Headlines & Commentary: March 10
– Trainer Nick Zito has a lot of tough decisions to make this year — “like who to run in which Kentucky Derby prep, and what to wear to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Saratoga.” Matt Graves calls Zito a 4-5 shot for the honor this summer. (TU)
– Writer William Murray died of a heart attack Wednesday. He was 78. Murray wrote for the New Yorker magazine for more than 30 years and was the author of a series of mystery novels set at racetracks. He also wrote several nonfiction books about racing, including “The Wrong Horse.” (ND)
– Detention ends for trainers Julio Canani and Jeff Mullins at Santa Anita. Both trainers were required to put runners into a 24-hour pre-race detention barn for 30 days following positive tests for excess carbon dioxide levels in horses they ran earlier this winter. (DRF)
– Ray Paulick wants racing officials to freeze test samples for future testing. “The cheaters are always a step ahead of the testing laboratories. But freezing test samples gives the labs an opportunity to catch up. It is a common sense and inexpensive way to deal with the problem.” (BH)
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