Dutrow Wins in First Race Since 10-Year Suspension

There were no on-track announcements that trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was sending out his first starter in more than 10 years on the May 6 card at Belmont Park. The toteboard took care of that. In the sixth race of the day, Dutrow's horse, Prince of Pharoahs, was 9-2 in the morning line but 3-5 in the first flash on the toteboard. Welcome back, Rick Dutrow. While Dutrow kidded that owner Sanford Goldfarb was responsible for the odds-on price—the horse closed at 3-1 odds—the early money was indeed on target as the controversial, jive-talking trainer returned from a decade-long suspension with a performance that was, as he so famously said during his Big Brown days, a foregone conclusion. Taking charge at the top of the stretch the 5-year-old New York-bred son of American Pharoah drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths in the $95,000 allowance race and was greeted with a loud round of cheers from the crowd at Belmont Park. "I love it. I hope they keep cheering for us," said Dutrow, whose horse, owned by Goldfarb, Matthew Morrison, and Crown Stable, paid $8.20 to win. "It's a tremendous feeling. I got my first win back at Belmont the track I love." It was the first starter since early 2013 for Dutrow, who was a polarizing figure in the sport during his heydays in the 2000s and early 2010s. Extremely successful, he trained 2008 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Big Brown along with 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam, and he was fiercely supported by owners like Goldfarb. At the same time, he was penalized for several violations, leading to the New York State Gaming Commission revoking his trainer's license for 10 years. He began serving that suspension in 2013. Reinstated earlier this year, he now has 15 horses at Belmont Park, including Prince of Pharoahs, who he claimed for $45,000 April 7. "I haven't done this in a long time so it feels really good," Dutrow said. "He won pretty easy, man. He's been training good. I've been telling Sandy for the last few weeks he was showing us that he's happy. All we had to do is pick the right spot and track." When asked what the last 10 years were like for him, Dutrow was a bit more subdued. "It wasn't fun," he said. Goldfarb, who used Dutrow as a trainer before the suspension, was quite supportive. "It was 10 years of (his career) being in prison," Goldfarb said in figurative terms about the suspension. "I don't want to look back, but he never said a bad word about it. He got a bad rap and we all know it. Now he comes back sound as a bell. I don't know if I would have the mental stamina like he did to go back." Now 1-for-1 in 2023, Dutrow said he is hopeful of continued success. "Maybe this win will excite the owners," he said.