April 9, 2019
Arkansas Derby, Apple Blossom Handicap Preview
Guests
- Jon Court, jockey, Long Range Toddy
- Jeff Bloom, owner, Midnight Bisou
- Richard Mandella, trainer, Omaha Beach
Full transcript (Note: Transcript has not been edited)
P R E S E N T A T I O N
Operator:
Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the NTRA Road to the Triple Crown Conference Call. At this time, all participants are on a listen-only mode. Following the presentation, we will conduct a question-and-answer session. At that time, participants are asked to press star one to register for a question. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. And it is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Ms. Alicia Hughes. Ms. Hughes, please go ahead.
Alicia Hughes:
Thank you, Vicki[?]. And welcome everyone to this week’s NTRA teleconference on this year’s Road to the Triple Crown. This week we’ve got three scheduled guests to catch up with in advance of the last weekend of major prep races on the road to the Kentucky Derby. This Saturday features the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, which is the final 100-point qualifier towards the first Saturday in May.
And Sunday’s card in Hot Springs has older Fillies and Mares in the spotlight in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap. One of the best stories that has emerged in this parody-filled prep season so far has been that of veteran jockey Jon Court. Court who’s long been one of the classiest members in the jocks room delivered a picture-perfect ride on Long Range Toddy to capture the first division of the Rebel Stakes at 16th March over Improbable.
Court who has had three prior mounts in the derby is aiming to lock down his fourth star in the Classic when he guides Long Range Toddy again this weekend in the Arkansas Derby. Jon, thank you so much for joining us today.
Jon Court:
Well, thank you, Alicia.
Alicia Hughes:
Now the Rebel Stakes mark the first time that you had been aboard Long Range Toddy. What did Steve Asmussen kind of tell you about him going in and how did it compare to the feeling that he gave you in that race?
Jon Court:
Well, we just kind of reiterated on some of the conversations we had when I worked the horse one morning and over basically his style of running, and the way he would cooperate that he was a kind horse. And there wasn’t a lot to be said. But the pressure was there that we need to go out there and win this race. And that’s what we did. And what I felt was I was delighted that I beat Baffert on Improbable. And at the same time, I knew I secured a position for Long Range Toddy in the Kentucky Derby. But yet, we still had another event to go through, the Arkansas Derby. So, here we are.
Alicia Hughes:
Yeah, the good folks at Churchill Downs tell me that you are set to become at age 58 the oldest jockey to ever ride in the derby. We obviously, we have seen jockeys like Mike Smith who at his age riding as well as he ever has in his storied career. What do you think has been the key not just for you personally for your longevity, but being able to kind of perform at the highest levels at a time when maybe some people think you should be in the twilight of your career?
Jon Court:
Yeah, I’ve come across this subject matter a lot. I think I’ve been blessed. I’ve been fortunate to have the gift to do and the talent to be able to participate on a regular basis. I am taking care of myself. And I’ve been very as I said blessed that I can compete at this level and win races and at the top category, this type of caliber horses. So, it’s awesome.
Alicia Hughes:
Thanks Jon. And I will now throw it back to Vicki to see if we have any questions from our media.
Operator:
Thank you. If you would like to ask a question, please signal by pressing star one on your telephone keypad. If you’re using a speakerphone, please make sure your mute function is turned off to allow your signal to reach our equipment. Again, press star one to ask a question. And we’ll pause for just a moment to allow everyone an opportunity to signal for questions. And we’ll go first to Art Wilson with Southern California News Group.
Art Wilson:
Yes Jon, what is it about Long Range Toddy that makes you think you’d be successful at the mile and a quarter, the derby?
Jon Court:
Well, I believe his blood lines indicate that he can go further. And the intelligent level, the first time I swung a leg over, after I had been told he was kind and intelligent. That impressed me. And then after working him, I realized he had the talent that it would take to be running at the caliber level he’s racing at.
Art Wilson:
Right.
Jon Court:
And also –
Art Wilson:
Right, that does. Also, I’m curious, you rode out in California for quite a while. And California may be moving toward a no whip rule. Being a rider, what’s your opinion on that?
Jon Court:
Well, I’m an old-school guy. And I believe that a horse should have the whip. I don’t think it should be abused. I think it’s way overrated that it is abusive because they’re very equine-friendly. And second of all, if you were to watch the Santa Anita Derby, if they’d had no whips, I think you would have seen a totally different race there, and probably considerably boring in my opinion. And I just think the whips are already regulated. But I think there’s a large majority of people out there feel like that it’s abusive. And I just don’t share that opinion with them.
