Royal Glint Established Quite a Track Record

The theory was that Royal Glint was simply a horse who loved the freeways and byways of the racing circuit.

Put a pile of hay in his trailer, give the driver a gasoline credit card and this was one happy nag.

How else to explain his victory on this date 23 years ago, when he won the $255,900 Santa Anita Handicap by a nose over Ancient Title?

“Widely traveled,” the racing writers called Royal Glint. It was his 12th race at a different track since the previous July.

Royal Glint and his rider, Jorge Tejeira, had to hold on for dear life.

Fast-closing Ancient Title, ridden by Sandy Hawley, made up a length and a half from midway down the backstretch. It was down to a length at the 16th pole, then half a length, then a neck. With two strides to go, Ancient Title lunged and came up a nose short.

“I thought he [Hawley] might have caught me at the wire,” Tejeira said.

“My horse was getting pretty late. I was really getting after him because I could hear all the horses right behind us.”

Royal Glint paid $14, $6.40 and $4.20.

The 7-2 favorite, Lightning Mandate, was third.

The crowd of 68,474 was Santa Anita’s largest in 12 years.

Also on this date: In 1969, Duke assistant basketball coach Chuck Daly, 38, was named head coach at Boston College, succeeding Bob Cousy. . . . In 1975, Dianne de Leeuw of Paramount won the world figure skating championship at Colorado Springs. . . . In 1976, veteran boxing trainer and cut man Teddy Bentham died in Hollywood at 67. . . . In 1983, longtime Penn State football coach Rip Engle died at 76. When he retired in 1966, he was succeeded by Joe Paterno. . . . In 1954, the Minneapolis Lakers beat the Milwaukee Hawks, 65-63, in an experimental NBA game with 12-foot baskets. . . . In 1983, Phil Mahre became the first American to win three overall Alpine World Cup ski championships in succession.