Killing time in the Oaklawn press box, at times a thriving place even on a February Thursday, the questions would come up: Who's the oldest trainer on the grounds and who's been around longest?
The nominees surely would include Jim Eckrosh, Don McKinney and Jimmy Garroutte. It took awhile for Don Von Hemel to join that list, and having reached age 87, Wayne Lukas still honors the sport, the Coach of all seasons.
Although Von Hemel and Lukas have topped the Oaklawn standings, none of the other guys was usually among the leaders. For every Steve Asmussen or Brad Cox, a racetrack needs people whose names are recognized even if they never train a Curlin or a Knicks Go. One such trainer was Edd Hays, whose horses invariably dropped in betting value as post time neared. Another was Jean Brennan, who usually campaigned fresh horses early in the season; son Terry runs Grayrock Farm west of Pearcy.
Charlie Vinci came along with Val Jane in time to rate a retrospective. After a second runaway victory over state-bred 3-year-old fillies, in the Rainbow Miss, it was mentioned here that it had been "a long time between drinks" for the Illinois-based horseman.
And a many-time Oaklawn champion once trained 50 winners in a 50-day season, flattering me one morning on the backstretch by calling me by name ("Bob, you've been around here, a long time.")
Say I'm Smart, which he trained, had just won a local stake for 3-year-olds and was mentioned for the Arkansas Derby. That didn't come to pass, but this man would win a Breeders' Cup race with Caressing for Churchill Downs board chairman Carl Pollard.
He got on such a tear one time that I felt compelled to write, "David Vance hasn't been this hot around Oaklawn since people wore leisure suits." Still training years after an accident near Turfway Park confined him to a wheelchair, Vance was one of many trainers for owner Dan Lasater during the Arkansas native's heyday. (Some of my press-box brethren rushed to the windows when Actresso, owned by Lasater and trained by Vance, went to the post at Oaklawn late in the 1991 meeting. Lasater, after some missteps professionally, was listed as "unknown owner" after the filly ran 11th in her debut, only to win next time at Louisiana Downs for the same connections.)
Greeting Vance in the paddock is a daily treat at Oaklawn. Son Tommy Vance has an early-season track win and took an Arkansas-bred stake a few years back.
People of a certain age are sure to share Jimmy Garroutte stories for some time. The veteran trainer passed away Wednesday at his Hot Springs home. Following a visitation Sunday at Gross Funeral Home, a celebration of life is set at 1 p.m. today at Oaklawn Racetrack Chapel. Pallbearers include Paul Holthus and longtime backstretch worker Jimmy Power.
Had he lived until Saturday, the native Oklahoman would have been 90. A top apprentice jockey, he had an especially good year in 1948 before weight became a problem. Saddling his first winner in 1951, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict.
Garroutte never said much, as I remember, but kept an eye on all things related to Oaklawn. He did the sport a service by furthering the career of jockey Kathleen Moore, one of the really good people in racing. Her late husband, trainer Tom Howard, developed ex-claimer Ivanfallunovalot into a multiple stakes winner for Bismarck owner Lewis Mathews.
Garroutte trained Gallant Serenade and Skate, two hard-knocking sorts of my early years as a turf writer. There are as many Garroutte stories as tellers. Don't look for him in any halls of fame, but wherever racetrackers get together his name is sure to come up. Stories of veteran horsemen deserve retelling. Racing didn't start with Bob Baffert.