Retired Trainer DiMario Dies at Age 91

John DiMario, who saddled Runaway Groom to an upset victory in the 1982 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, died Feb. 13 in New York. He was 91.

In the Travers, Albert Coppola's Runaway Groom (Blushing Groom—Yonnie Girl, by Call the Witness) rallied from last in the field of five to earn a half-length victory over Aloma's Ruler, with 2-5 favorite Conquistador Cielo third.

BloodHorse reported that Joe Cantey, a good friend of DiMario, was stabled near Runaway Groom's barn. Runaway Groom, who had shipped in from Canada, had no exercise boy, so Cantey suggested that Henry Cochran, his 150-pound assistant, work Runaway Groom.

"He was great," DiMario said. "I had to have the right boy. If I had the wrong boy, he would have goofed up something. This boy was like a machine, like he had had him all his life. The last 72 hours, everything jelled. The morning of the race, I knew I had a shot—but, of course, when it came to beating Conquistador Cielo, I didn't know."

Runaway Groom followed his Travers victory with a score in the Breeders' Stakes on the turf at Woodbine as he nearly swept the Canadian Triple Crown. Runaway Groom entered the Travers off a win in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie after finishing second to Son of Briartic in the first leg of the series, the Queen's Plate Stakes. Runaway Groom was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.

DiMario retired from training in 1999.