You can forgive trainer Bob Baffert for being disgusted and frustrated for another gut wrenching loss in the Triple Crown.
The Belmont Stakes, which Baffert has won once but has claimed victim to him on multiple occasions including three missed Triple Crown opportunities, is always one of the toughest races to win in the world. And before the Belmont, he thought he had a great chance with his entrant.
Paynter, a newcomer to the 3-year-old elite ranks, was a horse that Baffert thought very highly of but didn't think was ready to take on the best. But after an impressive win at Pimlico on Preakness Day, the trainer decided Paynter was his Belmont horse.
Not long after Paynter won on Preakness Day, Bodemeister suffered his second straight nail biting defeat to I'll Have Another. The Preakness looked to be a perfect place for Bodemeister to turn the tables on the Derby winner as he was the lone speed but I'll Have Another proved to be too good.
The same scenario developed in the Belmont as jockey Mike Smith, who was also aboard Bodemeister in the Derby and Preakness, sent Paynter right to the lead and tried to slow down the pace as much as he could. It looked to be working as he looked comfortably in front for three quarters of the race. But, Union Rags, much like I'll Have Another did in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, wore down the Baffert trainee in the final strides.
“Is there a Triple Crown for seconds? I need a Triple Crown for second," Baffert said. "I really thought he was going to win today. He was doing so well. I just feel bad for [owner] Mr. [Ahmed] Zayat. The poor guy, he’s been tortured on this Triple Crown. Turning for home, I knew we had the horse to do it and that horse snuck up on him there. He’s still a young horse, still learning how to run. It’s over. When you get beat, you get beat.”
Upon reflection Baffert should smile widely about his Triple Crown performance. Any trainer in the world would be thrilled to have a chance to win any Triple Crown down the home stretch. It is very easy for a highly successful trainer to take that for granted but despite those tough defeats, Baffert's place among racing best all-time trainers is secure.
He already has won three Kentucky Derbys and five Preakness Stakes among many other elite races he has captured. And although he may have a restless night sleeping after suffering his third straight gut wrenching Triple Crown loss, he shouldn't want to trade places with anyone. Most trainer would want his "problems."
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Belmont Post Race Quotes
BELMONT STAKES (G1) ALSO-RAN QUOTES
Bob Baffert, trainer of runner-up Paynter (No. 9): “Is there a Triple Crown for seconds? I need a Triple Crown for seconds. I really thought he was going to win today. He was doing so well. I just feel bad for [owner] Mr. [Ahmed] Zayat. The poor guy, he’s been tortured on this Triple Crown. Turning for home, I knew we had the horse to do it and that horse snuck up on him there. He’s still a young horse, still learning how to run. It’s over. When you get beat, you get beat.”
“[Jockey Mike Smith] will probably take a lot of heat for [letting Union Rags up the rail]. It’s a jockey thing. He didn’t want to give up the rail. But you know what, he did a tremendous job. The outside horse had that horse trapped. Johnny [Velazquez], you have to give him credit. He was patient and he just waited. He knew sometimes that happens in these big races.”
“There were no excuses. The first quarter was a little quick, but he had to use him a little bit to get him over because we wanted to get him on the lead and shut down the [No. 2] horse [Unstoppable U] immediately, because I figured he was in there as a rabbit for the other horse [Atigun]. Once he did that, he slowed them down and was in a perfect spot. He did all I could ask for. I had him ready. The crew did a great job, Jimmy Barnes and everybody. We had him ready, and we really thought today we were going to get it done. Unfortunately, we came up short, but we got beat by a nice horse.”
“He’s a really good horse. I really like this horse a lot. I wanted to win one of these races so badly, I’m telling you. My crew deserves it more than anything; they work so hard. And Mr. Zayat, he needed to win one of these. Poor guy. He really deserved it. It’s a shame. It looked like we had it. It looked like it was ours. I really felt like I was going to win the Belmont. It was snatched away again.”
“We were always really high on this horse. It just took him a little bit longer to come around. The horse is really green. He ran a hell of a race.”
“We’ll probably look at the Travers, something at Saratoga, something like that.”
Mike Smith, rider of runner-up Paynter (No. 9): “He ran tremendous. I’m such a perfectionist. [Union Rags] just shouldn’t have gotten through on me. I’d like to see what the outcome would have been if he wouldn’t have. I haven’t had the chance [to talk to Bob Baffert]. I’m sure he doesn’t want to speak to me right now.”
Ahmed Zayat, owner of runner-up Paynter (No. 9): “Heartbreaking defeat. A heartbreaking defeat. He ran his guts out. It’s just his fourth race. What do they call that race, the ‘Test of the Champion?’ To go a mile and a half the way he did, in only his fourth race, I am very lucky to have him. I’m very disappointed we opened the rail for [Union Rags].”
“Not only that, today Justin Phillip [second in the Grade 2, $400,000 Woody Stephens] was winning for fun in crazy numbers and got beat. Sometimes when you run a lot of seconds, they say you tripped, or you got lucky. But my horses are showing up and running big. Somehow we are not able to close the deal.”
Ken McPeek, trainer third-place finisher Atigun (No. 4), sixth-place finisher Unstoppable U (No. 2): “Both horses were in contention turning for home, but the gray horse [Unstoppable U] needed the race. He didn’t have enough bottom under him. Atigun, he ran super. I was real pleased. He’s just maturing; he’s figured it out. He knows when to kick. Mr. Anthony [John Ed Anthony, Shortleaf Stable Inc.] is real happy. He’s a good man, and he’s good for the business.”
Julien Leparoux, jockey aboard third-place finisher Atigun (No. 4): “It was a very good race. There was a clean race for everybody, so that’s very important. For us, as the jockeys, for the people watching the race, it’s great to see a clean race. I hope everybody had fun today. We had a good trip. We stayed inside most of the trip. I could get him out around the turn, I thought I had a good chance to win, he made a nice move. He ran a big race, so that was good.”
