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The Best Thoroughbred Horse Trainers

Every legendary racehorse started out as a young colt that did not even know how to break correctly. Some legends, such as Secretariat, didn’t even win their maiden. Basically, every great student first had to have a great teacher, and there is no better teacher than thoroughbred trainers. We all know who the best ones are, but do many of us know why they are the best? I want to share with you some of my favorite trainers and why they have had success with three year olds.

If I told you that a horse you owned just worked 5 furlongs in 59 flat would you be thrilled? You shouldn’t be thrilled. You really shouldn’t be anything because it’s all dependent on what’s normal for your horse. Is he a speedy miler type? If he is, then 59 flat isn’t that tough on him. If he is a cheap claimer, then he probably left his best effort on the training track. The point is that it honestly depends on the horse. Cannanero II was a brilliant racehorse who worked unbelievably slow. When journalists and fellow horseman would ask Juan Arias what he thought of the workouts he would reply “perfecto!” He did this because with Cannanero II less was more. Think of a really good prizefighter like Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. Given each guys advanced age and incredibly high skill level, don’t you think that they can afford to take a few hours off here and there? I would argue that it would be incredibly beneficial. The same goes for horses like Cannanero II.

When I see horses working in company, I get excited. Seeing how a horse responds to competition is a sure sign of where he is mentally. Look at the way Shared Belief and Bayern work in company. They love the thrill of competition. Take a look at the way they position their head and let their ears flap. They have a quiet determination to them. At the 2007 Kentucky Derby, every single horseman said that two horses were working lights out: Street Sense and Curlin. If I remember correctly, Street Sense dominated and Curlin came in third. This shows that how horses come into a race is incredibly important. When betting the Derby this year, I am going to look at the horses with the top 4 TA indicators and pick the one who’s last major work at Churchill Downs was the most professional. Again, I will pick the one who’s work is the most professional not the fastest.

Home field advantage means a lot. I like when Derby horses have been based in the state of Kentucky for over a month. Churchill and Keenland are great tracks to train for route races on. It also helps because honestly, most horses hate to ship in for a race. They really are like human three year olds. I loved how Fusaichi Pegasus and Street Sense came into the Derby. Nafzger and Drysdale made sure that their horses grew to love Churchill Downs so that they would have one less obstacle to overcome.

If you are going to play a recent shipper (Horses arriving within 14 days of the Derby) make sure that it’s a horse who’s trainer has attempted this before. It also helps if the horse is a more relaxed type like a Zenyatta or a Street Sense. These types of horse refuse to leave their best effort on the training track.

Remember, it is time to start viewing the derby horses that you are interested in through the lens of how they workout. A good horse cannot achieve greatness without a great trainer.

 

http://www.thoroughbredanalytics.com/

 

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