PAULICK REPORT FORUM brought to you by Breeders’ Cup: LUKAS — LESSONS LEARNED AND A CALL FOR CHANGE
By Ray Paulick
With less than two weeks to go before the Kentucky Derby, D. Wayne Lukas is in his element. With television, newspaper, magazine and website reporters arriving each day at Churchill Downs, the Hall of Fame trainer will soon be spinning tales of his career in racing, and in particular his successes in the sport’s biggest events, the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup.
Lukas at the Derby is like Dick Vitale at the Final Four, John Madden at the Super Bowl, or James Carville at a political convention. It’s the big show, and like him or not, the Kentucky Derby takes on a different feeling when D. Wayne Lukas is at Churchill Downs with a contender, and he’s got that in the Afleet Alex colt Dublin, a Grade 1 winner last year who has failed to win while hitting the board in all three of his 2010 starts.
Last week in the Paulick Report Forum brought to you by Breeders’ Cup, Lukas talked about his own personal learning curve in the Derby, how the Triple Crown series has become more competitive, and about his own successes—four Derby and Belmont wins and five victories in the Preakness. (Click here to read part one of the interview.) We continue our conversation with the 74-year-old trainer, who began his professional life in Wisconsin as a teacher and basketball coach, began working with Quarter Horses when he switched careers, and eventually landed in the Thoroughbred industry, becoming the sport’s most recognizable figure in the 1980s.
What do you remember about your earliest experiences with the Triple Crown 30 years ago?
When I first came around I wasn’t thinking Kentucky Derby, I had grandiose ideas having watched Laz (Barrera, trainer of Affirmed) and Seattle Slew (trained by Billy Turner) win the Triple Crown. I said I’d try to win all three. In the first few years, I was using the Kentucky Derby as a prep for the Preakness because I went into the Derby soft, thinking we could sneak by, and then have a better horse for the Preakness and Belmont. That does not work. After a couple of times doing that, I said, “We’re winning the Preakness and looking good in the Belmont but not getting the job done in the Derby.”
So what are your biggest regrets when it comes to the Triple Crown?
I’ve been so blessed, so I don’t want anyone to think I’m complaining, but there are two things I look back on with regret. Number one, it’s not nominating Codex to the Kentucky Derby (the 1980 Santa Anita and Hollywood Derby winner didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby because Lukas failed to nominate him; he beat Derby winner Genuine Risk in a controversial Preakness). He was so sharp at the time.
The other one was not winning with a horse I did one of the best training jobs in my career–Proud Citizen coming off a hind leg injury. If Bob Baffert doesn’t buy War Emblem after he wins the Illinois Derby (in 2002, for the late Prince Ahmed of Saudi Arabia), I’ll get my fifth Derby win. We ended up second. Tabasco Cat (sixth to Go for Gin in the 1994 Derby, then went on to win the Preakness and Belmont) might have been the best chance I’ve had to win the Triple Crown, but when that horse next to him threw a fit in the Derby, it cost us. I’ve been around this thing a little bit.
What adjustments have you made over the years?
Number one, not taking the Derby for granted those first few years. Also, to go a mile and a quarter in the Derby, you need a horse that is very manageable. There have been some spectacular horses that have not done well in the Derby because they just are not manageable–closers from left field, or horses that grab the bit in the first half mile—an Althea or an Unbridled’s Song. The horse has got to be manageable for that mile and a quarter. You have to have the mental and physical in synch. The mental is three to one more important than the physical—and that guy on his back is critical, too, in that regard. On the mental side, you’ve got to be a horseman and understand these animals. It’s no different than if you’ve got a pony and you want it to canter around a ring and stay on its left lead. You’ve got to understand how to get them to do what you want them to.
Are horses any different today—physically or in their genetic makeup–than they were 35 years ago when you first started training Thoroughbreds primarily?
