Saturday morning work by True North contender Gato Go Win.
Splits were :12.4, :24.4, :36.1, 1:00.3 to the wire, 1:12.2 for the mile, with a gallop out in 1:25.1
May 182010
Once again, I’m thrilled to share the brilliance that is the Thomas Herding Technique (as previously seen on ZATT Magazine)…
Behavior in Motion: A State Of Pace…
by Kerry M Thomas
“In reality, you are not training for distance, you are training for time in motion, making Emotional Conformation and focus agility of essential importance.”
The Thoroughbred was born to run and studying the Emotional Conformation of your horse will help to nurture the Natural Herd Dynamic and establish training protocols that enable your horse to perform at peak levels.
The mental capacity of the equine controls the physical output of the athlete.
Physical training of the horse is important, but, training only for that is training for mediocrity. Real athletic training means the act of training the mind to control and influence the body.
The importance of both physical and mental or Emotional Conformation cannot be overstated when it comes to developing the equine athlete. Speed is the by-product of pace and true training of the equine athlete must embrace the expansion of its mental capacity and focus agility while in motion so the horse doesn’t lose pace with the influx of stimulus – your athlete having the ability to focus for an extended period of time is your key to success.
Pace is determined by the mental ability to focus over a given space of time, speed is determined by the physical ability to react within that given space, motion thus becomes the collateral affect of the two combined.
Mental conditioning, therefore, must supersede physical ability in order to maintain both pace and accelerated levels of motion – speed in smooth transitions.
When you have mental soundness and maturity, you can attain tremendous pace.
Think of it this way; take a long distance runner as compared to a bullet from a gun. The bullet has speed, but it cannot have pace, for it is dependant solely on the influence from which it erupted for its time in motion. The long distance runner can have both pace and speed, because his time in motion is reflected by the pace he keeps, which is determined based upon mental recognition of both the motion itself and the stimuli affecting it. The runner’s time in motion then, is reflective of his speed controlled by the pace, which can go up or down. The bullet only having speed, is moving as fast as it ever will at the eruption of motion, slowing down ever-after because it has no pace to control or influence that speed.
Zenyatta worked in company with Aitcho. Splits were :36.2 | 1:00.4 | 1:12.4 | 1:25.1 | 1:41.1
May 172010
Check out a really nice filly – Sweeter Still – working on the grass last week!
Shake Your MoneyMaker: Churchill & Belmont
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May 162010
CHURCHILL DOWNS
Early $.50 Pick 4 | Races 1 – 4 (12:45 pm ET / 9:45 am PT)
1st: $17k Mdn (20-17.5) for 3&up going 1 mi.
1-Came and Gone … gets major weight break with Freddie up and, given he debuted sprinting quick last month, he could make this a total merry-go-round event – catch him if you can!
6-Oak Bar … big class dropper who might simply not be a fan of the Poly deserves to be the favorite, but Corey’s gotta keep him from getting caught wide and losing all momentum on the turn
2nd: $22k Clm (16) for 3&up going 6f
5-Grasmere Park … looking for 3rd straight and 2nd at the distance at Churchill; even though this is a bit of a step up from the 10k ranks, bank on the jock/trainer combo hitting at 26%
1-Da Da Da Dum … loves him the finishing second so play him to at least hit the board; call it a lateral or slight class drop coming off a solid effort at Indiana Downs and he stays on traditional dirt
6-Speak of Kings … holds wins at the distance over the track and Julien’s been aboard for several wins as well; comes off the turf and gets an additional half-a-furlong, which should all work fine along with having the outside post for a horse who wants to lay off the pace
3rd: $58k OC 100k/N2M for 3&up going 1 mi.
3-Mad Flatter … comes in with 3 solid works over the Poly which isn’t his best surface; broke his maiden here, is solid at the distance, drops back a bit into a class he fits better into, and is seemingly lone speed
4-Agastache … the other possible speed play comes in with several strong 2nd place finishes and is actually better when he gets to sit just off the pace (question will be if he can do it coming out of sprints lately)
1-Prom Shoes … I believe this horse is talented even though he has lost some of his prior luster – the kind of horse that bites you if you leave him off your ticket entirely
4th: $23k Mdn (50-45) for 3&up F&M going 5.5f
7-Candice B Love … DQ’d from a win last out makes her a woman against girls; she’s bred to be speedy but you have to hate that she can’t run clean
2-Include the Cat … filly comes in with steady work pattern off debut at Fair Grounds six months ago against a slightly higher class of horse; plus trainer Wally Dollase is 31% with horses off the 61+day layoff and she’ll be a price
3-Fashion Passion … Kenneally is 15% with 1st’ers and 19% when naming Julien; have to like the solid work tab foundation he’s got into her
BELMONT PARK
Late $2 Pick 3 | Races 8 – 10 (4:44 pm ET / 1:44 pm PT)
8th: $39k OC 25k/N1x for NY-breds 3&up going 1-1/4 mi. (T)
10-Cops Fever … Tampa shipper may not be a big fan of winning but pace analysis shows he’ll be right there at the end
8-Bishop of Nola … trainer Schettino’s stats are solid when bringing a horse in off a layoff and off a win last out – have to like that he liked the Belmont turf in his lone try over it and that he finally found the winner’s circle last out
9th: $53k OC 100k/C for NY-breds 3&up going 1-1/16 mi.