Art Wilson:
Right, okay, thanks. Best of luck to you, Jon.
Jon Court:
I will say that they have no whips in Norway. And I have watched some of these no whip races. And I find them to be something that is not entertaining to me. And I’m always, always since I was a child fascinated with horse racing.
Art Wilson:
Would you be in some things – would you be in favor of something similar to an international rule?
Jon Court:
I can’t say. I’d have to look more at the details and see where the favor would fall with that. I couldn’t agree to anything like that. This is too wide open.
Art Wilson:
Right. Okay, thanks. Good luck to you, Jon.
Jon Court:
Thank you very much, Art.
Operator:
Again, press star one to ask a question. And we’ll go next to Tom Jicha with Horse Race Insider.
Tom Jicha:
Yeah. Hi, Jon. I’d like to just pick up on something you just said. Without the whips you said last week and the Santa Anita Derby would have been a totally different race. In what way?
Jon Court:
I just think the horses would have lined up differently and got around there. And I don’t think that the winner will necessarily under the perfect persuasion effort of Mike Smith would have necessarily got up in time. And that’s my opinion.
Tom Jicha:
Fine, that’s just what I – I just wanted to hear that. Thank you.
Operator:
Again, press star one to ask a question. And we have no further questions at this time.
Alicia Hughes:
Jon, before we let you go, I just had a couple of other quick questions for you. All three of your derby mounts have come within the last eight years of your career obviously starting with Archarcharch in 2011. Was there ever a point in your career prior to that where you wondered if it was going to happen for you to ever get a start in that race, or were you always kind of quietly confident that if you just stayed the course that you would finally one day have your derby starter?
Jon Court:
Well, I would say I was quietly confident. Because as long as I’m healthy and able to compete at the level and have the visitation to the winner’s circle and have the opportunity to ride these big races, I felt the dream was always still alive. Even though I know as well as anyone that my age comes into play for a lot of people, but it doesn’t come into play as much for me as much as it does to other people because I do hear that subject matter about my age quite regularly.
Alicia Hughes:
Well, I know I said you keep yourself in extremely great shape. You ride motorcycles and all of that too. Have you set a timetable for yourself at all of how long you want to keep riding or is it just as long as it feels good and as long as you are doing well you’re going to keep going?
Jon Court:
Yeah, as long as it feels good and I’m doing well, I’ll keep going. I hope I cannot be forced out of the game by injury or some other circumstances. Some of the subject matter that seems to come up regularly as it just did on this show, I’ve been in this game for over 40 years. I am working past through my over 38 years of racing on a professional level. And I know there’s changes coming. But even with the changes, I’d still like to be able to enjoy this industry as much as I have loved it, and be able to step down gracefully at my timing.
Alicia Hughes:
Yeah, is there anything from your past rides, from your past derby experience that you kind of take it forward, looking forward potentially to this year?
Jon Court:
Well, I’ll tell you one thing I learned from the past is sometimes the predictable never will happen. And then yet it sometimes, some things are executed textbook style. So, you just got to be prepared. Never underestimate your opposition. And be – as I said, prepare sober – sound mind and physically fit and then just apply yourself. Let’s do it.
Alicia Hughes:
Sounds good, Jon. As I said, I appreciate your time. As always, continue and best of luck with everything. And as I said, we look looking forward to seeing you deliver another top prize this weekend.
Jon Court:
Well, thank you Alicia. I appreciate that.
Operator:
I do apologize, Alicia. We do have another question in queue.
Alicia Hughes:
Oh perfect, go ahead.
Operator:
It’s come from Rich Rosenblatt with US Racing.
Rich Rosenblatt:
Hi, Jon.
Jon Court:
Hello, Rich.
Rich Rosenblatt:
I just wanted to ask you, with all the years that you’ve been riding, have you ever gotten to the point where you are on a contender – and I don’t know, maybe because trainers or owners want it to go a different way, you had a chance there – you rode a contender and then did not ride the derby?
Jon Court:
Absolutely. I’ve seen many horses roll right into the Kentucky Derby and had another rider on it. And for whatever reasons, I have experienced that on several different occasions. So, it’s okay. I mean it was painful the first time or two it happened. And, of course, I don’t like it. But I’m okay if something happens like that, I’m seasoned enough with the experience of knowing that that’s part of the game. And that’s when I signed on for this that that’s a possibility.
