Prat heading to Ny

[Tom]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

When you say move east are you including OP, CD, KEE, and maybe even FG in that or just BEL/SAR. IMO, there's a shift going on in high level dirt racing towards guys like Cox, Asmussen and others where NY is not really the home base. And Baffert (pending what happens in the next few months) totally dominates dirt racing out west. NY is kind of slowly becoming the turf capital of the US.

The new (old) mile chute at Saratoga should reverse that trend. Trainers will be flocking to run over it.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

When you say move east are you including OP, CD, KEE, and maybe even FG in that or just BEL/SAR. IMO, there's a shift going on in high level dirt racing towards guys like Cox, Asmussen and others where NY is not really the home base. And Baffert (pending what happens in the next few months) totally dominates dirt racing out west. NY is kind of slowly becoming the turf capital of the US.

I'm saying they must ride where the guys that win Breeders' Cups run.

With the exception of Baffert the great preponderance of BC winners are from barns that don't run many at all in CA.

Brown, Asmussen, Cox, Ward et al.

Plus the Euros who want to get a North American start in before the Cup are running at Belmont, Woodbine and Keeneland.

A CA based rider doesn't have much shot at picking up that business either.

For Prat there is ZERO downside.

Give it a go. See if he can follow in Rosario's footsteps.

If not. He comes back and immediately starts running out $40,000 a week as though he never left!

[Al Gobbi]

Twitter

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Al Gobbi

https://twitter.com/paulickreport/st...96798299267087

I've always thought Mullins was an elite, consummate horseman.

When I was an agent I was more than happy to ride anything he lead over.

[PaceAdvantage]

Jeff Mullins...I remember him fondly:

https://www.espn.com/horse/columns/misc/2009113.html

"If you bet on horses, I would call you an idiot," Mullins also told The Times. "I don't bet; there's a reason they call it gambling. I train to win and that's all I care about. It's not my problem (if the general public is deceived). They ought to bring in slot machines, then we could run our horses and make a living without worrying about some crybaby calling the stewards and raising a fit."

Then again, maybe he had a vision of the future and the twitterati...after all, this quote was from 2005...

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Jeff Mullins...I remember him fondly:

https://www.espn.com/horse/columns/misc/2009113.html

Then again, maybe he had a vision of the future and the twitterati...after all, this quote was from 2005...

Not his best day to be sure.

If you knew Jeff I think you might not think he was being as big a jerk as this seems.

Some horsemen get so totally consumed in training their horses. Attending to things at their barn. They lose sight of the real world.

Jeff's that kind of guy.

Betting on these horses probably never occurred to him.

Not an excuse to be sure. We all should be cognizant and appreciative of you guys who pay our salary.

Sometimes old school horsemen lose sight of that.

Back in the day there were others who would lose sight of their owners and it cost them business. Just fixated on the animals.

Whittingham, Frankel et al. For them it was their way or the highway. No matter how much of a big shot they were.

Now many trainers are promoters more and horsemen less.

Not right or wrong. Just different.

[rastajenk]

Question for Mr. Stauffer, shifting gears somewhat but it's about trainers:

You have been around to all the major venues in one capacity or another; how many, or what percent, or however it might be framed, of the lesser-known trainers that help fill races at those places are part-timers, they have other 'real' jobs but have let their hobby turn into a second job? Or that maybe they have become full-time trainers later in life after doing something completely different earlier?

I have some experience with the OH/IN/Turfway area, and I think there are a lot more than the average poster here might imagine. The range of their backgrounds is pretty wide and diverse. It's hard for me to consider Trainers as some kind of homogenous bloc like I used to and that many probably still do.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Not his best day to be sure.

If you knew Jeff I think you might not think he was being as big a jerk as this seems.

Some horsemen get so totally consumed in training their horses. Attending to things at their barn. They lose sight of the real world.

Jeff's that kind of guy.

Betting on these horses probably never occurred to him.

Not an excuse to be sure. We all should be cognizant and appreciative of you guys who pay our salary.

Sometimes old school horsemen lose sight of that.

Back in the day there were others who would lose sight of their owners and it cost them business. Just fixated on the animals.

Whittingham, Frankel et al. For them it was their way or the highway. No matter how much of a big shot they were.

Now many trainers are promoters more and horsemen less.

Not right or wrong. Just different.