Chad Brown, trainer of fourth-place finisher Street Life (No. 1): “He was in the right spot and that is where the horse wanted to be. He made a run, and he was good enough to get up to be fourth, but that was probably was as good as it was going to be today. He’s a horse that needs some pace to run at and I thought that with the blinkers on he would lay a little closer. I think he is more focused with them on, but he is a horse that comes from behind that needs some pace. In a mile and a half race we really didn’t get the pace that we needed to make the big run. We’ll probably keep him at a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter.”
Dale Romans, trainer of beaten favorite and seventh-place finisher Dullahan (No. 5): “He said he felt comfortable all around the backside. He felt he was relaxing in the right spot. Turning for home he just got to spinning his wheels. He said the track was pretty deep and cuppy. I don’t know. The race unfolded like it looked on paper to me. Paynter ran a big race, they all ran big, Union Rags ran big; we just didn’t have a finishing kick. This is a good horse, a very good horse. I was sure he was going to run a really big one. It’s disappointing.”
Was it the track?: “I’m not going to make excuses for him. I said all along I thought he could handle the dirt. I think it puts Union Rags in the picture for an Eclipse Award, I would think. There’s a lot of year left, and with I’ll Have Another out, it’s definitely in his own hands.”
Javier Castellano, rider of beaten favorite and seventh-place finisher Dullahan (No. 5): “I don’t think he really liked the track today. He’s the type of horse who likes the turf or Polytrack more. The track was a little deep today and he kind of struggled a little bit. He was in a great position and not too far back. I was right in mid pack which is right where I wanted to be. I was in a full drive and he never got a hold of the track. He never gave me the power and kick like he did at Churchill Downs [in the Kentucky Derby]. He was spinning his wheels.”
Friday, June 8, 2012
Transcript of I'll Have Another Retirement Press Conference
DOUG O'NEILL:
Yeah, this is extremely tough for all of us. Though it's far from tragic, no one died or
anything like that, but it's extremely disappointing and I feel so sorry for
the whole team. We have had such an
amazing run, you know, for me, taking three buses to go to Santa Anita at age
ten to be here and try to make history.
Got to thank Paul and Zillah for
making this possible. I've got to thank
the team, too. A lot of them are back at
the mansion, going to let them enjoy; I think they aren't enjoying the pool and
tennis court today.
But Jonny who gets on him every day
is just a great kid and Betto (ph) who came out here just in case we needed a
backup, Inocencio who worked his butt off every day. Benjamin, who is grazing him right now. Savas, Leandro, and I know I'm missing guys,
Thumper, Rio , Tyler Cerin, Marcos.
But it has just been an incredible
ride, an incredible run. And I've taken
so many notes, a lot of mental notes and I know we are going to be back here
again. I know some people have asked if
I thought the detention barn had anything to do with that. And absolutely not. Just a freak‑ish thing.
He has been showing a little bit
of ‑‑ you know, he has been quiet the last few days of galloping, but his
legs have been great. Yesterday he
galloped great, but in the afternoon we noticed some loss of definition in his
left front leg to which, like every other owner and trainer we prayed he just
kind of hit himself and it was just a little bit of skin irritation, we did him
up in a special poultice.
This morning he looked great; so I
thank the racing gods there. And we did
just a little easy gallop with him today.
I thought he looked great on the track.
And then cooling out, you could tell
that swelling was back and at that point I didn't feel very good. I talked to Mr. Reddam, and you know,
immediately we got Dr. Hunt over here and he asked and answered him and he
said it was the start of tendonitis in his left front tendon; and you know, you
give him three to six months and start back with him.
But obviously he's done so much that
it was unanimous between the Reddams and my brother and I and everyone at the
barn to retire him. And it is a bummer,
but again, far from tragic, but it is very disappointing.
PAUL REDDAM: I just want to thank Doug and his entire team
for the great care they have given this horse.
It was a hell of a run and I know they are all personally very disappointed,
of course, that he didn't get to show his stuff for tomorrow, because we tried
to be quiet.
But I really thought he was going to
run off tomorrow and really show something.
So we were all a bit shocked, but we have to do what's best for the
horse and if he can't compete at the top level, you know, he's done enough, and
Doug, thank you.
Q.
Have you finalized stud plans yet?
PAUL REDDAM: Stud season is over this year and the horse I
assume is going back to Hollywood
Park
But it's not an emergency to talk
about where he's going to stand or what he would stand for or this and
that. We are just going to ‑‑ look,
the races are going to go on today. The
big race is tomorrow. Going to be there
as a fan now, won't tell you who we are betting on. We'll take a few days to just let this play
out.
Q.
Which leg and which tendon the injury occurred to?
DOUG O'NEILL: His left front. He had tendonitis in the left front,
superficial tendon.
Q.
What's the difference between tendonitis and a bowed tendon?
DOUG O'NEILL: Well, a bowed tendon, you get a big old
profile and it's an advanced tendon. So
it's ‑‑ you actually have a large lesion in the core of the tendon. This is the beginning of a tendon.
Could he run and compete? Yes.
But would it be in his best interests?
No. And so yeah, we are not ‑‑
he would never get a bowed tendon.
Q.
Are there any concerns that the schedule he's had over the last five
weeks contributed in any way to this injury?
DOUG O'NEILL: I'd say no.
He's been doing great. Just a
freak‑ish thing. I think when you have a
human or an equine athlete, when you give 110 percent every time you step on
the court or the track, you're suspect to injury. I've been hoping and praying he would stay
injury‑free, and you know, it didn't happen.
But again, like Paul said, it's
still going to be a great race tomorrow, and you know, we'll be there and
rooting and hopefully a good, safe run.
Hopefully whoever we pick wins.
Q.
