Eddie Gregson

The most remarkable thing about highly successful thoroughbred trainer John Sadler is that he is so unremarkable. Sadler grew up near Santa Anita in Pasadena, fell in love with the animals he now spends all his time with, and never really wanted to do anything else. He doesn't have the recognition value of Bob Baffert's white hair and quick wit, or Doug O'Neill's oozing Irish charm, nor even Julio Canani's quirky broken English. Sadler is just a guy doing a job. At the moment, he is doing it more successfully than anybody else in Southern California.

The most remarkable thing about highly successful thoroughbred trainer John Sadler is that he is so unremarkable. Sadler grew up near Santa Anita in Pasadena, fell in love with the animals he now spends all his time with, and never really wanted to do anything else. He doesn't have the recognition value of Bob Baffert's white hair and quick wit, or Doug O'Neill's oozing Irish charm, nor even Julio Canani's quirky broken English. Sadler is just a guy doing a job. At the moment, he is doing it more successfully than anybody else in Southern California.

Trainer Eddie Gregson, who saddled longshot Gato Del Sol to win the Kentucky Derby in 1982, died of what police believed was a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday night at his office in South Pasadena. The South Pasadena police, who said that Gregson's body was discovered by his wife, Gail, at 9:45 p.m. Sunday, were treating the death as a suicide, pending an investigation. "There's nothing that would indicate foul play," officer Matt Peterson said.

Trainer Eddie Gregson, who saddled longshot Gato Del Sol to win the Kentucky Derby in 1982, died of what police believed was a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday night at his office in South Pasadena. The South Pasadena police, who said that Gregson's body was discovered by his wife, Gail, at 9:45 p.m. Sunday, were treating the death as a suicide, pending an investigation. "There's nothing that would indicate foul play," officer Matt Peterson said.

Horse manure and other signature scents of the backstretch waft in through the window of Eddie Gregson's office. It's a nice office, as stable offices go. Not too dusty, with a nice desk and a big leather chair. You have to wonder, though, if Eddie's Stanford '62 classmates might get a little crinkly-nosed if any of them were to chance upon his office here in Santa Anita's Barn 44. "Why Edwin! Edwin Janss Gregson! Remember me? Chatsworth Osborne Jr. III?

Eddie Delahoussaye, dismounting Saturday after riding Zoffany to victory in the $118,600 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park, was asked by trainer John Gosden if the 5-year-old horse might be able to handle 1 1/2 miles in his next start. The question probably should have been: "Can Zoffany run 1 1/8 miles?"

Half of the six-horse field for today's $150,000 Silver Screen Handicap at Hollywood Park was at Churchill Downs two months ago preparing for the Kentucky Derby. One of the three horses, Temperate Sil, might have won the Derby, but he started coughing several days before the race and didn't run. The Silver Screen will be Temperate Sil's first start since he won the Santa Anita Derby April 4.

Eddie Gregson, 50, has been going to the Santa Anita Handicap since he was a boy, but as a trainer he didn't start his first horse in the race until last year. Now Gregson knows. "There's such a big crowd on Big 'Cap day (70,432 last year) that you can never tell how a horse is going to react," Gregson said. "The crowd actually becomes a factor in the race." Gregson knows about crowds for another reason. He won the Kentucky Derby in 1982 with Gato del Sol, before a crowd of 142,000.

The last time Super Diamond ran at Del Mar, which was two years ago, he put on an unforgettable performance. Winning the San Diego Handicap was only part of it. Jockey Rafael Meza will remember that July day for another reason. He started out the post parade on a horse and almost ended it on top of a car. As Super Diamond was on his way to the gate, the car that drops off the patrol judges at their stations rolled by, presumably at a safe distance.

The gossips--as plentiful as horseflies during any Kentucky Derby week--are saying that trainer Charlie Whittingham, at 75, has come down with a bad case of Derby fever. He professes not to know what that malady is, but the facts are clear. After running a horse in the 1960 Derby, Whittingham didn't return until 26 years later. He won that race with Ferdinand in 1986, and he's been back here with horses twice more since.

A quiet alarm is being set off in all corners of the California horse racing industry. Slowly but surely, it is alerting race track operators, horse owners, breeders and trainers to a phenomenon that could make the competitive impact of the state lottery look like a flea bite. The challenge is coming from legalized sports betting, and it's coming quickly. Assemblyman Richard E.

Eddie Gregson, 50, has been going to the Santa Anita Handicap since he was a boy, but as a trainer he didn't start his first horse in the race until last year. Now Gregson knows. "There's such a big crowd on Big 'Cap day (70,432 last year) that you can never tell how a horse is going to react," Gregson said. "The crowd actually becomes a factor in the race." Gregson knows about crowds for another reason. He won the Kentucky Derby in 1982 with Gato del Sol, before a crowd of 142,000.

The gossips--as plentiful as horseflies during any Kentucky Derby week--are saying that trainer Charlie Whittingham, at 75, has come down with a bad case of Derby fever. He professes not to know what that malady is, but the facts are clear. After running a horse in the 1960 Derby, Whittingham didn't return until 26 years later. He won that race with Ferdinand in 1986, and he's been back here with horses twice more since.

Horse manure and other signature scents of the backstretch waft in through the window of Eddie Gregson's office. It's a nice office, as stable offices go. Not too dusty, with a nice desk and a big leather chair. You have to wonder, though, if Eddie's Stanford '62 classmates might get a little crinkly-nosed if any of them were to chance upon his office here in Santa Anita's Barn 44. "Why Edwin! Edwin Janss Gregson! Remember me? Chatsworth Osborne Jr. III?

The last time Super Diamond ran at Del Mar, which was two years ago, he put on an unforgettable performance. Winning the San Diego Handicap was only part of it. Jockey Rafael Meza will remember that July day for another reason. He started out the post parade on a horse and almost ended it on top of a car. As Super Diamond was on his way to the gate, the car that drops off the patrol judges at their stations rolled by, presumably at a safe distance.

Half of the six-horse field for today's $150,000 Silver Screen Handicap at Hollywood Park was at Churchill Downs two months ago preparing for the Kentucky Derby. One of the three horses, Temperate Sil, might have won the Derby, but he started coughing several days before the race and didn't run. The Silver Screen will be Temperate Sil's first start since he won the Santa Anita Derby April 4.

A quiet alarm is being set off in all corners of the California horse racing industry. Slowly but surely, it is alerting race track operators, horse owners, breeders and trainers to a phenomenon that could make the competitive impact of the state lottery look like a flea bite. The challenge is coming from legalized sports betting, and it's coming quickly. Assemblyman Richard E.

Tessla, the 2-year-old filly champion of England in 1988, will make her U.S. debut Saturday at Del Mar in the $75,000-added Osunitas Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. "She was trained in England by Henry Cecil and was one of the favorites for the Oaks there," trainer Eddie Gregson said. "I got her last winter at Santa Anita but she got a minor shin injury." The Kentucky-bred daughter of Glint of Gold has won three of nine starts and earned $177,422.

Eddie Delahoussaye, dismounting Saturday after riding Zoffany to victory in the $118,600 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park, was asked by trainer John Gosden if the 5-year-old horse might be able to handle 1 1/2 miles in his next start. The question probably should have been: "Can Zoffany run 1 1/8 miles?"