Thursday's feature @ the Big A
 

The "Don Rickles" Stake??? "YOU...HOCKEY PUCK!!!" :D
What's next the "Michael Richards" purse, restricted to non bay or gray horses

Don Rickles was a pretty nice horse ( early 80s I think ) owned by ted Sabrese and trained by John Parisella.

1981 to be exact. However, there was also a Don Rickles in 1957--go figure. The 1981 DR wont the Nashua, 2nd in the Hopeful and Tropical Park Derby.

Thanks. I thought he was second in the Hopeful. Rockhill Native beat him perhaps?

I think it was Capitol South

I thought Capital South was 1983. I know he was a Darby Dan horse and he may never have run again...or not for quite a while.

1983 is correct, but wasnt that the year Don Rickles raced in the Hopeful. I know CS died in 2005. He had some promise that is for sure.

Timely Writer won the 81 Hopeful.

OK, I get it now, Don Rickles was born in 1981.

And now I embarrassed to have forgotten Timely Writer. What a nice horse he was.

John Parisella... trainer to the stars... And devourer of Donnie Tessitore's eggplant parm at our Sunday Buffets at the Spa...

(Where's Dixie when you need him? He can tell the Frankel-Parisella story..)

Yes he was a nice horse. Champagne and Hopeful winner. His Florida Derby is one of my fav races.

Didn't TIMELY WRITER breakdown tragically in the '82 JCGC?
I didn't follow racing that closely then, but many of my classmates that year did.
I think he broken down on the turn for home and it was quite graphic.
The race was nationally televised and at time (next to Ruffian) was probably the worst scene on TV.
Unforunately, we were at a party when it happen and the festivities got subdued real quick.

You are correct. He is now buried at the top of the stretch at Belmont.