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Hmmm. Well, warranted or not, today's trainers are taking much more time between races than back in the day. I never trained in that type of environment so it is tough to say for sure.
I certainly see the crazy prices owners pay, and what horses values can quickly become. It's a "quit while your ahead" atmosphere when it comes to BC Classics, and even Ky. Derby. It's almost like they are protecting the value the horse achieved in winning a top tier race and don't want to diminish that win. And, who can blame them, I think is fair to say.
Everybody wants "THE" next best colt in the big sales. Look at what they are paying for the best of the best. That is pushing the game at this point IMO.
I am not going to be critical of that though because I did not put up the money and I do not own a horse and have to make that decision.
It's simply the way the economics of the game is today.
There are trainers I won't mention that in todays sales ring environment that have no chance to buy a potentially nice colt at a big time sale. They just cost too much. They have to try and find fillies with quality. And they cost as well, but nothing like the crazy colt prices. And as they unfold their careers, once a colt has established a value that is high, as I said, any future racing seems predicated on keeping or raising that horses value.
As a result, the good of the game stuff flies out the window. And I do respect that. But like most fans, I wish it wasn't that way.
So, the triple crown races? Well, every owner wants and goes all in on the Derby. Of course. But because of that, wheeling back in 3 weeks for the Preakness is probably not going to happen for any that lost. Or not many. They will look to the Belmont, Haskell, Travers, whatever.
And let me give a big "boo" to Maryland racing. THAT, I do know all about. They have fallen so damn far in the last couple of decades. Why?
MONEY !
They could have had slots, table games, and sports betting at Laurel which would have been perfect. All the infrastructure was already in place. Laurel is way too big to only run races. They poured a ton of money into the clubhouse with updates everywhere and when you walk in, it looks like it must be a dark day or they are running at another track. That is pitiful. They built a huge barn , lovely and in plain sight from the grandstand and did not put in a sprinkler system. Seriously !! It sits empty years later. No permits. Really !!
They did not include the check required to submit for slots etc. Apparently when it was sold from DeFrancis, the previous owner would retain the rights to that part of it so the owners said screw it? Brilliant. And where were the horsemen when THAT deal was negotiated???
I could go on EZ as I am just getting warmed up with this crap show but what's the point?
So if this is the way it is going to be played with mighty Maryland trying to shove NYRA around I can't wait to see what happens next. Maybe the owners of the Preakness will force all the trainers to go to Annapolis and "pack" the state house to show support for the next bright idea. And while it's actually because they have been threatened that they will loose their stalls in Md. if they don't show up there, with a head count taken by management ( been there, done that), so they will show up, or risk losing there livelihood to whoever the hell is making the decisions these days.
So yes, Md. racing has said they will move the Preakness back. I don't know EZ. But is it all that big a deal to win the Preakness in todays world anyway? If you won the Derby, yes. But if not, I honestly don't know. But I think I could name plenty of races that if I had my choice to trade wins with for a Preakness win, I think I would.
The only thing I know for sure is that if Md. racing has a chance to screw something up, they will work hard to do it.( Guess this means I won't get any stalls if I reapply.) That's OK. It felt pretty good typing it.
As for the extra time between being warranted, I think the horse racing industry as a whole has made that clear. And if that is the case, that's the way it is. But I have to ask. Why would they do what Md. just announced instead of moving it back further to 5-6 weeks after the Belmont? Six weeks in today's game is nothing anymore. Or better still, actually talk to NYRA and have a conversation that can work for everyone.
Ah, let's not go crazy with logic at this point.
Great question EZ.
Sorry for the smart ass answer but things could have been and could be so much different in a lot of good ways had better decision making been made along the way. This just feels like those other decisions too me. That might be in hind sight, but I think it's true.Comment -
Nice detailed answer STR. I see your frustration with MD Racing. LOL. THX.Comment -
hey str
I guess you're probably aware that rick dutrow has an entry in the arlington million at colonial today ..like him at a price
R10 #6 master piece (12-1)Comment -
Hey gang, Disarm worked in blinkers today and will wear them in the Travers. I am rooting for this guy.Comment -
It’s that time of year where a 3 year old can really mature and improve. Also, blinkers On has to be respected.
