Eric Wing: Welcome to this NTRA Communications National Media teleconference.
A big weekend ahead, and NBC will be there to bring it live to television viewers from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern, as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. On NBC will be three Grade I races, all live: the $1 million Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial, the Grade I $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, and also from Keeneland, the race for three-year-old fillies, the Grade I $0.5 million Central Bank Ashland Stakes. Radio coverage of both the Wood and the Santa Anita Derby will be presented live from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern on HRRN, the Horse Racing Radio Network.
A little bit later we’ll talk to two of the principal characters in the Wood, jockey Ramon Dominguez, who will return from injury to begin riding again on Friday; come Saturday, he’ll ride Alpha in the Wood Memorial. We’ll also check in with Todd Pletcher, who’ll saddle the undefeated Gemologist in the Wood.
First, though, we’re delighted to welcome in trainer Mike Harrington. He’ll send out the likely favorite in the Santa Anita Derby, Creative Cause. Mike, it’s Eric Wing in New York. Welcome again to the call.
Mike Harrington: Thank you, Eric.
Eric Wing: Mike, Creative Cause had a very impressive victory, obviously, in the San Felipe, and now a lot of pundits have him at the top of their Derby lists. What type of performance are you looking for from him on Saturday? Are you all in for the win, or do you view the race more as a stepping stone to Louisville?
Mike Harrington: Well, I’ve always viewed it as a stepping stone; obviously we’d like to win, it’s a lot of money, but I don’t want to take the race out of the horse, you know, just by trying to win the Santa Anita Derby.
Eric Wing: Mike, I see that your colt worked this morning at Hollywood, 48 and 2. According to Twitter he worked without blinkers. How did the work go, as far as you were concerned today?
Mike Harrington: Good. He’s going to—I’ve had the blinkers last—last three works he’s gone without blinkers, and he’s training nicely without them.
Eric Wing: But he’ll have them back on for the race, I imagine?
Mike Harrington: No, I’m going to run him without blinkers.
Eric Wing: Oh, you are? Okay, so he’ll be—and he’ll be running blinkers off, then, on Saturday, very—any reason for that?
Mike Harrington: Never been real focused down the stretch, I mean not—except for the race—Norfolk, he ran around but there was no horses around him. He ran good in the Norfolk; but the other races, even the Breeders’ Cup, he was kind of wandering around at the end of it, and I don’t know whether that’s going to make a difference but now is the time to find out. I don’t want to wait until the Kentucky Derby and then try it (cross talking) see what happens.
Donna Brothers: Thank you. So I haven’t been out in California yet; I’m going to be out this weekend for the Santa Anita Derby, but—so I was only able to see your horse on TV. And for the first race, for the San Vicente, you weren’t disappointed at all in his performance and I didn’t think you should have been, it looked a good race; I mean, not that my opinion matters, but it did look like he was still carrying a little bit of his baby fat over from his two-year-old year, which I took as a good sign. But again, I just could see on the TV. And then last race, in the San Felipe, in the post parade it looked like he was definitely tucked up more and, you know, ready 100%; ran a huge race. How do you keep him from peaking too soon? I mean, I know that’s the trainer’s job all the time, but it just seems like a tough balance this time of year, especially with young developing horses.
Mike Harrington: Well, I’ve been trying to keep the weight on him, because I agree with you. Going into the San Vicente, he was heavy, but I wanted that because I figured he had a long arduous journey ahead of him and I don’t want to go into it with him underweight. And I think he’s—I look at him every day, of course, you know, so sometimes it’s hard to judge, but I think he’s maintaining his weight well. I would he say he looks just about like he did in the San Felipe, and if I can keep him that way, I’ll be happy.
Donna Brothers: So you just keep him in the feed tubs, that’s how you work it out.
Mike Harrington: Right, but he’s a good eater, and I’m feeding him plenty, and I think he’s doing good.
Debbie Arrington: Hi, Mike. Thanks a lot for coming on the call this morning. Creative Cause was precocious as a two-year-old and now he’s really blossomed as a three-year-old. Have you seen any changes in his—mentally, mentally focused in his mind as he’s grown up here?
Mike Harrington: Well, yes. He’s—and in a good way. He’s not quite as playful as he was; he’s more, a little more serious. Used to be I couldn’t lead him back and forth to the track with my pony without him trying to attack the pony, and he’s kind of—he’s finally gotten over that, so yes. I think he’s grown up mentally quite a bit, and I think also in his races, I mean the only place I can fault him is, like I said earlier, the last race he was wandering around down the lane. But if removing the blinkers helps that, then I think he’ll be mentally fine.
Debbie Arrington: And what kind of personality does he have around the barn? You mentioned that he can be kind of a character.
Mike Harrington: Well, yes, I guess that’s a good way to describe it. I mean, he’s very alert; I mean he likes to stand and look out the window, he likes to know what’s going on around him, and, you know, he likes to—he likes to play with you, but he’s not mean.
Debbie Arrington: Uh-huh. Does he have a nickname?
Mike Harrington: C-C.
John Pricci: Good afternoon, Mr. Harrington. I was wondering if you had an opportunity to check the Florida Derby, and if you wouldn’t mind commenting on the performances of the major horses who were in there, they being El Padrino, the winner, Take Charge Indy, and of course, your impressions as to the trip or the circumstances revolving around Union Rags, if you would please.
