With one month remaining in the year, Maryland-based trainer Richard E. "Dickie" Dutrow was on the verge of breaking Jack Van Berg's single season record of 329 wins. The 37-year-old Hagerstown, Md., native, who didn't grow up with horses, had an 89-horse stable (46 at Laurel and 43 at Bowie) for 25 owners. Snowden Carter's interview with Dutrow at Bowie delved into his life, and views on the claiming business. He said there were 10 trainers from whom he wouldn't claim "because through the years they've done something for me. Like John Tammaro. There is no way I would ever claim a horse off either him or his son. He helped me when I was getting started. He advised me. Just being around him had a big influence on my life. . ."
Asked about stakes horses, he responded: "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a high class stable. In some ways, I'd like it. But life would be a lot less exciting. That would be good for my ulcer, I guess. But I enjoy the way it is -- the competition, the dangers, the successes."
Dutrow finished the year with a career high 352 wins. Ranked 24th all-time by wins with 3,665, he died at age 61 less than a week after sending out his final winner Feb. 13, 1999. He was a successful stakes trainer, most notably with Grade 1-winning millionaire sprinters King's Swan and Lite the Fuse.
Augustin Stables' Cafe Prince upset 17 rivals in the $50,000 Colonial Cup, America's richest steeplechase, in Camden, S.C. The 5-year-old, ridden by Dave Washer for trainer Jonathan Sheppard and carrying the colors of George Strawbridge, had only one win in three prior starts that year. The race's previous two winners, Augustus Bay and Soothsayer, finished second and third.
Never headed, Nelson Bunker Hunt's 3-year-old filly Nobiliary captured the 24th Washington, D.C., International-G1 over a deep field for the Laurel classic. The daughter of *Vaguely Noble held off champion *Comtesse de Loir, with On My Way II third in an all-French finish. Others Nobiliary defeated included her champion stablemate Dahlia (the 1973 International winner), English Derby-G1 winner and top U.S. grass runner *Snow Knight, and *Star Appeal, 1975 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-G1 victor.