Except it clearly did occur to him because he said anyone who bet was an idiot. But given his history I can certainly understand why he didn't want the stewards involved in anything.

We could go over the long list of Mullins' suspensions for drug violations. His massive hay-oats-and-syringes jump-ups off the claim were legendary. Of course after he got busted at NYRA he went from a decade of winning 25% to a decade of 15% winners and relative obscurity. Coincidence I'm sure.

I'm thankful we don't have more "horsemen" like him.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by castaway01

Except it clearly did occur to him because he said anyone who bet was an idiot. But given his history I can certainly understand why he didn't want the stewards involved in anything.

We could go over the long list of Mullins' suspensions for drug violations. His massive hay-oats-and-syringes jump-ups off the claim were legendary. Of course after he got busted at NYRA he went from a decade of winning 25% to a decade of 15% winners and relative obscurity. Coincidence I'm sure.

I'm thankful we don't have more "horsemen" like him.

I would be curious because in my mind he clearly was on one side of the fence in terms of cheating and then for a long while now he has not, I wonder if the issues with the violations stopped as well, I really am not sure sure of that as I dont pay attention like I used to.

It feels like it happened in oh, 2009ish or so.

[Elkchester Road]

Originally Posted by Al Gobbi

https://twitter.com/paulickreport/st...96798299267087

I'm wondering why it took so long for Mullins to come to this decision. It's not like it is any secret about what goes on in Florida...and how it is "policed".

Where should the over/under be set on Mullins' Win Percentage after about a month or so in Florida?

[VeryOldMan]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

I would be curious because in my mind he clearly was on one side of the fence in terms of cheating and then for a long while now he has not, I wonder if the issues with the violations stopped as well, I really am not sure sure of that as I dont pay attention like I used to.

It feels like it happened in oh, 2009ish or so.

Here's the Mullins page on Thoroughbred Rulings (if the link will come through) - reported medication violations going back to 2005, but just 2 of his reported violations since 2011 are medication-related. He has tested "dirty" since his heyday, but not very often:

https://www.thoroughbredrulings.com/...learsearch=YES

Here's the Equibase page showing the serious drop off in the earnings of horses he's trained after 2009:

https://www.equibase.com/profiles/Re...ype=T&eID=3462

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Question for Mr. Stauffer, shifting gears somewhat but it's about trainers:

You have been around to all the major venues in one capacity or another; how many, or what percent, or however it might be framed, of the lesser-known trainers that help fill races at those places are part-timers, they have other 'real' jobs but have let their hobby turn into a second job? Or that maybe they have become full-time trainers later in life after doing something completely different earlier?

I have some experience with the OH/IN/Turfway area, and I think there are a lot more than the average poster here might imagine. The range of their backgrounds is pretty wide and diverse. It's hard for me to consider Trainers as some kind of homogenous bloc like I used to and that many probably still do.

You're 100% correct Rast.

Tack, feed, vet work, insurance costs pretty much the same at all venues.

The lower the purses on smaller circuits, the more trainers who must supplement their operation by generating outside funds.

People who will go by the barn before and after work. Muck the stalls themselves. Walk the hots themselves.

They race for purses that in the best possible scenario will allow them to continue to break even. But still feel the rush that comes with the competition and winning.

Many people come to the races after being extremely successful in the REAL world but always wanted to be a owner/trainer.

Their kids are raised. Their wives are now relaxed. Now they can follow their dreams.

They know very well they WILL NOT get rich.

Heck it's hard enough for the BIG barns to make ends meet. Think of the guys that we all thought were raking in the dollars and chose to walk away from the stress of making ends meet. Buff Bradley, Simon Bray, Greg Gilchrist, Fordell Fierce, Jack Carava et al.

And even if they do make good money the regulations, hassles and stress send guys looking for peace. Kiaran McLaughlin.

There's an old quote. Being a horseman is a " hard way to make a bad living" Most do it because they LOVE the animals.

Wanna make money at the track?

Be a vendor!

Farrior, Veterinarian, Jocks Agent, Feed Man, Tack Store.

Hope that helps.

[rastajenk]

Helps? Confirms my suspicion (not the best word, 'cause I don't suspect any of them of being anything other than lovers of the game) that the mix of backside personalities and backgrounds is similar all over.

Your last three lines are especially good advice.