National Thoroughbred Racing Association
April 26, 2023, 1:00 PM
Operator: Good day, everyone, and welcome to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Media Teleconference, previewing the 149th Kentucky Derby. To moderate the call, I will not turn it over to Mr. Jim Gluckson. Please go ahead.
Jim Gluckson: Thank you very much, Ina. And good afternoon, or good day, everyone. And welcome to the NTRA, National Media Teleconference, previewing the 149th Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Reserve, which will take place, of course, on Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Today’s call is the first of three preview, media teleconferences of the 2023 Triple Crown races hosted by the NTRA. Joining us on today’s call will be trainers of top derby contenders, representing Todd Pletcher, Brad Cox, and Tim Yakteen. We will also have a report from Churchill Downs Asia Coordinator, Kate Hunter, on the Japanese contenders for the Derby, Continuar and Derma Sotogake.
As a reminder, a recording and transcript of today’s teleconference call will be available on ntra.com within the next 24 hours. To begin today’s program, I would like to welcome NTRA President and CEO, Tom Rooney, for some opening remarks. Tom?
Tom Rooney: Thanks, Jim. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association is happy to host the media conference call in front of each of this year’s Triple Crown races, to shine a light on the stars of the shows. The horses and the horsemen will be competing in this year’s event, starting with the Kentucky Derby.
This is one of the best times of the year to be a fan of thoroughbred racing, as the eyes of the world descend upon Churchill Downs next Saturday. May 6 also marks the beginning of the new chase for glory for the Triple Crown and marks the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s remarkable Triple Crown win, which captivated the entire nation in 1973.
Our goal at the NTRA is to work to make sure policies to continue grow the equine economy and help our great sport thrive. With that, I’ll turn it back over to Jim. He’ll introduce each of our esteemed trainers, giving us their time today. I also want to give a quick shout out to Ron Flatter for reminding us how important this forum is. So with that, Jim, back to you.
Jim Gluckson: Tom, thank you, very much. All right, let’s bring in our first guest today — two-time Derby winning trainer, hall of famer, Todd Pletcher. Todd has, of course, trains two-year-old champion Forte, Tampa Bay Derby and total Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner, Tapit Trice; and twinspires.co Louisiana Derby winner, Kingsbarns, in the first 20 horses of the prospective derby field, with Major Dude on the also eligible list. Jim Gluckson here — how are you today?
Todd Pletcher: Good, Jim. Thank you.
Jim Gluckson: Thanks for joining us, Todd. I think we’d like to first start with a quick update from your four contenders and what they did today. And then, explain your next scheduled workouts for these runners.
Todd Pletcher: So, all four had routine, mile and 3/8 gallops this morning. All seemed to be handling everything very well. Seemed to be getting over the track the way we would have hoped. But, all four had very productive breezes last Friday.
And right now, we’re scheduled to have their final breezes on Saturday morning. Of course, like everyone, we’re keeping a close eye on the forecast. Right now, if the hourly forecast looks right, we’re probably going to be getting some rain tomorrow afternoon, into Friday. But it looks, hopefully, clear Friday evening and into Saturday morning.
So, we’ll probably move our Oaks workers up to tomorrow, and then stick the Saturday schedule for the Derby horses.
Jim Gluckson: All right. Very good. Todd, After workouts last Friday by both Forte and Tapit Trice, you commented how encouraged you were by the progression of both colts during the Derby prep season, and the confidence in them to stretch to the 1¼ mile Derby distance. Can you comment on the attributes of these two horses that give you such great confidence?
Todd Pletcher: Well, what I love about all of our horses coming in, is they seem to have a knack for finding the finish line, in front. And they’ve got winning records that supports our confidence in them. But, what I was particularly pleased — is Churchill can sometimes be a little bit a quirky surface, and sometimes you’ll see horses maybe not skipping over it the way they will some other tracks.
And sometimes you’ll see the track break away from a little bit, and you’ll actually see them bobble a little bit. And I thought in all of our horses cases, we did not see that. And so that was encouraging. And it just seems like both Forte and Tapit Trice finished up very well at the mile and an 1/8th, giving us confidence they’ll handle a little more ground.
And, of course Kingsbarns was able to get a mile and 3/16 in only his third start, so that, too, gives us optimism that mile ¼ will be within all of their ranges.
Jim Gluckson: Very good. All right, well, Todd, thank you. I think, now, Ina, let’s open it up here to questions from the media. We have a lot of media on the line. So let’s just begin with one question and one comment, please, per caller. So let’s begin with our questioning process.
Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin the question-and-answer session. If you wish to ask a question, you will need to press * and 1 on your telephone keypad. You will hear a two-tone prompt acknowledging your request. Questions will be taken in the order received. Should you wish to cancel your request, please press the * followed by the 2. If you are using a speaker phone, please lift the handset before pressing any keys.
