Two of Southern California’s most popular horsemen are scheduled to come of the injured reserve list today at Santa Anita.
Humberto Ascanio, Bobby Frankel’s popular and capable assistant
for more than three decades, will present the trophy to the winning
connections of today’s Robert J. Frankel Stakes. It will mark the first
visit to Santa Anita for Ascanio since he suffered a stroke in December
of 2011 and had to abandon his career as a trainer in his own right.
Mel Stute also is scheduled to make an appearance at Santa Anita
today. The 85-year-old retired trainer had been in rehab since hitting
his head in a fall in West Los Angeles two weeks ago. “I have three
horses in today and one is owned by his wife (Annabelle),” said Mel’s
son, trainer Gary Stute, who has nearly half of his eight-horse stable
running today.