I think the breed has changed somewhat. Speed became so prominent, horses that looked like they were quick became popular. The breeding industry led itself to breeding sires with speed. Consequently we changed the conformation and pedigrees a bit, and that’s changed the Derby picture. That may be why we haven’t had a Triple Crown winner. We aren’t breeding as many horses that are adaptable to those distances. They are going to breed what the buyers want. It’s like a clothing store: if you like paisley, we’ll have that on the shelf, if you want stripes, we’ll be sure to have stripes. Buyers are looking for horses with speed, so that’s what the breeders are bringing to the sales.
Do you still believe the Triple Crown would benefit from some changes in distances and scheduling?
First thing I think, with the way we are breeding them, we need to look at the distances. We’re not breeding horses to go more than the classic distance, which is a mile and a quarter. Nowhere in the United States do we have to prepare horses to go a mile and a half again after the Belmont. Why not breed for a classic horse and give more of them a chance to stay around and develop a fan base.
So, if you change that Derby to a mile and an eighth, you don’t have to bear down on them as much as a trainer. It would be so much easier to train a horse. Then, time is your ally. Coming back in two weeks after the Derby is hard. Looking back through history books, horses with problems don’t come back in the Preakness or they get hurt in the Preakness. It would be like Jimmy Johnson winning the Daytona 500 and then doesn’t go in the next several races. You go a mile and an eighth and win the Kentucky Derby, the horse gets a following. Then. three weeks later, you add a sixteenth of a mile to go in the Preakness (the same 1 3/16 miles as its current distance). Then you add three more weeks and you get a mile and a quarter in the Belmont. Now you’ve got a series.
You probably might have that same bunch of horses lasting a little longer and developing more rivalries. The other thing is you might get more fillies. Trainers contemplating running a filly in the Derby, most of them are concerned about getting that mile and a quarter the first Saturday in May. You make it a mile and an eighth, they’re more likely to run those fillies. I think the distance is important.
When I first brought this up, they said you couldn’t run a mile and a quarter at Belmont because of the way the track is laid out. Well, that argument went out the door when they started running the Breeders’ Cup Classic there and you start the race on the turn.
So you want to upset all the traditionalists in racing?
I’m going to put something else out there that might make some people throw up, but I think they need to run the Kentucky Derby at night. Put it on television during prime time. I’m against night racing in general, but once a year if it would send our sport back to where it belongs.
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Tags: affirmed, afleet alex, Althea, belmont, Bob Baffert, Breeders' Cup, d. wayne lukas, Dick Vitale, dublin, Final Four, genuine risk, Go for Gin, hollywood derby, James Carville, John Madden, kentucky derby, Laz, Paulick Report Forum, preakness, Proud Citizen, Ray Paulick, santa anita derby, seattle slew, super bowl, tabasco cat, Triple Crown, unbridled's song, war emblem
April 21st, 2010 at 7:15 am
No, D. Wayne, the “classic” distance is actually a mile and a half. You’re already cutting corners with a mile and a quarter - that’s only a “classic” in America, the land of speed. Sigh.
April 21st, 2010 at 8:01 am
Ray,
great work.
you gotta love this guy whether you agree with him or not philosophically.
he is the quintessential horseman, his feet firmly planted on the track!
he has a vision and is fearless with experiementation in his quest for the winner’s circle. Dublin is not my pick but if he wins it would be a perfect exclamation point to Lucas’s long and successful career.
April 21st, 2010 at 8:34 am
Lukas in the Derby, we would be hard pressed to find another trainer as charismatic, articulative and contemplative as a spokesperson for horseracing.
Two topics I would like to see Lukas comment on: 1) How we increase the younger fan/owner base, in particular, addressing the public’s perception of widespread cheating and abuse, and their fears of being fleeced in purchasing horses at auction. 2) Qualification criteria for Ky Derby inclusion. Under the current system, these barely 3 year olds are having to be used really hard just to qualify to run a 1 1/4.
What would your ideal system be which would bring the most talented horses to the Derby without unnecessarily compromising the long term soundness and longevity of a racehorse’s career, and which would ultimately improve the breed’s durability?
