Eric Wing: Welcome to today’s NTRA communications National Media teleconference. Coming up this weekend, another Road to the Kentucky Derby telecast on the NBC Sports network. This week’s installment will come to you Saturday from 5 to 6: 00 p.m. Eastern time and the featured events on NBC with Christina Olivares with the live runnings of both the Florida Derby and also the Gulfstream Oaks for three-year-old fillies, both of those races taking place at Gulfstream Park. Another—obviously another big weekend ahead in looking at the three-year-old division, a little bit later on we’ll be talking to Bryan Sullivan, who is one of the two principals involved in Let’s Go Stable. They are the owners of El Padrino, who will be one of maybe seven or eight horses slated to take part in the Florida Derby. We’ll also take a look at Sunday’s Louisiana Derby, and to help us do that later on, we’re going to talk to the rider of Mark Valeski, that being Rosie Napravnik. Mark Valeski likely to go off as the favorite in that million dollar Louisiana Derby.

 

First of all, though, we’re going to focus in on Saturday’s big race at Gulfstream, the Florida Derby, and we’re happy to have with us now trainer, Michael Matz, who will send out Union Rags in that one. Michael, it’s Eric Wing in New York. Thanks for being with us again.

 

Michael Matz: Yes, you’re welcome.

 

Eric Wing: Michael, the Fountain of Youth, as far as you are concerned, was that just a perfect comeback effort for your horse?

 

Michael Matz: Well, you never know after a four-month layoff and I thought I couldn’t have asked for anything more the way he came back and the way he came out of it, so I was very pleased with it.

 

Eric Wing: Okay, now you say he came out of it well. A lot of people utilize workout services to rate the morning performances. The few that I’ve seen regarding Union Rags since the Fountain of Youth have been unanimous in their glowing reports. Do you share that view?

 

Michael Matz: Well, he’s training well coming into the Derby, and so far, he’s done everything we’ve asked and I certainly have no complaints right now.

 

Danny Brewer: When you lost in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, as the only blemish on this horse’s record, did that cause you to rethink anything about this horse and how you train or how you work him?

 

Michael Matz: No. I mean, it was just a—it was a, I think an isolated incident and I think there was some other things involved that—I mean, he was going to have a rest after the Breeders’ Cup no matter what and—no, nothing changed it for me.

 

Danny Brewer: Now, he’s obviously extremely talented. What’s your thoughts on his versatility as a runner?

 

Michael Matz: His versatility? In which way?

 

Danny Brewer: Well, I mean do you think he can stalk? Can he come from behind? Can—I mean, what’s your thoughts on that? Is he versatile enough to get the things done in the Triple Crown, those challenges that may face him?

 

Michael Matz: He’s done it every which way you want to do it, and I don’t see that there’s any problem with how—I mean, he can run close to the pace, he can run off the pace, going—he can do whatever you ask him to do.

 

Danny Brewer: And essentially that’s what you’re—you think that that’s one of the essential elements to him being the horse that he is?

 

Michael Matz: Well, he’s got a terrific temperament, that’s for sure, and that obviously is a big asset when you’re dealing with horses in any manner, but he has a terrific mind and I think if he—in the Saratoga Special, he was right on the pace; Breeders’ Cup, he was way out of it. His last race, he was right off the pace, so I think it all depends how the race unfolds and he can do whatever—his mind is that good that I don’t think it really matters.

 

Bob Ehalt: Okay. Michael, my question, I’m just wondering, from your viewpoint, how fitting is it for Mrs. Wyeth to finally have a, such a horse like Union Rags? And also, can you just talk a little bit her as an owner of—what she’s like to work for?

 

Michael Matz: Well, for her to have a horse like this with—after what she’s been through her whole life, you know, in that wheelchair, I mean it’s—I think it’s pretty special for her, and I think it’s, you know, a great tribute to her that she’s sold the horse, and she had to have it back and she bought it back and she’s a wonderful person, and to work for, she couldn’t be any better.

 

Tim Dewire: I have a two-part question. Back in 2006, when you conditioned Barbaro, you bucked conventional wisdom by laying off—this was his last (inaudible) five weeks out to the Kentucky Derby. First part of that is what was your thinking at the time? And second part is, do you see a similar path for Union Rags, and if so, are there similarities between the two? What similarities do you see between the two horses?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I mean, I thought the time we gave Barbaro between the races was the proper time for him. The media didn’t think that, but I thought it was just best for my horse. The similarities between this horse and Barbaro, I mean they’re both big, strong horses and, again, the same—we’re taking the same route with the Florida Derby. And we didn’t do the Fountain of Youth with Barbaro but he had run another race before that, so he—Barbaro was going to have two races—three races before the Derby and Union Rags is only going to have two, but I think Union Rags did more as a two-year-old than Barbaro did. So it works out in a similar situation and they are both big, strong horses that can go a distance and they’re lovely dispositioned horses and this horse has a lot ways to go to prove what Barbaro has done but we sure hope we get the same results.

