Sports
Wounded Marine Has Eye on Winner's Circle
Josh Hotaling is part-owner of a horse in the sixth race at Santa Anita on Sunday and is prepared to walk down the grandstand stairs on his new prosthetics.
There are some special races at Santa Anita Park over the three-day Columbus Day weekend which includes Monday racing. Saturday’s races include the Grade I, $250,000 Ancient Titles Stakes and Grade II, $150,000 Oak Tree Mile. The Grade III, $100,000 Morvich is Monday.
Another special race will be the sixth on Sunday. No, the $40,000 allowance race for 2-year-old fillies is not a graded stakes. It is special because of a part-owner of one of the horses.
Under Protest, who is scheduled to start from the No. 6 post and be ridden by Joe Talamo, is owned by a partnership that includes Bob Bone, Ron Brewer, Jim Robinson, Josh Hotaling, his twin brother Troy and their friend Dustin Lydon.
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The special one is Josh Hotaling. He is a young Marine who returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan four months ago after losing both his legs.
Although Josh had been stationed on the East Coast, he was sent to the Naval Medical Center of San Diego, where Bone, organizer of the annual Military Appreciation Day at Del Mar racetrack, got to know him and learned of his love for racing.
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Although confined to a wheelchair, Josh several times visited Del Mar with his brother Troy and friend Dustin during the summer meet there. Troy told Bone that Josh would love to someday own a horse or at least be a part-owner.
After Under Protest won a $32,000 maiden claiming race at Fairplex Park Sept. 14 and was claimed by Bone and his partners, Bone offered Josh, at no cost, a piece of the horse. Josh of course accepted the offer, but on one condition – that his brother and friend be included.
For Sunday’s sixth race, Talamo will ride special USMC silks designed by Stephanie Searle of Classic Silks USA in Burlingame, Calif.
Josh has recently been learning to walk on prosthetics and has just gotten clearance to leave the hospital. Bone told the Paulick Report, a national horse racing newsletter, that if Under Protest wins, Josh is going to walk down to the Winner’s Circle at Santa Anita.
“He said it may take a while and he may fall a few times, but he’s going to do it,” Bone said.