April 21st, 2010 at 8:36 am
Thanks, D. Wayne (and Ray). Since the Churchill experiment last summer, I have been thinking the Derby would be the perfect race to run at night. Agree that I would not like to see the entire meet shift to night cards, but an event like Derby is ready for Prime Time.
April 21st, 2010 at 8:46 am
Change the Kentucky Derby from a mile and a quarter to a mile and an eighth?
They have that race already in Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, New York (Wood), California, Illinois, and even in Kentucky (Bluegrass).
If you don’t want to “use” your horse, here’s a better idea:
DON”T RUN!
April 21st, 2010 at 8:49 am
Why doesn’t Satish Sanan and other big time owners use this HOF trainer anymore?
Could it be that they got tired of having their pockets picked in a very HOF way??
April 21st, 2010 at 8:58 am
If Lukas can win the BC Classic with Cat Thief, he can win the KY Derby with Dublin. Never count Lukas out. He is one smart trainer and knows the way to the winner’s circle.
April 21st, 2010 at 8:59 am
While I have enjoyed reading Mr. Lukas’ insight these past few columns, I highly disagree with any watered down version of the Triple Crown trail. He talks about speed and breeding horses, but he’s one of the ones who fell into that trap with his clients.
If we want a Triple Crown winner, we need to breed classic race horses. A mile and a quarter is the goal, but, as another poster noted above, this doesn’t even measure internationally where mile and a half and 2 mile races are considered “classic” races. Of course, they are running on turf abroad…not as much dirt, because we are still speed obsessed, for sure.
It’s easy to throw out a theory that more fans will come to racing if we have more Triple Crown winners. But, what happens when that becomes the routine and is no longer special if we follow this proposal to shorter the race distances and lengthen the time between?
More fans would enjoy racing if we didn’t have doping, loud mouth characters who muddy the sport with their defiance, and if we didn’t have so much territorial infighting that keeps racing from moving forward.
April 21st, 2010 at 9:06 am
Night racing for the derby…hadn’t thought of that before but what a great idea. The older D. Wayne and I get, the more I respect him not only as a horseman but as a business man.
Great Interview…hope there is more to it.
April 21st, 2010 at 9:31 am
If you want to win the KY Derby, then breed for the Derby. Mellon did it. So do Phipps, Stone Farm, Claiborne, Winstar, etc.. Look at Darley with Street Sense. It takes a classic pedigree to win it, not a sprinter. If you buy sprinters, you shouldn’t complain. You should just head for the Breeder’s Cup Sprint or Mile instead.
Shall we make basketball hoops shorter to accomodate people of average height? Or shorten the Boston Marathon so I can run in it? I think not. I have great respect for Lukas, but you shouldn’t tamper with century-old events simply because some commercial breeders have strayed from pedigrees that can run classic distances.
April 21st, 2010 at 9:36 am
A very nice commentary, as was the first part sponsored by Breeders Cup. Mr. Lukas; Thank-you for giving your advice and memoirs ! I have already learned something today.
Please write a trainers book, there are so few good books written about training the Race horse. Traits of a winner and the Burch training books, and others are great but we , in the industry need more books written. This will help the horses. I especially learned today from your comment on training a managable horse when racing at distance, an excellent point and on my part , point taken ! THANK-YOU & BEST WISHES !
April 21st, 2010 at 9:41 am
Having been a D. Wayne fan for a number of years I always admire his interest and articulation with respect to the game. But his theories here are somewhat self-serving and disingenuous toward the sport. Wayne doesn’t take into consideration the number(20-30% of horses bought out our premium sales that are aptly trained to go classic distances in England, Ireland and France. The much discussed misperceived frailties and faults of the breeding industry are bogus and lay squarely in the hands of inferior training models and methods. The incredible Dahlia, for example, was basically a sprinter trained to go long in Europe where she won several classics and as was evident in her permanent return to California where her conditioning was Americanized and shortened her up dramatically. She became two different horses! The American system of training taking place on the racecourse creates a copy-cat system that many trainers fall victim to. Unfortunately, most American pedigree is and has been made abroad and in America prior to the 1990’s. Horses lasted longer before because they had a better foundation; were worked a mile or more for classic events; suffered fewer fractures and ran more times. Let’s put the blame where it belongs and its not with the breeders’!
