Caruso, Grace Hall bring wrestling, horse racing communities together
11/3/2011 11:28:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Through the years Grace Hall, the home of Lehigh wrestling, has been widely regarded as one of the most iconic venues in college athletics. USA Today once named it one of the top five indoor venues in college sports. Lehigh's only three-time NCAA Champion wrestler, Mike Caruso '67, posted a 57-1 career record, with many of those victories coming on the Grace Hall mat. Now, Caruso is bringing Grace Hall back into the spotlight, with a championship racehorse that bears the venerable arena's name.
Grace Hall, the horse, is a two-year-old filly that was purchased in September, 2010. Caruso owns a piece of the filly along with his Bethlehem Stables group.
Grace Hall won her debut race at Delaware Park by three lengths on July 30. A little over a month later, she won the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. Grace Hall made it three wins in three outings with a win at the Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park. On Friday, Grace Hall will compete on horse racing's biggest stage, as she competes in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies, a Grade 1 race with a $2 million purse that will be contested at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. and will be televised live on ESPN2.
“I've owned horses for 30 years; it's a little something I've enjoyed as a diversion,” Caruso explained. “This is so special because before Grace Hall, I had never won a Grade 1 race. I've never had a horse that is the second choice on the morning line in the Breeders Cup. That alone would be one of the most exciting things to happen to me.”
While Grace Hall and Mike Caruso seem like a natural fit, Caruso admits that did not actually name the horse.
“Credit for the name goes to (trainer) Tony Dutrow and his wife Kim,” Caruso said. “They live in Bucks County and have sons who wrestle for Council Rock North. They're the ones who buy the horses. They bought this horse and Kim said to me, 'we're going to name it Grace Hall for you because you love that place.'”
As Grace Hall started to win races, the Lehigh community began to take notice.
“When Grace Hall won at Saratoga I received 15-20 e-mails from Lehigh alumni, many of whom I don't even know personally,” Caruso said. “It's wonderful that I can share this with Lehigh alumni and friends and the Bethlehem community. The more people we can include the more fun it is. In a way she's kind of becoming the Lehigh Valley's horse.”Caruso has been impressed with how the horse's successes have afforded people the opportunity to learn about the storied history of Lehigh wrestling.
“We've been able to bring this story to a whole group of people who never follow racing,” Caruso said. “On a larger scale, a lot of horse racing people are learning about Lehigh wrestling as this story grows. It's exciting because the story involves a place I love and one that means so much to me.”
Post time for the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. Friday. The race can be seen live on ESPN2.
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