Ironside (TV Series) A Killing at the Track (1971) User Reviews

Horse Racing Is a Great Sport When It's Fair

[amorehl · 10/10 · 9 June 2023]

A lot of these shows dealt with issues of the day. This one, unfortunately, involves a more timeless issue. It concerns a race-fixing scandal at the racetrack. Nowadays, the problem involves the highly evolved doping of horses and, in fact, that issue was investigated as a possible cause. Here, it turns out to be a different kind of "fixing." However it is being done, it's pretty blatant that something is wrong. Eve is directed to meet back up with an old flame, played by ex-Tarzan, Ron Ely. In other great casting, Joel Grey plays a suspected jockey, and his wife is played by Sherry Lansing who shortly thereafter turned from her short-lived acting career into the production side, with more success. The conclusion and resolution of the episode seems pretty sudden but that's probably due to the routine slice-&-dice done to this - like all episodes of old shows - to fit in all the extra commercials. Even chopped up, this was an enjoyable episode.

Dope the jockey

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 18 May 2017]

As fans of the Ironside series know Eve Whitfield came from some of San Francisco's high society, the kind who lived on Knob Hill. After a few years on the police force I would have thought it had gotten around that she was a cop. Yet Barbara Anderson was constantly running into old acquaintances from the upper crust who didn't know.

Yet that's what happens here. Part of her assignment is get reacquainted with Ron Ely who is thoroughbred horse owner to find out about his part. Raymond Burr suspects he's involved. Anderson doesn't like it, but obeys orders.

Joel Grey is in this one, playing a jockey of course. This outfit dopes the jockey to fix races. No one tests them, no one until there's a fatality which brings in the Ironside team.

Grey discovers the method, it's a pip.