Belmont Musings

Belmont Week, and few thoughts . I'll get back to Derby training tomorrow.

Interesting they're exercising the Jap horse 3 hours a day(1 hr. walk--track work--1 hr. walk) if you believe the blurb in the TTB Times today. The young Jap trainer shows some intelligence in the way he handles himself. Of course, it's one thing to want your horse strong for the race, but another that you understand basic exercise physiology. Vizualize Casino Drive fast twitch musculature turning to mush somewhere in that second hour of walking. Were the race conducted as a walk this might be upset. We'll see.

And then another amusing comment from RR favorite trainer Barclay Tagg concerning my (former) Belmont dark horse Tale of Ekati. TOE apparently did a 1:12 Sunday with Barclay fretting afterward that he hoped this work was other than too much. Does it cause a bit of a smile to know a major trainer worries that a 1:12 six days out might be "too much". Count on Barclay stalling this horse to the race. Scratch TOE.

Tomcito? These Canonaro II wannabees might have considered training their horse like C II. Instead, with their Street Cry colt they turned into the anti-Nafzgers. Too bad, for the horse, as always.

Then there's Big Brown. Looks pretty good in the photos. On track every day. Trainer saying the right things. The horse looked a little heavy and predictably out of condition in one photo. Better see how this plays out this week, given the off time from the hoof.

Training:
Sun. 6/1: Yesterday I was worrying about Art's new double quarter cracks on the left front from his hoofs run in with a fence. Last night the plan was to trot Art riderless to determine if there's lameness, and indeed, severe lameness, but much more than you'd expect from a little disturbance of sensitive laminae.

So, checked Art's other feet, and discovered severe laceration of right front bulb of the hoof, obviously from same fence incident that cause the left front quarter cracks. Rate it 5 out of 10 in terms of seriousness, I've seen worse. Decided to riderless gallop Art despite the limp. This horse is running out of time, and you're unable to let every little thing stop you. He handled well a vigorous workout with his buddy Rod. Will miss a few days of tack work till bulb dries out, and, of course, it will rain all week. Rod did 3-4 min walk under tack without incident.