| Operator: | Good day ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the NTRA Road to the Triple Crown National Media Teleconference previewing the 2021 Belmont Stakes. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Following the presentation, we will conduct a question and answer session in which time instructions will be provided. For operator assistance during the call, please press star zero. I would now like to turn the meeting over to Mr. Jim Gluckson, please go ahead Mr. Gluckson. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Thank you, April. Thank you everyone for joining us today, good day, and welcome to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Road to the Triple Crown National Media Teleconference previewing the wonder of how 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes. The final leg of Thoroughbred Racing’s Triple Crown which will be held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York on Saturday June 5. The Belmont Stakes, the test of the champion, first run in 1867 will be turning this year to its usual one and a half miles distance after last year’s race was run at [1.8] miles due to schedule changes due to the COVID-19.
Due to the race, this year’s race will be broadcasted again on NBC and will be carried live on Horse Racing Radio Network. Today, we will be joined by three prominent trainers in the Belmont; Brad Cox for the Central Quality, Michael McCarthy for the Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer, and Doug O’Neill who trains a Kentucky Derby third place finisher Hot Rod Charlie. Today’s conference again will be recorded and placed with the audio track later on today on NTRA.com and the transcript of this call will also be posted tomorrow on the NTRA website. I’d like to begin our call with Brad Cox, the reigning – the Eclipse Award winning trainer who will join us first. Brad has what maybe considered to be the favorite and perhaps in the Belmont Stakes in the central quality. Brad, thanks for joining us today. |
| Brad Cox: | Hey, Jim how you doing? |
| Jim Gluckson: | Good, how are you? |
| Brad Cox: | Good thanks for having me. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Brad, since the Derby agrees the central quality two times, the second time being last Saturday sending him five furlongs and 59 4, how is this progress been since then and what are your final workout plans before the Belmont. |
| Brad Cox: | I [?] off the Derby, you know his weight is great, his energy level is great, you know just happy with everything we’ve seen post Derby, and obviously like you said he’s had two works, he had a fantastic work this past week and his first work was by himself, easy happened 50, did a little bit more within this past weekend, and responded well, and we’re looking to go a 58 with him on Saturday at Churchill and it falls well under the Belmont. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright now, based on the horses that we look to be in the race this year who could be more in the Belmont, it could be more forwardly placed such as Rock Your World and Hop Rod Charlie, what kind of pay set up are you looking for central quality. |
| Brad Cox: | You know somewhere close, ultimately it’ll be up to Louis, you know hopefully we draw well, and you know we can save some ground around those large turns there at Belmont, and you know somewhat in the mix you know maybe not on the lead obviously, but somewhere close would be an ideal trip, we will have to see the post position and who is running and exactly speed horses are actually in there, but you know maybe a similar set up that we had in the Derby without the ground loss I guess you would say would be ideal. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright, very good Brad. Now, it’s time to open up for questions from the media that’s on the line, so let’s go ahead and get into that section of our program. |
| Operator: | And ladies and gentlemen to ask a question that is star one on your telephone keypad. Again, that is star one to ask a question.
And your first question comes from the line of Tim Sullivan, please go ahead, your line is open. |
| Tim Sullivan: | Hey Brad, this is Tim Sullivan. I wanted to ask you first of all you stand to be the winner of the Derby, you’ve experienced and this qualified, wonder if you could reflect on how you would feel about that and whether Mandaloun was in the mix for either of the Triple Crown races after that news broke. |
| Brad Cox: | No, you know we had just decided that we thought moving forward to Mandaloun that you know we would take a swing at some great ones later in the year you know obviously the Haskell’s the first one that comes up post Triple Crown, at start we gave him some time after the Derby, it did come out of the race well, just thought it was the best thing for him long term and trying to continue to develop them not only for the rest of the year but as a four year old as well, so that was kind of our thought and you know obviously with the news breaking five to six days after the Derby or whenever it was you know positive test it didn’t really want to – we didn’t really sway – it didn’t sway our decision making at all obviously, and we just wanted to try to continue to develop this force.
