Growing Legend Of Z

Circa 1983 I placed my first live bet on a horse race. My fat secretary was heading up to Ak Sar Ben for the weekend, would I like to bet on a horse? I instructed Ms. Sherry, who dutifully complied, to place a $2.00 win bet on the largest horse in the field. The horse came in second, and my handicapping career was born. Am thinking the huge Zenyatta provides a recent example of the big horse advantage With her stride gobbling up 1/8 more ground, at least, than the opposition, and a very decent training job, she's tough.

And, the TC races. Oh my! I'd noted from a cursory look at Arkansas Derby PPs the only training job had been done by Sadler. We know e.g.Lukas for this day and time fails at galloping and breezing at sufficient speed, and a few other instant calculations.

And there is Odysseus trained by an idiot finishing about were expected. May we safely label as a certifiable idiot any trainer entering a Grade I race with the last speed work 10 days out?

I've made a bit of a break through in my thinking on bones, and will post that next.

Training:

Fri 4/9: 10 min of short riderless spurts in slightly better conditions. 15 min of tack walk in pasture too soft and wet to trot.

Sat. 4/10: After two days of speed work, confine to tack. 2d "dry day" of the year. 15 min. walk-trot with our stumbling spook bunny who is embarrassed by our neighbor on a T. Walker and sans helmet and vest extended trotting along the fence line beside us. They made quite a scene, although I was considering, in a professional sense, the folly of the attire in these ground conditions. I guess they made it back.