And your first question comes from the line of Beth Harris from Associated Press. Please go ahead.
Beth Harris: Hi, Todd. How are you?
Todd Pletcher: Great. Thank you.
Beth Harris: Starting Monday is when HISI’s medication and drug testing program gets going. And I’m wondering, what’s your level of trust and confidence going into the very start of it?
Todd Pletcher: Well, it’s my understanding that it’s been pushed back to May 22, so it doesn’t appear as though it’s going to be effecting — directly effecting, immediately, the — either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness.
Beth Harris: Given that, how are you feeling? They’ve had these false starts leading up to actually having it take effect. So I’m wondering, just where you stand on your level of confidence in the whole thing?
Todd Pletcher: Well, I think like everyone, I’m anxious to have everything set in place and get a consistent, working order in progress. And I think it’s going to be a learning curve for everyone. We experienced a few days of it at the end of March. So I think, really, what we’re all hoping for is just to get to a firm plan in place, where we can start consistently enforcing the same rules.
Beth Harris: Do you think it’s going to make it any easier, in a trainer’s life, in terms of the way it’s set up, and then how you have to deal with things, on a daily basis?
Todd Pletcher: Well, I think it’s very labor intensive. It’s just going to be, probably, a situation where a stable like ours is going to have add an additional employee that’s probably just going to be in charge or those type of record keeping input and data. So, yeah, I mean, it — in some ways it won’t be as easy, but hopefully, the net gain on the other end is something that the entire industry will benefit from.
Beth Harris: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Byron King from BloodHorse. Please go ahead.
Byron King: Hi, Todd. I hope you’re doing well. Let me start with Kingsbarns — any decision on a jockey?
Todd Pletcher: We’ve not made a final decision. In talking to the guys, at Spendthrift, and I would say there say there’s a very solid chance that Jose Ortiz is going to come in and breeze the horse. So, right now he’s a leading candidate. But got to circle back with those guys and we’ll make a final decision in the near future.
Byron King: Very good. And then, also, I was hoping you could just kind of reflect on your line-up this year. You’ve brought a lot of steep line-ups to the Kentucky Derby over the years. Some years you’ve run five, many years four. I think, if I counted right, I think there’s been, like 11 years where ran three or more.
How do you characterize this group, relative to the groups you’ve brought before? I mean, it seems to be me to be a very talented and dynamite cast. All of them won — at least Kingsbarns, Tapit Trice, and Forte — all won million-dollar preps coming in. But how do you rank this group, relative to the other deep squads you’ve brought into the Derby?
Todd Pletcher: Well, I would say, in terms of para-mutual support, it’s probably going to be the strongest team that we’ve brought. I think only one time have we started a favorite and that was in 2017, with Always Dreaming, where I think you could argue it was possible that Forte and Tapit Trice could be the favorite and second choice or close to it.
So I think, in terms of that, it’s probably our strongest group, and their accomplishments on the way, having a champion two-year-old, to follow that up with a Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby win. And then Tapit Trice with the Tampa Derby and a Blue Grass win, I think you could say that’s the deepest squad we’ve put up so far.
Byron King: And then, reflect a little, if you would, on — it seemed like this spring, in quite an amazing accomplishment for you and your horses to knock out these three, million-dollar races in a span of, I believe it was just three weeks.
Todd Pletcher: Yeah, it was. I mean, we were fortunate that we kind of had a game plan in place. And Forte, it was easy. We knew that we wanted to have his first start in the Fountain of Youth and that kind of gave us the option, after that, of coming back in the Florida Derby or possibly the Bluegrass. We felt like we needed another week.
So, everything just went according to plan and he trained the way we had hoped and so that part of it was sort of the easy decision. And then, just kind of developing the other two horses and get some allowance wins and then kind of put us in a position to look at some stakes. And the timing just fell into place for Kingsbarns at Louisiana.
And Tapit Trice, we felt like the Tampa race was a good experience for him, but we also felt like we needed another prep. And so it was great that it worked out — where it he get at a grade I Blue Grass and win an important, stallion-making race like that for him.
Byron King: Very good. Tood, thank you. Best of luck with your final works and — on Derby and Oaks day.
Todd Pletcher: Thanks, Byron.
Operator: Thank you. Once again, if you wish to ask a question, please press * and 1 on your telephone keypad. And your next question comes from the line of Pat Forde from Sports Illustrated. Please go ahead.
Pat Forde: Hi, Todd. I’m just wondering, as somebody who’s been around the game for quite a while, Secretariat’s stakes records still hold for the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont, 50 years later. Records in other sports are kind of made to be broken. What does it say that his records haven’t been broken — for a half century?