 

Jennie Rees: Yes, Michael, for those of us watching the Fountain of Youth on simulcast, I mean, you (inaudible) sheer joy. Could you reflect on what was going through your mind during the race, and also, was it nice to have a race where there wasn’t a lot of sort of drama as far as he’s (inaudible) is he going to be able to (inaudible)?

 

Michael Matz: Yes, that was a relief, that’s for sure. But, no, I—just to see the way that he, you know, he did it with (inaudible) and it’s like we said earlier, he couldn’t have ridden it any better that he ran that way in the Fountain of Youth and he came out of the race good and when Julian came back from him, I said, “Anything we should work on?” He said—or I said, “Is there anything you can tell me?” and he said, he says, “No, when I asked him to wait, he waited; when I asked him to go, he went.” And he said, “He just was good in the gait, he broke good.” He said it was uneventful, and he said it was just a nice, easy ride. So, yes, you’re right, I was very relieved to have an uneventful race.

 

Jennie Rees: Yes. The last time you were on a conference call, you were talking about how Julian had—originally, you were trying to get him to ride the horse at Saratoga and he had something that fell through and he’s been trying to get on since. Can you talk about what Julian brings to the table with this horse, or with any horse?

 

Michael Matz: He’s a very patient rider. He doesn’t look like he gets too nervous when something isn’t going right; he’ll wait it out. I think he has a good feel for a horse; he’s got good hands. And the one thing with this horse is he’s a very—and I have to give credit to my assistant and Peter Brett, is that Peter rides him all the time and he has a beautiful mouth on him andhe’s easy to control for such a big horse as he is, and he’s just a joy to be around and you can do anything with him, I can’t tell you that there’s—the only bad thing, when you walk him in the ground, he can be a little bit of a bully that way, but I’d rather have at least that than have a rider on top of him and do some things, so when he’s under tack, he’s just a real gentleman.

 

Jennie Rees: Can you just sort of articulate the differences or changes in him, especially in the wake of having seen one more race, or another race in him from three to two?

 

Michael Matz: Well, Jennie, I just think it’s a chance that he had some time off after his two-year-old season. He grew a lot and I just think the fact that he matured physically and mentally is what we’re looking at right now. We’re just looking at a bigger, stronger, a more mature horse.

 

Jennie Rees: the question, but would you have been very disappointed having not gone on and matured like you thought he probably would go on and do?

 

Michael Matz: As a three-year-old?

 

Jennie Rees: Yes, right, right, had he not made that jump from two to three? I mean, did he always give you the signs that this horse is going to be better at three than he is at two, and he was awful good at two?

 

Michael Matz: I would say as, you know, we weren’t sure if he would get to the race as he just sort of, as big as he is, and he just came around so quickly as a two-year-old, we sort of planned to have four races with him and give him a break, and we always thought the longer the distances got, the better he would be.

 

Tim Wilkins: Hey, Michael. When did you realize that this horse had the potential to be something special?

 

Michael Matz: Well, he worked well as a two-year-old, he worked well in the sales ((inaudible)) when we got him back to the farm at Fair Hill. He just did everythingthe way you would want a horse to do it. He was very professional and we were working him and he worked with other two-year-olds, he worked with older horses; and when he was ready to run five-eighths, I said to Peter, I said, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t give him some experience and —there was a race at Delaware Park going five-eighths of a mile and he was doing everything right at the farm and he was ready to do that. Now, he wasn’t ready to do much more than that but—so we just thought that it would be a world of experience to let him do that, and we didn’t really think that—I’m not noted for having sprint horses that well (ph). But even with me training him, he won that race so he must be a good horse.

 

Tim Wilkins: How much better can he get?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I—I don’t—you know, again, like I say, he’s just coming in for his three-year-old season and I couldn’t be happier the way he’s training and the way he’s working. I think he—I hope he makes a step forward from the Fountain of Youth and that—I hope we see a real good horse this summer.

 

Lucas Marquardt: Hi, Mr. Matz. Thanks for joining us. Was hoping you could talk about what you’ve done in the mornings with Union Rags since the Fountain of Youth. It looks like you had two, you know, kind of slower works right after the race and then last time picked it up a little bit. You know, have you done anything different with him in the mornings, after the race and before, and have you.

 

Michael Matz: No.