April 21st, 2010 at 9:42 am
No matter what, Lukas always leaves you talking about him afterwards!
The man is a great trainer - but he’s wrong on the Triple Crown. We’ve had - how many - 8 horses come into the Belmont gunning for a Triple Crown? I’d say almost none of them could blame the extra quarter mile as the reason the for losing. Real Quiet lost by a nose after a premature move. Silver Charm just got beat 3/4 a length because he didn’t see the winner coming. Charismatic broke down in the final furlong. War Emblem really never had a chance - but stumbling out the gate didnt’ help him. Smarty cooked himself within 3/4 a mile in 1:10and change - and still only got beat a length or so. Big Brown just plain didn’t have it that day, and his jockey did an appalling thing in pulling him up to save face - not the horse.
So - none of those horses couldn’t get the mile and 1/2 - they just didn’t win that day.
People complain all the time that education is “dumbing down” to lower expectations on children. Changing the Triple Crown is dumbing down the greatest and rarest achievement in sport for horses who can’t get it done. It’s a disservice to the 11 who did, and to the horse that WILL come and do it again at some point.
As to a night time Derby? I actually don’t have as much problem with that as others might. The premier event should be in prime time - and too often we end up fighting with other more popular sports.
If I were asked to give Lukas a suggestion for bettering our chances for a Triple Crown, I’d still go back to a maximum 14 horse field. The Derby has become a stampede - and championship worthy horses have lost that first leg due to traffic and the rumble on the turn that go on to show themselves far superior in the last two legs. Risen Star and Afleet Alex come to mind. Tabasco Cat, as well.
April 21st, 2010 at 9:43 am
Changing the distance of the TC races because the breed is weaker and more speed oriented then in the past is the wrong approach. We’ll simply be ceding more territory to foreign horses with classic pedigrees, which ultimately would be the dismantling of the US horse industry. I don’t mind adding a week in between each of the Preakness and Belmont, it’ll lead to fuller fields in those races, fresher horses and more time for publicity and marketing.
April 21st, 2010 at 9:56 am
Just a matter of time. The moon shines bright on our old Kentucky home. Preposterous.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:18 am
Love me some D. Wayne, except on this issue. If you want to win the Triple Crown, then you need to breed or buy a horse that is bred to win a Triple Crown. And they do still exist. Don’t buy a sprinter and expect it to win the Derby. Which for a lot of people means learn something about pedigrees or pay someone who does. It takes a lot to be that special, and we’ve come too close over the past 32 years on several occasions to adjust those races and make it easier. We don’t need to create another reason for the breed to be watered down.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:47 am
I agree with those who say ‘Don’t dumb down the Triple Crown.’ Make it easy and it will lose all value.
Personally, I think that one of the main reasons it has become harder to win the Triple Crown is because the legal diuretic depletes the animals in more ways than one and it is hard for trainers like Lukas to get their horses back inside a month. So, step one, get the US in line with the International Drug rules and ban race-day medication. Okay, in the ‘old days’ there were drugs, but I would argue that not every horse racing in the TC in days of yore was toting a diuretic, bute etc. as they are today.
Secondly, for many breeders and breakers today the “Classic Distance” is actually one-eighth, because if they can get their two year old to run 10 flat then they have had a good year. And how many one and a half mile races are left? What is the incentive for breeders to go for the longer horse when the payback - in terms of the majority of races carded also - is greater for short horses? Keep going down this path and D. Wayne will be back in the quarter horse business! OK I am being facetious, but he is urging even shorter distances on top of the wholesale contraction we have already seen?
And riders just don’t get the practice on distance horses in this country anymore. How many potential TC winners made their run too early in the Belmont? I can think of a couple over the past decade or two.
I agree with those who urge more, not less, distance races so that we reward stamina in at least some of our foals.
