LAUREL, MD. 03-13-14---Colorful owner Arnold Heft passed away in his sleep last nightat Sunrise at Fox Hill Senior Living Facility in Bethesda. He was 94.

Heft pitched four years of minor league baseball in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, finishing with a 30-25 record. He won 22 games for Owensboro in the D League in 1941. He then became an NBA referee (1945-1961) and later co-owned the Baltimore Bullets (1964-68).

“He just loved sports,” said Heft’s trainer Tim Keefe. “He was full of life. When he came into a room everyone knew it. He had great stories and had a wonderful personality.”

Heft and his wife Sylvia campaigned multiple stakes winners Pulverizing, Baldski’s Choice, He Is Risen, Eighttofasttocatch and Red’s Round Table.

“Eighttofasttocatch was the first horse I bought for Arnie and Sylvia,” added Keefe. “Arnold loved putting horses in her name but when Sylvia started to have some medical problems he just switched the ownership. He owned all the horses and just loved the business. He was wonderful to train for. He loved coming to the races to watch his horses run but never wanted me to run them unless they were ready.”

Keefe indicated Heft’s horses will either run in his wife’s name or the estate of Arnold Heft.

The Heft family has arranged a graveside service to celebrate Arnold’s life to be held at Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park in Clarksburg on Friday, March 14 at 2 p.m.

SEVEN FILLIES ENTERED IN SATURDAY’S CAESAR’S WISH STAKES

Seven 3-year-old fillies looking for their first career stakes win will battle in Saturday’s $100,000 Caesar’s Wish Stakes at Laurel Park. The race was originally scheduled for last weekend but was postponed when only three runners were entered.

Steady N Love is the even money favorite in the one mile test. The Not For Love filly has finished in the money in eight of nine starts, including second place finishes in the Wide Country Stakes in January and the Maryland Million Lassie last October. In her last start, the Gary Capuano trainee scored by 20-3/4 lengths as the overwhelming favorite against optional claiming foes on February 17. Victor Carrasco has been aboard for her past two starts.

“She is getting better and is a nice improving filly who tries every time which is all you can ask for,” Capuano said. “Obviously her last race she was in the right kind of field and ran to it. The race before that she ran against Taris, who is a very nice filly. We got into some trouble around the far turn but made up some distance and ran a really good second. We were happy with that effort.”

Capuano runners have finished in the money 18 times in 21 starts at Laurel Park this year.

Brown Rice (5-1) won on the last day of 2013 over optional claimers, beating Steady N Love by a length and three-quarters.  The Big Brown filly hasn’t started since. Sheldon Russell picks up the mount for trainer Ferris Allen.

Another winner from her most recent start is Tupancy Links (3-1), who beat optional claimers on February 1 under Horacio Karamanos. Previously the daughter of Kodiak Kowboy finished second in the Gin Talking Stakes. Vernon Allison is her trainer.

Four fillies were supplemented to the Caesar’s Wish: New Zone (4-1), who finished third in the Wide Country, Fibber and Molly (20-1), Aviddiva (30-1) and Sollie Go Nee Nee (30-1).

About Laurel Park

Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.