 

Lucas Marquardt: how you train him?

 

Michael Matz: No. We are just—we’re just trying to do what we feel the horse needs and I don’t think you have to do a fast work all the time, and his—what he did do, I mean even when he worked the slow five-eighths, he galloped out, he went seven-eighths of a mile in 1: 30 so I mean he did a lot of good things and he’s doing what we’ve asked him to do, I could tell you. He’s a delight to train. He’ll do whatever you want him to do. I just don’t see any reason that every week you have to, you know, have a race.

 

Lucas Marquardt: (Inaudible). And the other thing I wanted to ask you, have you looked past the—looked past (inaudible) at all in terms of when you might come up to Churchill Downs?

 

Michael Matz: Well, we’ve put a lot of thought into it. We—I’m not sure I’m—it’s making me a little nervous. This winter down here in Florida has been so nice and the winter up north has been so good that I’m afraid we’re going to get killed during the spring. But hopefully not and he’s going to stay down here for two weeks after the Florida Derby and have a maintenance work (inaudible) and we’re going to make a decision when he comes up north. I don’t want to get to Churchill and then we have a rainy spring, so it’s a possibility to go Keeneland and then go over to Churchill. I haven’t thought that far.

 

Lucas Marquardt: Right, so you came up to (inaudible) with Barbaro, right, worked him once there?

 

Michael Matz: Yes. I mean, at that time when we came up with Barbaro, there was—they also had the Duratrack in, the synthetic track, not that that would make that much of a difference but I just—you know, it’s play it by ear. I know he’s definitely going to stay down here two weeks after the Florida Derby and have his maintenance work down here.

 

Linda Robertson: I wanted to ask you about your career and how gratifying it is to have a horse like Union Rags after what happened with Barbaro and Barbaro’s owners and that whole—where they let you go and they didn’t seem to give much of an explanation and, just talk about how, you know, how your career has gone since then.

 

Michael Matz: Well, I mean, it’s something we have to move on with. I mean, I was just grateful for the Jacksons that I had Barbaro. It did, you know, it did hurt an awful lot when I didn’t know why I was let go, but anyway, that’s over with and, like I say, I, you know, just have to look at it that they were lucky enough to—I was lucky enough that they gave me a horse like Barbaro to train and be lucky enough that Mrs. Wyeth gave me a horse like this to train. So, I have no complaints. I’m, you know, lucky to be back there again and hopefully, like after the Florida Derby, that we’ll put our sights on the Kentucky Derby and we’ll just—like I say, I—you just can’t look at things like that. I got to look at it to the point where I was lucky enough that the Jacksons gave me Barbaro, so it’s just—it’s finished and it’s done and that’s the way it goes.

 

Linda Robertson: Do you ever hear from them?

 

Michael Matz: No.

 

Michael Matz: No. They—no, I mean like I say, I have, you know, no—it hurt at the time but certainly I’m over that now. I mean, I wish them all the best of luck and, you know, I’m sure should they wish the same for me, so that’s—I’m sure I’ll run into them along the way and, like I say, they live very close to us and I’m sure I’ll see them in—around the town or something like that. But, you know, they—they’re busy. They have their horses and, you know, and that’s—it is what it is.

 

Linda Robertson: Michael, let me—oh sorry, go ahead.

 

Michael Matz: No, no, it’s fine.

 

Linda Robertson: Okay. One other thing I wanted to ask you, another thing from your past is when you were in that airplane crash and you rescued the passengers, do you ever hear from those people or do you ever wonder what became of them?

 

Michael Matz: Well, my wife keeps in touch with the children.

 

Linda Robertson: Really?

 

Michael Matz: Yes. They’re grown up now. They came the last time to the Derby when Barbaro was there, and they’re all grown up and Melissa, the girl, she had some children and I don’t know if the two boys are married, so—but my wife does keep up with them and we keep up with their parents too.

 

Linda Robertson: Where do they live?

 

Michael Matz: They live in Wyoming.

 

Linda Robertson: Okay.

 

Michael Matz: Laramie, Wyoming, the—they live out there and they just took a trip around the world, so we got a letter from them about a month or so ago, so they’ve been doing a lot of traveling.

 

Linda Robertson: When you look back on that experience, I mean do you have sort of, you know, awful memories or good memories or (cross talking).

 

Michael Matz: With Barbaro?

 

Linda Robertson: No, with that plane crash.

 

Michael Matz: Oh, well I mean, nobody wants to go through that, that’s for sure. But, no, I just try to—I try to ignore it. I mean, it’s something that happened and, you know, we were lucky enough to survive and I don’t look at it as a good or a bad; it’s something I never want to do.

