LEGENDARY DAILY RACING FORM TURF WRITER JOE HIRSCH, GENERAL CHALLENGE, & MARTIN PEDROZA FEATURED ON HORSERACING TV'S "INSIDE INFORMATION" THIS SUNDAY, JULY 26 AT 10 P.M. ET/7 P.M. PT
Arcadia, CA July 23, 2009-The late, legendary Daily Racing Form turf writer Joe Hirsch, former Thoroughbred star General Challenge, and longtime Southern California-based jockey, Martin Pedroza, will be the featured components on the next edition of HorseRacing TV's newsmagazine, "Inside Information," which will air this Sunday, July 26 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
There have been a number of outstanding turf writers chronicling the sport, but none was more well-respected, and revered, than Joe Hirsch. A brilliant, indefatigable writer during his more than half-century of covering racing, Hirsch was the friend of many, and the mentor to many others. Acknowledged as the "Dean of Turf Writers," Hirsch made it his life's work to make sure American racing had a captive audience in the U.S., and around the world.
Hirsch retired in 2003, and died in January at age 80. Hirsch touched many folks and his legacy will continue on forever.
"He was your first friend on the racetrack," said Steven Crist, chairman and publisher of Daily Racing Form. "He made every rookie feel like the most important man in the world."
Hall of Fame owners John and Betty Mabee have left an indelible mark on the sport. In 1972, they established Golden Eagle Farm, one of the premier thoroughbred breeding farms in California, which has produced more than 130 stakes winners through its breeding program. One of the most notable stars was General Challenge.
It's been six years since the gelding's final race at Hollywood Park, and today he enjoys a tranquil existence on the farm where he was born. He won nearly $3 million and eight stakes races during a great career. As a 3-year-old, General Challenge won the 1999 Santa Anita Derby and seemed poised for Triple Crown glory.
However, he developed a reputation for acting up in the paddock, and his nervousness on race day on the road. General Challenge had a horrible trip in the 1999 Kentucky Derby, finishing a disappointing 11th. Although trainer Bob Baffert did later bring his quirky competitor to Florida in an unsuccessful attempt at that year's Breeders' Cup Classic, the rest of General Challenge's career remained in the friendly confines of Southern California and he certainly proved that there's no place like home. He went on to win two Grade 1 events, the Pacific Classic and the Santa Anita Handicap.
Jockey Martin Pedroza has been a mainstay on the Southern California circuit for over 20 years. He first gained prominence as a winner of the Santa Anita Handicap aboard Martial Law (1989) at odds of 50-1. After building a steady clientele with long-time agent Richie Silverstein, Pedroza finally won his first riding title at Hollywood Park's fall meet at age 40. He also has established himself as the "go to" man at Fairplex, where he is the all-time win leader. The Pomona track was also the site where he notched his 3,000th win on Sept. 5, 2008, the same day he recorded seven wins on the card - a feat he would repeat two days later.
Pedroza won a very emotional race when he piloted Return of the King for the late owners, brothers James and Charles Ortega, who were victims of the Covina massacre on Christmas Eve, 2008, along with seven other family members.
About HRTV
HRTV (www.hrtv.com) is a 24-hour television network providing up to 15 hours per day of wire-to-wire coverage of live horseracing action from more than 70 Thoroughbred, harness and quarter horse racetracks in the United States, Canada and Australia. HRTV is available to approximately 17.5 million subscribers throughout the United States.
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CONTACT: Scott Cooper, HRTV, 609-391-8166
