In the improbable story of jockey Mario Gutierrez and I’ll Have Another’s bid for Triple Crown glory, there has been one person that has been slightly overlooked-Ivan Puhich.

The 85-year-old Puhich has been involved in the Thoroughbred industry since 1944-the bulk of it as a jockey’s agent. Last Dec. 27, Puhich was invited by his nephew to a barbeque, where he met a young rider who was hoping to break into the Santa Anita riding colony. That rider was Mario Gutierrez, who had been riding in Vancouver.

The rest, as they say, is history.