Times Are Changing

Note in the photo on the upper right they're saddling a horse.(left click and you'll see some strong, conditioned horses.) This outfit sends horses to the track continually from the time I get there till the time I leave. What a contrast from the last three years when the same shedrow was inhabited by an old, gray haired trainer that would send a couple of horses to the track a day, maybe. Of course, his walkers were always whirring. New stuff happening. Good for racing, maybe questionable for us though, lol.

Wind this morning in Stall 18 of Barn 12, the ship in barn. It's ours alone this morning.
The old rig makes it one more time.
Wind hit the track immediately after the break. We were missing the outrider. Nobody to report the breeze to, so Nob was without choice but to proceed without reporting the work.

Very disappointing this morning. The aim was 4.5f, but the horse was rolling at the 5.5f, full speed. Nob said the first three furlongs went very fast (maybe too fast), and then the horse died. Last 1.5f estimated at probably 13.5s to 13.8. The horse was gasping for air when finished.

In fairness to Wind, this was almost a 6f breeze under 163 lbs (total weight), and at least a full furlong farther than he'd gone before.. Additionally, the warm up left a little to be desired, and we may indeed have had that phenomena of insufficient warm up causing premature getting out of breath. + we had to do the breeze 4 days after the last instead of 3. He'd have been in better shape (lost less since the last) had we been able to go yesterday.

But, excuses, excuses. Norm Stewart, former coach of the Missouri Tigers Basketball team once noted when I was attending his "Coaching of Basketball Class" some 37 years back in their preseason "I just found a guy who could do it" referring to recent transfer and All America to be Willie Smith. Good athletes "can do it", and Wind's inabilities this morning disturb a bit. We'll see. This is a rest day for Art after some nice fast work yesterday.