Dustin Johnson and Bling Boy: The back story

Dustin Johnson and Pat Perez are now part owners of a thoroughbred named Bling Boy, as the Associated Press' Doug Ferguson reported earlier this week.

So how did they become involved in the sport of kings? Johnson's caddie, Bobby Brown, once worked as a hot walker for a trainer, Mel Stute, whose horse, Snow Chief, won the Preakness in 1986. Mel's son Gary Stute, also a trainer, became partners with Brown, Johnson and Perez in Bling Boy recently, according to Steve Schuelein writing in the Racing Edition.

When Johnson took a two-stroke lead into the final round of the U.S. Open, Gary left Brown a message, "that he's three in front turning for home."

For their sake, hopefully Bling Boy will run better down the stretch than Johnson did in the Open.

Brown, incidentally, was not particularly suited for the job of hot walker, according to Mel. "I got a call from Bobby after Dustin won the PGA tour stop at Pebble Beach in February, and he earned $110,000 for being his caddy," Stute told Schuelein. "He said, 'Mel, thank God you didn't keep me!'"

-- John Strege