April 21st, 2010 at 11:24 am
I see reading comprehension still eludes some of your readers Ray.
April 21st, 2010 at 11:28 am
The comments above are as interesting as Lukas’s interview. I agree, don’t shorten the Derby distance, and breed more for endurance and less for speed. I applaud Graeme Beaton’s desire for stronger drug laws. Yes! To that I would add, stop slapping these people on the palm. Three infractions and rule them off. Permanently.
Sasscer Hill
http://fullmortality.blogspot.com/
April 21st, 2010 at 11:52 am
To #17 Graeme
I am curious>would u mind telling me how old you are ???? meaning no disrepect.
Thank you in Advance
April 21st, 2010 at 12:11 pm
#12 +1.
April 21st, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Here’s a novel idea for you owners out there that want to win the Derby, Triple Crown and/or Breeders’ Cup Classic. Stop buying sprinters and trying to make them into something they are not. If you don’t buy them then the breeders will stop producing them. That would be a wonderful change for the industry. I, for one, find sprinters one-dimensional and boring.
And bob Hope’s comment: well said.
April 21st, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Eugene,
Older than Count Turf.
April 21st, 2010 at 12:37 pm
If Bob Hope is implying that the blame lays with the impatience of U.S. owners I agree. If he is implying that it is with American trainers I disagree.
The “copy cat” system comes from the demands and expectations that owners here in the U.S. have, not because U.S. trainers aren’t horseman.
April 21st, 2010 at 1:06 pm
You asked Lukas “So you want to upset all the traditionalists in racing?” Personally I see wanting to keep the Triple Crown the way it currently stands as being fair-minded as opposed to just being stuck on tradition.
IMO changing the Triple to Lukas’ specs would be more unfair to those that lost it than to those who won it. I think most of the “2 out of 3″ horses we’ve seen in the last couple decades would have won the Triple if it were made easier as Lukas suggests.
And in my personal experience more Triple Crown winners causes boredom as opposed to drawing new fans. I watched Secretariat and Slew win it with great delight but when Affirmed came around just one year after Slew i didn’t even watch. I was in high school at the time and none of my friends bothered to watch Affirmed either, even though we were all horse crazy. With three in one decade, the Triple had become so commonplace that we were certain we’d be seeing it again and again. I’d wager if somebody checked the TV ratings from back then, Affirmed drew the lowest ratings of the three.
April 21st, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Some breeders are always claiming its not their fault. Some people are breeding to fragile stallions that retired with fractures after 12 or less starts and sometimes with mares who were just as unsound. They remind me of Paragallo. They are many British breakdowns where horses were euthanized after a dozen or less starts. Act Of Diplomacy by Storm Cat sold to Sheik Mo for $8.2M raced twice in Britain then went to Dubai and suffered a catastrophic fracture in his 3rd start. He won 0. A web site of euthanized horses in Britain list includes Neboisha 8sts,Masjoor 8 sts, Marquee 10 sts, Gofannon 3 sts, Elusive Gem 1 st, Autograph 2sts, Taminas Desert 2 sts, Orpenella 10 sts, Our Nations 7 sts, Mysterious Green 9 sts, Curly Brown 5 sts, Persian Tonic 8 sts, Pebble Rock 3 sts, Anna Ivanova 1 st, Manero 3sts, D’ Nurse 4 sts, Camelot Communion 6 sts, Papa Meilland 4 sts, Metaphorical 3 sts, Memphis Kate 3 sts,etc. Most of these were bred in Europe and never won a race. Some had 0 starts that broke down. There are long lists of horses that broke down in the US and were euthanized also. The names of a few prominent stallions appear more frequently than others as sires or grandsires. There is a need to breed sound horses and stop shifting all the blame to others. Breeders,trainers,jockeys,farriers,vets,tracks and sometimes owners have all had guilty individuals.