Rich Rosenblatt:
What was the first horse, do you mind recalling?
Jon Court:
Optimizer.
Rich Rosenblatt:
Right, okay. And was that one of your bigger disappointments until you just kind of got used to – you know the way the game –
Jon Court:
Oh, first horse I was taken off? Oh, first horse I was taken off of, oh heck.
Rich Rosenblatt: Yes.
Jon Court:
I don’t necessarily – I’d have to sit down now and hit the rolodex. Hit the rolodex because I’m usually good. I put that stuff out of my mind. And I remember some of the good things. And there’s a lot of things I should remember but I don’t remember. So, if it’s significant, I can recall, but I can’t remember the first horse. And I really not like to go over some of the most recent horses. But I did enjoy Line of David and Bejarano rode the horse. He’s on Lion Heart and he beat Super Saver. If you could watch that race, Super Saver gets by me and then I come back and nailed him at the wire. And Super Saver went on to win the Kentucky Derby. But that was an exciting experience. And that one, I kind of knew going in that I might not be able to get to ride him. But at least I got to swing a leg over him and win the Arkansas Derby. And I just know that there was a big following in a Facebook page about keeping me on the horse. And I just really want to squelch that because I knew and understood. But the general public were pulling for me and that was really nice on their part that I had such a strong fan base, that they’d put up a Facebook page and a lot of people commented.
And they were sharing quite a bit of their emotional opinions which I was, as I said, trying to keep quiet and keep people cooled out. They are like, ‘How are you taking this so good?’ I was like, ‘Well I’ve been here before.’ I can laugh about it. And I like that karma[?], to keep the karma go on.
Rich Rosenblatt:
Good, thank you very much. Yeah, thank you very much. And best of luck to you on Saturday.
Jon Court:
Yeah, thank you.
Operator:
And we have no further questions at this time.
Alicia Hughes:
Jon, once again, I want to thank you again for taking the time out to come on and speak with us today. Like I said, you are a class act as always. It’s been a pleasure to have you on. And like I said, we will be watching for you this weekend, so hopefully [inaudible] continue best of luck.
Jon Court:
Okay, my pleasure. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Alicia Hughes:
Thanks again, Jon.
Jon Court:
All right, bye-bye.
Alicia Hughes:
And next up we’re going to go to owner, Jeff Bloom, a man who has enjoyed success in all corners of this industry from his time as a jockey to serving as racing manager to marketing and media relations consultant and even broadcaster. This weekend, the managing director of Bloom Racing will be cheering on his multiple Grade 1 winner Midnight Bisou when she heads up another Salty[?] field in this weekend’s Apple Blossom Handicap.
Midnight Bisou is coming off a win in the Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn where she had a great field that included fellow Grade 1 Elate and champion sprinter Shamrock Rose last time out. Jeff, thank you for being on our call this afternoon.
Jeff Bloom:
Thank you for having me.
Alicia Hughes:
Yeah, after the Azeri [inaudible] said that Midnight Bisou proved her quality that [inaudible]. Given some of the tough beats that she had during her sophomore year, how satisfying was it and how special was it to see her really take that next step as an older filly now?
Jeff Bloom:
Well, it’s always nice to come into their four-year-old campaign and see them developing and continue to be stronger and better. She had such a remarkable run as a three-year-old, and so we expected to see her move forward. But you never really know until you start the season off. And as you said, the field that was assembled for the Azeri, you just don’t expect to have three other Grade 1 winners in a race like that.
So, for her to come out on top and to perform the way she did was definitely gratifying. And she’s just such a lovely filly that continues to do everything you ask of her. And it’s incredibly exciting to see that she’s actually seeming to get better and stronger.
Alicia Hughes:
Well, yeah, to touch on that again, like you said, she’s always been – she’s such a hard-trying filly. She always shows up. She never runs a bad race. She always trains well. But was Steve telling you that he was seeing anything, any kind of changes in her or any kind of tangible differences that let him know that she was indeed getting better now as she gets her four-year-old season underway?
Jeff Bloom:
Yeah, Steve’s a real fan of the filly as are we. And he had continued to communicate how impressed he had been with her after coming out of the Breeders’ Cup. And we gave her just that little bit of a breather. But he said when we really started to kick it into overdrive with her to get her ready to start the year off, she was just exhibiting a different level of confidence in the way that she carries herself, in the way that she was training.
