March 26, 2019
Florida Derby and Dubai World Cup Preview
Guests
- Garrett O’Rourke, Juddmonte Farms, Hidden Scroll
- Jack Wolf, Starlight Racing, Audible
- Shug McGaughey, trainer, Code of Honor
Full transcript (Note: Transcript has not been edited):
CONFERNCE CALL PARTICIPANTS
Garrett O’Rourke
Jack Wolf
Shug McGaughey
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 in 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. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Mr. Jim Mulvihill. Please go ahead sir.
Jim Mulvihill:
Alright, thank you Shannon, and thanks everybody for joining us today. It is Jim Mulvihill on the line. I am just delighted to be filling in today for my friend, Alicia Hughes. You may know Alicia is in Dubai right now. She is assisting the Dubai Racing Club Media Department with notes and videos and such, and I will give them a quick plug and let you know that if you are not receiving that news from Dubai and you want to be on those lists, just send an email to media@dubairacingclub.com and Michael Adolphson will hook you up with all the notes and video you could ever need.
We are going to talk more about the Dubai World Cup later on, we have got Jack Wolf coming on, but as usual in the springtime, we are here to talk primarily about the Road to the Triple Crown. This Saturday, we have got two of the major 170-point Kentucky Derby Championship series preps – the UAE Derby on the Dubai World Cup undercard and the Florida Derby, which we all know reliably produces one of the top choices in the Kentucky Derby each year. Today, we are very fortunate we have got three true gentlemen of the turf joining us to talk about their derby prospects. Jack will be on the talk about Audible in the Dubai World Cup of course, but we will also talk about his Sunland Derby winner from Sunday, Cutting Humor, and after that, we will have Shug McGaughey on to give some impressions of his Florida Derby runner, the Fountain of Youth winner Code of Honor. But first, we are thrilled to be joined by Juddmonte Farms Racing Manager, Garrett O’Rourke. Prince Khalid has two strong Kentucky Derby contenders this year, between the Tampa Bay Derby winner Tacitus and the lightly raced Florida Derby hopeful, Hidden Scroll. Juddmonte has twice finished second at the Kentucky Derby and they went in with high hopes last year with Hofburg, but came in seventh with a very troubled trip, if you remember. Garrett, it’s Jim Mulvihill in Louisville, thanks for joining us.
Garrett O’Rourke:
My pleasure Jim.
Jim Mulvihill:
I want to ask about Hidden Scroll’s last race. He got caught in a speed duel in the Fountain of Youth, and you know, Joel Rosario took a lot of heat for that, even though a lot of us would say it is not always as easy or beneficial as people think it might be to settle a horse that really wants to go early. What did you all learn from that effort and what has been done since to maybe help this colt relax?
Garrett O’Rourke:
Well, you know, it was the horse’s second ever start and, you know, whether the horse can or can’t lay back to the base, personally I think having been around the horse, and saw live, he is actually a real character, not a hard-pulling type horse, but he does have natural speed so, you know, I think Joel, just having ridden him the first time, probably thought nothing can live with his horse. Well, I think we found out last weekend after the Hutcheson, you know, a less caliber horse, he was trying to outrun early, but you know, that is all put behind now and we will move on from it. And the works that he has had since then, Bill has been working on trying to teach him to sit behind horses which he, you know, from what I have seen of them on XP TV, the horse has no problem whatsoever sitting behind horses. Now, he doesn’t necessarily have to do that, I think he has got the speed to go upfront, but I think it just shows that he definitely won’t be a one-dimensional type horse, and I think that gives a jockey just a little bit more knowledge going into a race and more options obviously while in the race and, you know, hopefully that will give a lot of confidence to Javier going on Saturday and in the future as well, you know. But I think one thing that we are not doubting is the horse’s talent, you know, what he showed on day one is what we are seeing in the mornings as well and whether it is going long or whatever it is going to be, I think we will find out where the horse suits best along the road, but I think without a doubt, we are pretty confident that the horse has an awful lot of talent.
Jim Mulvihill:
Excellent. Well, that pretty much covers all of it, except I hope you don’t mind me asking, is Joel going to be named to ride him tomorrow?
Garrett O’Rourke:
No, Javier Castellano is riding him.
Jim Mulvihill:
Okay.
