You hear the term ‘special horse’ a lot, a lot more often than you get to see one. And so we went on the road to find one and, this time, we did.
In the run-up to the Florida Derby, we knew we had to get a look at the horse that ran the fastest Equiform figure at a mile or longer by a three-year-old this year. Frankly, we were a little curious about Rick Dutrow, too.
To me, it’s not so much about super-trainers as it is about super-vets. Curiously, a trainer’s success rate falls right in line with the cost of veterinary care. The difference between a 10-15 percent trainer and a 25 percent trainer is the difference between a $1,000-a-month vet bill and a $2,500 statement.
And there’s nothing insidious about that. In life, you get what you pay for. Of greater import may be that the Rick apple, like the Tony apple, didn’t fall far from the legendary Richard Dutrow tree.
As opposed to horse trainer, Rick Dutrow is a horseman. Almost anyone can be a trainer but it takes more than a piece of paper to win three million-dollar races on two continents a half a world apart on the same day.
There’s no wagering in Dubai. Neither is there a permissive medication policy similar to the one in place on this side of the Atlantic. Drug policies are very strict almost anywhere else in the world.
Dutrow trainees Benny The Bull and Diamond Stripes, impressive winners on the World Cup under-card, ran medication free. Between those two and Curlin, American racing, despite its issues, was radiant as a beacon in the United Arab Emirates Saturday.
“Diamond Stripes is a good older horse. It takes a special young horse to do what this colt did.” And a clever horseman to be savvy enough, and confident enough in his own horse, to stay out if his way.
“I felt the only way the horse could get beat was if I did something wrong or he got in trouble,” said an emotional Dutrow after collecting his post-race thoughts. “I knew after he went around those horses on the first turn it was over.”
Dutrow wasn’t bragging. It’s not bragging if you know what your horse can do. But it’s not clear even now whether Dutrow knows what Big Brown‘s limitations are.
Rick Dutrow is in awe of Big Brown.
Excited like the enthusiastic crowd lining the rails at Gulfstream Park that welcomed the big colt back with hoots and hollers, and an enthusiastic Kent Desormeaux, who threw his helmet in the air in celebration and will go wherever Dutrow sends Big Brown.
Next stop Kentucky.
“He’ll stay where he is,” Dutrow said. “He likes it [at Palm Meadows]. I’ll work him five-eighths when he needs to work then, depending on the weather, I’ll make my move.”
What makes Big Brown special is his class. At one point, Big Brown reached down, grabbled the rope holding his Jolly Red, and threw the tether ball over to the visitor’s side of the webbing. It was the first time I recall seeing a racehorse act with equine body language that said ‘play with me.’ The only thing missing was Simon & Garfunkel and a transistor radio.
He’s just a love, with an easy-going class about him. People ask all the time, “who do you like?” I usually give them my standard Fotias-type response: “Ask me at three minutes to post time.” You have to be objective to do this job the right way. Big Brown wants to make you break that rule.
“When this horse reached the quarter pole in Saratoga, I picked up the phone, called Rick, and said: ‘turn on your television right now, I have to own this horse. I never saw a two-year-old break his maiden around two turns like that’,” said IEAH Stable managing partner Michael Iavarone.
“He just has so much class. When we had him vetted, he stood absolutely motionless for 45 minutes while we did an ultra-sound. He let us do whatever we wanted,” added Iavarone.
Picked out as a yearling by Dr. Michael Galvin, HRI has learned that International Equine Acquisitions Holdings purchased a three-quarter interest for $2.25-million, original owner Paul Pompa Jr. retaining a 25 percent share. Darley Stable, represented by trainer Kairan McLaughlin, was the under-bidder.
Obviously, special horses don’t grow on trees.
31 Mar 2008 at 11:05 am | #
John
Kudos on your Fla. coverage. BTW: Though it does have an early S+G feel, “Red Rubber Ball” was a smash for a one-hit wonder “group” called The Cyrkle. The song, however, was written by Paul Simon.
R ‘n R Doc
01 Apr 2008 at 05:45 am | #
Mr. Pricci: You have been reporting on the usual suspects, Dutrow, Mott, Pletcher, Zito, et cetera, and their thoroughbreds being pointed to the Kentucky Derby.
I wish to comment on how tradition (doing the same thing year-after-year) is not financially rewarding and is contributing to the demise of racing.
It has been reported that Magna Enterprises is in dire financial straits. The Florida Derby contributed to the red ink significantly. Saturday, 03/29 Gulfstream offered twelve races with purses totalling $1,780,500. On-track handle was a mere 10% of total handle of $20,246,951. Doing the math (21% as takeout on on-track handle, and 4% as signal fee income on off-track handle) Gulfstream fell short of covering the purses offered by at least $580,000, entry fees considered.
Purses at Gulfstream Friday 03/28 were $204,700; Sunday 03/30 $391,000; and Monday 03/31 $191,000. It appears that the purses on Saturday would normally cover a whole week of racing. All that was accomplished Saturday was that the owners, trainers, and jockeys of the winning horses Saturday made money, while the track lost money.