Todd Pletcher: Yeah, I mean, I guess it just solidifies his status as, arguably, the best thoroughbred racehorse of all time. And it’s remarkable that not only that he set those track records in those three races, but for them to still be standing after 50 years is amazing. So, it just adds to his legacy.
Pat Forde: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line from David Grening from Daily Racing Form. Please go ahead.
David Grening: Todd, following-up on Byron’s question about — and your answer about this being the strongest hand you’ve probably brought to the Derby, how does expectations change for your, in the regard, say then, in 2019, I think you had two long shots — Cutting Humor and Spinoff?
Todd Pletcher: David, I think any time you have high hopes and high expectations comes added pressure and added intensity. Feel like we’ve able to have everything go really smoothly and so you just kind of hope that that continue to be the case and, hopefully, you lucky with the weather.
And then, you just want to have them prepared the very best you can. And — but yeah, there’s no doubt, when you feel like you’re bringing really legitimate contenders in, that your hopes are higher. And, along with that, comes added pressure.
David Grening: On a different note, you’ve brought in some horses, previously, with — that were lightly raced and there were probably some expectations for, say, maybe Verrazano, Charge It, Stanza, Magnanimous types that had three-for-four or three-for-three records. Kingsbarns sort of falls into that ground here.
What is he giving up — how much do you feel he’s giving up in seasoning? And is he — how do you feel that, maybe, he can overcome it, whereas maybe those other horse couldn’t?
Todd Pletcher: Yeah, I mean, I think the real key is he going to handle the track? And, I think, based on his first breezer of the track, I — it gave me added confidence. I think for example, Verrazano’s case, he did not handle the track, and that was a concern, watching him breeze over it, where he was kind of repeatedly bobbling and the track came up wet that day anyways and it just didn’t work out for him.
So I think, like I’ve said before, you can learn a lot from your Derby experiences, but you’re always bringing a new player to the game each year, so everyone’s going to handle it a little differently if they — one thing Kingsbarns has going in his favor is having that mile and 3/16 race under his belt. So got a lot of experience and education in his debut.
You just — in an ideal world, you’d have a little more seasoning into him, another start or two, but this is kind of the way it’s unfolded. And, based on the strength of that race, he certainly deserves an opportunity.
David Grening: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of John Clay from Lexington Herald Leader. Please go ahead.
John Clay: Yeah, Todd, you mentioned about always learning from your Derby experiences. Over the years, are there one or two things in particular that you’ve learned that are specific to the Kentucky Derby?
Todd Pletcher: I think a lot of it’s really just about the preparation and the — trying to stick to your program, stick to what’s been working for the horses, leading up to here. And then, I’d just state, kind of knowing when you want to breeze and what time you want to try and just familiarity with all the little, smaller things that go on — the walk-over to the paddock and the gathering and the mile shoot beforehand.
You’re just trying to, maybe, take advantaging of having been there before and kind of knowing the timing of how you want to set up for all that. It can be helpful having that experience. But like I said, each year, you’re bringing a different horse — what might work for one, on year, might not work for another one, the following year.
John Clay: And one more question, if I could — also, Brad Cox — it looks like he’s going to have multiple horses in this year’s Derby, as well. What do you think of the job that Brad has done, especially here in the last two or three years?
Todd Pletcher: I think Brad and his team have done a phenomenal job, not only this year, leading into the Derby and it looks like he’s going to have four in there, but what he’s done with his stable over the last 10 years, especially the last five years, has been phenomenal.
I mean, he’s got probably, arguably the — one of, if not the strongest ownership groups backing him, with horses for Juddmonte, Godolphin, and that — sounds easy, but sometimes managing a lot of accounts like that is difficult. And I think he and his team have done a terrific job of that.
John Clay: Great. Thanks, Todd. Good luck to you.
Todd Pletcher: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. Please continue.
Jim Gluckson: Todd, very much appreciate the time that you’ve taken today to answer the questions. And good luck to you and to your horses in the Kentucky Derby.
Todd Pletcher: Thanks, Jim. Appreciate it.
Jim Gluckson: Thank you. Todd Pletcher, everyone. Let’s move quick now to Brad Cox — trainer Brad Cox, who has four contenders in the Derby field — the probable Derby field in Kentucky, led by Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire; Blue Grass Stakes runner-up, Verifying; Wood Memorial runner-up, Hit Show; and third-place finisher in the Twin Spires Louisiana Derby, Jace’s Road. Brad, welcome to today’s call.
Brad Cox: Good afternoon, Jim. Thanks for having me on.
Jim Gluckson: Thank you. I think you’re a little pressed for time here, so just wanted to give you — give us an update on the work-out schedules for your four contenders.
