THOROUGHBRED RACING : Marshall Took an Eye for Horses and Became a Successful Trainer

Not long after he turned 40, Robert Marshall decided it was time for a career change.

A successful optometrist since graduating from the University of Indiana in 1967, Marshall wanted to go back to his first love: horse racing. A bettor since he was 14 and a groom for Charles Waller at Atlantic City, N.J., while in college, he wanted to be a trainer.

“I actually wanted to start training as soon as I finished college,” said Marshall, who spent his summers during college working at the track. “But (Waller) said I was smart and had an education and said I should go ahead and use my education.

“When I hit 40, I figured life’s short and that if I was going to do it (train horses) it was going to be now or never. It was so much more pleasurable than working in an 8x20 room all day long with people who were there because they had a health problem, so they weren’t happy.

“Horses never talk back. They’re so appreciative of even a little care and they give you everything they have.”

In 1988, a financially secure Marshall quit practicing, went out on his own and has become one of the area’s most consistent, high-percentage trainers.

Last year, the New Jersey native had 20 wins from 103 starters and his in-the-money percentage was better than 52%. Marshall is doing even better in 1992. He was nine for 33 at Santa Anita and has four wins and five seconds from his first 12 starters at Hollywood Park. During the fall meeting in Inglewood, he went nine for 16.

Marshall, 47, also owns varying percentages of a majority of the 26 horses currently under his care. Of the nine new partnerships he formed last year, eight showed a profit. One of his partners is Hollywood Park Vice President Warren Williamson.

Winning breeds happiness, but even a slump doesn’t seem as if it would Marshall’s enthusiasm.

“This is much more rewarding,” he said. “I can see myself still training when I’m in my 70s. Look at how good Charlie Whittingham (79) and Noble Threewitt (81) look. It’s a good life and it’s such a fun thing to do.

“I’m not in this for the money. I’m doing it because I want to. I get up (early) because I want to and I go out (to the track) because I want to. It’s a pleasure; it’s not a job and I don’t see where it would change.”

Most of Marshall’s success has been achieved through the claim box. He earned his first stakes victory with Solar Launch, a horse he claimed for $80,000 from Bobby Frankel, in 1990 at Del Mar. After an easy going at 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park, Solar Launch came back at Del Mar and went seven furlongs in a track record 1:20 when winning the Real Good Deal.

Trebizond, bought from John Russell for $40,000, earned more than $250,000 in 18 months. He was stakes-placed three times and won four races for Marshall before he was claimed for $100,000 last summer at Del Mar. Marshall has also done well with Welcome Messenger, who was second in her first start of the year on May 10, Soweto, and Softscape, who is still competing at age 9.

Admittedly picky about which horses he claims, Marshall spends a lot of time watching race replays. “I look for a certain head action and the way (horses) dig,” he said. “Some horses just have the look right away.

“I like horses with a nice win percentage, and gameness counts more than soundness. I’ll take a horse with a knee (problem) now where I wouldn’t before.”

Increasing his stable is the current Marshall plan. He says he would like to have anywhere from 40 to 60 horses in his barn in order to compete with larger outfits, and he hopes, make a run at a training title.

A.P. Indy, who worked six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 Tuesday at Belmont Park, will be a starter in the Peter Pan Stakes. If all goes well in the 1 1/8-mile race, the 3-year-old son of Seattle Slew will start in the Belmont Stakes on June 6. A hoof injury kept trainer Neil Drysdale’s colt from participating in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

Eddie Delahoussaye will be aboard Sunday and the rider will spend the Memorial Day weekend in New York. He has the mount on Pleasant Stage in Saturday’s Acorn and then will be aboard Pleasant Tap in Monday’s Metropolitan Mile.

Pleasant Tap, who won two stakes in Kentucky in his most recent starts, worked five furlongs in 58 3/5 Monday. One of his opponents in the Mile is Twilight Agenda, who will be ridden by Chris McCarron.

Horse Racing Notes

Defending champion Exbourne will carry highweight of 122 pounds in the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Handicap Monday. Other probables for the 1 1/4-mile Handicap are Classic Fame, Forty Niner Days, Bold Russian and Missionary Ridge. Considered possible are River Warden and Aksar. . . . Hollywood Park will simulcast the Rolling Green Handicap from Golden Gate Fields on Saturday. Gum, who has won two in a row over that turf course, is the probable favorite.