Do you know yet when he's going to be going back to California
DOUG O'NEILL: I think he was scheduled to go back Sunday or
Monday, so that will be the same plan.
Q.
Did you have any concerns for bringing him out this morning?
DOUG O'NEILL: Well, if he didn't look 100 percent this
morning, I wouldn't have. But you know,
after yesterday afternoon, the intent was to take him out real early when it
was quiet. And one of the negatives to
this detention barn is that 8:30 everyone is heading out and you've got, you
know, ten to 12 horses all trying to go to the track, all trying to be on the
wash rack. It gets congested. I wanted a real quiet time with him.
He looked great this morning. He trained great. But when I saw the swelling come up after the
training, then, you know, without, oh, yeah, go ahead, Paul.
PAUL REDDAM: It should just be clear that yesterday
afternoon before any of this came up, the decision was made that he was going
to have an easy morning and come out early and stress‑free and just jog around
the track for Saturday.
So it wasn't like he had an injury
and Doug took him out for a test drive this morning. That was not the case. He had a little heat; it was gone. He was good this morning, probably because he
was treated before the race on Thursday.
It was just after that, Doug called and we just discussed, okay, we have
this problem, should we look at it?
I said, well, if you look at it, and
the vet comes over, he'll have a lot of attention, but what the heck, that's
what's best for the horse so that's what he did. Just to be precautionary, he said we'll scan
the tendon and it's a good thing he did scan it, because that's when he found
the problem.
So the horse is not lame. He could have run tomorrow. You wouldn't have known a difference had he
not looked at it. So Doug, through
extreme caution about the horse, had the vet come over and scan him.
Q.
What was Mario's reaction?
PAUL REDDAM: Well, I called Mario this morning, just after
I talked to Doug, and he was ‑‑ I think he was sort of stunned, because he
really didn't say much at first, and I wasn't sure that he really understood
what I was talking about.
Then when I explained: No, no, I'll Have Another, he's got to be
retired, his immediate reaction was, "Well, should I just go home
today?"
"No, you've got to ride."
So he was ‑‑ he was sad for the
horse, really. He has just had a
tremendous bonding with I'll Have Another, as everybody saw him on the track,
and his concern was 100 percent for the welfare of the horse and he expressed
in the end no disappointment for him not getting a chance to run the Belmont
He's just glad that the horse is
okay and, you know, his safety, along with the other riders' safety is
paramount. So that's why the decision
was made.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Notable Stats from the 138th Kentucky Derby
Notable Stats from the 138th Kentucky Derby
I'll Have Another
Kentucky Derby runner-up set one of the fastest early paces in the history.
Here's a look at his near record times
Bodemeister nearly became the 23rd horse to win the Derby in wire-to-wire fashion
Trainer Bob Baffert now has 23 Kentucky Derby starters which is the fifth most all-time.
He ties Herbert "Dick" Thompson, Woody Stephens and Pete Coyne for the most second place finishes in the Kentucky Derby (3).
Others
Gemologist was the 23rd undefeated horse to start in the Kentucky Derby
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas now has 45 Kentucky Derby starters, most all-time.
Trainer Todd Pletcher now has 31 Kentucky Derby starter, second most all-time.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith moved into fifth place all-time with 19 Kentucky Derby mounts
Jockey Kent Desormeaux is now tied for sixth all-time with 18 Derby mounts. He is tied with Chris McCarron and Gary Stevens.
I'll Have Another
- The first winner from Post Position 19
- Sixth straight year a horse has won the Derby after running just twice as a 3-year-old (before 2007, only six horses had ever accomplished that.)
- 16th horse to win the Kentucky Derby after running in the Santa Anita Derby
- 9th horse to win both the Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby
- First horse to win both Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby since Sunday Silence in 1989
- First winner for trainer Doug O'Neill in his third attempt (his other two came in 2007)
- First winner for jockey Mario Gutierrez in his first Derby appearance
- First winner for owner J. Paul Reddam in three starts as a solo owner
- 45th Chestnut Colt to win
- 105th Kentucky bred to win
Kentucky Derby runner-up set one of the fastest early paces in the history.
Here's a look at his near record times
- Quarter Mile - :22.32 (8th fastest)
- Half Mile - :45.39 (5th fastest)
- Three-Quarters of a Mile - 1:09.80 (4th fastest)
- One Mile - 1:35.19 (5th fastest)
Bodemeister nearly became the 23rd horse to win the Derby in wire-to-wire fashion
Trainer Bob Baffert now has 23 Kentucky Derby starters which is the fifth most all-time.
He ties Herbert "Dick" Thompson, Woody Stephens and Pete Coyne for the most second place finishes in the Kentucky Derby (3).
Others
Gemologist was the 23rd undefeated horse to start in the Kentucky Derby
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas now has 45 Kentucky Derby starters, most all-time.
Trainer Todd Pletcher now has 31 Kentucky Derby starter, second most all-time.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith moved into fifth place all-time with 19 Kentucky Derby mounts
Jockey Kent Desormeaux is now tied for sixth all-time with 18 Derby mounts. He is tied with Chris McCarron and Gary Stevens.
Kentucky Derby Odds Update - 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Here's an update of the Kentucky Derby odds as of 4:30 p.m. (ET).
1) Daddy Long Legs - 23-1
2) Optimizer - 35-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 35-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 39-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 12-1
11) Alpha - 21-1
12) Prospective - 56-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 8-1
16) El Padrino - 26-1
17) Done Talking - 32-1
18) Sabercat - 33-1
19) I'll Have Another - 12-1
20) Liasion 51-1
1) Daddy Long Legs - 23-1
2) Optimizer - 35-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 35-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 39-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 12-1
11) Alpha - 21-1
12) Prospective - 56-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 8-1
16) El Padrino - 26-1
17) Done Talking - 32-1
18) Sabercat - 33-1
19) I'll Have Another - 12-1
20) Liasion 51-1
Kentucky Derby Odds Update - 2 p.m (ET)
Here's an update of the Kentucky Derby odds as of 2 p.m. (ET).