And so, to see that transfer over onto the racetrack during the race, it’s just such a nice thing. And Steve had been – Steve and his entire team had been just really high on how she had been training. And so, you hope that that just continues on. And she’s – we say this, but she’s one of those horses that really does enjoy her job. She loves to go out there and train. And the way that she puts herself in races and fights off the competition, just it becomes quite apparent how much she enjoys her job when you see her doing that.
Alicia Hughes:
Yeah, absolutely, right. She’s a tough girl and I think she shows up every single time and always – as I said, she would always give just a great effort there. So, Jeff, like I said, we’re going to pause now and throw it back to Vicki and see if we have any questions in the queue from the media.
Operator:
Again, press star one to ask a question. And we’ll go first to Art Wilson with Southern California News Group.
Art Wilson:
Yes, Jeff. You’ve had some really good horses obviously. Any of them that come to mind that have been as consistent as Midnight Bisou?
Jeff Bloom:
One of my first horses Majestic City was a horse that definitely showed up every time you let him over there. And he had – he was another horse that had some real tough beats, some close misses that you just felt like he was so close to really cross and over. But in terms of a horse that just has that level of consistency, I mean she’s certainly at the top of the list. But I’d have to look back to Majestic City as one that I would put fairly close in terms of just that ability to just be there every time and show up.
Art Wilson:
Other than, obviously, the fact that she can run fast, to make a horse that consistent, are there any intangibles that they need to have?
Jeff Bloom:
Yeah, it’s one of those things that you look when you’re trying to identify these horses and bring them into your stable, what are the attributes that make a horse be a good horse. And so, there are certain things that you just can’t identify or I guess train into them. And the really good horses have it. But in terms of what makes her so special, I mean it’s just – she’s got such an incredible mind and presence about her.
She’s a pleasure to be around, around the barn area. Nothing really fazes her. But then she’s a real tiger when she gets out there on the racetrack. And she knows when to rein it in. And so, all those other pieces about what the pedigree is and how they’re put together, all the pieces with Midnight Bisou just really fits the right way both the mental aspect and the physical attributes. And she just – it’s just one of those things about her desire and her ability to go out there and constantly perform at that level. And again, I can’t stress enough the incredible job Steve and his entire team had done to continue to keep her at this level and actually getting her to get even better than she was coming into this year.
Art Wilson:
Right, right. And my final question Jeff, I got some thoughts from Jon Court on this. I wanted to ask you since you’ve had a huge presence in California and you’re a former jockey yourself, what are your thoughts on California possibly moving to the no whip rule?
Jeff Bloom:
I’m not a fan. I don’t think it’s a good idea for a number of different reasons. I do think it’s important to police and in particular have some oversight in terms of preventing the abuse or overuse of the whip. But for a number of reasons, I think it’s incredibly important for jockeys to have the whip as a tool, to not only be able to prevent certain situations from happening during the course of the race but to also be able to have that tool available to them should a situation arise where they need to be able to get the horse to react in a situation that other horses are doing certain things.
So, I think with the safety whips or the new poppers that they’ve implemented on the whips that they have today, it’s more the use of a tool that really isn’t causing any harm or pain to horses, more just the actual popping sound and the visibility of the whip in those situations. So, I mean I personally think it’s a big mistake to experiment with the no whip. And I don’t imagine that that will be something that will be in favor of many of the riders.
Again, I do think it’s of course always important to make sure that you’re monitoring all those different aspects of the welfare of the horses and making sure that riders aren’t taking advantage of situations. But I think the whip is just an important tool and it’s part of the actual act of the race and the actions that go on during the course of the race.
Art Wilson:
Okay, thanks for your thoughts, Jeff.
Jeff Bloom: Sure.
Operator:
Again, press star one to ask a question. And we’ll go next to Tom Jicha with Horse Race Insider.
Tom Jicha:
Yeah, Jeff; would – your horse and your filly and Monomoy Girl are developing into quite a rivalry last year. I know she has issues right now. As a competitor, can you wait to take her on in this season or would you rather just go your own way and let it happen in the Breeders’ Cup?
Jeff Bloom:
Well, look, it’s always nice when you can find yourself in a situation where you have less competition. But interestingly enough, this year I was really looking forward to having that match up. And we really feel as though that our filly is in a position to turn the table so to speak. And we definitely were looking forward to that opportunity.