Brad Dox: Right now, it could be as early as Friday. It does look like we’re going to get some rain on Friday, but it could also be Saturday, as well. So, listen, we’re just going to kind of watch — we’re definitely going to watch the weather and watch the racetrack and make a decision, kind of, I don’t want to say last minute, but we’ll just kind of watch how the racetrack and kind of go from there.
Jim Gluckson: All right. Well, let’s open it up to questions to the media, please. Ina, please go ahead and signal for one question, one comment, for our callers.
Operator: Thank you. Once again, if you wish to ask a question, please press * and 1 on your telephone keypad. Your question comes from the line of C.L. Brown from the Louisville Courier-Journal. Please go ahead.
C.L. Brown: Hi, Brad. I have kind of a broad question here. Just looking at how horse racing brings together so many people from so many different kind of cultures and backgrounds, what, do you — is the biggest challenge in putting together a championship kind of team, when the owner might be somebody from overseas, you might have a jockey that’s from Latin America? Like, just bring things together, so there’s nothing kind of lost in translation.
Brad Cox: Yeah, look, it’s a huge, international body of people. So, I mean, in regards to what we’ve been doing was, obviously, for my owners, I mean, it’s not as if the Derby’s the first — I’ve been dealing with them, on-and-off for years. So, it all kind of works itself out, obviously.
We have, I think, a couple French jockeys/owners, like you said, throughout the world, especially Verifying’s owners are mostly from Ireland and the U.K., so I definitely, — this is Louisville’s weekend or week, where the eyes are — of the world are definitely on Louisville.
C.L. Brown: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Byron King from BloodHorse. Please go ahead.
Byron King: Hi, Brad. I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to ask you — and this was something that I thought was interesting, the other day – (name in audible) was asking Bill Mott about how he felt about winning the Kentucky Derby with Country House via DQ and how it might feel differently if he were able to win it, outright, crossing the line first.
Wanted to get your perspective, since you’re kind of in a similar boat, having won it through, of course, with Mandaloun, but via DQ. What are your thoughts as you reflect back on that and what that experience was like? And for that matter, have you thought about how it might be different if you were successful in the first Saturday in May this year?
Brad Cox: Yeah, — it would totally be different. There was no experience of winning the Derby. I think that’s why we do it. I’ve said it several times. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the richest race in America. And we was fortunate to win that race a few years ago with Knicks Go. So, winning the Derby’s not about the money, really, when it comes to the purse or anything. You — it’s the thrill of the victory that you’re wanting to experience.
We, obviously — there’s no thrill in saying you won the Derby through a phone call that says you were placed first through DQ. That’s just not really something to get excited about, the way I see it. There’s no celebration. There is no post-race, win picture. I think, in Bill Mott’s case, it — their decision was made 20 minutes after the Derby, not six months or whenever.
So, totally different deal, and do look forward, hopefully, this year to winning it. I think we got some really good shots. And it would definitely be, like I said, the experience, I’m hopeful — and that we can experience it. And I’m sure it’d be a feeling like no other.
Byron King: I’m curious, too, if you’ve had any conversations with the (Gary and Mary) West’s? They’re kind of in a different spot, having been DQ’d with Maximum Security, of course. And, of course, you trained Hit Show for them. So, they got another crack at it.
Brad Cox: Yeah, for sure. And I think they got a really last (inaudible). I mean, this colt’s really doing well. I think he’s going to like the mile and 1/8 — I’m sorry, he’ll like the mile and a 1/4, and he’s performed it very well, sometimes going a mile a 1/8.
Now, I really have– I’ve not had a conversation with them about that. I know it’s a race that I’m sure they would like to win, so they cross the wire first. And they like to cross the wire first and stay up. And I think this is — I’m very excited for them.
They’re actually going to be here for the race. So, that shows that, obviously, they have interest and it’s a very big deal to them. And, hopefully, this horse can give them reason to be excited the first Saturday in May.
Byron King: Thank you, Brad.
Brad Cox: Thanks, Byron.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of David Grening. Please go ahead.
David Grening: Hi, Brad. Of the four horses that you do currently have in the body of the race, is there one or two that are you think you’re a little surprised that they are here? And conversely, are there some among the ones that you had nominated, that you’re, like surprised that you’re not preparing for the Derby?
Brad Cox: I guess, maybe, the one that I would say surprised us a little bit would be, maybe the way Angel of Empire’s really taken off. I’m really happy with the way he is training. If you had asked me back in November or December if I thought he was Derby horse, I would say, probably needs to do more. But guess what? He did do more.
And he got better the further he went. So – but once again, based off his – physical build, we always need a horse that would love two turns, and likes a mile and 1/8. He was able to win twice at the distance and another one — bet you he’d like the mile and 1/4, for sure.
