More Derby Training

It's all out there now. Training practices on which I've been guessing at for years are contained in daily reports, and we can see almost all of it on the videos. For myself there have been some surprises that I'll summarize post-derby. For now I'd like to merely to identify the training.

Blog readers will understand that for me the "best" training will be the hardest and toughest. I rank 'em hard to soft, and so, if you go the other way and put more faith in softer training, you may simply reverse my order. I know where I stand, and we'll see how they run tomorrow.

Last post I listed the four "best", and without adieu here are the rest:

VERY DECENT JOBS (but, several cuts below the best)

(SEE NEXT POST: PYRO IS INSERTED BETWEEN EIGHT BELLES AND DENNIS OF CORK)

1. DENNIS OF CORK:

Number of works/races: average for year; slightly above average recently
Number of furlongs worked for year: average
Spacing: Decent but they blew it with a 16 day breezing layoff after Illinois Derby. Too much.
Quality of work 10 days out: Superior--trainer (or rider) allowed 7f gallop out 4/28, and otherwise this horse has had very adequate track work compared to the field.

This trainer attempts of late to make up for earlier softer training. He's succeeded, somewhat. Little mistakes! There's enough here to allow the horse to gallop strongly for about 1 1/8 mile.

2. ADRIANO:

Number of works/races: average--almost identical to Dennis of Cork
Number of furlongs worked for year: 13 less than Dennis
Spacing: inconsistent. Richochets between 7 days to as much as 12 between works. Lot's of detraining and losing what you've built.
Quality of work 10 days out: Final breeze 6 days out too slow. Based on training this horse needed to do more. BUT, comparatively decent and nice off day work.

G. Motion has slowed everything down (in terms of on track speed) for this horse since the Lane's end. He used to breeze in :12s, of late it's more :12.5s. The Derby pace will finally exhaust this one for this reason. My usual "Earth to Graham Motion...you have such a nice horse, why do you let it what you had go to pot? Competitive, but fades.

3. BIG TRUCK:

Number of Works/races: above average for year and since 3/15.
Number of furlongs for the year: Near the top.
Spacing: Two weeks layoff after both races since 3/15 way too long. Otherwise, nice.
Quality of work 10 days out: Very decent. Breezed 5f in :12s 5 days out, off day gallop work adequate, though looks uncomfortable.

Is Barclay Tagg a young 70 years old? He's retained his agility, and also done a very nice job with this horse, who in the last days appears to be waking up. Tagg backed off a few weeks ago a bit, and then came back with BT. Mistake probably, but commendable effort here tempered in that the horse was struggling in that last breeze for reasons unknown.

4. TALE OF EKATI:

Number of works/races: near the top.
Number of furlongs: only slightly above average
Spacing: 10-12 days off breezing after the races. Decent. Spacing is superior, maybe the best.
Quality of work 10 days out: Tagg failed to make yesterday's "best" post because TOE is another where we'll see whether primarily 4f works will win the derby. 49.4 4 days out is superior spacing. I'd be more impressed with a 5f with long gallop out. Never happened. This horse is superbly conditioned for doing :12s for about 1 mile.

5. COURT VISION AND ZHUMOR: trained almost identically.

Number of works/races: average for year and since 3/15
Number of furlongs: very below average, red flag.
Spacing: some questions, but good for the most part. 1:01 five days out is decent.
Quality of work 10 days out: very decent.

With these horses Mott has morphed of late from powderpuff to decent. Trying to make up for earlier mistakes, possibly. Can you really win the Derby these days off primarily 4f breezes that were indeed fast enough. If you acknowledge the competition, very doubtful.

That's it for the training jobs I consider acceptable. I'll get to the rest when I have a little more time.

Training:
While I'm criticizing others I decided for myself to take the night off yesterday. Happens when you get old. I'm "upset", but will get back into it tonight despite the weather.