The first part of the question as far as you know feeling on winning the Derby that way not you know really how you want to the Derby obviously and you know we’re just kind of you know waiting to hear the outcome really, no expectation either way to kind of let things fall into place and play out the way it’s meant to be. |
| Tim Sullivan: | As a follow up Brad has that been an emotional thing for you I think –. |
| Brad Cox: | You know not really, not that [?] I don’t really think about it a lot, people ask me you know what’s the latest news, and I think I tell everyone kind of media and everyone around knows as much as I do, I’m busy enough with staying on task with the job I have in hand and you know preparing the sources for their next races, so you know once again you know we will let all play itself out at all and it will handle itself the way it’s meant to be handled. |
| Tim Sullivan: | Thank you. |
| Brad Cox: | Thank you. |
| Operator: | And your next question comes from the line of a David Grening, please go ahead, your line is open. |
| David Grening: | Brad, good morning after the Derby you expressed confidence that essential quality would be primed for the Belmont Stakes, aside to the fact that he’s by tapping, what is it about a central quality as an individual that makes you feel confident the mile and a half within the scope. |
| Brad Cox: | I guess just ways always gals out his work, you know Louis has always had a lot of confidence meaning that you know it’s just it’s never really would be an issue with him, Louis size that is, and I was that once again you know tap has had three winners of the Belmont, so you know definitely hoping that he can add to tap its legacy in the Belmont, but you know his horse’s stays on, I mean he just seems to you know getting that one rhythm and can continue on.
On the Derby at the 8+ like I could tell you what they’re going to get there, but then if you watch they’ll ask you know four to five jumps he’s coming back out again, you know he’s the horse that’s been able to stay on at all a lot of his races and oppressive Gallup outs and is really training forward and seem to maybe even before physically since the Kentucky Derby, which obviously is a sign of a good horse [?] a lot for a three-year-old and you know the first part of May and you know it does definitely as went the wrong physically at all, so just real happy with what we seen since the Derby and that’s given us enough confidence to move forward and pursue the Belmont. |
| David Grening: | And looking to the second half of his three-year-old season you look to keep him at Mandaloun separate, so you have to run like this maybe Jim Dandy Travers type or did he show up and –. |
| Brad Cox: | You know Jimmy Bell has expressed interest in the Travers for sure the [?] team I know that’s a race that’s very high on their list. So, that would probably be the goal moving forward post Belmont, but once again one right at a time and you know I’m not saying that it would be Belmont interest rate to the Travers who just got like the best settled, but I think the Travers would definitely be the goal of moving forward with the central quality. Mandaloun, you know once again we’re going to get to the Haskell one race at a time, but you know there’s not a lot of options out there as far as grade ones go, you know we’ve decided to target the Pegasus those are prep for the Haskell.
It seems as though since last year obviously due to COVID there was a lot of changes in the schedule, but you know some things have changed like the [?] and a little bit earlier I think that had been in years past, so that didn’t really play it in our schedule as well as I would’ve liked it. I loved it let him out of the stall, but definitely like six weeks as opposed to four weeks off really strong race in the Kentucky Derby day, you ran being up close to you know a nice pace, he stayed on, and you know you really never know if the horse is going to come back to you running but I definitely like the idea of six weeks as opposed to four weeks, and then once again that’s prep through household. |
| David Grening: | Also, I just wanted if I could ask you about mix go you know since the Saudi Cup you know what’s it scheduled like and the second part of that question would be all his good races lately if it turned miles, the one turn miles, how do you feel –. |
| Brad Cox: | Well, you know like you said there’s no doubt that these performance certainly where two terms with us, there’s gonna be some question mark if the one turn mile is what he wants to do but for a million dollars and I appreciate this race like the met mile really think you know he deserves the opportunity.
