Match Race

[Tom]

Blabk Ruby and Taz......now that was a rivalry! Used to love watching the mule races.

What track was it that had the Weinner Dogs racing?
Talk about the good old days.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Tom

Blabk Ruby and Taz......now that was a rivalry! Used to love watching the mule races.

What track was it that had the Weinner Dogs racing?
Talk about the good old days.

They've done it in quite a few places.

It was a very big deal at Los Alamitos.

[jocko699]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

My two favorite match races took place on the California Fairs. One in the South at Fairplex which used to be called Pomona.

The other at the Big Fresno Fair which used to be called the Big Fresno Fair.

The Fairplex race was between two mules. BLACK RUBY with Jim Burns in the saddle vs TAZ piloted by the immortal Cowboy Jack Kaenel.

RUBY, as she almost always did, defeated TAZ by a long ear.

They would meet again soon after at Los Alamitos with the same result. RUBY got the $$$

At Fresno it was a thoroughbred vs an appaloosa at I think but am not positive 1000 yards.

The TB was GREY MOON RUNNER. Not the one recently campaigned by Jeff Bonde and others. This GREY MOON RUNNER was trained by Walter Greenman. Not sure who rode. It might have been Russell Baze.

The appy was UNDERCOVER WILLIE trained by Don Collins. Also not sure who rode him. Ross Allardyce keeps popping into my mind. Maybe he was on one of them. Or maybe Marty Hamilton

Ross and Marty were winning a ton of races on the on the Fairs at that time. As was Cheryl White (RIP), look up her story some time. Here I did it for ya.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/28/s...d734bd1ab9f35b

Cheryl was also legendary for the time a cocky apprentice named Martin Pedroza Jr came to Fresno. After an incident in a race. She kicked his butt all over the jocks room. True story!

The race was over in two jumps. UNDERCOVER WILLIE was like a jack rabbit out of the gate. Opened up at once and never looked back.

Vic,

I was at Los Al for the race.

Aloha/Geoff

[classhandicapper]

Vic,

I wonder how Senorita would have faired against those great mules?

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Vic,

I wonder how Senorita would have faired against those great mules?

SENORITA was pretty darn good. But IMO not nearly as good as RUBY & TAZ.

Frankly I'd take SARAH NELSON and BAR J F HOT TICKET over her as well.

JOMHO

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

SENORITA was pretty darn good. But IMO not nearly as good as RUBY & TAZ.

Frankly I'd take SARAH NELSON and BAR J F HOT TICKET over her as well.

JOMHO

I always mix up the Bar JF Hot Ticket and Bar JF Red Ticket. I’ll have to look up my mule speed figures. . I hope they come back this year.

[Dan Montilion]

My memory is Gray Moon Runner was a Bill Masterangelo trainee. Vic?

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Dan Montilion

My memory is Gray Moon Runner was a Bill Masterangelo trainee. Vic?

Could be right about Master.

I thought it was Walter.

I text occasionally with Dean Greenman, Walter's son.

I'll ask him.

[DFW]

If I remember correctly there was a Match Race at Los Alamitos in either 1972 or 1973 between Pataha Prince (Frankel) and Chariwari (Chay Knight). As I recall it was non betting and an announcement was made midday that Laffit Pincay would be riding Pataha Prince. The only betting was between the patrons and I’m pretty sure that Pataha Prince won handily, unless I’m starting to lose my memory.

[mountainman]

My recollection is that Indulto got spanked at 3 1/2 furlongs by a quarter horse called Cherrapunji(?).

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Dan Montilion

My memory is Gray Moon Runner was a Bill Masterangelo trainee. Vic?

I heard back from Dean Greenman.

He said it was his father Walter that trained Grey Moon Runner.

[Dan Montilion]

Ok. Memory not what once was. Toss in the right knee and shoulder as well. Thanks Vic.

[jimmy m]

Im surprised no one has brought up the match race at Santa Anita i think early 90s the Atmosphere was awesome.Off memory i think is was Valient Pete against Griswold with Kip Dedrickson i dont remember who rode the tb.

[Thomas Roulston]

But when is a match race not a match race?

See Chilling Thought over Polite Rebuff, and Devious Duchess over Lycka Dancer, at Belmont and Saratoga, respectively, back in the day.

Even Seabiscuit's win over War Admiral was technically not a "match race," in that it occurred in the Pimlico Special, in which no other horses happened to be entered therein.

[mountainman]

I once had mnr brass almossssst talked into matching Black Ruby against the ignominious Zippy Chippy. I still think it would have gone national and might even have transcended racing. So much contrast...so many story lines.