 

Michael Matz: But, you know, that—it was a long time ago and so I just try not to look back at it.

 

John Pricci: Good afternoon, Michael. Last time you were on with us, you were pretty philosophical about Union Rags’ trip in the Breeder’s Cup recently you have said that, I’m sure (inaudible) tried everything he knew, everything that he can do to win the race but it didn’t work out. But it sounded there like there was some regret in there and, you know, it seemed that there was some resentment about the margin of victory, like considering the narrow defeat in the Breeder’s Cup, a little resentment regarding the margin of Eclipse’ victory by Hansen over Union Rags. Can you speak to that?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I think you’re right. I just—I was just surprised that it was such a—and I think this is—I’m not—I don’t want to speak for everybody, but I think when you look at something yourself and you see something one way and something comes up that is really differently, you say, how could I be so wrong? And I think that’s what I was getting at, at that point, that it was only a head and yet the voting was, like, three to one. I just didn’t think —I mean, if the criteria was the Breeder’s Cup, which is fine, I just—I mean, I just was surprised that it was—that I could be that—you know, not to say that I can’t be wrong; I certainly can be wrong, but I just thought that it—I found it difficult for me that it was that far off base. And that’s what I meant about that.

 

John Pricci: In that regard, the term world championship races, given your experience and what you just said right now, do you think maybe a little too much emphasis is placed on the results of the Breeder’s Cup as opposed to, say, the body of work over an entire season?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I mean is, then that’s fine if we know what the criteria is. I don’t think that is the—for what I understand, I certainly could be wrong, but I think when you say this is—when you’re picking a champion, it just doesn’t say that from one race, does it? I mean, the year Zenyatta was champion, the year she lost the Breeder’s Cup, and I don’t know—that sort of was funny to me in that situation. I thought she should have got it the year before, but she didn’t and if this is the people that are voting for it, they should—and I could—and I certainly could see it if the horse would have gotten beat by five lengths or—and they had a very—they both had good trips. I didn’t think my horse had the best trip and he got beat a head. It’s just my own opinion. I’m sure I’m prejudiced but—and biased, but that was just my feelings towards it and whether it’s right or wrong, obviously the people that did the voting for the Eclipse awards had a different feeling, which is fine. But that was my feeling towards that matter.

 

John Pricci: And finally, the last one from me, in that context, listen, a lot of the voters, of which I am and many other people listening are, you know, there are no rules, so you as a horseman, would you be in favor of some sort of objective standard and then bringing the element of a vote to it? You know, what do you think might better improve the situation?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I think it’s the same thing where you—when you’re talking about the Eclipse awards for the jockey or the Eclipse awards for the trainer. I mean, make it—you know, if there is no rules, then it’s usually done by—I mean, Graham Motion had a hell of a year last year and he didn’t even get a nomination. I mean, my goodness, and—went from the start to the finish and he didn’t even get in the top three. I mean, maybe it was one of those years but, you know, if they want to make it, the Breeder’s Cup for the two-year-olds, then that’s perfectly fine. If they want to make it money won for the trainer or the jockey, that’s fine; it would be a lot clearer. But if it’s supposed to be over the whole year, that’s one thing. I just didn’t—like I say, if it was for the whole year, for me, I just could not see the big three to one ratio in the voting. That’s all I was getting at.

 

Jon White: Michael, as far as Saturday’s race is concerned, is there anything that you’re worried about?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I’m—you’re always worried about the same thing that can happen at the Breeder’s Cup, but Jon, he has trained very well coming into the race. We set a schedule for him the beginning of the year, so far, and we’ve been able to follow that, and our main goal is to get to Kentucky Derby and May, and so far, everything has gone as we had planned to reach that goal at this point. He’s trained well. I mean, if he gets beat by a, you know, a better horse then—then he did, but he has done everything we’ve asked him to do. I wouldn’t trade places with anybody right now. I’m just real happy to have a horse like this and be able to be in this position where you’ve set a plan and a lot of times these plans don’t go like you expect them to go and, knock on wood, so far it’s been straight down the line what we’ve planned.

 

Jon White: What would you say is this colt’s best attribute?

 

Michael Matz: Well, his disposition is fantastic. He’s fast. His disposition is good. I mean, we took him down to school in the paddock last week at Gulfstream and he just walked around there like, you know, he just came off the van and walked over there. (Inaudible) walking him up into the paddock, they were getting ready for the first race, they rang the bell to see that it worked and gave a little buck and then walked—continued walking in there. I mean, it didn’t upset him. I think those are the things that will make a good racehorse and I think they call that class. I mean, he’s got plenty of that. I can’t tell you, you know, how great it is to wake up and go down to the barn in the morning and look in his stall and see his ears looking out at you and like he wants to train, so it’s just a delight to have a horse like this.