So I guess, out of the group of four we have, he would be that one that I would say, if you’d asked me five months ago, he would be the one that I would, maybe, scratch my head about. Always liked Verifying. He was a horse that was able to get it done, going short, had enough speed to win, going short.
I like Hit Show, and was tremendous out the first time. He had enough speed to win going short. A little bit of an odd-run race that day. No pace, I think, going 7/8. And then, obviously, Jace’s Road was a horse that wasn’t going short, as well, first time.
So, those were more handy horse — handier horses, maybe they’re just a little quicker horses away from the gate, as well, as opposed to Jace’s (Road) — or, as opposed to Angel of Empire, maybe taking a little bit longer to come around, just based on his physical build and his pedigree and stuff.
David Grening: Okay. And would — I was wondering, since I got you — is there an update on Loggins? I mean, no one really came closer in the last time that — in the last several months, to getting to Forte than this horse. And, obviously, he went to the sidelines. Where are you with that horse?
Brad Cox: Right. He’s doing very, very well. He’s at Churchill galloping. I’m not sure exactly when he’ll return to the work tab, but he is galloping and basically, just a routine, regular gallop right now, and looks amazing, very happy.
He just came back in the first of the month, so we got a little ways to go — first part of April. So we do have a little ways to go with him, but I am very excited about what we’ve seen from him, in a short period of time.
David Grening: And one last thing, Instant Coffee, where do you stand with him, in terms of what you’d like to do, moving forward.
Brad Cox: We’re looking at the Preakness as a possibility with him. Thought about Pat Day Mile. Just don’t real — we just don’t — shorten him back up to one turn. But right now, it’s possible he could show up in the Preakness.
David Grening: Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Ron Flater from Horse Racing Nation. Please go ahead.
Ron Flater: Hey, Brad. You had mentioned, when everything was coming down, about — in the Medina Spirit, Mandaloun circumstance, that you would be in favor of pre-race testing for the Derby. And with that in mind, we were expecting to have the HISA medication rules in effect Monday, but they’re getting kicked down the road another three weeks.
What’s your feeling about the roll-out of HISA rules coming in here? And do you — are you optimistic that maybe they will meet your goal, if you want to characterize it as that, of having some pre-race testing for our biggest races?
Brad Cox: Yeah, I think it’s going to happen at some point. I don’t know if it’ll be next year, but I think it’s something that’s — I think trainers want it. I mean, I think you want to take your horse over there and what’s — and I mean, this was what we got, and you cleared everything you need to clear, and not phone calls two, three weeks later.
But listen, it’s just the way it is now. And — but I am optimistic that this will be something that HISA can — will make it — fast forward with the testing and can get it done in a quicker manner.
Ron Flater: Very good. Thank you. Thank you, Brad.
Brad Cox: Thanks, Ron.
Operator: Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. Please continue.
Jim Gluckson: All right. Well, thank you, very much, Brad. I appreciate the time that you gave us today. And again, best of luck to all your horses in the Kentucky Derby.
Brad Cox: Thanks, Jim. Talk to you soon.
Jim Gluckson: Thank you. Brad Cox, everyone. I’d like to move on now to Kate Hunter, who’s going to join us as the Asia representative for Churchill Downs at the Kentucky Derby, who’s been overseeing the workouts, the preparations for the Japanese contenders, Derma Sotogake and Continuar, for the Kentucky Derby.
Kate has worked around the world, on major races — the Breeders’ Cup and Saudi Cup, Dubai World Cup, and is very familiar with the Japanese horses and, most certainly, their recent success. Kate, Jim Gluckson here. How are you today?
Kate Hunter: Hi. I’m doing pretty well.
Jim Gluckson: Kate, we know that both of the horses had workouts just today. Can you comment on the workouts today at Churchill, from the two, Japanese contenders?
Kate Hunter: Yes. They breezed five furlongs together and in typical fashion. And Derma Sotogake finished very, very strongly. We’re very pleased with that. And Continuar also breezed very well. So, both of them seem to have come out of okay. We’re about ready to head to the barn right now, actually, and have a quick look at them and see them to lunch.
Jim Gluckson: All right. Well, Kate, can you comment about the great success the Japanese horses have recently done, especially on these — in these dirt races around the world?
Kate Hunter: Yeah, what’s been absolutely amazing to see is the Japanese willingness to take on dirt racing — and since the dirt surface in Japan is so different from Dubai from Saudi from America. And so it’s been really heartening to see them take up that challenge, because it is a true challenge, because the Japanese (surface) is deep, beach, triple-washed sand kind of thing.