Garrett O’Rourke:
And Joel has – obviously, he has got the champion two-year-old as well and we were going to have to be faced with a choice at some stage or other if we do make it forward and, you know, you have got someone like Javier available early in the game and willing to take the ride and, you know, and I doubt it was just – Bill thought it was the time to go and make the move and make it easy and allow the probability of having the same jockey for the prep and the big day if we were so lucky to be able to move on after Saturday.
Jim Mulvihill:
Yeah, yeah, that all makes perfect sense. Now, before I let the media ask some questions, we will also jump ahead to next weekend and Tacitus pointing to the Wood Memorial, what did you think of his Tampa Bay Derby and what are your thoughts on this product of Tapit and Close Hatches right now?
Garrett O’Rourke:
Well, obviously, you know, when these horses were born and Hidden Scroll is a very good-looking horse, but he didn’t have the pedigree that Tacitus has, and, you know, the excitement that surrounds a pedigree like that, all of this leads you to dreaming about the derby. He is a big long striding horse and I think he worked well in the morning without his being a well speed horse and he pleasantly surprised first time outshowing some speed and talent, won second timeout and then obviously Bill had the confidence to go to Tampa, which I think, you know, that deserves a lot of credit as well because you are coming off a long layoff and you have a horse that probably takes a little bit of training and has every right to improve going forward, but he was adamant he was going there and he was right. I think he has a horse that we know will need a pace set up, but you know, invariably you are more likely to get those pace setups in big races than you are in allowance races and, you know, I mean there is more on the line, so people put in the jockeys go for the gold earlier in those big races and I think that will hopefully benefit him in Wood Memorial and hopefully down the line as well. And I think it’s – you know, he is a horse that I think will be doing his best work at the finish and, obviously, Hidden Scroll is well able to lay up in the pace. I just hope we don’t ever get to a scenario where one is going backwards and one is going forward and neither of them is getting there, but I think it is a nice situation to feel that we are in, you know, and covering the bases.
Jim Mulvihill:
Yeah. Aside from just needing a setup, how would you describe Tacitus’ way of running because watching the Tampa Bay Derby, it was like he was just going along and going along and it never really looked like – it almost didn’t look like he was in contention until suddenly he was right at the front. I mean he never – he just kept going and going. How do you describe his way of moving?
Garrett O’Rourke:
Well, you know, he is inbred to Unbridled, and I remember when I came over to The States at first and that was one of the first years I was here and watching Unbridled; and even at derby time, Unbridled was long, thin neck and really narrow in front and he didn’t look like he was fully developed, and you would have looked at him going out to the tracks and say, yeah, this fellow is not ready and then he took off at a gallop and he was the most beautiful moving horse. And this fellow is the same as the two-year-old last year when we started training him and I thought, well, he is going to take a long time to get going, but then the very minute he is – break from a jog into a canter, it just came so naturally to him. And I think that big long stride of his is what he just needs to use to his advantage. I don’t think he is like a Cadillac. I don’t think he necessarily needs to be accelerating and he definitely doesn’t need to be stopped in a race and that it might take him a while to get it going again, but if he gets plain sailing like he did in Tampa – well, as he proved that, he can go close to breaking track records.
Jim Mulvihill:
Yeah.
Garrett O’Rourke:
And, you know, and I think that was what Unbridled had as well, you know. So, it is, – and you know, I do think as he gets older and stronger, you know, his [inaudible] had tons of speed, you know, so I would hope that as he gets stronger, he will get faster as well, you know, but he will definitely have no trouble in my opinion getting the mile and a quarter of the derby.
Jim Mulvihill:
Very exciting. Well, with that, I want to turn it over to the media. So, we will have Shannon, the operator; check and see if there is any questions on the line.
Operator:
Thank you. Ladies and gentleman, once again, if you would like to signal for a question, please press star one at this time. Again, that is star one to signal for a question, and we will pause for just a moment. And our first question will come from Tom Jicha of South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Tom Jicha:
Yeah, Garrett, we have been seeing stories that Hidden Scroll just seems to run past Tacitus in his workouts, and Tacitus’ last workout wasn’t terrific. Is he just not a good workhorse or is it something about the track, the training center he is at now? That is pretty much what I want to know.
