#Soundbites - What would you do if you weren’t training Thoroughbreds?

/

By Bill Heller

Mike Trombetta

Mike Trombetta

That’s a heck of a good question. I’ve been doing this so long, I couldn’t tell you. I really don’t know. Construction and demolition, that would be an option. I did that for 15-20 years, but I was doing this at the same time, too. I like this a heck of a lot more.

John Kimmel


John Kimmel

There are two things besides horses I love: snow skiing and deep sea fishing. I’m in Utah, skiing right now. I’m not that far from retirement. I’ve been doing this for 40 plus years. When things tail off, if my business slows down, that’s what I would be doing.

Mark Casse

Mark Casse

I’ve thought about that many times. Probably real estate. I just think it’s a challenge, and the rewards are great. That’s what I would probably do.

Jeremiah Englehart

Jeremiah Englehart

Oh, wow! I’m not sure. I’ve been doing horses since I was so young; I always wanted to be a trainer. I guess I would like to do something with football. I’ve always had a passion for football, maybe coaching or working with kids. I’ve always been a fan in sports. I played sports in high school. That’s something I would like to do. 

Craig Dollase

Craig Dollase

I’ve always wanted to pursue sports. I’m a big sports advocate. I’d go for something in the sports world, not physical—something to help people in the sports world. I have a cousin who was actually the trainer for the San Francisco 49ers. I had an in. I could have gone in that direction. But I went to work for my dad, and now I’m a trainer. It turned out pretty good.

Tony Dutrow

Tony Dutrow

You know, at 64, I’m so much still in love with horses and horse racing. There will never be anything else for me. But if I would have never done horse racing, I’d try my hand at real estate. Because that’s a challenge.

David Donk

David Donk

A good question. Later in life, what interests me is management—racing management. But I’m lucky to be doing something now I love.

#Soundbites - trainers - horses had the fewest number or average starts per year - smallest field size

/

By Bill Heller

(February Sound Bites)By Bill HellerThe new Jockey Club Fact Book showed 2019’s average field size dropped again to 7.24, and 2019’s starts per runner dropped again to 5.96. Both numbers are the lowest since at least 1950. Does that concern you?Todd PletcherIt does concern me. There’s a concern that today’s horses aren’t as durable as they were in the past. We need increased field size to increase handle. That’s a worry. But we also want to try to lessen breakdowns, and trainers are spacing races out more to make sure their horses are ready to run an optimal performance. We found over the years that horses, especially after hard races, need more time. It’s a complicated issue. It’s a constant learning curve. Each horse is different. Certainly we see that when we approach Triple Crown races for three-year-olds.Neil DrysdaleIt does, obviously. It keeps contracting. We know that from the foal crops. It leads to us to say we should have less racing to get better field size. I think it will happen. When I started, we didn’t have year-round racing. Racing has been proliferating, but the boutique meets have done so well: Keeneland, Del Mar, Saratoga, Hot Springs.Tom AlbertraniIt’s interesting to hear statistics about it. Am I concerned? I don’t think so. I think we’re still a pretty strong industry. I know there’s been a lot of smaller fields the last couple of years.Ron MoquettNot where I’m at. I go to the track at Remington Park, Oaklawn Park and Keeneland. They offer some of the largest field sizes there are. If you look it up, I think Remington is No.1, and Oaklawn is No. 2. That’s where I race most of my horses. I like bigger fields for handicappers to bet on. It’s easier to win races when they’re less, but I like people to see big fields with good horses.Tony DutrowYes. No. 1, I’m not surprised. It’s been alarming me for a number of years. Horses are not as sound. The reasons for the drop in starts, in my opinion, is that racing’s become enormously commercial. When I was so much younger, more breeders bred horses to race them much more than they do today. The people that have the funds fuel this game. The people who fuel the game need good broodmares. Then they breed them to a successful stallion. They spend a lot of money. And then they’re going to sell that horse at a sale. They’re not going to keep that horse running in the field with his buddies. That has a lot to do with why horses have less starts.John ShirreffsIt does not really concern me. When I first was working on the racetrack as a hotwalker/ponyboy, Laffit Pincay was just beginning to ride. The rumor was that if you use him, you wouldn’t be able to run your horse again for 30 days because he got everything out of the horse. Now all the jockeys are like Laffit. Jockeys are now fitter, stronger and ride harder from gate to wire. I think the horses are asked to do more, so recovery takes a little longer. Horses are also carrying a lot more weight than they ever did. There used to be weight allowances. Look at the scale of weights. Much higher.Wayne CatalanoOf course it concerns me. We’re running out of horses. We’re not breeding as many horses as we used to. I don’t know the numbers, but it’s finally catching up with us. Field size is handle, right? We get paid by the handle.