I believe the way the forces training over the last few weeks is give us enough confidence to shift our attention towards this race as opposed to the launch that the C-section mile and obviously the dissection of charlatan as well, no secret there, I mean he’s a very good horse, I don’t feel like we’re as charlatan around one turn mile, if he is in the race, he is not in the race, so we don’t have to compete with him now. As far as training really, really well has worked last weekend at Churchill’s as well it was a fantastic move, I think it was out 78 and 24 and 2 or something and just like really on it and well in hand and just everything you want to see so. If he’s gonna be a horse that can get a one turn mile if he is capable of getting a one turn mile I do feel like he could do it next Saturday. |
| David Grening: | Thank you. |
| Brad Cox: | Thanks David. |
| Operator: | And that concludes our questions at this time. |
| Brad Cox: | Do we have – yeah, Tim, let’s have a follow up I think there is one that just might have come in. |
| Operator: | And you have a follow up question from Tim Sullivan, please go ahead. |
| Tim Sullivan: | Brad, I wonder if you could give us a little insight why central quality fits the Belmont so much better than Mandaloun, you referenced the Tappan history, you just think that the [?] happens too much as the Mandaloun. |
| Brad Cox: | Yeah, you know he’s out of an empire maker mayor that same part maker in the Belmont, but you know I think what the intermediate ship you know just kind of think that you know one more suited [inaudible], you know I’m not saying a mile and a quarter is not out of this warehouse, I mean he was able to run extremely well in the Derby, but just kind of think that might be where he tops out at, and I just feel like you know once again for the best thing for him you know developing throughout his career, the rest of this year and on to the four-year campaign that you know we don’t really need to stretch the mount happened.
You know we didn’t really feel like doing the Belmont and then the Haskell was the best thing for him so that you know we would just get the Belmont. |
| Tim Sullivan: | Well, do you see Grade I victory except the weather he does run it for, or is that pretty much predetermined. |
| Brad Cox: | Can you repeat that question once again? |
| Tim Sullivan: | Yeah, I mean if he does get a Grade I victory with that, it does run at 4 or not. |
| Brad Cox: | That would totally be up to [?] team on if they would you know if he was able to win a Grade I this year and you know race it for that would be totally up to them, it’s obviously nice. I think it means more to the stallion career if they’re capable of winning a Grade I or III as opposed to IV, so you know hopefully this is something you know a bridge we have to cross and but I really couldn’t answer that. |
| Tim Sullivan: | Okay thanks. |
| Brad Cox: | Thank you. |
| Operator: | Thank you. And your final question comes from the line of Jay Privman. please go head, your line is open. |
| Jay Privman: | Hey, Brad how are you. |
| Brad Cox: | Hey, Jay, how are you. |
| Jay Privman: | Good, I have two questions for you first off on the central quality, this sort of follows up on your answer that you gave Dave regarding Mandaloun wanting more time just what is it about your philosophy on training that makes you like having time between races and specifically in regards to such a quality you know just deciding it was best to wait for the Belmont as opposed to jamming in back and the Preakness. |
| Brad Cox: | Well, I mean I feel like we’ve been fortunate to have some very good horses and Mandaloun in the central quality both for career races as far as figures go, the figures we use, they both were in lifetime best and it just seems the be that horses have a hard time putting you know coming back to that number or moving forward offshore rest. Once again both horses ran career ways, I mean I thought both horses ran extremely well in the Kentucky Derby to finish second and fourth, and just thought you know moving forward not just you know trying to get them to run, maybe come back to the number that they had in the Kentucky Derby you know more time would definitely be a good thing for both horses. |
| Jay Privman: | Got you, and then but the other question I had was, are you sending travel column for [Akon]. |
| Brad Cox: | Yeah, she’s slated to breeze on Saturday at well she’s going to ship up. |
| Jay Privman: | Just wondering how you think the cut back to you know a mile in one turn which would suit her. |