Garrett O’Rourke:
Yeah. No, I would say that is a fair point, but I have learned over the years to take the leads of the trainer’s instincts; and you heard me say earlier that Bill was adamant that he was going to the Tampa Bay Derby with Tacitus even though Hidden Scroll had completely dusted him in a workout. But remember, they were half mile workouts or, you know, even sometimes when Bill goes five hits, they go really easy early on and then come home, you know, fast for the last three hits and, you know, Tacitus can – you know, he can clip off the same fractions all the time, but Hidden Scroll can just really kick it in a gear and drop down to, you know, he can do a 44 half, let’s say, if he wants to. I don’t think Tacitus wants to do anything much below a 47 half, but I don’t think he will tire then, you know. So, I think to be judging him by half mile or five hit workouts is not seeing him at where he will excel, which is, you know, going two turns and then the gallop, so watching his gallop outs, Bill was always impressed on those occasions. Even when Hidden Scroll could burst away from him at the head of the stretch, Tacitus was always catching up again and then when they would gallop out, Tacitus is the one that is galloping out and front and galloping on down the backside. So, I think this scenario will benefit Tacitus and we don’t expect him ever to be up there with the pace early, but you know, he has got his style of running and that is going to be running less.
Tom Jicha:
And how much of a concern is that Hidden Scroll has zero derby points, so he really – it would take a second at least to get him into the derby?
Garrett O’Rourke:
It is a concern if we were putting all of our chips on the derby alone, but given that the horse is inexperienced, you know, we have said from the start and Bill has said as well that look, if this doesn’t work this weekend, we can regroup with this horse and he is such a talent that I think there will be big races, maybe we could skip to the Preakness or maybe we could start thinking about races later in the year, but there is no point trying to push to like we wouldn’t run on Saturday and come back in another prep to try and you know, squeeze something to get to the derby. It wouldn’t be the right thing to do and the hope is that he shows his talent on Saturday and obviously, he has to finish in the one-two and we will move on from there. But I can say if that doesn’t happen, you know, I think if it doesn’t happen outside of just really, really bad luck, it is probably a sign that the horse maybe isn’t ready for a step forward like that and I think we will listen to that step, or listen to that sign should it present, okay?
Tom Jicha:
Thank you very much. Okay, thank you very much.
Garrett O’Rourke:
You are welcome.
Operator:
Once again, that is star one to signal for a question. Our next question will come from Danny Brewer of horseracingscoop.com.
Danny Brewer:
Mr. O’Rourke, how are you?
Garrett O’Rourke:
I am very well, thank you Danny.
Danny Brewer:
When you look at the résumé for Hidden Scroll, his experience or lack of, is that a concern? You know, we used to think that derby horses needed so many races before. I guess all that has just been thrown out the window now. So, are you concerned about his lack of experience at all?
Garrett O’Rourke:
The only thing I would disagree with there is that it has been thrown out the window. By no means do I think it is thrown out the window. I just think we have had a very unusual occurrence last year, and Justify had been able to pull that off and I think Supreme Talent can always overcome, especially if you are a front runner and stay out of trouble. Now, if you are going to have a bad experience on Kentucky Derby day, I think there are two things that can get to a horse, is, number one, all the hustle and bustle if the horse mentally isn’t able for it, that can boil over. And Justify didn’t boil over last year. And number two, you can get into trouble in the 20-horse field and not know how to handle it and just get bounced around, and an experienced horse might take those bouncers and just not be bothered and then go on and run his race, but an inexperienced horse obviously is going to get shuffled back and not recover. I think the beauty of Hidden Scroll hopefully is that he has got the natural speed to be closer to the front than the back by the time they hit the first turn and similar to what Justify had, and I think that is the type of horse that can overcome the inexperience, but he is still, you know, all the crowd factor is still a very big hurdle as well. So, I don’t think it is just a new phenomenon that we were able to overcome, I think it is just a very, very special horse that did it last year.
Danny Brewer:
There are rules, but they are accepting of every rule, I guess that is another word, a good way of putting it, correct?
Garrett O’Rourke:
Exactly, exactly, very well said and I think the exceptions to the rule have to have certain characteristics and styles of running, and I think the two that I mentioned I think are probably the most important and I think we definitely have the speed to be able to keep ourselves out of trouble. Obviously, the temperament I think is often something that you don’t realize until the week of or the day of and you just have to get over there and find out, but, you know, going back years ago, it was Thunder Gulch who was here and we brought Eltish over from England to run in the race and he was in magnificent condition, looked great, did fine all week long, but he arrived into the paddock in front of that crowd and then he just washed out and started to scream and totter and by the time he went out on to the track, he was completely washed out and his race was run. So, I think that illustrates what can go wrong, and I am just glad that Hidden Scroll is in the best of hands of someone like Bill who will know all the tricks to make sure that he is properly schooled and hopefully learn to overcome all of that.