1) Daddy Long Legs - 23-1
2) Optimizer - 35-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 35-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 39-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 12-1
11) Alpha - 21-1
12) Prospective - 58-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 8-1
16) El Padrino - 26-1
17) Done Talking - 31-1
18) Sabercat - 33-1
19) I'll Have Another - 12-1
20) Liasion 53-1
1) Daddy Long Legs - 23-1
2) Optimizer - 35-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 35-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 39-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 12-1
11) Alpha - 21-1
12) Prospective - 58-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 8-1
16) El Padrino - 26-1
17) Done Talking - 31-1
18) Sabercat - 33-1
19) I'll Have Another - 12-1
20) Liasion 53-1
Kentucky Derby Odds Update - 1 p.m.
Here's an update of the Kentucky Derby odds as of 1 p.m. (ET).
1) Daddy Long Legs - 23-1
2) Optimizer - 35-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 36-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 39-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 12-1
11) Alpha - 20-1
12) Prospective - 60-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 9-1
16) El Padrino - 26-1
17) Done Talking - 31-1
18) Sabercat - 33-1
19) I'll Have Another - 13-1
20) Liasion 53-1
1) Daddy Long Legs - 23-1
2) Optimizer - 35-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 36-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 39-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 12-1
11) Alpha - 20-1
12) Prospective - 60-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 9-1
16) El Padrino - 26-1
17) Done Talking - 31-1
18) Sabercat - 33-1
19) I'll Have Another - 13-1
20) Liasion 53-1
Kentucky Derby Odds Update - Noon (ET)
Here's an update of the Kentucky Derby odds as of Noon (ET).
1) Daddy Long Legs - 24-1
2) Optimizer - 36-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 36-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 40-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 13-1
11) Alpha - 20-1
12) Prospective - 62-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 9-1
16) El Padrino - 32-1
17) Done Talking - 33-1
18) Sabercat - 35-1
19) I'll Have Another - 13-1
20) Liasion 54-1
1) Daddy Long Legs - 24-1
2) Optimizer - 36-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 36-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 40-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 13-1
11) Alpha - 20-1
12) Prospective - 62-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 9-1
16) El Padrino - 32-1
17) Done Talking - 33-1
18) Sabercat - 35-1
19) I'll Have Another - 13-1
20) Liasion 54-1
Friday, May 4, 2012
Early Kentucky Derby Odds
Here's a rundown of the Kentucky Derby odds after the first day of betting.
1) Daddy Long Legs - 26-1
2) Optimizer - 31-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 8-1
4) Union Rags - 5-1
5) Dullahan - 9-1
6) Bodemeister - 8-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 31-1
8) Creative Cause - 12-1
9) Trinniberg - 40-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 13-1
11) Alpha - 21-1
12) Prospective - 59-1
13) Went the Day Well - 27-1
14) Hansen - 9-1
15) Gemologist - 8-1
16) El Padrino - 30-1
17) Done Talking - 32-1
18) Sabercat - 35-1
19) I'll Have Another - 15-1
20) Liasion 58-1
1) Daddy Long Legs - 26-1
2) Optimizer - 31-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 8-1
4) Union Rags - 5-1
5) Dullahan - 9-1
6) Bodemeister - 8-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 31-1
8) Creative Cause - 12-1
9) Trinniberg - 40-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 13-1
11) Alpha - 21-1
12) Prospective - 59-1
13) Went the Day Well - 27-1
14) Hansen - 9-1
15) Gemologist - 8-1
16) El Padrino - 30-1
17) Done Talking - 32-1
18) Sabercat - 35-1
19) I'll Have Another - 15-1
20) Liasion 58-1
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Kentucky Derby Post Position Draw Quotes
Here are the quotes from the connections of the Derby contenders after the Post Draw....
ALPHA (Post position 11, morning line 15-1) –
Kiaran McLaughlin (trainer) – “We’re first in the gate. But he’s been great. It’s just going to make me more nervous. He’s fine. It’s a good position in gate, No. 11. It’s just that he has to load first. We didn’t really want that. It’s OK. We can’t do anything about it. He’s been great. I’ll just be nervous until they spring the latch.”
BODEMEISTER (Post position 6, morning line 4-1)/LIAISON (Post position 20, morning line 50-1) –
Bob Baffert (trainer) – On Bodemeister: “I was relieved that he didn’t get the one hole. I just didn’t want to be stuck on the rail, like I was with Lookin at Lucky and had that horrible feeling. I think all the good horses drew really well for this race. It’s going to be very competitive.”
On Liaison: “It’s not upsetting. I was hoping for maybe the 16 or something like that. I wanted him on the outside because he doesn’t like to take a lot of dirt. At least he’s going to have a clear shot. He can just take his time with him from there and move down. It’s not the end of the world.”
Mike Smith (jockey, Bodemeister) – “The post is fine. The ideal thing would probably to be to the outside of the other speed, but it is what it is. We’ve all got to get in there and we’ve all got to break well. We’ll play it off the break and see what happens. I think that if he gets away well, like I’ve been saying all along, if he’s given the opportunity, he’s going to run extremely well.”
CREATIVE CAUSE (Post position 8, morning line 12-1) –
Mike Harrington (trainer) – “It’s perfect. The post gives him a chance to get out and get a good stalking position. Depending on the speed, I expect him to three or four lengths off the leaders. That’s the way he runs.”
Was he getting a little edgy over the draw as some inside posts and outside posts were open before his name was drawn? “Yes, I was getting a little worried. I wanted to be somewhere between 7 and 12.”