| Brad Cox: | I really do like it. You know she’s a Filly that maybe built more like a mile or as opposed to a mile and an Filly, she is not I would say good size with good strong hips on and honestly kind of looks like a one turn Filly, so I do think you know based off of physical standpoint looks like she’ll handle the shortening up. obviously she’s one two great shoes at two turns, but I’ve always thought you know there could be some distill limitation there just based off of physical and she certainly is training the parts, so I think the shortening up will be positive for her. |
| Jay Privman: | Awesome, thank you, as always. |
| Brad Cox: | Thanks. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright. Well Brad. thank you very much for joining us today and answering your questions here for the media, and good luck to you in the Belmont Stakes next week. |
| Brad Cox: | Thank you, appreciate it, thank you very much. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Talk to everyone, thank you. Let’s bring in Michael McCarthy, Trainer Rombauer, the Preakness winner. Michael, good afternoon, how are you today. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Hi, Jim all is well. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Great, so what’s life been like the past 12 days for you following the Preakness victory. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Lot going on, obviously a little bit overwhelming, you know it’s always nice to win a big one, but when you when would like that, I got to tell you it’s been a little bit overwhelming, lots of messages, lots of well wishes, very nice that people have reached out and you know have some wonderful things to say, so just a very appreciate to all of them, but you know what it’s a little over a week out to the Belmont, so it’s time to kind of tighten the screws and concentrate on what we’ve got ahead of us. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright, what you have ahead looks like to work tomorrow looks like the weather is going to be your favorite early tomorrow morning, but he is scheduled to go tomorrow correct. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Going to work tomorrow that’s correct yes. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright. Now, this is the longest of the three races, what challenges does it oppose pose for him. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Couple of things back off for three weeks rest, he’s done that once before I believe from the Delmar Juvenile turf to the American Pharoah where at some space of under 30 days I believe it was worked well and trained well and showed up and ran well the American Pharoah coming back from a lifetime top here in the Preakness Stakes obviously all the Belmont back three weeks different race track a mile and a half. This was proven to be affective wherever he goes on whichever service it is, I’m very pleased with what I’m seeing from him, his weight is good, his attitude is great.
He’s had a couple looks around the main track. He’s done some training on the training track at Belmont. He’s had to solid days over on the main track, he has been [?], so he’s fallen nicely into routine hearing we’re expecting a nice and solid piece of work from him tomorrow. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright, and of course picking up John Velazquez as your rider for the Belmont. |
| Michael McCarthy: | No harm in that, obviously Johnny is riding career form right now and he is first across the finish line in the Kentucky Oaks and in the Kentucky Derby riding stakes, riding just babies, riding allowance races and winning. Basically, at all levels and with all types of different horses, so he’s riding very well. Belmont is his home track for umpteen years. You know it’s not often you win a classic and you need to find a jockey there afterwards, but I’m happy with where we’re at, I hope everybody else is happy with their decision. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Very good. Alright Michael. Now, let’s open it up for questions from the media on the line, thank you. |
| Operator: | And as a reminder to ask a question that is star one on your telephone keypad. Again, that is star one to ask a question.
And your first question comes from a line of Tom Pedulla, please go ahead, your line is open. |
| Tom Pedulla: | Michael, as you noted it’s not often that you win a classic and you need to find a jockey, were you disappointed to be in that position. |
| Michael McCarthy: | You know what, I’m not sure if disappointed is the right word, I had found out soon thereafter the Preakness that Flavien and his agent had given a call to the connections of Hot Rod Charlie on the Monday before the Preakness and they sort of had mentioned that they would see how things kind of panned out need suing days, nothing really ever came about, then I read in the racings form that Hot Rod Charlie was definitely being written by Flavien Prat.