And the other thing is he actually trained in Churchill last year as well. A lot of people don’t realize that when he got injured last year and caught himself, he was actually training at Churchill from midsummer until whatever that was, maybe October. So, at least the horse has plenty of experience around Churchill Downs as well.
Danny Brewer:
You mentioned Unbridled being in his bloodlines, obviously, this guy, he has got it from top to bottom, you feel like as far as his leg is concerned?
Garrett O’Rourke:
Yes, I mean they both have Unbridled in their bloodlines, Tacitus is inbred to Unbridled and obviously, Hidden Scroll is out of an Empire Maker mare by Unbridled and they both actually do bear resemblance physically to Unbridled. They are both big horses with plenty of leg, and they both have beautiful long strides, just like Unbridled as well, and that is what Unbridled I think passes on through Unbridled Song and Empire Maker and all those horses. You know, they all have beautiful strides, so I think that is, you know, the type of classic horse that he is definitely influencing in the breed at the moment.
Danny Brewer:
I certainly do appreciate your time and I wish you the best of luck.
Garrett O’Rourke:
Thank you very much.
Operator:
And our next question will come from David Grening of Daily Racing Form.
David Grening:
Garrett, you said that Bill was adamant about going to the Tampa Derby. Was that since he actually broke his maiden in November, that, you know, when we were going to start in March, or were there hopes that might have gotten going a little earlier than that so maybe he could get a little more experience?
Garrett O’Rourke:
No, I think Bill was very, very clear this time around on how he wanted to get there and, you know, he got him down to Florida, gave him a little bit of time to get over a little shin and stuff like that; but he often does that with this three-year-olds when he gets to Payson Park and then the plan was to start picking it up in January with a view to having him ready for one of those races. Now, obviously, he got closer to the time before he realized he was fit enough to aim for that, but once he was within, I would say, three to four weeks of the race, I think he had his sights set on the Tampa Bay Derby and I think even after some of the works, I think, Bill understood the type of horse that he is and he was really excited; he was seeing the gallop out and also the forward movement in the horse because I was down in Payson Park in December and I saw him then and, you know, he was just walking I think at that time. And I just thought he was a little bit gangly at that time. I went back down a couple of weeks before – or about a week and a half, it was the week of the Fountain of Youth and so on and, boy, I had seen a big difference in the horse in that he was really starting to fill out and go in the right direction. So, I would say that what I was seeing was what Bill was experiencing in the morning as well, was that the horse that was in a nice upward incline and starting to do all of the things that you want to see for progress into the classic time of year, and so I think that is probably what gave Bill the confidence to definitely go there.
David Grening:
And is the choice of the Wood Memorial pretty much based on the fact that he won that accolade last year as opposed to say the Bluegrass?
Garrett O’Rourke:
Yeah, correct. We had discussed both races, but Bill has complete control over what way to get there. We all know what the ultimate goal would be with these horses, you know, we want to ultimately, if possible, get to the derby and at least the classics and big races even later in the year and make stallion prospects out of them, but, you know, the choice of the Wood Memorial, he having raced there last year as he said, that all would seem to be within Bill’s comfort zone, and so that is the way it will go.
David Grening:
And one more if I may, just how gratifying is it for, you know, Close Hatches to throw her first foal being a horse that seems to be very talented and might get you to the big show?
Garrett O’Rourke:
Well, I think that is absolutely fabulous for the people here on the farm, and I think anyone that is really interbreeding, which Prince Khalid obviously is ultimately it[?], that is like watching your own kids, you know. And in her case, you know, she was one of the most beautiful young foals we have had that went on to be a beautiful yearling that went down to be an absolutely brilliant three-year-old and champion four-year-old. So, now, first foal comes along and he is showing this type of talent and it is just tremendously exciting not just for Tacitus but for the lovely foal that she has coming along after her. She is a nice two-year-old and she is a nice yearling and she is a lovely curling[?] cold[?] foal on the ground as well, you know, so, yeah, that’s exceptionally exciting.
David Grening:
Thank you and good luck.
Garrett O’Rourke:
Thank you, yeah.
Operator:
And it appears we have no further questions at this time.
Jim Mulvihill:
Alright, Garrett, thanks so much for all this information and for taking a lot of time with us today. We really appreciate it.
Garrett O’Rourke:
Delighted Jim. Take care.
Jim Mulvihill:
Very good. Good luck on Saturday. Garrett O’Rourke.
