Something's Happening Here--For What It's Worth

All this blogging on conventional training and I'm rudely interrupted by the unusual preps of this year's Derby prospects. Anybody notice a difference in handling of this year's crop compared to the recent past?

First we have the talented Street Sense breezing every four to six days in a logical progression of gradual strenghtening by the same trainer (Carl Nafzger, pictured) who wrote "Traits of a Winner" which by my memory listed single breezes for Unbridled (between every other day two mile gallops) every two to three weeks.

Then there's my favorite conventional to pick on, Barclay Tagg breezing No Biz both six days and two days out from the race. What has gotten into Barclay lately?

And, good grief, this one takes the cake! The word on the Bird from the Bird blog--at Palm Meadows the Bird breezes regularly every six days, never mind that McPeek seems to think the Derby distance is six furlongs. This would be the same Ken McPeek who in past years breezed once a month, if that.

And, it's pretty much the same with all these Derby contenders. The conventionals are going a little unconventional on us. Suddenly, they all think they're Charlie Wittingham. Again, what the heck's going on?

But, there's more. Are these old eyes playing tricks or in the last year do horses at the upper levels just seem a little more fit than in former years. That long move by Scat Daddy in last week's Fountain of Youth could never be made by an unfit animal. Maybe I'm imagining this, but, I'm seeing fewer dying quails in top tier races and a larger percentage running all the way to the wire.

Todd Pletcher is setting the pace right now, and, though it pains me to write it, this former D.Wayne Lukas soft training protege seems to be producing fit race horses. Is Pletcher training like Lukas or has he learned something?

Conversely, and perhaps notably, much of the old guard soft puff conventional trainers disappear from the scene. Where are Lukas, Baffert, Mott, Zito, McGaughey, et. al. that dominated racing for so many years. They're all still training. Have they been eclipsed by new trainers using more effecting methods or are there other explanations?

What's happening here? Perhaps, as I speculated earlier in the blog, soft conventional training at long last inevitably in the course and flow of competition gives way to tougher training that produces better horses. In that speculation I stated that this would happen, has to, and that it's just a matter of time. Maybe just maybe right at the moment we're in a transition stage in this very process. I'm without any hard evidence, but, the training of this year's Derby prospects gives pause for thought.

The pause for thought? I'll elaborate next post.

Our training:
On 3/6 I was ready to pronounce Art's abscesses healed. Overnight he lost his bandage again, and was limping this morning. He might actually have two abscesses in that one foot. The one near the frog seems resolved, but there's another in the heal area between the bar and hoof wall where we're unable to locate a fissure. When it refuses to fissure, that becomes a problem. I'm waiting for my new rubber boot to arrive, and then we'll figure out something. Right now he's rewrapped with more epsom salt.