Pulling Punches for a New Career

Maryland racetrack people also have known Brown for a long time. His father, Hayes, who died in 2000, was one of the few black trainers in the state from the early 1950s until the '70s, working the old circuit when there were tracks in Bowie, Upper Marlboro, Cumberland and Bel Air. Hayes Brown went on to become a clocker, patrol judge and then stable manager at Laurel for 20 years.

When Brown's mother died in 1996, he saw his father slide into depression, moping around the house, until one day he looked at his son and said, "We should buy a horse."

By that time, Leonard had retired from boxing after losing to Terry Norris in 1991, but Brown had continued to work as vice president of Sugar Ray Leonard Productions, while matchmaking, promoting and managing fighters. In 1990, he put together the card for the Evander Holyfield-Buster Douglas fight. Two years later, he signed future middleweight champion William Joppy to a contract after the fighter lost in the final of the Olympic trials. Working with his old Black Sox teammate Rock Newman, Brown helped launch the career of heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe.

He also continued his work as director of youth employment for the District government's summer jobs program, while putting together fight cards around the region, including the famous Fight Night for Children charity show each October at the Hilton on Connecticut Avenue.

Brown and his father had a good run with the horses, including striking gold with a claimer named Testifly, who turned into a blazing beast and won a slew of stakes races and more than $500,000.

Even after his father died, Brown kept hanging around the track.

One day, after Joppy lost his title to Bernard Hopkins and then got beat by Jermain Taylor in 2004, Brown was sitting on the rail outside Donovan Houghton's barn with the top trainer Eddie Gaudet.

"I told Eddie how disappointed I was in the [Taylor] fight and how I was tired of going out on the road, and he said out of the blue, 'You should be an agent. It's selling things just like fights. And I have just the guy for you,' and it was Richard Monterrey."

With the help of Houghton and Gaudet, Monterrey took off. "I was putting him on horses that were 25-1, 30-1, and he was winning," Brown said.

Gaudet, 76, grew up in Massachusetts, a boyhood friend of Rocky Marciano. He also knew Hayes Brown and liked the son just as well. "He always got my respect."

Monterrey helped establish Brown's credentials on the backstretch, and when the rider moved on, the agent picked up new jockeys. These days, Brown works with the 21-year-old apprentice Quinones, who ranks sixth in the Pimlico standings, and the veteran Santagata.

Joppy is trying to make a comeback, and Brown said he will stick with him, but after that, he's through with boxing. His only connection, he promises, will be still going around with Leonard, who for the past six years has been a top draw on the motivational speaking circuit.

Now living in Los Angeles, Leonard said he could hardly believe it when Brown told him he was getting out of boxing.

"It was somewhat hard to digest," Leonard said. "It's in his blood. I found it not to be real. I think he has too much knowledge to keep to himself. He'll keep doing like I did in my career -- keep coming back."