Lukas on Bird; Asmussen on heat & humidity

[Grits]

One couldn't blame anyone for moving their horses days earlier. The heat (and the humidity) in Louisville is up to the triple digit mark. 100 degrees is a nightmare for horses and humans alike.

Excerpts: more at link:http://www.drf.com/news/article/114101.html

Mine That Bird figures to have one more workout before being entered in a $63,000 allowance at 1 1/16 miles at Churchill, although Lukas said he hasn't committed the gelding to that July 3 race.

"I don't know that," he said. "I do like where I'm going. Everything we're doing with him is with the Whitney in mind," referring to the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap on Aug. 7 at Saratoga, where current handicap standouts Quality Road and Blame are expected to race next. "We're getting right into the middle of the deep end of the pool. We're finding out right where we are with him."

Even at 6:30 a.m., the temperature here Monday was already above 80, with oppressive humidity to boot. The long-range weather forecast for the Louisville area calls for more extremely hot weather for another week or more, leading trainer Steve Asmussen to say he is contemplating sending Rachel Alexandra and some of his other horses to Saratoga before the Churchill meet ends July 4. High temperatures were expected to near 100 later Tuesday.


Asmussen originally had scheduled July 5 as shipping day to Saratoga but said he is looking into moving it up a few days.

"I think we've got to get out of this weather," said Asmussen. Rachel Alexandra, he added, "acts like the rest of us do right now -- it's hot. Her weight's good and she's very sound, and her strength is good. But it's hot. We'd all feel better if it was about 20 degrees cooler."

[joanied]

Well, I'd sure ship to Saratoga early too...that kind of heat & humidity is too much for any animal to endure...I would think they have fans going in all the barns/stalls.
I remember one time when I was working at Belmont and the temps were triple digits for about a week...we had fans blowing into all the stalls, and still, the horses would sweat, just standing...no one was on the track past about 8am...it was just awful.
Racing in that kind of heat is dangerous...not sure I'd take a chance running a horse.

And out here in Wyoming...we're still waiting for summer...have not had one day yet about 78 degrees...and we need hot days to grow our crops...Mother Nature has gone bonkers!!

[Jasonm921]

That is why I love Lukas. No putzin around. Just race them.

[joanied]

There is something to be said about racing more often, and working them less...of course, that method of training isn't used much anymore...and IMO, finding a spot for a horse (I'm speaking of the good ones) to race in, is in the long run, a better way to condition a horse, as compared to working them once a week...IMO, they just don't get enough from these works, and especially when trainer adheres to a set pattern, like a work of 5 or 6 furlongs, time not especially fast...and gallops of a mile or less...this, IMO, just dosen't get a horse as conditioned, fit, as an easy allowance or Grade 3 would get them. And, IMO, that is one reason we see so many short horses, and even hurting horses...
my two cents.

[WJ47]

I'm in a suburb of Buffalo, NY and I don't know how its been in Saratoga Springs, but its been hot and humid for months here. I don't think we even had a spring, just an extra summer. The humidity makes it hard to do anything, even a bike ride at night is too hot. I can only imagine how the horses feel!

[joanied]

seems the last couple of years has brought extreme weather back east...all that snow this winter, now everyone is suffering with heat & humidity. We haven't had any gradual season changes out here...we go from it being too cold to it being too hot...not much in between. This Spring was so wet & cold crops, hay & pasture just didn't grow much...fist cutting for hay is generally in full swing now...most folks are putting it off for a while in hopes the hay will get better...and those that did cut, got their hay rained on...which is fine if you are feeding cows, but the horses cannot have moldy hay.

I do hope Saratoga has better weather than you do in Buffalo...otherwise, there won't be much releif for the horses...trainers will be getting out to the track before it gets hot...shorter trianing hours mean more horses on the track. I hate seeing the horses have to race when temps are 90+ with humidity.
One good thing about the heat out here...we rarely get humidity. The mosquitoes & Deer Flies are getting brutal:mad:

[horses721]

That is why I love Lukas. No putzin around. Just race them.
The only problem is that Lukas races them where they don't belong!

[wisconsin]

The only problem is that Lukas races them where they don't belong!

For instance?

[joanied]

A lot of people say that about Lukas...but I suppose you could say that about a lot of trainers...or, maybe more likely, the owners!!And sometimes you place a horse where you beleive he belongs, then discover differently.

[thespaah]

I'm in a suburb of Buffalo, NY and I don't know how its been in Saratoga Springs, but its been hot and humid for months here. I don't think we even had a spring, just an extra summer. The humidity makes it hard to do anything, even a bike ride at night is too hot. I can only imagine how the horses feel!Hot for you guys is 85*.
There is a big difference between 85 and 100.
I just checked climate summaries from Louisville, KY and Albany, NY (30 miles south of Saratoga Springs) today's high in Louisville was 90...the highest heat index was 94 at 2pm....Today's hihg temp at Albany was 87....Overall though, Upstate NY is much cooler than northwestern KY..The normal high temp in Albany this time of year is 78...
Oh you want hot....th high temp has hit 90 or higher here for 14 straight days.
It hit 100 degrees yesterday and today. The next chance we have for a high under 90 is September .....Ok just kidding....Wednesday..

[CincyHorseplayer]

I don't run all out for 2 minutes but I work in this stuff all day.I guess I have the "thoroughbred" characteristics and these guys are all chumps!!


Seriously though,it's always been like this right??

You can't race in it if before you adapt to it.It does take acclimatizing.Joanie,if a horse gallops everyday he or she will adjust won't they??

[joanied]

I don't run all out for 2 minutes but I work in this stuff all day.I guess I have the "thoroughbred" characteristics and these guys are all chumps!!


Seriously though,it's always been like this right??

You can't race in it if before you adapt to it.It does take acclimatizing.Joanie,if a horse gallops everyday he or she will adjust won't they??

Cincy,
Sorry, but I don't understand your post :confused: please explain :)