So it’s a very different surface, altogether. And what they seem to have found success with, especially, is taking over some horses that have some turf experience. I think that, ultimately, the Japanese turf is probably closer to, like, American dirt, in firmness. So having some horses with dirt (and) turf results at some point in their career seems to be a recipe for dirt success.
Jim Gluckson: Very good. All right, Kate let’s see if we have any questions from the media on the line for Kate Hunter. Just one question, one comment, please.
Operator: Thank you. Once again, if you wish to ask a question, please press * and 1 on your telephone keypad. And your first question comes from the line of Beth Harris from Associated Press. Please go ahead.
Beth Harris: Oh, I think I was left over from the previous queue.
Jim Gluckson: Ina, I think we can go to our next questioner, please.
Operator: Yes, thank you. And your next question comes from the line of John Clay from Lexington Herald Leader. Please go ahead.
John Clay: Yes, I was wondering if you could comment on why it is important for Churchill Downs to have Japanese horses in the Kentucky Derby? And what do you think, if they have success here, what that might do for racing, as a whole?
Kate Hunter: Well, I think that racing is very much an international sport. So many countries around the world take part in not only American horse sales, but also their own racing industries are thriving all over the world, or they’re making the effort to make them thrive. And so, I firmly believe that the Kentucky Derby isn’t just America’s greatest race.
I think it can very easily be the world’s greatest dirt race, in a sense that if you see the success of the horses that have been to the Kentucky Derby, that have won the Kentucky Derby, all different countries they end up traveling to, as stallion prospects — I think it has a great impact on the whole world.
John Clay: Okay, thank you.
Kate Hunter: You’re welcome.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Robert Kieckhefer from United Press International. Please go ahead.
Robert Kieckhefer: Thank you very much, Kate. I wonder if you could comment on — a little bit more detail about the surface at Churchill Downs. You mentioned similarities, I mean, (inaudible). And you probably have more experience than just about anybody about differences of surfaces around the world. Could you just give us a feeling about how important that is and what the Churchill surface might mean for the Japanese horses?
Kate Hunter: Well, I think the Churchill surface, when — after discussing it with some of the Japanese, is a much firmer, dirt surface. For example, basically, these horses have gone to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and now, they’re here at Churchill. And one of the things that we’ve been able to do, with the same horse, is kind of see what the surfaces are like.
And it’s a much deeper, fluffier kind of dirt in Saudi Arabia than basically you’ve got, I guess, “mama bear” kind of Dubai, which was kind of a firmer surface, but not quite as firm as Churchill. So I’m not quite sure which one is going to be the Goldilocks surface. But when it comes to Derma Sotogake, he seems to prefer a little firmer ground. So, hopefully, that will spell out something quite good for him on Saturday.
Robert Kieckhefer: Okay. Thanks.
Our own Jonathan Stettin
Operator: Thank you. Once again, if you wish to ask a question, please press * and 1 on your telephone keypad. And your next question comes from the line of John Stettin from Past the Wire. Please go ahead.
John Stettin: I was wondering if you were at all — or how you reacted to Mandarin Hero not getting into the Derby after running so big in the Santa Anita Derby, and being further back on the points list than Skinner, who he beat in the Santa Anita Derby, and he has more earnings than?
So, the point system kind of worked a little bit against you. So was that very disappointing, because you, theoretically, could have had three Japanese horses in the Derby this year, as opposed to two?
Kate Hunter: True, though, Mandarin Hero shipped into Churchill Downs tomorrow and basically, he’s going to try and rich strike it, so don’t count him out just yet.
John Stettin: Okay. So, you haven’t given up hope yet.
Kate Hunter: No, absolutely not, sir. They have not given up hope. They are very — the trainer even came over here, out of Churchill Downs to spend two days to check everything out before sending his horse. So they’re really hopeful that they’ll be able to get in, because you never know. And it’s — they’d rather wait and see than give up, altogether.
But yeah, it is disappointing, because I thought it was a fantastic race. He ran spectacularly, so it is a shame that he won’t be able to get into — that he might not be able to get into the race. But there’s always the Preakness. There’s always hope at the end of the tunnel.
John Stettin: All right. Thanks. I appreciate it.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Beth Harris from Associated Press. Please go ahead.
Beth Harris: Hi, Kate. I was wondering if you could explain the background on this — the names of the two horses that are in the Derby?
Kate Hunter: Sure. Derma Sotogake — so Mr. (Hiroyuki) Asanuma uses the word Derma in front of all of his horses. It’s kind of like a prefix that he uses for everyone one of his race horses. And it’s short for dermatology, because he’s a dermatologist. He has a successful practice in Hokkaido.
And then, each year, he chooses a theme for naming his two-year-olds. And last year, it was sumo techniques. And Sotogake is a kind of leg behind your opponent trip move in sumo.
Beth Harris: And about for the other?
