Fourth Running of Eddie D Stakes Set for Saturday
Eddie Delahoussaye, one of the greatest riders of his era and widely respected as a person by all who know him, will be honored at Santa Anita Saturday with the fourth running of the Eddie D. Stakes, a Grade III test for three-year-olds and up at about 6 ½ furlongs on the track’s unique downhill turf course.
Retired since 2002, Delahoussaye celebrated his 64th birthday Sept. 21 and recently moved from Southern California to his native Louisiana, where he and his family currently reside. But he’ll be on hand Saturday for the race named in his honor.
It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
“I don’t think you can find a better person than Delahoussaye,” said Huey Barnes, an assistant starter at Santa Anita who turns 82 on Oct. 3, and who came to California to work for Charlie Whittingham in 1954.
“As far as the way he treated me and the way he treated people around here, everybody loved him. He was one of greatest race riders I’ve ever been around, believe me when I tell you.
“I thought (Eddie) Arcaro was, but that man, he’s just as good a race rider as Arcaro.
“Eddie was the same every day. If he had a problem, you wouldn’t know it. He’s a good person and a good family man.”
Inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 1993, Delahoussaye began his career in 1967 and won 6,384 races from 39,213 rides, 16.30 percent. He is one of only four jockeys to win consecutive runnings of the Kentucky Derby, having done so with Gato del Sol in 1982 and Sunny’s Galo in 1983.
Delahoussaye led all North American jockeys with 384 wins in 1978 and was presented with Santa Anita’s prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1981.
SHADES OF JIMMY THE GREEK: BAFFERT HOT IN FOOTBALL PICKS
Man of many hats Bob Baffert returned Saturday to his alma mater, the University of Arizona, where he attended the Race Track Industry Program, to appear on ESPN’s College Gameday TV show and share some of his picks.
Baffert made the following selections before landing back in the Los Angeles area by 11 a.m., in time to send out Mt Veeder in the FrontRunner Stakes where he finished sixth:
BYU vs. Michigan – picked Michigan, had a nephew who went there (winner).
Georgia Tech vs. Duke – picked Duke, had a nephew who went there as well (winner).
Tennessee vs. Florida – picked Tennessee, wife, Jill, is from Tennessee (loser).
Texas A&M vs. Arkansas – picked Arkansas, has a lot of clients who live in Arkansas (loser in overtime).
Mississippi State vs. Auburn – picked Mississippi St., “I don’t know anybody here.” (winner).
Missouri vs. Kentucky – picked Kentucky, “You ever heard of Kentucky Derby?! I could never go back if I don’t pick them.” (winner).
Oklahoma St. vs. Texas – picked Oklahoma St., “Defensive coordinator Glen (Spencer) is my man!” (winner).
TCU vs. Texas Tech – picked TCU, “They’re in there every year, they’re just tough. This was a tough one.” (winner).
USC vs. Arizona St. – picked USC, “Arizona State is a very bad word in our household, USC!” (winner).
UCLA vs. Arizona – picked Arizona (of course), “I’m going with the team with the best fight song in the country, Bear Down! U of A!” (loser).
(Thanks to Alexis Garske of Santa Anita’s Publicity Department for compiling this item. Garske also attended U of A’s RTIP program).
Source: Santa Anita Park