Trainer Summaries(A continuing post)
The present subject here involves minimum training parameters for achievement of race appropriate fracture resistance. The following have been discussed:
1. Ideal warm up--2.5f + 1f + 1.5f increasing speed as fast as conditions allow.
2. Minimum necessary speed of 12.5 sec/f.
3. Minimum necessary distance: 4f.
4. Minimum breeze/race frequency: yet to be determined.
The blog has posted on various trainers since the beginning. A stat summary follows below and is in a state of construction which will take several days. I'll eventually rank the stats and also put in dates where the blog came up with the figures. A lot of this is educated guess work and I'd appreciate any comments on mistakes or additional info. Below appears the first part of the compilation. I'll get my computer back soon and clean this up a bit. Unable on this Pentium 4.
1. MM AVERAGE AMERICAN TRAINER: Middle of the Bell Curve:
Injury rate per year: Estimated at 65%, career ending (2/4/07 post).
2. MM PERFECT TRAINER: this one is coming to a theater near you soon.
3. RICHARD MANDELLA: Middle of the road conventional.
Speed: Mandella likes :12.5 though will vary.
Distance: Varies from 3f to 7f.
Frequency: Once a week with a 5-7 days off after races.
Last breeze to race: unknown but suspect more than 7 days.
Race to next speed work: unknown
Slow gallops: 4 days/week 1-1.5 miles
Race frequency: unknown
Races/horse/year: unknown
Injury rate: 5 out of 8 horses (62%)on the DVD were severely injured (2/24/07 post)
4. D.WAYNE LUKAS of the late 1980s (Unknown to me what Lukas does now.): Conventional high volume. Note frequent track work.
Speed: :12.5 to :13s.
Distance: 3-6f (Lukas distance work tends to be appropriate)
Frequency: 8-10 days.
Last breeze to race: 3-5 days
Race to next speed work: 10 days
Slow gallops: Unique. Lukas horses see the track 18-22 times per month for Trot, gallop or breeze. Slow gallops average 1.5 miles in :18s.
Race frequency: Twice a month.
Races/horse/year average: unknwon
Injury rate per year: According to Ross Staaden "average". According to me about 43%/yr(post 12/28/06).
5. DOUG O'NEILL: Pletcher copycat without the results. Inconsistent w/o patterns.
Speed: 12.5s with occasional 12s.
Distance: 4-5f with rare 6f or 3f.
Frequency: 2.88/mo. average.
Last breeze to race: 7 days, sometimes longer.
Race to next speed work: 2 weeks.
Slow gallops: estimated: every other day 1.25 -1.5 miles.
Injury rate: 75%/year and 50% every 3 months. The permanent injury rate in this stable is high.
6. BRUCE JACKSON: conventional, likely haphazard, ill conceived.
Speed: 12.25 type work.
Distance: 4-5f
Frequency: 3/mo. average.
Last breeze to race: 7 to 14 days. Highly inconsistent horse to horse and race to race.
Race to next speed work: 12-20 days.
Slow gallops: unknown. Results indicate light off day galloping.
Race frequency: unknown
Average No. of races/horse/year: 4.55
Injury rate: 50%/yr.
7. MARK HENNIG: Long term consistency, cookie cutter approach.
Speed: 12.25/f
Distance: 4f and occasional 5f.
Frequency: 2.98/breeze/race/month.
Last breeze to race: 9 to 12 days out. Occasionally less.
Race to next speed work: 12-14 days.
Slow gallops: probably every other day.
Race frequency: Religously once a month.
Injury rate: 57%/yr.
8. TODD PLETCHER: Conventional middle of the road. Consistent, intelligent patterns.
Speed: 12.25
Distance: 5f (estimate)
Frequency: 3 breeze/race/month
Last breeze to race: 7 days.
Race to next speed work: 3 weeks.
Slow gallops: unknown. Some claim daily 1.5 miles except rest days.
Race frequency: inconsistent. Targets races and adjusts breezes accordingly.
Races/horse/year average: 5
Injury rate: 50% per year, at least. Two large samples show Pletcher injures 50% every three months and possibly higher than that per year.
9. LINDA RICE: Middle of the road conventional, a bit inconsistent.
Speed: 12.25
Distance 4f
Frequency: 3.25/mo.
Last breeze to race--there's very little breezing after racing commences.
Slow day galloping: unknown. Her horses look decently conditioned in their photos.