The new Jockey Club Fact Book showed 2019’s average field size dropped again to 7.24, and 2019’s starts per runner dropped again to 5.96. Both numbers are the lowest since at least 1950. Does that concern you?

Todd Pletcher

It does concern me. There’s a concern that today’s horses aren’t as durable as they were in the past. We need increased field size to increase handle. That’s a worry. But we also want to try to lessen breakdowns, and trainers are spacing races out more to make sure their horses are ready to run an optimal performance. We found over the years that horses, especially after hard races, need more time. It’s a complicated issue. It’s a constant learning curve. Each horse is different. Certainly we see that when we approach Triple Crown races for three-year-olds.

Neil Drysdale

Neil Drysdale

Neil Drysdale

It does, obviously. It keeps contracting. We know that from the foal crops. It leads to us to say we should have less racing to get better field size. I think it will happen. When I started, we didn’t have year-round racing. Racing has been proliferating, but the boutique meets have done so well: Keeneland, Del Mar, Saratoga, Hot Springs.

Tom Albertrani

Tom Albertrani

Tom Albertrani

It’s interesting to hear statistics about it. Am I concerned? I don’t think so. I think we’re still a pretty strong industry. I know there’s been a lot of smaller fields the last couple of years.

Ron Moquett

Ron Moquett

Ron Moquett

Not where I’m at. I go to the track at Remington Park, Oaklawn Park and Keeneland. They offer some of the largest field sizes there are. If you look it up, I think Remington is No.1, and Oaklawn is No. 2. That’s where I race most of my horses. I like bigger fields for handicappers to bet on. It’s easier to win races when they’re less, but I like people to see big fields with good horses. 

Tony Dutrow

Yes. No. 1, I’m not surprised. It’s been alarming me for a number of years. Horses are not as sound. The reasons for the drop in starts, in my opinion, is that racing’s become enormously commercial. When I was so much younger, more breeders bred horses to race them much more than they do today. The people that have the funds fuel this game. The people who fuel the game need good broodmares. Then they breed them to a successful stallion. They spend a lot of money. And then they’re going to sell that horse at a sale. They’re not going to keep that horse running in the field with his buddies. That has a lot to do with why horses have less starts.

John Shirreffs

John Shirreffs

John Shirreffs

It does not really concern me. When I first was working on the racetrack as a hotwalker/ponyboy, Laffit Pincay was just beginning to ride. The rumor was that if you use him, you wouldn’t be able to run your horse again for 30 days because he got everything out of the horse. Now all the jockeys are like Laffit. Jockeys are now fitter, stronger and ride harder from gate to wire. I think the horses are asked to do more, so recovery takes a little longer. Horses are also carrying a lot more weight than they ever did. There used to be weight allowances. Look at the scale of weights. Much higher.

Wayne Catalano

Of course it concerns me. We’re running out of horses. We’re not breeding as many horses as we used to. I don’t know the numbers, but it’s finally catching up with us. Field size is handle, right? We get paid by the handle.



CLICK HERE to return to issue contents



BUY THIS ISSUE IN PRINT OR DOWNLOAD

ISSUE 56 (PRINT)

$6.95

ISSUE 56 (DIGITAL)

$3.99

WHY NOT SUBSCRIBE?

DON'T MISS OUT AND SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE THE NEXT FOUR ISSUES!

Four issue subscription - PRINT & ONLINE - ONLY $24.95