On the Muscle

Richard Mandella is a noted California trainer. I just watched the DVD "On the Muscle" featuring Mandella and his stable time framed in the early 2000s when the Mandlla stable was loaded. These people are having fun, and this spectacularly produced DVD really conveys their story, and in particular the path of Pleasantly Perfect to his win in the Breeder's Cup Classic. Mandella said he's been at it 29 years, and stays in because he enjoys watching young horses develop. Ditto. Unlike Mandella, I also ride mine which adds further to the "watching them develop" angle. Interesting all the problems horses have even in a first class operation like this. Think topping Mandella as a conventional trainer would be difficult, or would it? You see everything he does right on this DVD. They make their attention to detail a point. And yet--
there is Mandella griping about a "too fast breeze", fretting that the horse left his race on the track, explaining that you are unable to work a horse too hard or he'll having nothing for race day. Wondering why his horses are always finishing second (Pzzzzz...hey Richard--if u'd give 'em a little speed work...) Can we say "Preston Burch". Preston was an old timey trainer. Order his book sometime from Amazon and read it. Preston Burch's book will put people like Richard Mandella and their training abilities in perspective. Just a hint: Burch would never worry about training his horses too fast. Burch would be fretting about their going too slow in training and worrying about their condition for the upcoming race due to too slow a breeze. Who is right? Burch or Mandella. That is i believe the great training debate of the moment. Every person in the business of racing thoroughbreds order "On the Muscle", now!

Y's training Nov. 3, 2006: Was going to be a rest day, but, as i was trying to get them in from the pasture as today was "worming day", the "self-starter" heretofore in a previous blog described as having an abscess, got them all going and commenced to run with Y at full speed for a couple of furlongs--good and bad--this was the speediest Y run to date--he was going all out- and is beneficial to development of fast twitch muscles, much needed at this point--bad because as soft as the little fellow is right now such speed even in the pasture risks popping a splint bone or even a fractured splint. When i got them back in the barn i was pleased to observe that Y is beginning to develop some muscle and the legs were clean. The Epsom Salt Paste in the boot worked on the abcess this time. The horse is back in training. Dodged a training bullet here. The wormer--the new Equimax Paste by Pfizer advertises guaranteed elimination of tapeworms through the ingredient praziquantel. Presuming praziquantel is something new. Previously only a double dose of Pyrantel Pamoate typically found in Strongid Paste (also by Pfizer) was advertised to eliminate the tape worms. Since a double dose of Strongid is a lot of wormer i'm thinking this praziquantel must be powerful stuff. I'm going to google, and then a full report.