DADDY NOSE BEST (Post position 10, morning line 15-1)/SABERCAT (Post position 18, morning line 30-1) –
Steve Asmussen (trainer) – “We were extremely fortunate with the draw and love exactly where both of the horses are.
“Both of these horses have acted well so far. Derby Day is a different scenario but I think we’re in great shape with both horses.”
DONE TALKING (Post position 17, morning line 50-1) –
Hamilton Smith (trainer) – “I would have liked to be a little further down inside than 17, but we’ll take it. I’m just glad to have a horse in the post parade. There’s a lot of speed in the middle of the gate that might be out and gone, leaving us a chance to get over some. We’ll let (jockey) Sheldon (Russell) do his best from there.”
DULLAHAN (Post position 5, morning line 8-1) –
Dale Romans (trainer) – “It’s obviously a good spot when the five-hole is one of the winningest post positions in Derby history (eight wins, tied for second-most since 1930). I don’t think the post draw was quite as important to our horse compared to some of the other speed horses, or when we had Shackleford last year. It’s good to be there in post five.”
EL PADRINO (Post position 16, morning line 20-1)/GEMOLOGIST (Post position 15, morning line 6-1) –
Todd Pletcher (trainer) – “Perfect. It worked out perfect. I love the 15, the first one in the auxiliary gate. There’s a little space there. He’s outside all the speed. They’re both together, so it makes it easier in the paddock.”
HANSEN (Post position 14, morning line 10-1) – Mike Maker (trainer) – On the tension of drawing either 1 or 14, the last two positions remaining:
“There’s nothing you can do about it, so I don’t worry about it.
On drawing the 14: “Perfect. We’ve got the little space between the gates. It couldn’t have gone any better.”
I’LL HAVE ANOTHER (Post position 19, morning line 12-1) –
Doug O’Neill (trainer) – “It’s not ideal, but it’s better than being inside. We will get to load late, so that is a plus. We’ll be outside all the speed so we’ll probably have a good chance to get good position. If they go 46 [seconds] or 47 and change for a half [mile], I’ll feel good. That will put him in position to close strongly.”
MY ADONIS (Post Position AE 21, morning line 50-1) –
Kelly Breen (trainer) – “Just knowing that we weren’t going to be the one or the two post, I guess, is nice. Being the 20 is better than being down on the inside. It is what it is and we’ve got to hope that we benefit from someone else’s misfortune and if it wasn’t meant to be then it wasn’t meant to be.
“Last year we actually had Ruler On Ice entered, in case something happened at the last minute, and he didn’t get in, but he went on to win the Belmont. We were happy to enter our horse and if it isn’t meant to be then so be it.”
OPTIMIZER (Post position 2, morning line 50-1) –
D. Wayne Lukas (trainer) – “Not good. Well, it’s not so bad. My horse isn’t going to be that quick. You get down there and you are going to get a lot of dirt. We’ll have to deal with it. I’m in the race, and that’s the main thing.”
PROSPECTIVE (Post position 12, morning line 30-1) –
Mark Casse (trainer) – “Anywhere between 5 and 14 was what I said I wanted, and last I checked, 12 falls between them. It’s kind of a good draw for our style. I see us being mid-pack. We have to have a perfect trip to be a competitor, but our horse is training extremely well.”
ROUSING SERMON (Post position 7, morning line 50-1) –
Jerry Hollendorfer (trainer) – “It’s a good post for us. He should be able to get out of the gate good and get good position. There’s speed inside and outside, so we’re in good shape. I think Trinniberg will make the lead and drag Bodemeister along with him. I’m hoping we will be in mid-pack after a half-mile, but not on the rail.”
Larry D. Williams (co-owner, co-breeder) – If Jerry’s happy, I’m happy.”
TAKE CHARGE INDY (Post position 3, morning line 15-1) –
Trainer Patrick Byrne “I love it. We’re inside. We are going to have an inside trip. Now we’re in the three hole; I’m glad we didn’t get the one. I called (jockey Calvin Borel’s) agent (Jerry Hissam) and to quote Calvin, he said’ dangerous.’ It’s a great spot. Borel wanted three to eight and we got three. We were three in the Florida Derby and he was three the first time he ran.”
TRINNIBERG (Post position 9, morning line 50-1) –
Shivananda Parbhoo (owner) – “I like it. We won’t have to use too much. We can get position where he’s supposed to be.”
UNION RAGS (Post position 4, morning line 9-2) –
Michael Matz (trainer) – “We’re going to have him run out of there a little bit, but that’s not the worst thing in the world. My original thought was that I wasn’t crazy about it, but where everybody is, I don’t think it’s so bad.”
WENT THE DAY WELL (Post position 13, morning line 20-1) –
Graham Motion (trainer): “It’s great. I said before that I’d like 10 through 16, so it’s perfect. The speed seems to be all around us, which is fine. I’m very happy where we are.”
Mike Battaglia, Morning Line Oddsmaker:
Why did you give the edge to Bodemeister and make him the morning line favorite?
“His Arkansas Derby was huge. He got a big number – it was 10 points higher than any other on the Beyer scale – which the bettors look at. It was an impressive performance and he’s one of those horses that is just improving at the right time. He’s really gotten better, so I gave him a little edge over Union Rags, who had the excuse in the Florida Derby – when he could have gotten the job done he didn’t but he did have a legitimate excuse – and he’s trained so well here.
“It was very close. If Bodemeister had drawn the one, or even the two, I would’ve switched them and made Union Rags the favorite.
“I wanted to make them co-favorite. I haven’t had the two favorites this close, actually, since Street Sense and Curlin. I wanted to make them co-favorite and I didn’t and they went off 10 cents apart.”
ALPHA (Post position 11, morning line 15-1) –
Kiaran McLaughlin (trainer) – “We’re first in the gate. But he’s been great. It’s just going to make me more nervous. He’s fine. It’s a good position in gate, No. 11. It’s just that he has to load first. We didn’t really want that. It’s OK. We can’t do anything about it. He’s been great. I’ll just be nervous until they spring the latch.”
