner's circle at Laurel Park.But yesterday, surrounded by family and friends, he embraced the enclosure like it was a completely new experience.With one decisive chirp by jockey Julie Krone, Lite The Fuse, the horse that Dutrow considers the finest he has ever trained, swept past tiring front-runners Commanche Trail and Exclusive Praline on the turn and rolled to a two-length victory in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash.The bettors loved the horse.

ELMONT, N.Y. -- The morning after Big Brown's stunning last-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, his trainer didn't show at the colt's barn, so it was left to others to try to explain why the overwhelming favorite was a flop. And at least a couple of horsemen offered a guess that perhaps Big Brown had breathing problems caused by a displaced palate. Dr. Nick Meittinis, owner of the Maryland Veterinary Group, which cares for horses stabled at Pimlico Race Course, Laurel Park and the Bowie Training Center, said yesterday: "I don't think we'll ever know what happened in that race.

ELMONT, N.Y.-- --More than 1.2 million thoroughbreds have been bred in North America since we last celebrated a Triple Crown winner. Those who live for great moments thought we finally had another. Those who consider themselves dreamers hoped we had another. Those who spend their lunch hour at the local track bet that we had another. And those around Big Brown's barn bragged that after 30 long years, we finally had another. So we showed up at the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes to see the crowning of a new king, eager and curious to watch a mighty horse etch his name alongside those of the all-time greats.

NEW YORK --Triple Crown contender Big Brown has a slight crack to his left front hoof, although trainer Rick Dutrow expressed confidence yesterday that the injury won't keep his colt from running in the Belmont Stakes in less than two weeks. But the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner has missed two days of training at Belmont Park and will miss at least several more while being treated by hoof specialist Ian McKinlay for a five-eighths-inch crack on the inside of his left heel. "We're all concerned because there's a big race coming up," Dutrow said at a news conference outside his barn yesterday.

Like any good prom king, he arrived fashionably late and seemed completely comfortable when every eye turned his way. His coat was shiny, his physique buff. Dozens wanted nothing more than to snap his picture and be in his presence. That is what it's like to arrive at Pimlico Race Course as the reigning Kentucky Derby champion and the only horse this year with a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years. Big Brown, one of the strongest favorites in Preakness history, seemed to love it. "Everybody was just waiting on Big Brown," said the horse's trainer, Rick Dutrow, making his return to the state where he learned racing from his dad. "It was cool.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- His face completely flush, sweating adrenaline and crying euphoria, Rick Dutrow moved through the crowd like a child on the monkey bars, swinging from hug to hug. There was no break, no time to think and no cause to reflect. "We did good, babe," he cried, his arms wrapped around another dark-suited well-wisher. His colt, Big Brown, did everything Dutrow thought he would, staging such an impressive win in the 134th Kentucky Derby that all the Triple Crown buzz these next two weeks will be more than justified.

Ten 3-year-old colts and geldings will race in tomorrow's $100,000 Private Terms Stakes on the main track at Laurel Park. Laurel oddsmaker Frank Carulli settled on Not For Money as his 5-2 favorite in the mile race. The Richard Dutrow-trained Not For Love colt has started twice, with a maiden victory and a second at Aqueduct. Dutrow will send Rudy Rodriguez from New York to ride Not For Money. Richard Small will counter with Etude (3-1), a grey-roan son of Include who has finished first or second in all five starts.

Before the Grade II General George Handicap yesterday, jockey Edgar Prado said he just wasn't sure how Silver Wagon would fare. "I'm on the favorite," he said. "But the horse can't read the board." Still, Silver Wagon must have had an inkling. He remained calm as several horses brushed past him shortly after leaving the starting gate. And when he found himself momentarily trapped on the inside coming through the turn - as Ah Day bolted to the lead - Silver Wagon waited for an opening to the outside and then came down the stretch as if driven by Kevin Harvick at the Daytona 500. "I knew I had to go when [Ah Day]

On December 5, 2005, FRANCES L. DUTROW of Severna Park. Beloved wife of the late Edward "Pete" C. Dutrow. Loving mother of Michele Bowers and Kathleen Ranke. Devoted grandmother and great-grandmother of seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Friends may call at the BARRANCO AND SONS P.A. SEVERNA PARK FUNERAL HOME Ritchie Hwy at Robinson Road on Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8. A service will be held on Thursday at 9:30 A.M. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the: Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Hwy, Annapolis 21404.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - With three weeks to go until the Kentucky Derby, one horse remains who could reach the race undefeated and join the likes of Smarty Jones, Seattle Slew and Native Dancer. Those horses added electricity to an already high-voltage event by bringing perfect records into America's most famous race. The flawless horse this year is High Limit. He is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes today at Keeneland, despite having raced only three times - and only once in the past six months.

The tip-off was Edgar Prado. He gave up a day's mounts at Gulfstream Park to ride one horse yesterday at Laurel Park. The horse, Well Fancied, won. A New York-bred trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., Well Fancied darted to the front at the start of the $200,000 General George Handicap and led every step to a length victory and an upset of 3-5 favorite Badge of Silver. Prado, who had ridden Well Fancied in his five previous races, stuck with the horse even though it was his only mount of the afternoon.