Trainer Dunce Award goes to?

[linrom1]

I was ready to give out my Trainer Dunce Award for 3/4/2017 to Todd Pletcher for running MADE YOU LOOK in the Fountain of Youth where he finished a respectable 9th by losing by 42 lengths to GUNNEVERA who actually ran a mediocre race at 1 1/16 in 1.44.25. However, after some consideration, I truly believe that the award goes to Kiaran McLaughlin.

Kiaran has the distinction of touting TACAFUL and running him in two graded stakes where the horse showed brilliance and precocity in his last race to finish 7th and losing by 39 lengths to then run 8th in the Fountain of Youth and losing by 27 lengths.

And.....running of WATERSHED on turf in the Mac Diarmida does not highlight this trainer acumen either.

[Mr. Pick 5]

I was ready to give out my Trainer Dunce Award for 3/4/2017 to Todd Pletcher for running MADE YOU LOOK in the Fountain of Youth where he finished a respectable 9th by losing by 42 lengths to GUNNEVERA who actually ran a mediocre race at 1 1/16 in 1.44.25. However, after some consideration, I truly believe that the award goes to Kiaran McLaughlin.

Kiaran has the distinction of touting TACAFUL and running him in two graded stakes where the horse showed brilliance and precocity in his last race to finish 7th and losing by 39 lengths to then run 8th in the Fountain of Youth and losing by 27 lengths.

And.....running of WATERSHED on turf in the Mac Diarmida does not highlight this trainer acumen either.

How about destroying lady shipman....this guy really does have the propensity to turn good horses into average ones

[cj]

I didn't have a big problem with Todd taking a shot. Not like there is much else to do with a 3yo turf horse this time of year. G3 is about it I believe, and that horse has been there, done that.

Takaful, on the other hand, was puzzling. His first try at a route made me think sprinter. The second try was so bad I wondering if the horse is already finished. Yet another route seemed ridiculous.

Caton actually tabbed the horse as her paddock pick so he obviously looks good.

[SG4]

How about trainer dunce awards can only be posted prior to the race? Only fair to open up the possibility for poster dunce awards too.

To be honest, Takaful & Made You Look were the 2 horses I was considering betting in the FOY precisely because their placement there seemed not to make the most sense, and the trainers & horses are too talented to just enter for the sake of showing up. As mentioned earlier, if you're going to at least give a shot to a turf horse trying the dirt & the Derby trail, this was the weekend to do it. Both horse were training excellently on dirt lately, and unfortunately they caught a very different surface on Saturday as apparently the old Calder crew must've come in to take care of the dirt track maintenance.

Now Watershed being in the Mac Diarmida, that I did not understand at all, but guess they're going to give that horse a shot on every distance & surface to figure out where he might be stakes competitive.

[rsetup]

McLaughlin isn't a top trainer but, at least, he's able to do some basic things right. However, the preparation of Tacaful for the FOY was pitifully inadequate. Clearly, he never worked the horse behind and inside other horses. Like most present day trainers, he, apparently, lets his horses dictate how they want to train and run.

[cj]

McLaughlin isn't a top trainer but, at least, he's able to do some basic things right. However, the preparation of Tacaful for the FOY was pitifully inadequate. Clearly, he never worked the horse behind and inside other horses. Like most present day trainers, he, apparently, lets his horses dictate how they want to train and run.

Why can nobody seem to spell Takaful correctly?

[Spalding No!]

Why can nobody seem to spell Takaful correctly?
They are a Taco short?