So, you know what it would have been nice to get Flavien back in the saddle, obviously wonderful chemistry between horse and rider on Preakness Saturday, but I’m over the moon to have John Velazquez. |
| Tom Pedulla: | Thank you. |
| Operator: | Your next question comes from one of John Pricci, please go ahead, your line is open. |
| John Pricci: | Michael, congratulations to you. I had a question that wasn’t able to ask Mr. Cox, you had mentioned you know career tops and it seems like most successful trainer are doing a lot of form cycle analysis in terms of handicapping and future placement of their horses, in that context do you think it would be good for racing if the Triple Crown races with spaced out a little wider. |
| Michael McCarthy: | I think that’s what makes a Triple Crown so good and what it is because it’s so demanding it takes a special type of horse it was in 37 years between Triple Crown winners or what have you. I think the way we played the game now with horses you know being well aware of running a lifetime tops and meeting weeks, days, and months between races to get back to those types of figures. I think it’s changed the landscape of the game a little bit. We’ve had two Triple Crown winners in the last five years since ever it is, so I don’t know if I would necessarily tinker with the triple crown that’s what makes it special. |
| John Pricci: | Thanks for your time Sir, good luck to you and have a safe trip on Saturday. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Thank you very much. |
| Operator: | Your next question comes from the line of David Grening, please go head, your line is open. |
| David Grening: | Michael, in preparing for the Belmont, how is it preparing for the Belmont Stakes different than preparing for other races and having watched your former boss pledge – top pledge and did so well in it, if you pick up anything from this preparation that you could take with you to this preparation. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Yeah, you know from what I’ve seen from obviously the experience with my time working for Todd and being around rags to riches being around palace malice, not being there for cap risk, but you know there were horses that had help the campaign leading up to the Belmont rags to riches went Kentucky Oaks, Belmont Stakes, Palace malice went, Kentucky Derby blinkers won the Belmont. You take bits and pieces of everything. This horse is a little bit different kind of having come from California running in the Preakness, although we did ship them right away here to Belmont as I said he’s spent plenty of time on the training track, he’s spent some time on the main track here.
I guess I just didn’t want to do too much with them, you know you get in the habit of taking the race a mile and a half, but I’ve got a horse who just ran a mile and 3:16 you know two weeks ago and did it in fine style. So, I’m not doing a whole lot different that I would usually do, obviously Belmont park is the nick name big sandy surface is a little bit different. We’ve come from a little bit of a deeper racetrack on the west coast out of Santa Anita, so I think we’ll handle that just fine, looks like we’re going to get some rain throughout the week. It’s basically just familiarizing the horse with the racetrack. John Velasquez will of put the finishing touches on that tomorrow, but he works in kind of you know I’m sure there’s some things, Johnny will be looking for there some things. I’ll be looking for, basically I just want to see the horse you know happy and healthy comes in fit. |
| David Grening: | Also, you know talking to in Baltimore you were pretty confident in just sort of run as far as they ride them. So, when you were looking at the three races I know you want to run in the Derby, but in the back of your mind did you think if I can get this horse to the Belmont healthy and down that might be where he showcases itself, and yes I understand you want to bring this, but you think this could be even a better performance given how do you feel that distance. |
| Michael McCarthy: | I think he could. I think the other day when he hit the finish line in Baltimore you know he definitely did not look like a tiring horse to me. He was putting daylight between himself and the second third place finishers and galloped out well, and you know horses wait as if it’s race has been spaced out well, so I think he’s got some room for improvement. |
| David Grening: | Thank you. |
| Operator: | Thank you. And you have a question from a line of Nick Hahn, please go head, your line is open. |
| Nick Hahn: | Yes, congratulations on the Preakness, you had mentioned about his versatility, he’s won on every surface now, and from what I understand he is stabled with Jonathan Thomas who also had a horse that could pretty much win on any surface with Catholic boy, could you maybe just speak about you know that versatility of running on different surfaces and maybe some of the dialogue and the trust you have in Jonathan Thomas. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Yeah, you know this horse is ready to run in mid-June. Last year, she had a little foot bruise issue that we had to kind of go ahead and remedy missing his first start in the last week of meet at Santa Anita. Delmar showed up and you know he was able to enter into the starting gate in a one mile big special weight on the grass. The time wasn’t particularly fast that day, but the way in which she did it closing from last and getting his nose down at the wiring galloping out well was fairly impressive. Subsequently, that let to our next start back with Delmar juvenile turf and he didn’t get quite the trip and that was some traffic problems, but I still thought he ran respectable that day and his numbers even improved in his first race.