7-Giant Moon … it takes a lot for me to admit that I like this horse given he beat my Roman Emperor on the square back in ’08 … he loves Belmont and the distance totally suits him; trainer Schossberg has done a great job in getting him to the winner’s circle in 6 of his 12 lifetime starts, though the whole “2nd start in a year” thing does bug me
5-Ruffino … Rajiv was aboard for the big 4-race win streak last year, so he knows how to get this horse to the lead
3-Naughty New Yorker … fast becoming the new Evening Attire … this guy’s forgotten how to win but tries like crazy, comes in with bullet works and if he’s going to jump up and remember how good it feels to have his picture taken, it would be against a field like this
10th: $51k MSW for 3&up F&M going 1-1/16 mi. (T)
1-Seaside Run … half sis to two turf stakes winners had a strong showing in her debut at Gulfstream in April and can only improve; plus major jock upgrade as she gets Ramon Dominguez (who’s 20% when riding for Clement)
7-Cosset … SoCal shipper is 2-for-2 running 2nd and she seems to be the class here; biggest concern is where she’ll find herself – if she wasn’t happy stalking in her debut, nor on the lead last out…?
2-Home Rule … keeps the hottest turf rider in the country up and showed some grit in finishing 3rd beaten just 2 lengths in her debut at Keelenand; added distance will not be a problem and she should be happier on the grass than on the Poly
Shake Your MoneyMaker: Preakness Day!
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May 152010
6th at 1:37 pm ET / 10:37 am PT: $100k Chick Lang Stakes for 3yo going 6f
4-Quiet Invader ... bred to come off the Poly, comes in with bullets in 3 of the last 4 works (2 on dirt)
5-Latigo Shore … Zito’s 18% 2 off layoffs, also comes in with bullets in 3 of the last 4 works, deserves a clean trip for confidence alone
2-Gary D … steps up big time but he fits on backclass
start of the Pick 6!
7th at 2:17 pm ET / 11:17 am PT: $70k James Murphy Stakes for 3yo going 1 mi. (T)
5-Kera’s Kitten … solid tufer who seemed to get sidetracked on the Poly, just can’t get bogged down in a speed duel
7-Manhattan Fox … steps up in 3rd US start but cuts back to a distance he loves
11-Thunder Brew … looking for 3rd straight, will sit off the pace and be coming at the end
8th at 2:57 pm ET / 11:57 am PT: $100k G3 Schaeffer for 3&up going 1-1/16 mi.
7-Blame … win machine lately with a 25% jock/trainer win rate
9-Flying Private … flew up for 4th in last year’s Preakness, has been knocking on the door as of late
5-Edgewater … steps up against the best of his career, and has been running well with troubled trips
1-Bullsbay … never play against him in stakes – he’s worth the $6 to spend on a WPS ticket
9th at 3:42 pm ET / 12:42 pm PT: $100k G3 Gallorette Hcp for 3&up F&M going 1-1/16 mi. (T)
5-Quiet Meadow … now the lone speed of the race … Castellano’s gotta get her clear of the “3 wide curse” she’s had in 3 of her last 4
4-Rainbow View … even money favorite figures big here, but I’m not a fan of the 11% 2off45-180 Sheppard stat
1a-Blind Date … horse for the course
10th at 4:27 pm ET / 1:27 pm PT: $100k G3 Maryland Sprint Hcp for 3&up going 6f
7-Ravalo … loves Pimlico, loves the distance, in good enough to beat these
8-Taqarub … Kiaran’s been trying to teach this horse to rate for 2 years now to no avail – if he gets to the lead, there’s no looking back
1-Snapshot … training well coming into today, 20% jock/trainer win rate, and is logical against this bunch
11th at 5:12 pm ET / 2:12 pm ET: $200k G2 Dixie Stakes for 3&up going 1-1/8 mi. (T)
13-Nicanor … no, not because he’s Barbaro’s little bro … price will drop a bit from the 8-1 M/L, but he’s been training well coming into today, and Julien rode him wrong last out and Robby can keep him to task today
4-Just As Well … best turf trainer/jock combo in the country come in with an obviously talented horse who just needs to remember how to win
5-Forgotten Destiny … stretches out a bit, but he’s bred for it and he’s been on a roll as of late
12th at 6:12 pm ET / 3:12 pm PT: $1 million G1 Preakness Stakes for 3yo going 1-3/16 mi.
1-Aikenite … have loved this horse since the OBS Feb sale last year and have said all the way that he’s a Derby Trial-to-Preakness horse … wants the lead but doesn’t break well and the 1 hole is ok if Castellano has to take back – if he becomes a closer out of necessity, he figures to be the fastest of ‘em; Javier’s also 30% for Pletcher
7-Lookin At Lucky … I ain’t blaming GoGo but the last few rides have probably hurt his chances lately; he’s gutsy and will fight to get to the wire
8-Super Saver … never not include the Derby winner on a Preakness ticket … the horse has done nothing wrong and is absolutely logical
9-Caracortado … wise guy play and gets to come off the Poly again
13th at 7:12 pm ET / 4:12 pm PT: $28k Maiden for 3yo going 6f
5-Lacrosse Moon … Trombetta wins 28% with firsters
7-Devilish Gate … lone speed