BODEMEISTER (Post position 6, morning line 4-1)/LIAISON (Post position 20, morning line 50-1) –
Bob Baffert (trainer) – On Bodemeister: “I was relieved that he didn’t get the one hole. I just didn’t want to be stuck on the rail, like I was with Lookin at Lucky and had that horrible feeling. I think all the good horses drew really well for this race. It’s going to be very competitive.”
On Liaison: “It’s not upsetting. I was hoping for maybe the 16 or something like that. I wanted him on the outside because he doesn’t like to take a lot of dirt. At least he’s going to have a clear shot. He can just take his time with him from there and move down. It’s not the end of the world.”
Mike Smith (jockey, Bodemeister) – “The post is fine. The ideal thing would probably to be to the outside of the other speed, but it is what it is. We’ve all got to get in there and we’ve all got to break well. We’ll play it off the break and see what happens. I think that if he gets away well, like I’ve been saying all along, if he’s given the opportunity, he’s going to run extremely well.”
CREATIVE CAUSE (Post position 8, morning line 12-1) –
Mike Harrington (trainer) – “It’s perfect. The post gives him a chance to get out and get a good stalking position. Depending on the speed, I expect him to three or four lengths off the leaders. That’s the way he runs.”
Was he getting a little edgy over the draw as some inside posts and outside posts were open before his name was drawn? “Yes, I was getting a little worried. I wanted to be somewhere between 7 and 12.”
DADDY NOSE BEST (Post position 10, morning line 15-1)/SABERCAT (Post position 18, morning line 30-1) –
Steve Asmussen (trainer) – “We were extremely fortunate with the draw and love exactly where both of the horses are.
“Both of these horses have acted well so far. Derby Day is a different scenario but I think we’re in great shape with both horses.”
DONE TALKING (Post position 17, morning line 50-1) –
Hamilton Smith (trainer) – “I would have liked to be a little further down inside than 17, but we’ll take it. I’m just glad to have a horse in the post parade. There’s a lot of speed in the middle of the gate that might be out and gone, leaving us a chance to get over some. We’ll let (jockey) Sheldon (Russell) do his best from there.”
DULLAHAN (Post position 5, morning line 8-1) –
Dale Romans (trainer) – “It’s obviously a good spot when the five-hole is one of the winningest post positions in Derby history (eight wins, tied for second-most since 1930). I don’t think the post draw was quite as important to our horse compared to some of the other speed horses, or when we had Shackleford last year. It’s good to be there in post five.”
EL PADRINO (Post position 16, morning line 20-1)/GEMOLOGIST (Post position 15, morning line 6-1) –
Todd Pletcher (trainer) – “Perfect. It worked out perfect. I love the 15, the first one in the auxiliary gate. There’s a little space there. He’s outside all the speed. They’re both together, so it makes it easier in the paddock.”
HANSEN (Post position 14, morning line 10-1) – Mike Maker (trainer) – On the tension of drawing either 1 or 14, the last two positions remaining:
“There’s nothing you can do about it, so I don’t worry about it.
On drawing the 14: “Perfect. We’ve got the little space between the gates. It couldn’t have gone any better.”
I’LL HAVE ANOTHER (Post position 19, morning line 12-1) –
Doug O’Neill (trainer) – “It’s not ideal, but it’s better than being inside. We will get to load late, so that is a plus. We’ll be outside all the speed so we’ll probably have a good chance to get good position. If they go 46 [seconds] or 47 and change for a half [mile], I’ll feel good. That will put him in position to close strongly.”
MY ADONIS (Post Position AE 21, morning line 50-1) –
Kelly Breen (trainer) – “Just knowing that we weren’t going to be the one or the two post, I guess, is nice. Being the 20 is better than being down on the inside. It is what it is and we’ve got to hope that we benefit from someone else’s misfortune and if it wasn’t meant to be then it wasn’t meant to be.
“Last year we actually had Ruler On Ice entered, in case something happened at the last minute, and he didn’t get in, but he went on to win the Belmont. We were happy to enter our horse and if it isn’t meant to be then so be it.”
OPTIMIZER (Post position 2, morning line 50-1) –
D. Wayne Lukas (trainer) – “Not good. Well, it’s not so bad. My horse isn’t going to be that quick. You get down there and you are going to get a lot of dirt. We’ll have to deal with it. I’m in the race, and that’s the main thing.”
PROSPECTIVE (Post position 12, morning line 30-1) –
Mark Casse (trainer) – “Anywhere between 5 and 14 was what I said I wanted, and last I checked, 12 falls between them. It’s kind of a good draw for our style. I see us being mid-pack. We have to have a perfect trip to be a competitor, but our horse is training extremely well.”
ROUSING SERMON (Post position 7, morning line 50-1) –
Jerry Hollendorfer (trainer) – “It’s a good post for us. He should be able to get out of the gate good and get good position. There’s speed inside and outside, so we’re in good shape. I think Trinniberg will make the lead and drag Bodemeister along with him. I’m hoping we will be in mid-pack after a half-mile, but not on the rail.”
Larry D. Williams (co-owner, co-breeder) – If Jerry’s happy, I’m happy.”
TAKE CHARGE INDY (Post position 3, morning line 15-1) –
Trainer Patrick Byrne “I love it. We’re inside. We are going to have an inside trip. Now we’re in the three hole; I’m glad we didn’t get the one. I called (jockey Calvin Borel’s) agent (Jerry Hissam) and to quote Calvin, he said’ dangerous.’ It’s a great spot. Borel wanted three to eight and we got three. We were three in the Florida Derby and he was three the first time he ran.”
TRINNIBERG (Post position 9, morning line 50-1) –
Shivananda Parbhoo (owner) – “I like it. We won’t have to use too much. We can get position where he’s supposed to be.”