Garrett O’Rourke:
Thank you.
Jim Mulvihill:
Manager of Juddmonte Farms and got two great-looking derby prospects that we covered in depth here today. Just to correct the record real quick, Hidden Scroll does have five points on the road to the Kentucky Derby leader board. Now, we are going to jump over to Dubai where the world’s richest race, the $12 million Dubai World Cup is set for Saturday, and we are going to talk about that race of course, but our next guest is also well versed in the Florida Derby, which he has won twice, with Audible last year and Harlan’s Holliday in 2002. And he also knows the Kentucky Derby of course, having also won that last year, is manager of the Starlight Racing Partnerships that co-own Justify. Starlight is hoping that Audible can rebound from a Pegasus fifth in the Dubai World Cup and they are also looking forward to another Kentucky Derby with Cutting Humor, who set a track record while winning the Sunland Derby on Sunday. Jack Wolf, it is Jim Mulvihill checking in, how are you doing?
Jack Wolf:
Hi Jim, how is it going?
Jim Mulvihill:
Oh, it is going great. Congratulations on the Sunland Derby and thanks for taking some time with us, I know it is getting late in the evening over there. I hope we haven’t pulled you away from dinner or anything like that.
Jack Wolf:
No, the timing is perfect. We got in probably, yeah. Go ahead Jim.
Jim Mulvihill:
Alright, yeah, I think there is a little bit of a delay, but we will struggle through it. Let’s start with Audible. You know, when I look at the Pegasus Field, the top half of it was very strong, it looked like a Breeder’s Cup classic type of race, and you all just missed getting fourth money in there. So, just tell us where you believe Audible stacks up now as an order horse with the top order horses on dirt, both in the US and as we will see on Saturday, in the world?
Jack Wolf:
Well, that’s a good question. The time-off that we had given Audible, we felt that the timing would be perfect to running back in the Harlan’s Holliday and then have six weeks into the Pegasus. Each one of these horses is difficult to get a handle on in the race and he also can prove you in the mornings, but he never had been training according to Todd better going into those two races. And I don’t know, if you want to use an excuse, I guess you can use the off class, you know, lost [inaudible] and the Harlan’s Holliday and then, you know, in the Pegasus, you know, he had a little run at the end, I think he took the worst part of the track and – but even in spite of that, his numbers, his ride numbers are right there with Lawrence, who said he will be going to Dubai and then hopefully we can at least draw a line through the Pegasus and hopefully he shows up. And hopefully, we will get him going to track.
Jim Mulvihill:
Well, and since he had so much time-off, basically the whole second half of last year, well, he did start at the end of the year, but he got basically six months off, does that give you hope that, you know, reaching that third race in the form cycle that there is still some room to improve there and maybe not getting the best conditions to run in his first two races that we just still haven’t seen what his best race will be as a four-year-old?
Jack Wolf:
Yeah. I hope you are right Jim and it is what we are banking on, I mean if you look at three or four of these other horses in here, it looks like we can be competitive with who is going to be the favorite. Hopefully, this will be a start to a nice round of records for the horse. He really is a durable, hard working horse. So, hopefully, we have some upside this year.
Jim Mulvihill:
Excellent. Now, before we open it up to questions from everybody, let me ask about Cutting Humor real quick. Set a track record on Sunday, but that was six weeks out from the first Saturday in May. Do you have any thoughts on whether he might get another racing or does it make more sense, my guess is that the typical Todd moves these days would be to train up to the Kentucky Derby, what do you think?
Jack Wolf:
Well, the first thing, in talking to Todd this morning, or yesterday morning, where we are now, the horse came out of the race in good order. He will be shipping back to Florida on Wednesday. It would be my guess, Todd is so good with these layoffs that he would not be looking for another way. And Todd and I have worked together for a number of years, 18, 19 years now and he won’t lay a horse in the derby if the horse isn’t training well and doing well. So, even though we have the points, it looks like enough points, I am not sure, it will be up to Todd to see how the horse is doing and like I agree with you Jim, I think that we will see the horse run between now and the derby, if he runs in the derby, if he [inaudible] off the time off.
Jim Mulvihill:
Yeah, it makes sense to me. Well, let me turn it over to the media for more questions on Audible or Cutting Humor or anything else on Starlight Racing.