Race frequency: Russian Prospector raced 4 times in August but 2 races/month appears average.
Race to next speed work: frequently, no speed work between races.
Races/horse/year average: undetermined.
Injury rate: 69%
10. BONGO RACING STABLE, A Syndicate: Very consistent, cookie cutter approach.
Speed: :12 to :12.5
Distance: 5-6f.
Frequency: 3.4/month.
Last breeze to race: 8-9 days.
Slow day gallops: estimated every other day 1-1.5 miles.
Race frequency: 1/month.
Race to next speed work: 2 weeks.
Races/horse/year average: 5.2
Injury rate: 50%/ yr.
11. MARK CASSE:
Injury rate: 55%
12. CATHERINE DAY PHILLIPS: Solid, unspectacular training. Overall very consistent Pletcher like trainer.
Speed: :12-12.25
Distance:4-5f
Frequency: 3.54
Last breeze to race: mostly 7 days. Sometimes 8.
Race to next speed work: 2 weeks.
Slow day gallops: unknown--fat horses. probably the usual 1-1.5 m every other day.
Race frequency: once a month
Races/horse/year average: 5.4
Injury rate: 35%
13. READE BAKER:
Training: unknown
Injury rate: 65%
14. KIARIN MCGLAUGHLIN:
Training: Unknown but probably Lukas light.
Injury rate: 55%
1. Ideal warm up--2.5f + 1f + 1.5f increasing speed as fast as conditions allow.
2. Minimum necessary speed of 12.5 sec/f.
3. Minimum necessary distance: 4f.
4. Minimum breeze/race frequency: yet to be determined.
The blog has posted on various trainers since the beginning. A stat summary follows below and is in a state of construction which will take several days. I'll eventually rank the stats and also put in dates where the blog came up with the figures. A lot of this is educated guess work and I'd appreciate any comments on mistakes or additional info. Below appears the first part of the compilation. I'll get my computer back soon and clean this up a bit. Unable on this Pentium 4.
1. MM AVERAGE AMERICAN TRAINER: Middle of the Bell Curve:
Injury rate per year: Estimated at 65%, career ending (2/4/07 post).
2. MM PERFECT TRAINER: this one is coming to a theater near you soon.
3. RICHARD MANDELLA: Middle of the road conventional.
Speed: Mandella likes :12.5 though will vary.
Distance: Varies from 3f to 7f.
Frequency: Once a week with a 5-7 days off after races.
Last breeze to race: unknown but suspect more than 7 days.
Race to next speed work: unknown
Slow gallops: 4 days/week 1-1.5 miles
Race frequency: unknown
Races/horse/year: unknown
Injury rate: 5 out of 8 horses (62%)on the DVD were severely injured (2/24/07 post)
4. D.WAYNE LUKAS of the late 1980s (Unknown to me what Lukas does now.): Conventional high volume. Note frequent track work.
Speed: :12.5 to :13s.
Distance: 3-6f (Lukas distance work tends to be appropriate)
Frequency: 8-10 days.
Last breeze to race: 3-5 days
Race to next speed work: 10 days
Slow gallops: Unique. Lukas horses see the track 18-22 times per month for Trot, gallop or breeze. Slow gallops average 1.5 miles in :18s.
Race frequency: Twice a month.
Races/horse/year average: unknwon
Injury rate per year: According to Ross Staaden "average". According to me about 43%/yr(post 12/28/06).
5. DOUG O'NEILL: Pletcher copycat without the results. Inconsistent w/o patterns.
Speed: 12.5s with occasional 12s.
Distance: 4-5f with rare 6f or 3f.
Frequency: 2.88/mo. average.
Last breeze to race: 7 days, sometimes longer.
Race to next speed work: 2 weeks.
Slow gallops: estimated: every other day 1.25 -1.5 miles.
Injury rate: 75%/year and 50% every 3 months. The permanent injury rate in this stable is high.
6. BRUCE JACKSON: conventional, likely haphazard, ill conceived.
Speed: 12.25 type work.
Distance: 4-5f
Frequency: 3/mo. average.
Last breeze to race: 7 to 14 days. Highly inconsistent horse to horse and race to race.
Race to next speed work: 12-20 days.
Slow gallops: unknown. Results indicate light off day galloping.
Race frequency: unknown
Average No. of races/horse/year: 4.55
Injury rate: 50%/yr.