UNION RAGS (Post position 4, morning line 9-2) –
Michael Matz (trainer) – “We’re going to have him run out of there a little bit, but that’s not the worst thing in the world. My original thought was that I wasn’t crazy about it, but where everybody is, I don’t think it’s so bad.”
WENT THE DAY WELL (Post position 13, morning line 20-1) –
Graham Motion (trainer): “It’s great. I said before that I’d like 10 through 16, so it’s perfect. The speed seems to be all around us, which is fine. I’m very happy where we are.”
Mike Battaglia, Morning Line Oddsmaker:
Why did you give the edge to Bodemeister and make him the morning line favorite?
“His Arkansas Derby was huge. He got a big number – it was 10 points higher than any other on the Beyer scale – which the bettors look at. It was an impressive performance and he’s one of those horses that is just improving at the right time. He’s really gotten better, so I gave him a little edge over Union Rags, who had the excuse in the Florida Derby – when he could have gotten the job done he didn’t but he did have a legitimate excuse – and he’s trained so well here.
“It was very close. If Bodemeister had drawn the one, or even the two, I would’ve switched them and made Union Rags the favorite.
“I wanted to make them co-favorite. I haven’t had the two favorites this close, actually, since Street Sense and Curlin. I wanted to make them co-favorite and I didn’t and they went off 10 cents apart.”
Thursday, April 12, 2012
NYRA Press Release on Injury Dispute
Here is a full copy of the NYRA Press Release disputing the New York Times story...
NYRA CHALLENGES NEW YORK TIMES ANALYSIS OF HORSE INJURIES
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) challenges the analysis of horse injuries put forth by the New York Times in their front page article published on Sunday, March 25.
The Times developed a metric for the article referred to as an “incident rate,” defined as the number of times a set of terms (see next paragraph) appeared in official data per 1,000 horse starts. Under this metric, for example, Saratoga Race Course was assigned an incident rate of 5.5 for the years 2009 through 2011. It will be demonstrated below why this incident rate is incorrect, why the methodology behind it is faulty, and how that methodology may lead to misleading results.
The Times’ research method was explained in a sidebar entitled “How the Times Analyzed Data on Horse Injuries” published online at nytimes.com. The article stated that, “To assess how often horses break down or get injured, The Times purchased official data covering more than 150,000 race results from 2009 through 2011. The data are compiled by trained ‘chart callers,’ and used to compile results charts that bettors use to evaluate horses. The Times searched the data for terms indicating that a horse encountered a physical problem: broke down, vanned off, injured, lame, euthanized, died, collapsed, bleeding, or went wrong.”
NYRA asserts that it is unreliable and potentially deceptive for the Times to rely on chart callers’ descriptions of the running of a race to estimate how often horses get injured. Chart callers are trained to describe the manner in which a race is run, not to “assess how often horses break down or get injured.” Chart callers do not follow up with trainers or veterinarians to determine whether or not a horse has suffered an injury during a race.
Horses may be vanned off for many reasons that have nothing to do with an injury. For example, a jockey may pull up a horse if he or she believes the horse has taken a bad step. In cases like this, the horse is often vanned off as a precaution. This is a common scenario and often the horse is not found to have any physical problems.
For example, during Race 4 at Saratoga Race Course on August 25, 2010, the chart caller comment for Santo Gato reads, “pulled up, vanned off.” This would therefore be included in the Times report as an “incident.” Following trainer and veterinary examinations, nothing was found to be wrong with Santo Gato. He ran 16 days later at Presque Isle Downs on September 10, 2010 and has run 19 times since, posting three victories.
NYRA’s analysis reveals that of the horses that were vanned off at Saratoga Race Course from 2009 through 2011, 19 came back to race, making a total of 149 starts through the end of March 2012. The Thoroughbred Times, in an article posted online Wednesday, April 4, reported that by subtracting these horses that returned to the races, the New York Times incident rate at Saratoga Race Course drops from 5.5 to 3.23.
NYRA concludes, therefore, that there is plausible cause to regard the New York Times’ incident rate metric as faulty and to consider that its purported goal of assessing “how often horses break down or get injured” leads to misleading and incorrect results.
The Jockey Club released its updated North American fatality rate for thoroughbreds on March 22, based on three years of data collected in the Equine Injury Database, the North American database for racing injuries. For the racing industry as a whole, the prevalence of fatal injury per 1,000 starts was 1.98 for 2009, 1.88 for 2010 and 1.88 for 2011. At Saratoga, the prevalence of fatal injury per 1,000 starts was 0.98 for 2009, 1.52 for 2010, and 0.93 for 2011, among the lowest rates of any race track in North America.
This consistent safety record contributes to Saratoga Race Course’s status as one of the best thoroughbred meets in the country, drawing the best horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, and fans.
NYRA has an extensive list of safety and integrity policies and procedures in place at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course. All three tracks have earned accreditation from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Safety and Integrity Alliance. NYRA is the only jurisdiction in the United States where official racetrack vets administer Lasix, preventing private vets from entering a horse’s stall on race day. NYRA also employs best practices for pre-race exams, during which vets conduct comprehensive exams during the morning on every horse entered to race that day.
NYRA was the first racing jurisdiction to implement a jockey advocate program, designed to assist jockeys taken to area hospitals after an accident. Under the program, a Registered Nurse serving as the jockey advocate is on call during all NYRA races. If a rider is taken to the hospital, the jockey advocate meets the injured rider at the hospital to ensure that he or she is well cared for, and assist both jockey and family members with medical and administrative matters. NYRA also adopted a system originally conceived by Keeneland and created in collaboration with InCompass that uses a secure online database to store jockeys’ updated medical histories and makes it possible for emergency medical personnel at racetracks to instantly access that information.
