Dickinson Returns a Winner at Laurel Park

Michael Dickinson, who last year announced his return to training at his upgraded Tapeta Farm in Maryland, won April 2 with the first horse he has entered since 2007.

Dickinson announced his "retirement" that year to spend more time developing and marketing the all-weather racing and training surface Tapeta. His farm near North East, Md., has a Tapeta training surface.

Dickinson, 66, won Laurel Park's ninth race, an allowance event a 1 1/16 miles on the turf, with Augustin Stable's homebred 4-year-old Broken Vow   filly Tide Is High. She was ridden by Trevor McCarthy.

The trainer last saddled a horse for a race Dec. 8, 2007, at Turfway Park in Kentucky.

"I've really enjoyed my training again," Dickinson said. "I came back to train because I want to train, and I enjoy it. I love training on the farm."

Dickinson, a perfectionist, indicated he didn't do a good enough job with Tide Is High.

"Today, I'm not too pleased," he said after Saturday's race."She's a good horse, but I didn't train her very well. She used to run off a little bit last year, and I thought I had her relaxed and I didn't. So I'm not pleased; I'm not even a tiny little bit pleased. I might be relieved—at least we had a winner. But we've got to do much better than that."

Dickinson is trying out some new training techniques and equipment as part of his revitalized program.

"It's a very different Michael Dickinson trainer," he said. "I didn't do very well before. I want to do better this time. That's why I've come back because I didn't think I did very well and I want to prove to myself that I'm not quite as bad as I thought I was."

Through 2007 Dickinson had won 587 races including two editions of the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) with Da Hoss in 1996 and 1998.