When we went ahead and ran about on the Turkey American Ferrell he had been training well. I thought his reasons before we went to Delmar on the Santa Anita was very good, but I thought we ran a bang up race to be second to get her number, I think maybe things would have been a little bit different maybe I don’t know if we would have won, maybe we could have made a little closer we were beaten you know basically three quarters of length to a length. Went to the breeders Cup Randy Keenan, mile and a 16 under short stretch that day, horse ran in the dirt, had a wide trip covered in mud, I thought his race was respectable. We decided to give the horse a short break and keep him in training between races. The L Camino Riel Derby looks like a very easy spot competition wise although running a 1.8 on a 90-day layoff isn’t always easy he was able to go ahead, just get up in the last job there under all-weather surface that which gained a him a berth into the Preakness. When the horse won the Preakness, we thought about sending him straight to New York, it would have been nice to send him to Todd Fletcher, but as you know Todd’s got multiple starters in the Belmont and possibly was even thinking about running the Filly [?] the Belmont, and I just didn’t think you know there’s a lot of things going on at Todd, and I just didn’t think sending the horse there, although I’m sure he hopefully would have accommodated us, I just didn’t think it was the right thing to do. Jonathan and I have a working relationship and a very good friendship. We’d like to bounce some things off each other from time to time. The horse has been in great hands ever since he’s gotten here, so I’m very happy. |
| Nick Hahn: | Thank you and good luck in the Belmont. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Thanks. |
| Operator: | And that concludes our questions at this time. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Thank you very much. Michael, thanks again for joining us today and appreciate your time, and good luck to you and Rombauer in the Belmont Stakes. |
| Michael McCarthy: | Thank you very much. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Thank you, you’re welcome. Now, let’s move on to our final guest of the day. We have Doug O’Neill who has Hot Rod Charlie who is third in the Kentucky Derby, ready for the Belmont. Doug, good morning and how are you today. |
| Doug O’Neill: | Great, Jim. Thanks for having me, how are you. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Great, very good, thank you for joining us. Hot Rod Charlie has worked five furlongs in 105 and 3:5s Handley at Santa Anita last Saturday, are you scheduled to work in tomorrow and following that if so what are your travel plans to New York. |
| Doug O’Neill: | He’s scheduled, actually Santa Anita was kind enough to let me [inaudible] post tomorrow, so he’ll breeze around noon fresh track there at Santa Anita, if and when all goes well he’s scheduled to fly out on Saturday the day after. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright, and you had a very good run in the Derby, we have another one, this race is a mile and a half, just get an idea of what kind of pay scenario you’re looking for here in the Belmont. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You know I think with the Hot Rod Charlie one of the beauty of the him is he’s so versatile that I think you know the continuity of Flavien Pratt right and back it’s huge, and Flavien can just play the break and you know in an ideal world [?] you know if we got it easily, that would be beautiful thing but he has shown in the past that he can lead all the way or [?]pace, so I think we got options. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Okay, you have options and having Flavien back for the ride in the Belmont what does that mean for you. |
| Doug O’Neill: | Hi, I think it’s just a huge bonus you know he is like you commented on E-road and Charlie ran a great race in the Derby that to run a real close third, and he’s briefed them probably easily half a dozen times if not more, so they really get along great, and I think there’s nothing better than having a strong you know horse and rider connection going in the big races and feel like we got that going into the Belmont. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright, very good Doug. Let’s see now if we have any questions from the media on the line. |
| Operator: | And to ask a question that is star one on your telephone keypad.