Forte was helped by blks. On but it probably took him back to where he was before he started losing position Half way through the race.
Some horse usually takes a big step forward about now, so why not Disarm.
It will be fun to see.
GL if you play pigpen!Comment -
Pletcher, along with his wife Tracy, received the Marylou Whitney Award from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy for their continuing devotion and support of the backstretch community at the organization's 16th annual fund-raising brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Hey STR: Todd and his wife just received recognition for their work with the Backstretch community. If you can talk a little about the backstretch workers. If I remember correctly you started your career in the game as a hot walker. I assume you had some go to players in the community during your training days. As a horse player we really do not see what these people do on a daily Basis. When we read a form we know the horse, jockey, trainer and owner but not the unsung heroes that make the game go. Thx in advance STR.Comment -
And STR I know a guy in my state that used to be a backstretch worker for Harness. He has been all over the country working in the field. He is 80 years old now and retired but he still enjoys watching the harness races on Fanduel TV. He says the Standardbred Horses are more calm than the T -bred variety.Comment -
I was never around the trotters but always heard they were more docile than thoroughbreds. Guess that makes sense.
I’ll bet your friend can tell a ton of stories. Some would probably sound unbelievable but the cool thing about backstretch workers is because those stories are sometimes crazy, you don’t have to exaggerate it. The story is crazy enough as it really was.
on the topic of trotters, when Frank Defrancis owned Laurel racetrack he also bought Freestate raceway right down the street. It was probably 1983 in the late summer and Frank did a promotion that had a 4 horse match race with thoroughbred trainers as the drivers going one mile. Once around the oval from the finish line. The 4 drivers were Dicky Dutrow, King Leatherbury, Ronnie Alfano and me. Those guys were older and Ronnie had no kids . I had a 1 year old and we were pregnant with number two. My wife begged me not to do it and she was right. I had no idea how to drive and the leading driver there had died recently in a spill ( I know that happened, pretty sure it was within a year of this but not positive.)Anyway, long story short, I bailed and Tuffy Hacker took my spot. Tuffy won by many.
It was the right thing to do but man I wanted to so bad. Regret it but… I’m still around so that’s. Lol.Comment -
THX for the cool story STR. Yeah probably a wise decision by your wife and you to hold off being a rider in that race. My friend tells me about his travels to different trotter tracks. Sadly many of the people he worked with have passed. THX.,Comment -
This is the first part of backstretch workers stories that EZ asked for.
Over the next few weeks, I will try and get to at least several backstretch employees or backstretch people that I met while being one myself and learning the game. That would have been from Late 1972-Early 1976.
Let me start with something I found that I wrote a few years ago. It is worth repeating IMO.
"I probably trained about 2500 different horses, maybe more, for a lot of years. And for all the accolades, trophies, pictures, and mementos I have received, the ones that really deserve all the credit are the grooms, hot walkers, exercise riders, and foremen I had the pleasure of employing, the owners who entrusted me with their horses, and most of all, the horses themselves. They are the real heroes. Me, I just was lucky to have been given the opportunity to train them, and place them in races I thought they could succeed. I hope I held up my end of the bargain. I know, they held up theirs."
The person I will talk about 1st is a man whose name was Wallace Bryan.
Wally was a groom for my mentor the 1st day I went to work full time at Laurel Race course. He was a small man, and I guess in his 50's. To best describe him to you, envision a bit of a cartoon character. About 5'1" tall and 110 soaking wet. Wally had served in the Army ( I guess) during I am assuming the Korean War. He would not ever begin to discuss that and because Wally was , what was called at the time. a bit "shell shocked". PTSD in today's world. Wally was not married, no kids, but he had a dog. (Dogs were allowed on the backstretch back then, not anymore.). Wally's dogs name was Bobo. He was a Jack Russell Terrier. More on that in a minute. Wally was also a beer drinker almost 24 hours a day. Sad but true. He was a former jockey from the 50's-60's I thought, but I have had trouble finding him on equibase. I don't know to what extent that was, if any to be honest. He could indeed gallop a horse though. That I knew.