7. MARK HENNIG: Long term consistency, cookie cutter approach.
Speed: 12.25/f
Distance: 4f and occasional 5f.
Frequency: 2.98/breeze/race/month.
Last breeze to race: 9 to 12 days out. Occasionally less.
Race to next speed work: 12-14 days.
Slow gallops: probably every other day.
Race frequency: Religously once a month.
Injury rate: 57%/yr.
8. TODD PLETCHER: Conventional middle of the road. Consistent, intelligent patterns.
Speed: 12.25
Distance: 5f (estimate)
Frequency: 3 breeze/race/month
Last breeze to race: 7 days.
Race to next speed work: 3 weeks.
Slow gallops: unknown. Some claim daily 1.5 miles except rest days.
Race frequency: inconsistent. Targets races and adjusts breezes accordingly.
Races/horse/year average: 5
Injury rate: 50% per year, at least. Two large samples show Pletcher injures 50% every three months and possibly higher than that per year.
9. LINDA RICE: Middle of the road conventional, a bit inconsistent.
Speed: 12.25
Distance 4f
Frequency: 3.25/mo.
Last breeze to race--there's very little breezing after racing commences.
Slow day galloping: unknown. Her horses look decently conditioned in their photos.
Race frequency: Russian Prospector raced 4 times in August but 2 races/month appears average.
Race to next speed work: frequently, no speed work between races.
Races/horse/year average: undetermined.
Injury rate: 69%
10. BONGO RACING STABLE, A Syndicate: Very consistent, cookie cutter approach.
Speed: :12 to :12.5
Distance: 5-6f.
Frequency: 3.4/month.
Last breeze to race: 8-9 days.
Slow day gallops: estimated every other day 1-1.5 miles.
Race frequency: 1/month.
Race to next speed work: 2 weeks.
Races/horse/year average: 5.2
Injury rate: 50%/ yr.
11. MARK CASSE:
Injury rate: 55%
12. CATHERINE DAY PHILLIPS: Solid, unspectacular training. Overall very consistent Pletcher like trainer.
Speed: :12-12.25
Distance:4-5f
Frequency: 3.54
Last breeze to race: mostly 7 days. Sometimes 8.
Race to next speed work: 2 weeks.
Slow day gallops: unknown--fat horses. probably the usual 1-1.5 m every other day.
Race frequency: once a month
Races/horse/year average: 5.4
Injury rate: 35%
13. READE BAKER:
Training: unknown
Injury rate: 65%
14. KIARIN MCGLAUGHLIN:
Training: Unknown but probably Lukas light.
Injury rate: 55%
15. Joan Scott:
Injury rate: probably around 55%. Small sample.
3.25 breeze/race/month stable.
posted by rather rapid at
8:34 PM
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4 Comments:
Great insight RR-
On Lukas slow work, do you think the entire 1.5miles of gallop are in 18's, or just the last few furlongs?
If it's just the last few eighths, I see that in $5k claimers too. Amazing to me that a Derby hopeful and low end claimer both work at approx the same speeds, distances, and frequencies.
Hi Bill. I'll recheck Staaden's book. I think the question of accelerations on slow days fails to come up, but, if i find it, I'll add that to this post. memory is info as to accels lacking in Staaden's book, but there was very little info about the slow gallop days except when Lukas volunteers that he goes in :18s.
Bill, if you see this--I looked at the multiple pages of Staaden's book on Lukas training and concluded that Lukas does his slow gallops in :16s-:18s steady. Decided it's against Lukas's nature to come home fast in 2f or 3f on his slow days. Lukas was uncomfortable revealing his training. He was trying to impress Staaden with how little he does. One fellow said Lukas's Belmont horses on slow days Canter one time around then do a 2 minute lick. Of course, that'd be 3 miles at Belmont. I suspect that guy saw that on time and that's it. I do believe that Lukas on slow days probably does more than he was telling Staaden.
Thanks for the details RR-
Horses at that level, in my experience, would get nothing out of an acceleration ending with just a couple of 18's.
But, a solid 2 minute lick for a mile would be very beneficial at this level, just not so for a $5k claimer, yet try telling some of these hard boots that.
My focus is on doing some gallop work in the 80-90% of max HR range, which works out to a 2 min lick only for horses capable of stakes level performances. Others need to slow down to 3, 4, or 5 min licks.
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