Kate Hunter: Continuar is a bit more tricky. So the — he’s owned by a racing club. And so, each racing club has their own way of kind of picking names for their horses. And they — so I’m not quite sure how they came about to choosing Continuar, unfortunately. So I apologize for that.
Beth Harris: Oh, okay, thank you.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of David Grening from Daily Racing Form. Please go ahead.
David Grening: Kate, I know you touched on this a little bit in one of your previous answers, but I was just wondering, when do you think the Derby became more of a target for some of the Japanese interests, and why?
Kate Hunter: Well, I think in a lot of ways, the Kentucky Derby is always on the mind of any horsemen with international ambitions. But I think with the establishment of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, I think that really kind of changed things. And with Lani’s try over here, coming over here and running in all three Triple Crown races, I’d say he probably was that lynch pin that kind of switched things on.
And then, having that road built in Japan, I think, also just kind opened their eyes. It also gave me a lot more ammo to promote the races with, so that there’s more awareness and can help kind of generate more interest, year-by-year. Because each year we’ve gotten more Triple Crown nominations than the year before. So, hopefully, that interest will keep growing. And if this isn’t the year, one of these years will be.
David Grening: And also, do you know when these two might work again?
Kate Hunter: It will kind of depend on the weather. We’re not quite sure, because it’s kind of looking like it might be kind of rainy this weekend. But, there will definitely be your typical Japanese breeze, either Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
David Grening: Perfect. Thank you, very much.
Kate Hunter: You’re welcome.
Jim Gluckson: Kate, thank you very much for your time today. Kate Hunter, I really appreciate you doing this. We all appreciate your work that you’ve done over — throughout the years, with the Japanese horses, and especially here at the Kentucky Derby. And, of course, best of luck to the horses in the races. And, I know you got to run and have a great day.
Kate Hunter: All right. Thank you so much, Jim. Talk to you later.
Jim Gluckson: Sure, Kate. Bye-bye now. All right now, let’s go next to Tim Yakteen, out in California. Tim, of course, trains Practical Move and Reincarnate. San Felipe Stakes winner and coming back and gutting out a terrific performance, to win the Santa Anita Derby, the only horse that has — 100-buyer speed figures coming into the Kentucky Derby. Tim, good morning. How are you today?
Tim Yakteen: I’m good. Thank you.
Jim Gluckson: Good. Jim Gluckson, here. Thank you — thanks for joining us, Tim. Just give us an update on what Practical Move and Reincarnate did today, and the workout schedules and shipping for both your horses, please.
Tim Yakteen: So, we are — today, both horses just galloped — very routine. And everything very straight forward. We plan on shipping on Saturday, the 29th.
Jim Gluckson: All right. So we’ll — will ship on that day. Tim, I just wanted to touch, again, on the performances. Gritty performances by Practical Move, especially here, coming into the Santa Anita Derby, winning it along the rail this time.
But you’ve indicated that this horse has a terrific killer instinct and you think that that he’s a versatile horse and he can win from different places on the race track. Can you elaborate on that, please?
Tim Yakteen: Well, I think, basically, if you just look at his form, sure, he’s has the rail trip in his past three efforts, which have all led to winning efforts. But I — I feel that it — it’s actually an advantage that your horse is comfortable down on the inside, and doesn’t need the outside.
But I don’t feel that he would have any challenges running on the outside. It’s just how the races came together.
Jim Gluckson: All right. And, just, if you could, comment, if you would, about Reincarnate and his last effort in the previous race, and how you came out of that?
Tim Yakteen: So, when he ran in the Rebel and he showed us another dimension, and it was a sloppy race track. We didn’t get away from there clean. And that day, he came from way out of it. And at one point in the race, I didn’t know if he would actually engage or not. And once Johnny (Velazquez) got him in the clear, the horse did engage and ran, I thought, a dynamite race, and was seen subsequently.
We came back April 1st, in the Arkansas Derby. He sat close to the pace, closer than he had in his previous race at Arkansas. And at the top of the stretch, he had sort of looked like he had leveled off and was just sort of going to, possibly, not even hit the board, but yet he continued to carry that momentum and continued with that pace, which led to him — his third-place finish.
I think both of those efforts were great learning experiences for my team, for Johnny, to get an understanding of what this horse — that this horse, he doesn’t have a bottom right now that he can keep giving it to you. And it’s just a matter of picking and having the opportunity to have the ideal spot for him. And a mile and ¼ — is that in his wheelhouse? — I think it should be well within his wheelhouse.
Jim Gluckson: All right. Well, Tim, thank you. Let’s see if we have any questions from the media this morning for you. Hold on one second.
Operator: Thank you. Once again, should have a questions, please press * and 1 on your telephone keypad. And your first question comes from the line of Beth Harris from Associated Press. Please go ahead.