And it’s good for racing. I mean it really is a good thing to have those rivalries. And it’s funny how it goes sometimes. We’ve all seen it through the course of racing history where certain years you have two or three really phenomenal race horses that just happen to be born the same year. So, hopefully for racing and for the connections of Monomoy Girl, she finds her way back to the races and we get a chance to compete against her and show that we can beat her and we’ll see how it all plays out. But it’s out of our control. And in the meantime, there’s plenty of other good older fillies and mares out there that we’re going to have to run against. And one thing I’ve learned is they don’t just give them away to you. So, you’ve got to go out there and do your job and we’ll see if we meet up with her at the latter part of the year.
Tom Jicha:
Do you have any particular races which you’ll be pointing for after Saturday?
Jeff Bloom:
So, when we came into this current season, when Steve and I talked about it, the Apple Blossom was our target for getting things started. As soon as this race gets done, we’ll sit down and talk about what our roadmap is. Working back from of course the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year. In terms of specific races getting to the Breeders’ Cup, we haven’t really sat down and organized that map yet. But I can assure you, once we get through the race this weekend, that will be the first we’re going to be doing.
Tom Jicha:
Thank you.
Jeff Bloom:
Thank you.
Operator:
Again, press star one. And we have no more questions at this time.
Alicia Hughes:
Jeff, before we let you go, I just wanted to kind of ask you. I know with Midnight Bisou, this is a filly that you purchased for 80000 out of the OBS April Sale. At the time, what was it about her that kind of struck you at the sale and how soon is this that she kind of start displaying[?] that she had that sort of exceptional quality to her?
Jeff Bloom:
Yeah, so there were – there’s a lot of things that go into the selection process. But with Midnight Bisou, in terms of what caught my eye, a lot of it had to do with her overall presence on the racetrack. Because if you look at her breeze, when you talk about the Breeze Show and how horses perform, it wasn’t like she had an eye-popping fizzling type of catch-your-eye breeze, other than the fact that I thought she really handled herself well on the track before, during. And after and more so than the breeze itself was the way that she galloped out and continued to present herself. And she really leveled out nicely. And once she got through the initial part of the breeze, to me that’s when she looked comfortable. She looked like a horse that was going to want to really handle two turns.
And then in addition to that, when I’m looking at horses I try to see them as much as I can before they go through their Breeze Show, and then more importantly after. And the way she handled herself – and some horses react in a bad way going through that exercise – and to me she was just the opposite. She relished it and just really embraced the situation, going through the process of being shown. And she had or has just a wonderful balance to her, the way that she’s put together. So, you hope that when you see all that, it all combines to make for a success on the racetrack. And, obviously, it worked out for us.
Alicia Hughes:
Yes, as I said, she had certainly held up her end of the bargain there. So, like I said, well, Jeff [inaudible]. Thank you so much for taking the time out to come on and speaking with us today. And like I said, please continue and best of luck with your entire stable and here’s hoping for more great results this weekend.
Jeff Bloom:
Well, thank you so much. It’s much appreciated.
Alicia Hughes:
Thanks again, Jeff.
Jeff Bloom:
Bye-bye.
Alicia Hughes:
And last but not least, certainly we are going to check in with Hall of Fame Trainer Richard Mandella who was the likely favorite for the Arkansas Derby in Omaha Beach. After breaking his lead in a fifth try, the son of War Front stepped up in quite a big way when he defeated champion Game Winner by a nose in the second division of the Rebel Stakes. And he has continued to impress with back-to-back filly workouts since that break out win. Richard, thank you so much for coming on the call today.
Richard Mandella:
It’s my pleasure.
Alicia Hughes:
So, I understand you’re walking him as we speak, is that right?
Richard Mandella:
Yeah [inaudible]. I tried to get Larry Jones to walk him, but he only gave him five rounds to quit.
Alicia Hughes:
Oh Larry, he should know better than that right there. So, like I said, we’ll start with the obvious since he is obviously arrived there. How does he look to you right now now that he’s on the ground in Oaklawn?
Richard Mandella:
It looks like he traveled really well. Everything’s good.
Alicia Hughes:
Okay. And I know that this is a horse you started off his career on grass which is not surprising with him son of the War Front. And he had some really decent runs there. What exactly was the catalyst behind you guys ultimately making the decision to go ahead and try him on the dirt?