Operator:
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, once again, if you would like to signal for a question, please do so by pressing star one on your telephone keypad. Again, that is star one to signal for a question. Once again, that is star one to signal for a question. And our question will come from Tom Jicha of South Florida Sun Sentinel
Tom Jicha:
Jack, I know you weren’t there, but I saw a quote after – from Jay Velazquez after the Sunland Derby that Cutting Humor was going along fine, then he started idling and when he got into him with the left hand, you know, it kind of re-broke again and held off the horse coming on. In light of that, what are your opinions on what is going on in Southern California now with the whip and everything else? Do you think this is a good move to just suddenly ban whips and possibly disqualify horses for the use?
Jack Wolf:
You know, that’s a great timely question, but getting back to the Sunland Derby, I think as far as once the horse is laid out of his race and he started to idle out and he looked like he was getting out at the end, you know, that he was getting out and getting tired, it was because of the left hand that hurt him, but in any case, he did gallop out very well and other horses never passed him. What is going on in [inaudible] we are referring to the whips. You know, it is certainly my opinion that these whips or [inaudible] or whatever you want to cal them, can help get the horses going. As far as given the horse’s pain can wear in, I don’t know really, if you talk to a horse, but I would think that is not the case, but it certainly looks like [inaudible] and if it is, then, you know, that the rider and the owners will have to adjust to it. But stay tuned for that episode out there for sure.
Tom Jicha:
Would that influence you – the Breeder’s Cup is out there this year. Would that influence you in sending horses to Southern California?
Jack Wolf:
It wouldn’t me. The two trainers that we work at the Starlight, Todd Fletcher and Bob Baffert, and I think those are the two best guys in the business and whatever efforts here [inaudible] they get, they have to climb over, they are going to survive and [inaudible] to get the best of their horses. So, if we have a horse that belongs in the Breeder’s Cup, none of that – I know relationship[?] is not going to be an issue right now I don’t think for this race, but many of those things will not affect whether we decide to run a horse out there or not.
Tom Jicha:
Thank you very much.
Jack Wolf:
Thank you.
Operator:
And once again, ladies and gentlemen, to ask a question, please press star one. And it appears we have no further questions at this time.
Jim Mulvihill:
Alright, Jack, thanks so much for coming on with us. Hope you have a great week in Dubai and we will see you back here in Louisville.
Jack Wolf:
Okay, Jim, thanks for the call, bye-bye.
Jim Mulvihill:
Alright, that was Jack Wolf. And that brings us to our final guest on this NTRA teleconference and that is of course Hall of Fame trainer, Shug McGaughey. He trains the Fountain of Youth winner, Code of Honor in Saturday’s Florida Derby and now let’s check in with Shug, are you there Shug?
Shug McGaughey:
I am.
Jim Mulvihill:
Excellent. Well, thanks for coming on with us. We are all very curious to see how Code of Honor runs on Saturday. I had read that you felt maybe you were a little soft on him earlier this year and the Mucho Macho Man might not have been tight enough for that, so given that kind of slow progression and taking the time to really tighten the screws on and what do you think we are looking at for this weekend coming off the Fountain of Youth win?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, I think it would be interesting, you know, I was very impressed with his race in the Fountain of Youth. I felt that, you know, really, he was kind of an easy winner. You know, he made the lead and showed weight on all the horses and he has come out of it very well. You know, he has gotten a nice race in him and he is training well at the Payson Park since then, I was there yesterday, I liked his work yesterday and I liked the way he looked and the way he acted and so it would be interesting to see him run on Saturday.
Jim Mulvihill:
And there was, you know, obviously before the last race, there was a lot of hype around Hidden Scroll and that I think there was enough that that is feeding over into this race as well. Do you feel like your horse is maybe overlooked in this spot and do you think that the Fountain of Youth winner should normally be the favorite in this race you would think?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, I mean, yeah, but that doesn’t really mean anything to me. You know, I think as we saw, he was pretty overlooked in the Fountain of Youth too and, you know, I think that the best wait is on this coming Saturday. I think that he will probably make some people feel kind of funny, but, you know, that is the public’s opinion and the media’s opinion and this is [inaudible] I mean I liked what I have seen and I would trade places with any of the horses that were in there. Hidden Scroll is obviously a talented horse. You know, but he couldn’t carry his speed, going to a mile and 16th in the Fountain of Youth, you know, I know he went fast over fast racetrack, but you know, speed carries over this track, so you know, I thought we kind of called[?] him pretty easy the other day and I think the mile and eighth is going to help us even more and I think there will be a pace in here, it might not be 45 and change, but ain’t[?] going to be 50 either, I wouldn’t think.