Beth Harris: Hi, Tim. Wanted to ask you, HISA’s medication and drug testing program has currently been pushed back, yet again, so it’s not going to come into play for the Derby or the Preakness. But I’m wondering what’s your level of trust and confidence, going into the start of it, when it finally kicks in sometime next month?
Tim Yakteen: As a horseman, we need to abide by the guidelines that are set forth. Currently, every state has its own guidelines. So, once HISA does come in place, I think we’ll have some uniform guidelines and we’ll work to stay within those guidelines. And that’s what a big part of our job is, is to maintain within the guidelines set forth by the jurisdiction that we’re competing under.
Beth Harris: Do you see where it might make your life easier in any way? Todd Pletcher was saying it labor intensive it’s going to be.
Tim Yakteen: Here in California, we’re, I guess I’m trying to figure out the best to find it. I don’t see it really changing a whole bunch, on my end. We have already been — my team has already been working under the assumption that we’re under the HISA program. Obviously, we’re adhering to the current California bylaws. But we are staying current with the HISA program, as well.
Beth Harris: Okay. Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of John Clay from Lexington Herald Leader. Please go ahead.
John Clay: Yes, Tim, obviously, you’re in a different situation than you were last year at the Derby. I was just wondering, what does it mean to you to have a horse like Practical Move make the Derby and be in such a good position going into the race?
Tim Yakteen: Both of my horses are training super, and to have a second opportunity to run in the Kentucky Derby, I mean, I feel exceptionally fortunate. So, I’m — to answer your question, I feel very fortunate. I’m very happy for my team, my clients that have supported me. So, that’s how I feel.
John Clay: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. Once again, should have a question, please press * and 1 on your telephone keypad. There are no further questions at this time. Please continue.
Jim Gluckson: All right. Hold on. I think, maybe, you got one more just popped in, Ina.
Operator: Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of David Grening from Daily Racing Form. Please go ahead.
David Grening: Hey, Tim. With Practical Move, and how much do you feel he’s advanced from, say, earlier, when he was sprinting and, maybe, getting of a little slow? I know he still has some issues with the gate. But how do you feel he’s advanced? And any concerns about him getting out of the gate properly in the 20-horse field?
Tim Yakteen: Well, — to answer the first part of your question, as he’s gotten older, he’s always been a big horse. He’s learned how to use himself. I think he’s always shown and demonstrated the raw ability that we’re seeing today.
And as he’s matured, he’s now become more efficient at using himself and developed that desire to win and compete. So, in regards to leaving the starting gates, he can leave the gates. Ramon (Vazquez) knows him very well now. He’s been on him.
And, I would say the gate is not a concern for him, with any of my horses. The gate is always a concern, especially when you’re going into a 20-horse field. You want to make sure your horse is up in his position leaving there, so it’s definitely always on a trainer’s mind. You just want that — their clean start.
David Grening: Fair enough. And I assume that they’re leaving Saturday to try and get a work in on Friday?
Tim Yakteen: Yeah, that’s correct. So, we’re going to be working on Friday, and leave on Saturday. So we dearly miss our Tex Sutton charter flight that we used to have years ago. It’s really challenged the horsemen and the opportunity to get in and — into a location in a timely fashion.
Hopefully, one of these days, we’ll get our plane back. We were, at the time when it existed, I think we sort of took it for granted and we have subsequently learned that shipping with FedEx is our only choice. And I wouldn’t be leaving on Saturday, I’d be leaving on Sunday, but there’s eight hours difference of travel time if I left on Sunday versus leaving on Saturday. And so, for a little bit of enlightening — enlightenment there.
David Grening: I wish I could buy a plane for you. Thanks, Tim.
Operator: Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. Please continue.
Jim Gluckson: All right. Very good. Tim, thanks so much for joining us today, for this segment, to answer questions. And best of luck to your horses in the Kentucky Derby.
Tim Yakteen: Well, thanks for having me on, Jim. Take care.
Jim Gluckson: You got it. All right. Tim Yakteen, everyone. Thank you. This concludes our call for today, our first of the NTRA media teleconferences for the Triple Crown races. We will have — continue on with the next two calls, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, and we’ll have information on those coming up.
The following Thursday after the Kentucky Derby will be the call for the Preakness Stakes. Thanks to all our guests today, Tom Rooney, Tim Yakteen, Todd Pletcher, Brad Cox, and Kate Hunter. And again, a transcript and an audio replay of this call will be available within the next 24 hours on ntra.com.
And thanks to Megan Rogers of NTRA, for her help today, as well. So have a good day, everyone.
Operator: Thank you. That does conclude our conference for today. Thank you all for participating. You may now disconnect.
