William Stice, Trainer of Two Altazano, Dies

Blood-Horse

William Stice, who trained Two Altazano to a win in the 1994 Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. III), died Dec. 21 at his home in Glendale, Ky. He was 60.

Stice took out his trainer’s license in 1982 and was prominent at Louisiana Downs and Fair Grounds before he retired in 2001.

He conditioned 279 winners, including 18 stakes winners, the most notable of which was Harold Goodman’s homebred Two Altazano.

Stice put the early foundation into the Texas-bred daughter of Manzotti, training her at age 2 and through her three-length victory the Fair Grounds Oaks in March 1994. The filly went on to win three other graded stakes that season, including the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.

He also sent out 228 runners-up and 237 third-place finishers. His 2,222 starters amassed purse earnings of more than $3.47 million.

Stice was instrumental in the career of Tim Ice, who began with him as a groom at Louisiana Downs in 1993 and then worked as his assistant. Ice later trained Summer Bird, the 2009 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner and champion 3-year-old male.

A native of Jefferson County, Ky., Stice also served in the United States Army. He was buried in Grayson County, Ky.