Trainer Barry Abrams, one month
removed from surgery for recurring throat cancer, made an unexpected visit to
Del Mar Friday. Abrams, 57, showed up in the paddock before the third
race and, between hugs-aplenty from friends and family, supervised the saddling
of his three entrants in the race, Royal Heat, Unusual Beam and Starspangled
Heat.
The trio of 3-year-old geldings,
sired by Abrams and Madeline Aurbach’s’ Unusual Heat, finished second
(Starspangled Heat), third (Unusual Beam) and seventh (Royal Heat). Abrams then
repaired to a room in the racing office to relax and watch the rest of the
day’s races.
“I couldn’t sit in the house
anymore,” Abrams said through a voice-enhancing device. “I was feeling good,
the doctor said I could do whatever I want, and I told my wife (Dyan) ‘Let’s
go.’ "
The Abrams are staying at the Barona
Casino Resort and Hotel for the weekend. They’ll return to San Diego in a
couple weeks as Abrams has radiation treatments scheduled at the UCSD medical
center.
Being at Del Mar was in itself
therapeutic, Abrams said. He’s been coming here since the late 1960s and it’s a
place where he has saddled 12 stakes winners between 1995 and 2009.
Abrams has been very much involved
with his operation from home through his health issues while assistant Richard
Baltas runs things on-site.
“Through the computers, web cams and
text messages I can keep track of what’s going on,” Abrams said. “But even in
this electrical age, there’s nothing like being here. I have to be here.”
Abrams is especially looking forward
to the La Jolla Handicap on August 13, which is targeted as the next start for
Oceanside Stakes runner-up Burns.