Currently there are forty or so racetracks with casinos operating next door; the casino end is packed with people, while the racing end is virtually ignored. It should be obvious that repeating the same format year-after-year (Triple Crown races, Travers/Classic, BC races) does not grab the attention of the people sitting at slot machines a few yards away from the racetrack; that something different in the way of promoting racing is needed. The stake races on the road to the Derby are all financial disasters for the racetrack presenting them, while the vast majority of people gambling are indifferent.
There are over fifty-thousand races run every year, yet turf writers concentrate on less than 1% of the trainers and on a handful of races each and every year; such has not grabbed the public’s interest away from casino gambling.
03 Apr 2008 at 03:01 pm | #
Doc,
Thanks for the kudos. Hopefully, I learned something about the 3yos and was able to pass that along to our readers.
Indeed, I do remember “The Cyrkle,” but I’ve seen conflicting references as to the author. One had Paul Simon; some Simon & Garfunkle. Fun song, anyway. And a real neat horse, BTW.
Mr. Corrow: You never fail to take the opportunity to comment on this issue in the same way. That’s absolutely fine with me. But I had written about a new wager the previous week only with no comment from you. I was curious about that. Actually, thought of you when I wrote it.
If, however, you check the handle on these Derby prep races, you’d see they’d dwarf the other races on the programs, including other stakes.
Besides, casually fans truly take an interest in the Kentucky Derby. The idea is that we can provide them with some insight, information, etc., in the hopes that they will be angaged the rest of the year. I think it’s useful to promote the sport we all love from both perspectives.
Thank you both for your comments.
JP
03 Apr 2008 at 04:20 pm | #
Mr. Pricci: You are correct, the handle on the Derby prep races dwarfed other races on the program. But, were the races profitable for the racetrack? (No!) Did handle cover the purse? (No!) Did the track make money on them? (No!) Did people at casinos take notice? (No!) Yes, causual fans take an interest in the Derby, as they have for decades; so where are they the rest of the year?
Thanks to slot revenue, upwards of forty race tracks are still in business.
Why you and your fellow turf writers can’t see the writing on the wall has me flummoxed. Thoroughbred racing is on life-support, being kept alive by slot revenue. When are you and your fellow turf columnists going to see the light and start urging track management to adopt a marketing program to enlighten the unkowning about the ‘action’ and excitement that wagering on the thoroughbred offers?
The best gambling is on racing, but few know it. You guys have the pen and pencil to awaken the industry, but instead you all are enthralled with a few three-year-old unproven throughbreds, trained by the same trainers year-after-year, who would be beaten in a match race by any four or five year old stake horse still in training.
To get the people off their seats at the slot machine a few yards away, it takes promotion, advertising, and instruction on how to pick winners. The only people who ever go back to a racetrack, OTB, or racine are those who cashed a ticket.
I often have wondered if I had not won on my first visit to a racetrack, being drawn there by fellow workers in 1959 (Lincoln Downs), would I have ever gone back again. Seems obvious, the only attraction is cashing tickets.
03 Apr 2008 at 08:26 pm | #
WM
I’ve read your posts for awhile. At first, it was entertaining to read your tweaking of the scribes. Now it’s getting redundant. They write for a living and will continue to write the stories that make news. The readers and bloggers will agree or disagree but, continue to read.
You consistantly write about your enjoyment of wagering 10k claimers. That’s great. I enjoy them myself. I even like the trotters now and again. However, you confuse me. You jab and complain of the ink wasted about the higher end and yet I can tell from your well written pieces that you are very well informed on the issues on and off the track. Either you are a turf writer or former TW yourself. I can tell you do read alot of the horse stuff.
Take Pricci up on his invitation. Write about the cheap claimers and be entertaining.
04 Apr 2008 at 06:27 am | #
Yes, Mr. Pricci, I am redundant and boring. I have no choice. Frustration has overtaken me, knowing that nothing is being done in the industry to reverse current trends.
Reading the commentary of turf writers today, one would think that things are as they were in the seventies - I read the same ole stuff, involving the same handful of trainers year-after-year.
From the Downs at Albuquerque to Zia Park, just about all racetracks are racinos. Even now, Philadelphia Park, Penn. National, and Mountaineer refer to themselves as Casino & Racetrack. Very soon all racetracks will be racinos. Praire Meadow’s management is now questioning why they are compelled to support the racing end; others will follow. Then what for racing?
I regret being such a cynic, especially at HRI; I seemingly am the only person commenting that reminds you and other contributors that things have to change, and soon.
If you and your fellow turf writers got together and adopted a plan, NTRA and track management coast-to-coast would hear; you guys are the only people I know who could force much needed change.
I do wish I could be more entertaining, but how can I knowing the current plight of racing? You are going to have to put up with me, or simply tell me to get lost.