And your first question comes from a line of Childs Walker, please go ahead. |
| Childs Walker: | Hey Doug, it seems like right after the derby you immediately had to go to Belmont on your mind, was that because you thought length width of the horse or it is it because you like the timing of it, why was that particularly the plan coming out of the Derby. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You know prior to the Derby, Charlie’s connections Greg Helman, Bill Strauss my nephew and his partners, we all kind of came to the consensus that if we want any came out of well you know Baltimore here we come, but anything short of that we just thought it was the best play and the best interest of Charlie would be to wait for the Belmont. So, it didn’t take long after the race to revisit that and we all were on the same page again about just waiting the five-week. |
| Childs Walker: | And Doug, what is it about him that makes you confident they’ll handle this. |
| Doug O’Neill: | Well, I mean he won the Louisiana Derby which is amount 3:16 and it wasn’t like he was shortened strides at the end there, so you know none of these horses have tried it before, but you know he shows the tremendous amount of stamina on a daily basis and generally these kind of races to their pretty soft at the early pace is pretty soft, it’s really a horse that can breeze comfortably and be relaxed early and save themselves for the last part and Charlie has showed time and time again that he travels like a veteran horse and he’s just maturing with each race, so that is price that his maturity right now is what gives me the most confident that we’re going to see a good race |
| Childs Walker: | Great thank you. |
| Operator: | Thank you. And your next question comes from the line of Larry Stumes, please go ahead, your line is open. |
| Larry Stumes: | Hey, Doug, I don’t know many, many that you run at a mile over the years, do you remember running a horse mile and a half whether it’s on the dirt or the grass. |
| Doug O’Neill: | I think a lot man might have won a mile and a half race at Holler Park at one time, but yeah it tells you how often we run that I can think back to that point, so yeah it’s a rarity and it just seems like American racing you know 1.8 mile seems to be like you know the longest distance for the most part. |
| Larry Stumes: | And follow up, is there anything you have to do training wise in light of the fact that it’s a mile and a half race. |
| Doug O’Neill: | Not really, you know the one blessing when I first started training and we’re surrounded by guys like Charlie Winningham and Laz Perera and Bobby Frankel. You really got to learn that you know you can’t take a sprinter and walking two miles every day and make them ride horse, or you can’t take a ride horse and sprint him every day and make him a sprinter. You know horses are going to do what they’re going to do and it’s really just trying to keep them healthy and happy and ready to go. So, that being sad you know I have taken the approach that now we’re not doing anything different other than his comfortable gallops every day and his maintenance works and you know looking forward to January to June 5th, and add January 5th. January 5th is –. |
| Larry Stumes: | Thanks very much. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You got thank you. |
| Operator: | Your next question comes from the line of Tom Pedulla, your line is open. |
| Tom Pedulla: | Yeah Doug, it’s not often that we’ll see a jockey right of classic win and then change amounts, how did this all come about will Flavien. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You know that probably would be a great question for his agent. I don’t want to get anybody in trouble or anything, but I know after the Derby we had talked with Flavien and his agent about bypassing the Preakness and shooting for the Belmont and they’re on the same page, so the only thing I can say from my end when I saw that it was the right one to Preakness I definitely because I got off, but I reached out to his age and he said, no we’re going to be fine, we’re gonna be fine at Belmont with yourself, but then after the Preakness I reached out them again, but yeah so far they’ve been really great about that commitment Charlie, and I’m optimistic that Charlie isn’t going to let him down and they’re going to run big together. |
| Tom Pedulla: | Yeah, I was gonna say to you, see it as a great vote of confidence to your horse. |
| Doug O’Neill: | I do and you know credit to [?] they were just strong with their work as you know, we had talked about that even prior to the Preakness and so just a lot of respect to Flavien agent for sticking to that and I’m sure after the Preakness that horse and so big it had to be attempting to consider making a switch but he never wavered and you know hopefully that is his confidence in the colt and how well he knows the colt as well, so yeah definitely vote of confidence. |