As I began working at the barn, it was clear to me that the people on the backstretch in the early 1970's were like no group of people I had ever seen or been around. They were hardened from what life had thrown at them and it was a shock to me.
As a whole they treated me ok I guess. Some I learned to stay far away from and some were more normal. For some reason, Wally took a liking to me. Over a few months, he showed me how to muck a stall. He showed me how to fill a hay rack, clean a water bucket, feed tub and just about everything. Several other things as well but when he showed me how to put on a standing bandage and then, a knee bandage, well that was really cool. And with knee bandages, many tried but by 5 AM early feed the next morning, I could see how those knee bandages did over the course of the day. Some were off, or hanging by a thread, some were slumped down but the number one grooms knee bandages ( Ronnie Alfano) and Wally's looked like they were just put on. From seeing the best grooms work and seeing Wally's work, I realized I wasn't just taught how to do something. I was taught how to do something really well. That stuck with me . I quickly learned that anybody could do whatever. But who could be one of the best at it? Wally could. And that's when I learned that on the backside, or anywhere as time showed me later on, you never judge a book by it's cover. I had heard that before. But after spending some time with Wally, I knew what it meant.
I became a groom a few months later thanks in large part to Wally. Several months after that, as a groom and Wally as one also, Wally's dog, bobo, was hit in the road on the laurel backside . He was hit by a muck pit truck. The kind that removed used wet straw and crap from the muck pits. Basically, it was an 18 wheeler. Same size as what we see today. Obviously, it didn't look good for Bobo. Wally had no money and no transportation to go to a vet. That thought process did not even register. There was our mentors vets and they pitched in and did what little they could . They put him in a beer case box, set him next to the heater in the tack room with a little food or water and basically waited for him to die. It's all they could do. Gave him some painkiller to ease that. Long unbelievable story short, after 14 days of not eating, and hardly drinking, Wally is in the tack room with Bobo in the afternoon when most people have left and what do I see. Bobo, gets up, steps out of the box, and walks out into the shed about 6 steps. And that was that, he was better. Unreal doesn't begin to say it. I've never seen anything like that. I mean, this was like cartoon stuff. You couldn't make it up. That sums up what the backside was like when I was coming up. Just insane.
Shortly after, my mentor started getting more horses and started 2 strings. One at the main track and one at the off track in Md. That split up Wally and I and soon after that, I heard that Wally left. I did not know where he was.
About 6 or 7 years went by. I was training by then. Who comes walking into my shed row one day? Wally. He asked to see me and when I saw him, I just froze. I couldn't believe it. My assistant trainer had grown up with me on the job so he knew all about Wally as well.
He asked me for a job as a hot walker. Not even sure if I needed one at the time but I said yes immediately. Bobo had passed away of old age during those years , at least in body. But in Wally's mind, not completely. Remember, he had PTSD from way back . That was at Bowie in the winter and once I said yes, he asked me if I could give him a ride to Laurel to get his things. So sure, I did. As we go to leave the barn and just before we got out the gate, Wally says wait, stop. I stop, he opens his side of the door, whistles, and says c'mon Bobo. Pushes up the seat and makes room for Bobo to jump in the back. Of course, he is invisible. But not to Wally.
So Wally starts and all is smooth. Yeah, he has a beer sitting on the rail of the barn and as he walks by every 2 or 3 turns, he needs a small sip. He wasn't drunk. But he needed that. And as a boss of 30+ employees, that became not cool kind of fast. I put up with it as long as I could bet finally after a couple months, I was done. He was told, by me, no more beer when working. And I figured that was going to be the end of that. But, Wally quit drinking while on the job. He loved it there. A few more moths go by and we have gotten in the new group of Two year olds. Wally, now sober at work and doing better than I ever thought he could, fell in love with one of those 2 year olds. Her name was Wild Evening.
Don't mean to keep you all hanging but because of this stories length, I'll finish up asap. I'm out of time today.
