JC / Railbird

Trainers/Training Archive

A Day In the Life

Of trainer Todd Pletcher. “Pletcher’s home is 3.1 miles from his Belmont Park barn. On this morning, Sunday, Oct. 17, he arrived at his barn at 4:26, but only after he had inspected both the training track and main track. Pletcher wanted to see how overnight showers affected both tracks. He was satisfied with the condition of the main track, so all workouts would be conducted there. Pletcher had 40 horses to take to the track in six sets, 16 to work, 22 to gallop, and 2 to jog.” And that’s just the start. (Daily Racing Form)

Posted in Trainers/Training on October 23, 2004

One Busy Day

“Trainer Todd Pletcher could have as many as six horses in this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships if all goes well leading up the races in the next 25 days.” (Thoroughbred Times)

Posted in Trainers/Training on October 6, 2004

Missing Smarty

The Pennsylvania Derby was supposed to be Smarty Jones’ return to racing, the start of a dashing fall campaign culminating on Breeders’ Cup day. Instead, the three-year-old colt was retired at the end of the July. For trainer John Servis, “All that’s left is the memories of an incredible run that … started last November when Smarty Jones began his racing career.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Posted in Trainers/Training on September 7, 2004

“Early to rise, Lukas is wise”

“Jay Leno and David Letterman are complete strangers to trainer Wayne Lukas. The Hall of Fame horseman’s legendary work ethic doesn’t include late-night chat shows. It does involve starting every workday at 3:30 a.m., a schedule Lukas says he has maintained ever since he started training racehorses more than 30 years ago.” (New York Daily News)
Related: “Lukas loaded for big weekend” (ESPN)

Posted in Trainers/Training on August 17, 2004