Monba Training

Monba(above) is a beaut. Equal measures of proportion and strength that'll thicken as he grows; just the sort of horse you might want for the Derby.

Monba, though, has a problem: He's trained by Todd Pletcher. Read on.

First, Monba's pre-Blue Grass work tab:

2/24 FOY went 6f in about 1:13 then faded out of sight to end of race.
3/16 :50.a
3/24 :49
3/30 :51
4/6 :47.1
4/12 Blue Grass: For Monba about a 1:38 mile and 1 1/8 in 1:49.71 Final furlong: in about :12.

Anybody believe the Blue Grass performance was got on this shallow prep? Do you really believe a horse runs 1 1/8 mile quick with this as the only background?

Zito does similar 4f breezes, more questionably spaced, of course, but similar. And, those on Zito's diet, C.P. West, Cool Coal Man, any of Zito's, go 5 or 6f before the inevitable fade, whereas Pletcher's frequently will keep going and be the strongest running horses in the race.

Where is the explanation?

Possibly, we finally get some insight into Pletcher training by Pletcher's Saturday post race comments:
"...I normally don't work horses 1/2 miles consecutively like I have with them leading up to a 1 1/8 mile race(he normally does 5fs in 1:01). But, they put so much into their training I had 'em fit already. They were sort of methodically coming along so were not trying to get 'em any fitter than they were--we're just trying to keep them at a peak level...So both would need a minimal amount of training between now and Derby Day."

Note the highlighted phrase: "I had e'm fit already". Huh? Interpret--before the last two Blue Grass pre-race breezes (done consecutively), Pletcher had fit horses--and let's note that the word "fit" coming from the mouth of the high IQ Pletcher has different meaning than if uttered, say, by a Texas quarter horse trainer.

What caused this "fitness" that Pletcher has volunteered to us. The only other thing that shows are the 4f breezes 3/16 and 3/24. State categorically that this is insufficient to produce a "fit" animal. In short, Pletcher's comments lead me to believe that indeed Pletcher does something under the radar to produce his performances that he declines for public broadcast. In the above comments we get a pretty good idea that indeed something is going on besides the clocked work tabs.

Assuming I'm correct, what Pletcher's doing in addition to the breeze work, one may only speculate. My own best guess is the "fitness" Pletcher refers to most likely was achieved by a series of 2 minute lick works with the horses coming home in :12s. Combine that sort of thing with the listed 4f works in company, then you turn the Blue Grass performance from something completely inexplicable based on what shows, to a logical performance where the soft-conventional style trainer Pletcher easily out performs his immediate training peers.

Where does Monba fit into the Derby picture with his trainer declaring: "So both would need a minimal amount of training between now and Derby day." Visualize Preston Burch rolling in his grave, or, where he alive and had a horse in the race, giggling with delight.

Training:
Sun 4/13: 10 min. riderless paddock play + Art was chased full speed for about 3f.
Mon: 4/14: both horses limited to ground work with Astride saddle carrying 50 lbs as precursor to putting the heavy Nob back on tonight. Art's front left pastern wound covers a wide area, but, I think it's just skin. No lameness. Even after his hard chase after 2 week layoff Sunday, he was full of energy and galloping around the lunge line carrying the 50 lbs last nigh all on his own. I'd planned only a walk. Good sign!