Jim Mulvihill:
And when you talk about the mile and an eighth helping you even more, I know that you were referencing the setup of the Fountain of Youth, but also there is a pedigree advantage there perhaps as well. Can you just talk about what that might be?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, the Noble Mission is a Juddmonte pedigree, Juddmonte horse, it stands over here. You know, he was a distance horse in Europe over the grass, but who knows whether he would run on the dirt over here or not, you know, and [inaudible], but he was obviously forced to run on the grass over there because this will dig on, but I think with his pedigree, I know Code of Honor had a half-brother that ran two turns around Kentucky and, you know, I think, you know, whereby he is patient enough, I think he will run as far as we need him to run.
Jim Mulvihill:
Excellent. Well, let me step aside and see what questions the media has for you. Shannon, you want to check the phone lines?
Operator:
Certainly. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, to signal for a question, please press star one. Again, that is star one to signal for a question and our first question will come from Tim Reynolds at Associated Press.
Tim Reynolds:
Shug, is it only – given that Orb also won Fountain of Youth and I think was also – I just remember the second choice going into Florida Derby that year – is it only natural to draw some parallels with you on between this horse and the path you took with Orb six years ago?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, I think the one thing I mean is, you know, we are here and this is what we are stable [inaudible], you know, I have only got to ship him an hour and a half [inaudible] instead of seeing him in New York or Kentucky or Arkansas and not knowing how he will take to the surroundings and all that kind of stuff. And it’s the same thing with Orb, you know. All this stuff is still a question-and-answer type of a thing. And, you know, I have those races and I thought he would have needed another week or another two weeks because of the Arkansas Derby, you know, I could probably use that and, you know, so what would happen in the couple of days, God forbid, that, you know, I have still got those out there and we have been nominated, but the basic reason is, you know, we are here, he has run over this racetrack two times as Orb had – before he ran the Florida Derby and I just didn’t see a whole lot of sense in, you know, moving around unless I absolutely needed to.
Tim Reynolds:
Thank you, Shug, see you on Saturday.
Shug McGaughey:
Okay.
Operator:
And our next question will come from Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union.
Tim Wilkin:
Hi Shug. So far in the prep season, it doesn’t seem that any horse has really jumped out and said I am the horse to beat in Louisville. If your horse is able to win on Saturday, how confident are you that you think that you could have that horse?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, I think I would be pretty confident, you know, I mean I was, but if Orb there, after his two wins down here, I was very, very confident in the way that – and especially the way that he trained afterwards – he was going to run a good race in the derby and if we were to run really well here on Saturday, he were to come out good and train well, I would go to Louisville thinking that he should run well. I mean he ran well at Saratoga over that track, he ran [inaudible] over that track and he has run well over this track. So, I don’t think he is the kind of horse that needs to sort of take his track with him. So, you know, if we were to get lucky and run well here on Saturday, I absolutely look forward to the next four weeks or ride him along till the Kentucky Derby.
Tim Wilkin:
What are your thoughts so far, what you have seen in the prep, I am sure you see them and is there a horse out there that you think stands out more than anyone else?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, I still think [inaudible], I thought he ran good the other day and it looks like he is having the funniest sort of horse. Two times I have watched him run was in the Breeder’s Cup and in Rebel, and, you know looks like Joel thought it kind of gets a ride in getting him going, but when he gets going, he probably finished up very well the other day and maybe even better than he had did in the Breeder’s Cup. He just didn’t get there, but, you know, I like him. You know, I didn’t like the horse of a second here, [inaudible] in the Fountain of Youth of our innings. He is here, I get to watch him train every morning. You know, he trains like a nice horse and looks a part of a nice horse, and he ran good the other day, you know, I watched him win his one other [inaudible] I thought he was very impressive [inaudible] so they would be the two that kind of catch my eye right now as horses that have got a bit of experience over maybe some of them that don’t have quite as much experience.
Tim Wilkin:
Thanks Shug.