NYRA has also partnered with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB) on a number of initiatives aimed at developing second career opportunities for thoroughbreds who have been retired from racing.
The recently-announced TAKE2 program creates new avenues for thoroughbreds after their racing days are over by expanding the demand for the breed in the horse show world. In addition, NYRA and NYTHA, as well as NYTB, have signed on to contribute to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s new program to retrain and adopt out as many as 100 horses per year retired from NYRA tracks. NYRA and NYTHA’s financial commitment to these efforts totals more than $250,000.
Additionally, NYRA and NYTHA joined a broad-based group of thoroughbred industry stakeholders that recently announced the establishment of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) – an organization designed to serve as both the accrediting body for aftercare facilities that care for thoroughbreds following the conclusion of their racing careers and a fundraising body to support these approved facilities.
NYRA CHALLENGES NEW YORK TIMES ANALYSIS OF HORSE INJURIES
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) challenges the analysis of horse injuries put forth by the New York Times in their front page article published on Sunday, March 25.
The Times developed a metric for the article referred to as an “incident rate,” defined as the number of times a set of terms (see next paragraph) appeared in official data per 1,000 horse starts. Under this metric, for example, Saratoga Race Course was assigned an incident rate of 5.5 for the years 2009 through 2011. It will be demonstrated below why this incident rate is incorrect, why the methodology behind it is faulty, and how that methodology may lead to misleading results.
The Times’ research method was explained in a sidebar entitled “How the Times Analyzed Data on Horse Injuries” published online at nytimes.com. The article stated that, “To assess how often horses break down or get injured, The Times purchased official data covering more than 150,000 race results from 2009 through 2011. The data are compiled by trained ‘chart callers,’ and used to compile results charts that bettors use to evaluate horses. The Times searched the data for terms indicating that a horse encountered a physical problem: broke down, vanned off, injured, lame, euthanized, died, collapsed, bleeding, or went wrong.”
NYRA asserts that it is unreliable and potentially deceptive for the Times to rely on chart callers’ descriptions of the running of a race to estimate how often horses get injured. Chart callers are trained to describe the manner in which a race is run, not to “assess how often horses break down or get injured.” Chart callers do not follow up with trainers or veterinarians to determine whether or not a horse has suffered an injury during a race.
Horses may be vanned off for many reasons that have nothing to do with an injury. For example, a jockey may pull up a horse if he or she believes the horse has taken a bad step. In cases like this, the horse is often vanned off as a precaution. This is a common scenario and often the horse is not found to have any physical problems.
For example, during Race 4 at Saratoga Race Course on August 25, 2010, the chart caller comment for Santo Gato reads, “pulled up, vanned off.” This would therefore be included in the Times report as an “incident.” Following trainer and veterinary examinations, nothing was found to be wrong with Santo Gato. He ran 16 days later at Presque Isle Downs on September 10, 2010 and has run 19 times since, posting three victories.
NYRA’s analysis reveals that of the horses that were vanned off at Saratoga Race Course from 2009 through 2011, 19 came back to race, making a total of 149 starts through the end of March 2012. The Thoroughbred Times, in an article posted online Wednesday, April 4, reported that by subtracting these horses that returned to the races, the New York Times incident rate at Saratoga Race Course drops from 5.5 to 3.23.
NYRA concludes, therefore, that there is plausible cause to regard the New York Times’ incident rate metric as faulty and to consider that its purported goal of assessing “how often horses break down or get injured” leads to misleading and incorrect results.
The Jockey Club released its updated North American fatality rate for thoroughbreds on March 22, based on three years of data collected in the Equine Injury Database, the North American database for racing injuries. For the racing industry as a whole, the prevalence of fatal injury per 1,000 starts was 1.98 for 2009, 1.88 for 2010 and 1.88 for 2011. At Saratoga, the prevalence of fatal injury per 1,000 starts was 0.98 for 2009, 1.52 for 2010, and 0.93 for 2011, among the lowest rates of any race track in North America.
This consistent safety record contributes to Saratoga Race Course’s status as one of the best thoroughbred meets in the country, drawing the best horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, and fans.
NYRA has an extensive list of safety and integrity policies and procedures in place at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course. All three tracks have earned accreditation from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Safety and Integrity Alliance. NYRA is the only jurisdiction in the United States where official racetrack vets administer Lasix, preventing private vets from entering a horse’s stall on race day. NYRA also employs best practices for pre-race exams, during which vets conduct comprehensive exams during the morning on every horse entered to race that day.
NYRA was the first racing jurisdiction to implement a jockey advocate program, designed to assist jockeys taken to area hospitals after an accident. Under the program, a Registered Nurse serving as the jockey advocate is on call during all NYRA races. If a rider is taken to the hospital, the jockey advocate meets the injured rider at the hospital to ensure that he or she is well cared for, and assist both jockey and family members with medical and administrative matters. NYRA also adopted a system originally conceived by Keeneland and created in collaboration with InCompass that uses a secure online database to store jockeys’ updated medical histories and makes it possible for emergency medical personnel at racetracks to instantly access that information.
NYRA has also partnered with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB) on a number of initiatives aimed at developing second career opportunities for thoroughbreds who have been retired from racing.
The recently-announced TAKE2 program creates new avenues for thoroughbreds after their racing days are over by expanding the demand for the breed in the horse show world. In addition, NYRA and NYTHA, as well as NYTB, have signed on to contribute to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s new program to retrain and adopt out as many as 100 horses per year retired from NYRA tracks. NYRA and NYTHA’s financial commitment to these efforts totals more than $250,000.
Additionally, NYRA and NYTHA joined a broad-based group of thoroughbred industry stakeholders that recently announced the establishment of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) – an organization designed to serve as both the accrediting body for aftercare facilities that care for thoroughbreds following the conclusion of their racing careers and a fundraising body to support these approved facilities.
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