| Tom Pedulla: | Thank you. |
| Operator: | Your next question comes from the line of Tim Sullivan, please go ahead, your line is open. |
| Tim Sullivan: | Hey, Doug, you stand to move up a second in the Derby, if the DQ comes through, I’m sure that’s probably not how you want finish second, but wonder if you could share with us some of your thoughts about that whole episode and maybe what you said about that. |
| Doug O’Neill: | Oh, Tim that’s a tough question, and I guess I get TMZ interview there, and you know you got to respect Bob in all his successes. So, extremely unfortunate thing that he’s going through and so yeah nothing’s official yet, and you know just grateful and proud of how Charlie ran and how he came out of it, and just focus on the Belmont and we will let everything else kind of work its way out. |
| Tim Sullivan: | Okay thanks. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You got it. |
| Operator: | Your next question comes from a line of David Grening, please go ahead, your line is open. |
| David Grening: | Doug, I just want to kick if you could just reflect a little bit on some of the ones that got away or you know I’ll have another having a scratch you know the day before the race and night with I think about two weeks before having the temperature out how confident were you in those horses being able to perform in this race and you know just sort of your remembrances of those at least that day on the day before the Belmont –. |
| Doug O’Neill: | Yeah, David, yeah that would definitely gut shot and fortunately we had a large team of people they’re surrounding, I’ll have another, so we quickly huddled up, and started reminiscing about the amazing journey that I have another taking the time, so instead of feeling sorry for ourselves we are more just so proud of him and what he’d gone through and you know with night with you know be an underpaid Pecky Derby when we definitely went in the Preakness very excited and when that didn’t work out perfectly you know it’s definitely coming back in three weeks, it was going to be a tough go. So, this go around, I think just having the five weeks in between you can see Charlie is really, he has added weight, he has added muscle, he’s just you know he’s a stronger version than what we saw in the Derby, so it’s a different feeling going into this and just feel like we got you know super quality colt with a full tank. |
| David Grening: | You have run the last couple of years with four left in blended citizen perhaps sources that weren’t you know [inaudible] type, but does this race in general hold anymore a desire for you the fact that you had or so that you thought that goes to that scratch could have won. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You know I think you just told so much there’s so much history and tradition and you know you look at the greats like [?] Stevens and the [?] the connections that have won the Belmont, so I think that is the most luring thing and to have a colt is able to be considered to run in it is just such an honor and I think not because I’ll have another Nyquist, do we want this anymore than you know we’re just excited more to kind of show off Charlie, and what a great athlete he is and you know when in a race like the Belmont would really stamp him and you know as he will lead in his class. So, that’s kind of the mindset and the goal. |
| David Grening: | Also, if I could just – what are the horses are you sending for other races here on the day if you are. |
| Doug O’Neill: | Just one, we got the [inaudible] and we got him coming for the turf sprint, and then we got a lot that may come in, he wasn’t going to make it, but now a lot of them is going to show up, so we got the coach gonna be there to mentor those two guys. |
| David Grening: | No, mentor better, thank you. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You got it, thank you David. |
| Operator: | I have no further questions at this time. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Alright, very good. Doug, thanks very much for joining us today and of course if you should you win the Belmont be terrific celebration from the post boat racing team or part owners, the event would be terrific celebration for them, should it take place. So, I would say best of luck to you coming to the Belmont next week and have a very good day. |
| Doug O’Neill: | You too Jim thanks a lot, take care. |
| Jim Gluckson: | Thank you. Doug O’Neill everyone. That concludes our conference call for today. Thanks everyone for joining us again. The audio track of the replay of this call should be available later today on the NTRA.com and full transcript of the call be available tomorrow. Thanks again to Dialogue Conferencing Service for putting the call together, and everyone have a great day. |
| Operator: | This concludes today’s conference call. Thank you for your participation, you may now disconnect. |