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OK STR thx a lot. That's a cool story you recollected. Gives me a feel of the backstretch community in which I have no experience with. Look forward to rest of the story.Comment -
Wally: Part II
Wally became Wild Evenings official hot walker. Only he could walk her. His rules but that was fine with me.
After training for a couple of months, she was starting to frustrate her regular morning rider. Wally , always waiting by her stall after she trained, realized this very quickly and came to me begging to let him get on her and gallop her once. Just one time and if I was not 100% satisfied, he would not ask again.
Meanwhile, Ronnie Alfano and I were stabled next to each other at Laurel every year. We talked everyday while standing at the ½ mile pole at Laurel right next to our barns watching our horses train in the morning.
As you know, Ronnie knew Wally well from those groom days 12 years earlier. He saw Wally daily and he could not believe how good Wally looked after he stopped drinking. He was like a new man. He was 55 years old but looked better than we had ever seen him. (Remember, I guessed he was about 55 years old, 12 years earlier based on his looks). But that was then. He was sober, clean, and one of the first workers to the barn every morning. When I told Ronnie about Wally’s request I think we both knew my answer already. Wally was happier, totally sober, less dominated by PTSD, and more focused than we had ever seen him.
So that day came and we sent out the same set of three horses that had galloped together for quite a while. Wally walked out to the track like a stoic rider in a post parade. He was all business and totally focused. He even bought new riding boots to wear. The set of three horses went once around and back to the finish line. It’s about a mile and three quarters in total. They pulled up on the clubhouse turn, and walked home perfectly. Stood out at the gap, just like they were supposed to and went to the barn and their stalls. It was the best I had seen her train in the last month. She had started fighting the previous rider and just being antsy as I said earlier. She was perfect with Wally. Ronnie and I just looked at each other as to say, “What did we just see”. It was incredible for all the good reasons.
Needless to say, Wally became Wild Evenings regular rider for daily gallops from that day forward.
Wild Evening only ran three races before she injured herself and went on to become a broodmare. She did break her maiden in her 2nd start. Honestly, without Wally getting her mentally ready, which he did, I doubt she ever would have raced. She certainly would not have run well much less win.
She was slow and inexpensive. But none of that mattered. What mattered was the accomplishment that was made by Wally getting the horse and himself straight.
Even still today, when I hear someone say something about the homeless or people with disabilities, or seem crazy at times, I get upset. I see it even in other sub forums within SBR. Guys talking about how these people are this and that. What a shame. They have no idea who these people are. All of them have a story. Every one of them. If someone took the time to listen to those stories, they would most likely be amazed at some.
Wally taught me so many things at two totally different times in my life. The first was about putting on bandages. The second was about people and life. For that, I will forever be in his debt.
You can’t tell a book by its cover. You need to read it. And if you do, chances are you will end it a better person than before you started it. I know I was.
That’s why of all the people I met along the way, rich and famous, poor and mentally ill, and all the spots in between, I started with Wally. I’ll never forget him.Comment -
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did anyone see this?
I do not recall ever seeing a rider stay on board after being that far out of the saddle in a race.
This is incredible.
Watch the 1 horse on the lead and on the rail.
The stirrup leather broke suddenly.
Look at how the whole field went wide knowing the rider had to eventually fall.
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Yeah saw that on Twitter. unreal.Comment -
amazing !! think the most incredibly acrobatic thing I've seen at the track was the jock staying on afleet alex coming into the stretch in the preakness..don't remember who that was off the top of my headComment -
I read where Ruffians remains were moved from Belmont Park to Claiborne Farm in Lexington Kentucky.
They were in the way of the new construction at Belmont.
Probably a good thing in that fans will have closer access to visiting her.
Most of you know what she meant to me. For those that don’t, the day I saw her at Monmouth Park in the Sorority Stakes destroy Hot and Nasty and the look in her eye as she went down the backside sealed my decision to try and become a professional horse trainer.
Her form never had any number in it except number one. All Ones.
Imo , the Greatest female horse I ever saw.Comment -
hey str
guessing you might be aware that anthony dutrow has a first time starter R6 @ saratoga..looks formidable but it's a deep field ..kind you'd expect on a travers undercardComment -
Thanks JBEX.
