Indian Charlie Horse

Ed Musselman is eating his morning oatmeal at the counter of Wagner's Pharmacy, across the street from Churchill Downs, when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns and sees a process server, smiling as he hands him a document informing him he has been sued for libel. The next morning, Musselman is back at Wagner's, again eating oatmeal, when he feels another tap on his shoulder.

Indian Charlie, who won the Santa Anita Derby before his undefeated streak ended a month later in this year's Kentucky Derby, has been retired after suffering a training injury. Indian Charlie hadn't run since the May 2 race at Churchill Downs. Pulled from the Preakness by Baffert, who said the colt was drained by the Derby, Indian Charlie surfaced on the workout tab at Santa Anita on July 19, working a half-mile in a solid 46 3/5 seconds.

The navy-blue silks come with "NO BULL" on the back, in big, bold yellow letters. Hal Earnhardt, the breeder and one of the owners of Indian Charlie, runs his colt in those silks because his auto-dealership uses the same slogan. You wonder about Earnhardt a little bit. He says he's not like California counterpart Cal Worthington, he just knows the man, yet Earnhardt has been known to ride a steer in some of his TV commercials. You don't wonder about Indian Charlie. Not any more.

The 123rd Preakness Stakes lost two of its top contenders Tuesday when Halory Hunter suffered a probable career-ending injury during a workout at Pimlico and trainer Bob Baffert withdrew Indian Charlie, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Halory Hunter, fourth in the Derby, broke his left foreleg and underwent surgery late Tuesday at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

The 123rd Preakness Stakes lost two of its top contenders Tuesday when Halory Hunter suffered a probable career-ending injury during a workout at Pimlico and trainer Bob Baffert withdrew Indian Charlie, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Halory Hunter, fourth in the Derby, broke his left foreleg and underwent surgery late Tuesday at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

What's in a name? Shakespeare wanted to know. Well, plenty--unless you're so talented you can turn Evander Holyfield into a household one. If your name is Jack Dempsey, you don't have to be good--even though by any other name Dempsey would have hit as hard. Sugar Ray was a ticket to greatness for two gladiators. But could Rocky Marciano have been as tough if his name were Clarence? Has a fighter named Ralph ever won? Certain names strike fear in the territory.

Indian Charlie, who won the Santa Anita Derby before his undefeated streak ended a month later in this year's Kentucky Derby, has been retired after suffering a training injury. Indian Charlie hadn't run since the May 2 race at Churchill Downs. Pulled from the Preakness by Baffert, who said the colt was drained by the Derby, Indian Charlie surfaced on the workout tab at Santa Anita on July 19, working a half-mile in a solid 46 3/5 seconds.

Since leaving California for Kentucky, jockey Mark Guidry has been on a roll. Guidry, who rode Buzzards Bay to an upset win in the Santa Anita Derby before he left, begins the new week at Churchill Downs fourth in the standings with 19 victories. However, he is tops in winning percentage at 26%. Especially effective on horses trained by Dale Romans, who leads the standings in Louisville with 16 wins from 52 starters, Guidry is named on four horses on today's card.

Four of the five horses scheduled to run in the $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood today at Hollywood Park are fans of the local main track. The race, the third on the card, precedes a pick six with a carry-over of $66,245. Indian Country, Captain Squire, Bordonaro and Turnbolt have combined to win eight of 17 starts at Hollywood Park entering the Underwood, a Grade III at six furlongs. Only Lifestyle has failed to enjoy himself in Inglewood.

Good omens, bad omens, Arthur B. Hancock III has a million of them. Sunday Silence, according to Hancock, might not have swept the 1989 Triple Crown because the colt's owner saw only two moths, not three, on a top-floor window at the World Trade Center in New York the night before the Belmont Stakes. Sunday Silence, Hancock suggests, might have won the Kentucky Derby that year because he found a penny--minted in 1982--on the backstretch at Churchill Downs a couple of days before the race.

Ed Musselman is eating his morning oatmeal at the counter of Wagner's Pharmacy, across the street from Churchill Downs, when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns and sees a process server, smiling as he hands him a document informing him he has been sued for libel. The next morning, Musselman is back at Wagner's, again eating oatmeal, when he feels another tap on his shoulder.

The navy-blue silks come with "NO BULL" on the back, in big, bold yellow letters. Hal Earnhardt, the breeder and one of the owners of Indian Charlie, runs his colt in those silks because his auto-dealership uses the same slogan. You wonder about Earnhardt a little bit. He says he's not like California counterpart Cal Worthington, he just knows the man, yet Earnhardt has been known to ride a steer in some of his TV commercials. You don't wonder about Indian Charlie. Not any more.

What's in a name? Shakespeare wanted to know. Well, plenty--unless you're so talented you can turn Evander Holyfield into a household one. If your name is Jack Dempsey, you don't have to be good--even though by any other name Dempsey would have hit as hard. Sugar Ray was a ticket to greatness for two gladiators. But could Rocky Marciano have been as tough if his name were Clarence? Has a fighter named Ralph ever won? Certain names strike fear in the territory.