Operator:
And our next question will come from Tom Jicha of South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Tom Jicha:
I would like to get back to a couple of things you said earlier. You thought that, you know, you won the Fountain of Youth pretty easy. Some people thought that Bourbon War might have caught you late; I am not saying I agree with that but I am just bringing up what has been said; and for the same reason, you think the mile and an eighth will help you more than here – will help you, period; what are your thoughts on that?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, I mean, I thought Bourbon War ran very well. I just – what I am saying is what Johnny told me is when he made a lead he sort of was waiting on his horses and stuff, and I think that, you know, if that is true, you know, one of the horses go up to him, you know, that have been earlier in the race, so he would have gone on and, you know, maybe hit another year. And, you know, the other thing about the Fountain of Youth was that, you know, if I had to push the button a little bit earlier than I wanted to, just because he didn’t quite, you know, with the pace scenario, [inaudible] fast, but over the racetrack, speed carries as well, you know, and so – I mean he told me, he said I know I hit the button a little bit quicker than you wanted to but I had to sort of make sure [inaudible] get left behind. And, you know, there were some horses stopping in front of him, he had to vary his course a couple of times, so it wasn’t quite as clean a trip as maybe it looked to my eye watching it and to maybe the public’s eye, but, you know, [inaudible] away from Bourbon War as I said earlier [inaudible]. I thought he ran good, I think he – I watched him run, win his [inaudible] here earlier in a meet and I thought he ran very well in there. And, you know, I get to see him train every day, I watched him breeze last Friday, I watched him gallop this morning, so you know, I have got a ton of respect for him.
Tim Jicha:
Okay, very good. Thank you very much.
Operator:
And our next question will come from Danny Brewer of horseracingscoop.com.
Danny Brewer:
Shug, how are you today?
Shug McGaughey:
I am good Danny.
Danny Brewer:
Alright. So, I am going to like turn back the clock. You have been in this game for a couple of years, anyway. Easy Goer, [inaudible] was the greatest things since Slice Bread going into the derby, what did you learn from Easy Goer in your handling him, because he was a magnificent horse?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, one thing about it he has two different times, I mean he ran in the Swale here in the middle of March, then he came back in the Gotham and then he ran in the Wood Memorial, you know, in a pretty small length of time, but he was, you know, he was obviously an immensely talented horse and, you know, I think he [inaudible] called a very, very good horse and suddenly it sounds in the derby he ran over a track that maybe he didn’t particularly like, but, you know, I think that probably being in that position just sort of[?] it taught me more than anything else as I get too excited and too overly confident in what to expect because, you know, any race day is a different day and a derby day is a different day from any other day and, you know, you have to be able to take the horse there that they can handle the day, you know, and the race as well and not just, you know, take anything there. I mean it [inaudible], you know, he came off a very impressive Wood Memorial, but he didn’t have the temperament to be able to take derby day. So, I think that is one of the things that just being in that position with Easy Goer where you did have the favorite and all eyes were on you and all the questions basically were on you and your horse was kind of what I took away from the whole thing and you have been able to look at it – and the other times that I have had the opportunity to have a horse of that magnitude.
Danny Brewer:
So, then when we fast forward to Orb, you know, and you won the derby and everything, did that kind of, you know, [inaudible] of that throw you even more into what has made you the great trainer that you are?
Shug McGaughey:
Well, obviously, it was a huge thrill, and, you know, I always thought in my training, I said I would like to win the derby and get it over with. Well, I think when I found that I was lucky enough to win it that the time it took to get there may be appreciated that much more, and – because I had a friend of mine telling me, he said, you know, it didn’t wash off and it did. But as Baffert says, the second one is just as good if not better and, you know, he has been lucky to win a bunch of them, and, you know, I hope I had those opportunities going down the line myself. So, you know, it is exciting to be in this position, you know, but like I said, the horse is going to have to take us to the race, we are not going to take him there.
Danny Brewer:
Well, I certainly do appreciate your time and I wish you the best of luck.
Shug McGaughey:
Thank you very much.
Operator:
And it does appear we have no further questions at this time.
Jim Mulvihill:
Alright, Shug, we are going to let you go, we appreciate your time today and best of luck in the Florida Derby.
Shug McGaughey:
Alright, thanks a lot.
Jim Mulvihill:
Alright, we will see you in Louisville in not that long of a time. Thanks again to all of our guests today, Garrett O’Rourke, Jack Wolf and Shug McGaughey. And thanks to Jill Barta-Galuppo[?] with the NTRA for taking care of lining everything up and making is super easy for everyone, and also to Shannon, the operator. And that does it for this week’s teleconference, I am sure you will be back with Alicia next week when she returns from Dubai and I hope to see everybody here at Churchill Downs the week of the derby. Thanks so much. Back to Shannon.
Operator:
Thank you. And once again, that does conclude our NTRA Road to the Triple Crown conference call. You may now disconnect.
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