I'm excited to see her run today. So very well bred.
Her mom was the real deal. The Chief trained her.
I hope the track allows her to finish strong today.
And how about the Travers? That race can go so many different ways. I've heard the talking heads saying that Mott's horse will run with National Treasure so as to set it up for a closer. My question is: Why would he do that ? If the pace is slow and he is relaxed in 2nd and outside and no pressure, that is better for Mott than going head and head early. Guess it's wishful thinking .
I just hope National Treasure doesn't walk the dog and compromise the others.
Such an open race. Anything can happen. But if Forte wins, seems he will be starting to dominate. Looks like you can make a case for just about all of them to run big today.
GL if you play everyone. Here's hoping Tony's horse is full of run through the lane.Comment -
no problem str and I'll be rooting for her
only thing on the pace is I've always felt that it's a bad scenario for the presser or the stalker ..former is obviously bad and the latter you're sitting off a slow unchallenged pace setter and kind of the sacrificial lamb to move sooner than you'd like or the lone speed might get awayLast edited by JBEX; 08-26-23, 01:27 PM.Comment -
have to think NT will be legged up from the belmont..he was leading at the 10f mark and didn't give up badly through 11f .. could see him having something left at the endComment -
If Mott’s horse lays an easy second to NT going the first 1/2 in 48and 4 or 49 , he will be about the only one that can catch him .
But do agree , if it goes that slow it should compromise the closers for sure.
Lot of questions going into the first turn in todays Travers.
Tony’s horse looks sooo good on the track.
Just 1 minute to post. .Comment -
So let's talk about the elephant in the room. BREAKDOWNS.
As compared to most years, the catastrophic breakdowns seem to be off the charts. In the game today, there are many many safety measures that were never in place before. So many good ideas to benefit the well being of the horse and yet these terrible scenarios keep showing up.
So what is the answer? There is no one answer. The blame game will point to anything anyone will listen to. And honestly. I just don't know. So... what DO I know?
I know that the documentation of all drugs administered are miles better than they were years ago. I know that the pre race exams are far more advanced than what used to be a little more than a social visit from the state vet as a couple of horses jogged in the shed the morning of the race.
The highest of scrutiny is in place and of all the horses that could possibly be over burdened with running too often or before the horse was as good as it could be to compete as these high profile races are by far the safest scenarios in which to run in. And yet, disaster after disaster and I don't mean, pull up sore or off. These horses are exploding at the damn 1/16th pole. Or, while galloping out just past the wire.
I saw that Saratoga is considering cancelling Sundays card. I think they might. They have nothing to gain and even more to lose. It's , in a word, awful.
What I am happy to see is all the added work going into horseracing safety. Honestly, it's great and long overdue. We can lament about how the grass was rained on and soft and the horse " just took a bad step" or that the pop up storm caught the track harrowed instead of sealed prior to the rain because the post parade had started and all the maintenance crew could do was stand by and watch prior to sealing it after the damage was done. (Real bad luck there). But none of that does any good.
Things will get fixed. Things will get better. At this point everyone in the game is very concerned. But as they say, at what cost and when?
It's probably a great thing that HISA is in place. It helps with the attention that is necessary by all involved. For all it's weaknesses, and HISA has it's share it is obvious that the horsemen, management, riders, and everyone involved needs to answer to someone or something.
Hopefully, very soon, we will see a turnaround from what we have witnessed the last year or so. I do know a lot of people are trying very hard for that. It will come but do know it will never fully go away. It's the sport that will always have it's bad moments. Similar to football as fast, strong, and huge as the players are today.
These horses are born to race. They would not exist if there was no racing. So the argument of saving horses lives holds no water for me. But at the same time, as is, just cannot continue.
Tough decisions ahead. We all hope horsemen, management and all involved get this issue as straightened out as humanly possible sooner rather than later.
The games existence might be riding on it to say nothing of the riders who might be involved.
Thanks for reading.Comment -
Yeah STR thx for your take. Agree with your sentiments. And like you said these ponies were bred to race. Without racing they are not even born. But it is horrible to see these horses breaking down like they are. Hope we have better times ahead.Comment