Richard Mandella:
Well, he finally said to me after his last grass race, ‘Boss, you ought to run on the grass, not me.’
Alicia Hughes:
So, I mean when you him under – I mean did you see a noticeable difference between his action there on dirt as compared to turf that really kind of told you that this is really how it’s going to be?
Richard Mandella:
Yeah, he just – when he was getting ready for his first start, he was a good workhorse but not a show off. And we were just adding War Front had been so good on the turf, I just thought it might be a good way to start. And he ran well. So, I tried it again and he ran well. So, I tried it again. If you beat me in the head enough times, I finally get it.
Alicia Hughes:
And obviously, the fact that you put him in the Rebel off of a maiden win speaks to how highly that you thought – you thought[?] of him, the confidence that you had in him. When you saw Game Winner kind of range up to him at that quarter pole, were you concerned at all about your horse having enough seasoning and experience that he’s got to be able to turn him back the way he did?
Richard Mandella:
Oh never, I was fully confident we’re going to win that race. I am just kidding. It scared me to death at the eighth pole when it looked like Game Winner was the dominant horse. And then my horse just looked at him and dug back and beat him, so I couldn’t have been more proud.
Alicia Hughes:
Yeah, and like I said, certainly just by seeing the work [inaudible], it looks like he’s continued to kind of grown since then; it looks like he got some really, really impressive work since.
Richard Mandella:
Yes. And he – once he got serious about running, his works have always been like a first-class horse. So, it’s not a surprise to us that he’s that good. Probably the concern I have that someday somebody will say how did I get him beat so many times.
Alicia Hughes:
Yeah. Well, like I said, Richard we’ll pause now and throw it back to Vicki and see if she has any questions through the media for you.
Richard Mandella:
Okay.
Operator:
Again, that is star one to ask a question. And we’ll go first to Art Wilson with Southern California News Group.
Art Wilson:
Hi, Richard. None of us know – trainers, jockeys, fans – know if a horse can go a mile and a quarter until they actually do it. But what in your mind makes you think that Omaha Beach could get a mile and a quarter?
Richard Mandella:
Well, they can all get a mile and a quarter. It’s just a matter of time.
Art Wilson:
Okay.
Richard Mandella:
He’s so kind and smart, I think he’d do kind of whatever we ask him now that he’s a professional racehorse.
Art Wilson:
And what, I’m sure you’ve seen some of the other three-year-olds run this year in your own backyards, Santa Anita around the country. What are your thoughts – anybody up there has stepped up and maybe caught your eye?
Rich Rosenblatt:
The colt that won the Santa Anita Derby was very impressive the other day, and Game Winner still ran a good race. Third time back in the derby, it might be his best race. So, there’s plenty of competition out there. And we’re worried about all of them, but I wouldn’t trade with anybody.
Art Wilson:
Right. Okay, that’s so I like you, Richard.
Richard Mandella:
Oh, thank you. Okay.
Operator:
Again, press star one to ask a question. We’ll go next to Alan Carasso with TDN.
Alan Carasso:
Hey, Richard how are you today?
Richard Mandella:
Good. How are you?
Alan Carasso:
I am good. I am a fan of yours back in the [inaudible]. I was at Arlington[?] Park in the morning, so it’s great to speak with you. It’s been 15 years since you’ve been to Churchill for the derby. You’re not the kind of guy that points a horse necessarily. You are more the kind of guy that lets the horse take you there. But to be able to be in this opportunity to get back to the derby, how did that feel for you?
Richard Mandella:
I’m sorry. I’m shaking a little bit out top of here. Sorry, say it again.
Alan Carasso:
Right. It’s been 15 years since you’ve made the derby. And you’re the kind of guy that lets the horse get you there and just look at the [inaudible] to get back to the [inaudible].
Richard Mandella:
Yeah, well the 15 years is significant. That’s the time they gave me when they told me the last time I came don’t come back again for 15 years. So, the time’s up and I’m back.
Alan Carasso:
And your relationship with Mr. Porter, you trained Vallaboly[?] for him a few years ago. How many horses exactly do you have for him?
Richard Mandella:
I think we’ve got four.
Alan Carasso:
And can you explain the jockey shifting for the Rebel? Mike was on [inaudible] Gray and Flavien had been running your horse. But Flavien was on Gunmetal Gray [inaudible]. How did that come to pass that Mike Roger[?] horse that day?
