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Originally posted on 09/02/2018:

I’m just ask a simple stupid question

how much one on one time do big time trainers have w/ their pony?

how many guys on the trainers staff?

They get cut outta his?

I mean im sure some kinda technology

but how

maker
plecther
Diodoro
baffert
servis
brown
jerkens

etc...

give that personal touch, while keeping eye open for new opps , and having convo’s w/ owners on decision making ...

and anybody can answer

just take it easy on me, as I’m just a handicapper

never had the pleasure being close to the game

How much time with each horse?

Very little. You can watch 3 or 4 train at the same time but we are talking minutes. Then, trainers CAN go stall to stall and check each horses legs after the track is closed but a barn of 48 horses would take about an hour and a half. Back in the day, that is how I was taught but today's trainer relegates a lot of that stuff. They just do not have that much time. Most start around 5:30 and finish around 10:30. That's 6 hours to watch them train, see as many as possible up close, take a few phone calls, talk to agents or jocks and make entries for 2 or 3 days out.
Go to your office, change cloths, grab a sandwich and then it's 12:30 and the races start and they are in the public's eye all day.
If they have 2 seperate strings of horses at two different tracks, then it's every other day at each place if they are close. It's controlled chaos Kid. Been there, done that.

Q. how many guys on the trainers staff?

Grooms rub 4 horses at top notch outfits. Hot walkers walk about 7 a day. A barn of 48 ( hard to have more stalls than that at one venue). Probably 4 exercise riders a foreman and an asst. trainer. So about 25 employees for that size barn.

Q. They get cut outta his?

A. They are on salary. Probably bonuses of 1% to the winning groom and probably 1% to the asst. trainer. Riders make a flat rate bonus as do hot walkers. At least that is the typical setup.

Q. I mean im sure some kinda technology

but how

maker
plecther
Diodoro
baffert
servis
brown
jerkens

etc...

give that personal touch, while keeping eye open for new opps , and having convo’s w/ owners on decision making ...


A. They work from 5:30 AM until about 6PM every race day and maybe 2 hours less on a dark day.( Adjust the times for night racing). They also have accountants that handle payroll, airplane tickets, rental cars, hotel accommodations etc. when they run out of town or go to sales.
No days actually off when you are a trainer of a large outfit. Phone rings all day and half the night.