April 21st, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I am well acquainted with training methods on both sides of the Atlantic and Asia and there are some tremendous North American horsemen both proven and unproven, but it has become distinctly difficult to train a good horse in America for several reasons. It has become extremely difficult to learn under the conditions here as well. Gimmick driven horse racing has all but destroyed the planning necessary to condition a horse through allowance conditions and into stakes. Unlike the other continent, the plethora of claiming races and the requisite amount of drugs that accompany them diminishes the learning curve required to develop a good horse. With the allowance structure literally being destroyed,there is little or no cohesion between track managements and owners and trainers of good horses. The reason to race has been all but lost along with the tools necessary to develop a stakes horse with any plan of certainty. Trainers require a learning curve a well as the horse and with the advent of slot managers as CEO’s at racetracks we are proceeding along the dangerous path of irrelevance.
April 21st, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I’ve only been watching horse racing for a few years. It seems every year D. Wayne Lukas is repeatedly interviewed and quite frankly, it’s monotonous. We already knew how many Triple Crown races he won, we already knew his thoughts on changing the series, we basically already knew everything printed here.
I don’t know much about Mike Maker, Shannon Ritter, Jeremy Noseda or even John Sadler. Will somebody please in-depth interview the other trainers with Derby starters this year, instead of Lukas, Pletcher and Baffert? No offense meant to those trainers but again, they’re interviewed so often its monotonous and I for one want to learn more about the “other guys”.
April 21st, 2010 at 3:45 pm
If there were a part 3 interview, please ask him about his use of performance enhancing substances and how much he thinks they contributed to his triple crown and breeders cup success.
April 21st, 2010 at 3:57 pm
I respect D. Wayne Lukas but am totally opposed to shortening the Derby to 1 1/8 miles (or the Belmont to 1 1/4). In my opinion, that would destroy the entire Triple Crown and send horse racing in this country into a death spiral. If breeders are not breeding for distance, then perhaps the breeders need to change. The reason breeders breed for speed is because it allows the buyers to run their horses for big purses as 2 yr olds. And then the tracks follow along by shortening their big races to accommodate. Eventually, we will end up with quarter horses.
By the way, in Europe, they have big races up to and over 2 miles. A 1 1/2 mile race is middle distance there.
April 21st, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Albany, this is the first time I have ever seen or heard of Lukas being accused of cheating with drugs. Do you know something the rest of us don’t, or are you just another uninformed gossiping shmuck?
April 21st, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Interesting idea about racing the Derby at night. I wonder how Lucas would feel about playing the final round of The Masters at night?
April 21st, 2010 at 5:53 pm
hmm why u delete my reply too much truth
April 21st, 2010 at 9:15 pm
well Mr graeme..thats not old….Funny you should bring up COUNT TURF..I have his Derby picture which is 25 w x 30 h…with 5 different scenes. We gave CONN expense money to get to CURCHILL & back to the WALT WHITMAN IN JAMACIA LI…IF U KNOW WHERE THAT
IS…Lets see> the COUNT was 3 at the time..That was in 1951…so that comes out to 62…
62 isnt old…i wish i was 62 again….your lucky…
April 21st, 2010 at 10:19 pm
“…this is the first time I have ever seen or heard of Lukas being accused of cheating with drugs.”
While I am making the obvious distinction of using an example of what were once legal drugs, you should be well-aware, Barry, that Lukas was one of the original steroid users/abusers. He understood not only the performance advantages that they could (at times) confer, but the recovery advantages, as well as how big and buff his runners looked for the owners.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I really like the idea about running the Derby at night. Wayne is right. We need to hit the prime time with this sport to get some new fan base. I also agree with his ideas about cutting the distances. The Triple Crown would be very competitive.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:37 pm
They should run D Wayne Lukas at night. Right out of town.
G.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Actually Ray should run anonymous posters off his board, but then that would cut down on the commentary wouldn’t it.
.
April 22nd, 2010 at 5:40 am
Geesh, I can see it the Derby Mile before we know it! Sprinter Specialist Triple Crown…Classic horses need not apply.
Having seen 3 Triple Crown Winners I guess I only want to see another horse wear that same crown having accomplished what they did.
