Cagney

"Old Cagney. He didn't even like the dirt. Did you see him messing around...( imitating the horse by gesture)" Mandella, after Cagney finished near last in the Santa Anita Handicap in June. RR is bummed for several reasons today. First the Barbaro thing. I did a post and deleted it. Others were saying it better. I'd just strive to slightly emulate this group, and, hats off to the great horse. He really was a great horse.

Then, the weather. KCMO is back in deep freeze apparently to mid-February. Since August maybe 45% of days have been gallopable. Hurts the little fellow less than the older horse that we want to race this year. Can you train in the weather around here? Right now, I'd say it's an open question. The few days off in this brutal weather to next Monday, for Art I'm ok with it as I'm trying to induce a February growth spurt. It's probably February or never for the 15'2" 3/4 horse. A little light exercise, back and forth with the feed, and then introduce some significant alfalfa for a few days has done it in the past. We'll see on this.

The rest of the post which i deleted consisted of various bitching and moaning. On reconsideration, unnecessary to post that stuff. RR will stick to horse training.

But, will get the blog back operating. As to Cagney and Mandella's statement blaming the surface--Cagney had been a grass horse moved to the dirt for the Big Cap, included here as too typical of the attitude of the conventional trainer. The training is so light really, who would ever think the training caused the performance. Cagney obviously was injured in the Big Cap. He next raced in December and was near his career ender, which brings to mind the question whether a horse ever performs poorly due to the training. On reflection, yes, they do occasionally comment on that; occasionally.

Back to Lukas and Mandella, next post.

Training:
Off due to frigid conditions. Working on it.