JC / Railbird

Phipps Stable

Sporting

Bill Shanklin on the upcoming Orb vs. Departing Preakness Stakes:

This refreshing scenario means that racing, at least in the eyes of the connections of Orb and Departing, is more of a sport, rather than a business, and the objective is to see who has the fastest horse on a given day …

Orb worked four furlongs in :47.18 at Belmont Park this morning. He’ll leave for Pimlico at about 10:00 AM, reports Dave Grening, who also quotes trainer Shug McGaughey calling the Kentucky Derby winner’s breeze “freaky.”

Shug School

Andrew Beyer on the philosophy behind Orb’s Kentucky Derby win:

The old school believes a trainer should not manage a horse to fulfill the personal ambitions of the owner or trainer. The old school believes a trainer should be guided by the development and the capabilities of the animal. The old school believes judicious handling will eventually bring rewards.

The old school doesn’t say, “YOLO.”

9:00 AM Addendum: Via @raceday360 comes this great interview with trainer Shug McGaughey from 2009: “The only pressure I got is on myself.”