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
I respect but do not agree with Mr. Lukas. His barn is the cleanest and one of the best run barns on the track. His horses are walked every two hours around the shed row and never allowed to stand in the stall all day like the racehorses in every other barn. That is a point I agree with.
Why run the Grand National if you shorten the jumps and make it easy, because it will not be the Grand National anymore? If you want to win a triple crown bring a triple crown horse to the race. Trainers used to run their horse in races not work them to death and put them back in the barn. They were not afraid to lose a race. The horse went into a classic event a well prepared seasoned horse. I agree with banning all drugs on race day. This will force the owners and trainers to give a horse time to heal. Good horses used to stop in the winter and come back in the spring. Nagging injuries had time to heal. Horses would not need drugs to go out in the field and eat grass and roll around in the hay. If they did it would not be for long. I do not agree with night racing the Derby, but this year they could start the Breeders Cup in the day and finish with the Classic at night on prime time TV. That might work, in 1988 when I was there we sat in the dark to watch the Classic anyway.
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:57 am
Agree with cgriff and others - don’t dumb down the Triple Crown. Breed tough, sound, strong horses that can go the distances.
Also agree that 20 horses are too many.
April 22nd, 2010 at 10:58 am
Okay ya’ll, let’s chop it, call it the TC Dash and get it over with. Breeze sales are already showing that mad med speed at one and two furlongs pays. Choose chemically enhanced speed over conformation, horsemanship and welfare. Drill the hell out of the surviving youngsters since it’s so damn boring and beneath some to wait and wait for a Zenyatta-type to finally mature, show her stuff and earn gravy. Training “plotters” at 1 1/4 and up is so 19th Century! Let’s drill and get rid of the heads that don’t fit the short program, those that need time and pampering to mature, rate, last and excel. What the hell, let’s shoot for 9 flat at breeze sales to set the right pace early and do some serious do or die triage. That’s what mortality insurance and tax write-offs are for. And y’all better forget about fancy hats, food and wine. The 21th Century TC is run at 400, 350 and 475 yards under the lights: plaid shirts over beer bellies, jeans (at least 4 inches too long), cowboy hats, meat, potato, beer and extra cortisone are in: Hee Haw! for the speed cowboys.
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Hi Barry,
I respect you a lot and think you are a great writer. Most horses until recently ran on performance enhancing drugs, principally because they were not illegal. I think you know that, too. Because it wasn’t illegal, I don’t think it was called cheating. You used that work , not me.
I believe Mr. Squires refers to the topic you wrote about a little bit in his recent book.
I am sure you know more about this topic than most if not all the posters on this board, so I will defer to your expertise.
Did any of your trainers use tanabolic steroids?
If I am way off base, then I apologize.
P.S. I may be a jerk, but I am not a schmuck. Have a nice day.
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I am also a terrible speller
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:57 pm
In my opinion there are very few horse trainers that are real horsemen. If they were they would not be running horses on drugs even when they are legal. One needs to prepare a horse for a distance. People do not run marathons successfully without training for them. Maybe some people should start breeding Quarter Horses instead. There are lots of races for them. The big sales companies could sell Quarter Horses instead of or in addition to Thoroughbreds. Another plus QH breeders have an open stud book so their Thoroughbreds can breed QH’s. There are many famous Thoroughbred names in the QH stud book. If things do not change for the better the Thoroughbred maybe become a rare breed in this country. Quality over quantity = sound,well made, good minded(can be rated,etc),fast horses that can run long or short on dirt turf and synthetics and race for years without drugs is what people should breed and owners should want. Unfortunately some gullible people actually believe that only fast horses break down and are more desirable than sound ones. Slow horses are just as likely to break down as fast ones. Well made hard boned horses with good feet are the ones that are most likely to stay sound and they can be very fast horses. Intelligent people know that unsound horses are inferior horses. The horses that are sound and fast are superior horses.
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:33 pm
After reading all the posts on here i have learned alot ..think i will go and apply for a trainers license..
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