 

Jon White: Well, thank you very much for all your cooperation with the media. Not—you know, through the Barbaro time but, you’ve continued on with Union Rags and it’s very much appreciated, I think, and you mentioned Union Rags has class. I think, from that standpoint, you’ve exhibited a lot of class as well, and I personally thank you for that, Michael.

 

Michael Matz: Thank you.

 

Jon White: And thanks for your time today.

 

Michael Matz: All right. You’re welcome.

 

Marc Doche: Hi, Michael. I know they haven’t drawn the race yet for Saturday, but in your estimation, who would you consider to be the biggest challengers to Union Rags on Saturday?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I don’t—I mean, obviously he’s never ran against Todd’s horse, El Padrino, and I think he’s an awfully nice horse, and actually, I tried to get somebody to buy him as a yearling but they never returned my phone call, so I think he’s quite a nice horse and, you know, Pat Byrnes horse is nice. He has run against that horse once as a two-year-old. I don’t know the horse, Reveron, that—he’s from Calder and obviously the horse that was second in the Fountain of Youth certainly has a right to improve and he and (inaudible) horse had, I think, a pretty bad trip in the Fountain of Youth so I think that, you know, I think that’s why they call it horseracing, so—but obviously, I think Todd’s horse, El Padrino, probably is the horse that—he’s won in his last two starts so I think he’s, you know, probably the horse that he’ll have to contend with and (inaudible) certainly could improve after that last race. It looked like he ran well there.

 

Marc Doche: And when you look around the country at other circuits and the other three-year-olds that are running, who would you consider to be the top five maybe, because obviously, most people have Union Rags on top or near the top; who would you consider to be the biggest challengers right now?

 

Michael Matz: Well, I guess the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile was a pretty good race because all those horses came back and won pretty nicely, so I would say that probably was a key race and those horses looked like if they mature from two to three, they’d be pretty darn, you know, good horses to have. I’m sure there’s always—I don’t know a lot of the horses on the West Coast or down in Louisiana. I don’t know them so it’s really hard to say anything about those horses.

 

Eric Wing: Okay. Well, Michael, very good of you to spend so much time with us. Obviously, there’s a lot of interest in you and your horse and we wish you and Union Rags the best of luck Saturday in the Florida Derby.

 

Michael Matz: Well, thank you so much.

 

Eric Wing: Thank you. That’s Michael Matz, trainer of Union Rags, and Michael will give a leg up to Julian Leparoux aboard what will undoubtedly be the favorite for the million dollar mile and an eighth Grade I event at Gulfstream on Saturday. That race, again along with the Gulfstream Oaks, live on NBS Sports network, 5: 00 p.m. Eastern as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

 

Our next guest made history last year as the first woman to win the Louisiana Derby, the first woman to win a Fair Grounds riding title and just the sixth woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. She certainly has an opportunity to achieve all those things again this year in 2012. We welcome in now the rider of Mark Valeski, Rosie Napravnik. Rosie, it’s Eric Wing in New York. Thanks for joining us on the call today.

 

Rosie Napravnik: Hi, Eric, and hi to everybody else. Thank you for having me.

 

Eric Wing: Rosie, first of all, unlike most weekend races on a Tuesday, the Fair Grounds—the Louisiana Derby has already been drawn, a field of 14. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to look over the field, but it is a bulky field and there appears to be quite a bit of speed in the race, or at least a couple who are exiting sprint races and figure to be quite prominent early. What did the race look like to you when you took a gander at it?

 

Rosie Napravnik: You know, it actually looks—we don’t have too many horses coming in from out of town, or at least not too many of them that have been winners of—from the other prep races, so the race looks a little bit wide open. I think some of the toughest horses are actually coming out of maiden races that they’ve won impressively, Cigar Street being one of them. But like you said, you know, there’s a lot of speed in the race. One of the horses is Hero of Order who’s been a really hard knocker here down at Fair Grounds in local races; he’s run a lot throughout the late winter and the early spring, and he’s actually, you know, run relatively well. Also there’s the—another speed horse of Ron Sochet’s (ph) who is coming out of some cheaper races but has been running some big numbers. And then Cigar Street is Steve Margolis’ horse who just broke his maiden with a huge number, and he’s got some speed as well. I think the greatest thing about Mark Valeski is that he’s, you know, 100% versatile. He is a very kind horse, he’s easy to ride and he’ll probably do whatever it is I ask when we come out of the gates as far as