Richard Mandella:
I am having a little trouble understanding you. But I think you asked about the rider change into the Rebel?
Alan Carasso:
Yes, I’m sorry.
Richard Mandella:
Yes, Flavien Prat had committed to the Rebel to Jerry Hall Andover[?]. So, I had signed up Mike to ride him in the Rebel even before it split. So, this was going on. Obviously Mr. Porter likes Mike Smith very well. So, there was no second thought of what to do. And so, then we had the call going in. He was going to ride him no matter what.
Alan Carasso:
Got you. Okay. And I am a little bit under the weather with a cold. So, I apologize if you couldn’t understand that. And wish you the best of luck.
Richard Mandella:
Okay, thank you. Okay, thanks.
Operator:
Again, that is star one to ask a question. And we’ll go next to Tom Jicha with Horse Race Insider.
Tom Jicha:
Yeah, Richard you’re one of the most accomplished and influential people on the West Coast. What are your impressions about what’s going on out there now? What would you like to see happen? And it’s been a theme on this call today, what’s your feelings about the no whip rule?
Richard Mandella:
It will be an interesting experiment. I can sure see not over-whipping horses or whipping a horse that’s just stopping and out of gas. There’s no sense beating them up. I think adjustments are coming and probably should be. Going to zero is probably not going to satisfy the better – the betting public which is very important.
I’d hate to think of a guy having his last horse on the pick 6 nose and nose and the boy couldn’t do anything to help encourage it to cross the wire, what the guy might do. But it will all work out. I think it will be tried and hopefully adjustments made that will make the game better.
Tom Jicha:
Earlier on this call –
Richard Mandella:
But whatever they are, I am happy to work with. Okay.
Tom Jicha:
Yeah, earlier on this call Jon Court said that he thought that if there were no whips last Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby, the outcome would have been different particularly on the winner coming from as far back as he did. Do you have any feelings on that?
Richard Mandella:
I didn’t watch it with that in mind. It was a very good race. But again, it will be interesting to see the experiment, how it goes. Hopefully the betting public will be patient and ride it out a little bit.
Tom Jicha:
Okay, thank you very much.
Richard Mandella:
Yeah, saying that I don’t – maybe add just a little bit there. Saying that, it’s not – it’s a question being forced on us by the animal rights people. And then the government officials are – so, it’s not something we all just thought to do. But maybe there’s something good will come of it.
Tom Jicha:
Yeah. Well, I guess as long as you said that, I mean it is kind of being put – what are your feelings about people who look at those in racing which we know isn’t true that as if there’s going to – just totally indifferent to the horse. And I mean I know the love on the backstretch. And when I see that I know it. It annoys me. It’s got to infuriate someone like you who’s spend your life in the game?
Richard Mandella:
Yes. And my horses are my family. Just the same as most of the people that work for me, it’s our best friends, it’s our relatives. This is our life. And they mean the world to us. Saying that, there’s always going to be some bad apple in the bunch. It’s just the nature. You can’t help that. You do the best you can to weed them out. So, racing maybe needs to do a better job of showing the good in it rather than wait for the criticism and then trying to defend ourselves.
Tom Jicha:
Thank you very much.
Richard Mandella:
Okay.
Operator:
Again, press star one to ask a question. And we have no more questions at this time.
Alicia Hughes:
All right, Richard. I know you literally have your hands full there trying to get your horse ready for this weekend. But I do want to thank you again for taking the time out to come on to the call and speak with us and sharing your thoughts with everything.
Richard Mandella:
Okay. Sorry, I was a little late there.
Alicia Hughes:
Not a problem, Richard. Like I said –
Richard Mandella:
Okay. All right, thank you.
Alicia Hughes:
No problem. As I said, Richard, continue with best of luck with everything, and hopefully all goes well. We look forward to seeing you in [inaudible] a few weeks.
Richard Mandella:
Okay, thank you. Okay.
Alicia Hughes: Thanks again.
Richard Mandella:
Okay, bye.
Alicia Hughes:
And ladies and gentlemen, that will do it for this week’s NTRA National Media Teleconference. An audio file of this call will be up later today on ntra.com. And a full transcript will be available tomorrow. Once again, we would like to thank our guests, Jon Court, Jeff Bloom, and Richard Mandella. And thanks to you all for coming on today. We will be back on April 25th to preview the derby. And now back to our operator to wrap things up.
Operator:
That does conclude today’s conference. We thank you for your participation.
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