Though he wasn’t aware of it at the time, trainer Mel Stute picked up the 2,000th victory of his career when 25-1 shot
Score for Fun (Score Quick) went gate-to-wire in Saturday’s 1ST race at Hollywood Park.
“I found out when they told me in the winner’s circle,” Stute said Sunday. “I
couldn’t believe it.”
Score For Fun prevailed by 5 3/4 lengths in the 6 1/2-furlong maiden-claiming
test under Edwin Maldonado-Alicea, stopping the clock in 1:18 3/5 over the
Cushion Track. The bay gelding, a homebred running for Stute’s wife, Annabelle,
improved his career record to 5-1-0-0, $10,600.
A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the 83-year-old Stute saddled his first
winner (Egg Nog) in 1947 at Portland Meadows, but is probably best known as the
conditioner of 1986 champion three-year-old Snow Chief.
That dark bay runner entered his three-year-old season already a dual Grade 1
winner, having captured the 1985 Hollywood Futurity and Norfolk, and padded his
resume with wins in the California Breeders’ Champion S., El Camino Real Derby
(G3), Florida Derby (G1) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) to open his three-year-old
season.
Snow Chief suffered the worse loss of his career when 11th as the favorite in
the Kentucky Derby (G1), but Stute wheeled his charge right back into the
Preakness S. (G1) two weeks later. The colt would capture that classic and the
Jersey Derby (G2) before closing out his championship season with placings in
the Silver Screen H. (G2) and Malibu S. (G2).
Stute also owns two Breeders’ Cup victories — Brave Raj in the 1986 Juvenile
Fillies (G1) and Very Subtle in the 1987 Sprint (G1). In addition to Snow Chief,
Stute trained Brave Raj to an Eclipse Award in 1986 when she secured champion
two-year-old filly honors.
Stute makes no predictions of when he expects to hit 2,001.
“I’m planning to sell the horses that my wife owns in January, and then I
will be down to two or three,” the popular veteran explained.