Mike Harrington: Well, I think it was a good race. I guess I’ll start with Union Rags. I don’t think (inaudible) people need to be too concerned about the fact he didn’t win. He didn’t have the greatest of trips, and he—you know, I’m sure that was him; it’s just, it’s like my horse, it’s just a stepping stone, you know; they would have liked to win it but they didn’t have to win it to move forward; the horse obviously had to get a lot out of it. Take Charge Indy probably is a better horse than a lot of people realize, and he got the trip. So, the thing about the Kentucky Derby is, in order to win it, you’ve got to get a trip, and sometimes you can have the best horse and if you don’t get the trip, you don’t win it. And as far as El Padrino, I don’t know if he had any excuses; he just—either he didn’t run or he got outrun, one or the other.
John Pricci: And one more for me, looking at the eastern horses from a distance, do you consider that Union Rags is still the horse to beat out of the eastern-based horses?
Mike Harrington: Well, yes, I think he’ll still go into the race being one of the favorites. You got Hansen; you certainly can’t throw out Hansen. The thing of it is, at this point in time, it’s looking like the Breeders’ Cup was a pretty strong race, so…
Mike Harrington: I think the first three finishers—and I don’t—I don’t even—did Take Charge Indy run in the Breeders’ Cup, do you know?
John Pricci: Yes, he did, and he ran pretty well in there as a matter of fact.
Mike Harrington: Yes. So, you see, it turned out to be a pretty strong race, I think.
Jon White: Yes, Mike, in fact, the horses who ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile have won eight graded or group races this year, not only Take Charge Indy winning the Florida Derby but then Daddy Long Legs, who finished behind Creative Cause, won the UAE Derby. So with that in mind, and Creative Cause having finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, I was just wondering if you could go back and kind of give us your thoughts on Creative Cause’s performance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Mike Harrington: Well, I don’t know. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. He—I mean, everybody talks about the first two and kind of forgot about him, which is fine. But he only got beat a length and I didn’t think he maybe got the best trip, and I don’t know—don’t have any idea what was going on with the race track that day because, obviously, Mike Smith found the golden calf (ph) on the outside, and they said the inside was bad, but Hansen won on the inside so, you know, I don’t know. I think it was a track that some horses like and some horses like better than others, but I’m certainly not making any excuses; I just got outrun by two nice horses that day.
Jon White: And Joel Rosario’s been riding Creative Cause ever since they teamed up to win the Norfolk. What is it about Rosario that you like as a rider?
Mike Harrington: Well, one thing, he’s the leading rider out here right now, he’s got a ton of confidence, you know, the—probably the major difference between the first rider and 10th rider is confidence; if they feel they can get the job done, then most of the time they can get it done. And Joel doesn’t seem to get very excited; he’s pretty level-headed, he—like this horse, he tries—he gets through outside where he’s not going to get stopped, and you know, he just makes all the right decisions at the right time.
Marc Doche: Hi, Mike. This is obviously, safe to say that the most media attention you’ve had in your career. How do you like having all this attention?
Mike Harrington: I’d just as soon fly under the radar. I don’t need all these interviews; I usually say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I’m not a media hound by any means.
Marc Doche: All right, well, it’s nice to see that you’ve tried to at least accommodate the media. How much of an advantage is it for you that you’ve already had that trip under your belt to Churchill for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile?
Mike Harrington: Well, I think it’s going to be very important because, as everybody knows, the Kentucky Derby is a circus, and my horse, although he can get a little bit hot and could be a little bit nervous, he—I was very pleased with the way he handled the Breeders’ Cup. I’ve schooled him several times and he was good in the paddock, he was good in the post parade that day, maybe got a little rattled in the gate. That’s going to be the problem with the Derby, when you got 20 horses getting in the gate, they’re all going to get rattled at some point in time, but I think he’ll handle it as well as any of them.
Eric Wing: Mike, throughout Creative Cause’s career, win or lose, he seems to have fired every single time, no duds on his PPs. What’s been the key to his consistency, in your mind?
Mike Harrington: Well, I guess the fact he’s a good horse. Good horses overcome adversity and he’s had some, like the Del Mar Futurity and—but he, I guess he likes to run, and horses that like to run, they perform every time.
Eric Wing: All right. Well, Mike, a pleasure having you on the call, once again, and we wish you and Joel Rosario and Heinz Steinman the best of luck Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby with Creative Cause.
Mike Harrington: Okay, thank you very much.
Eric Wing: Thank you. That’s trainer Mike Harrington, who will send out the horse who will undoubtedly be the favorite in the Santa Anita Derby, Creative Cause, and we learned earlier in the call he will go blinkers off for the Santa Anita Derby; worked out this morning, a half mile in 48 and two-fifths seconds at Hollywood, without blinkers, and he will race without blinkers on Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby; he had raced with blinkers for all seven of his previous starts leading up to the Santa Anita Derby.
Our next guest is the reigning two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey, Ramon Dominguez. Ramon has been on the sidelines since suf¬fering a separated collarbone on March 18th, but he’ll return to action on Friday at Aqueduct, and on Saturday, he’ll be in the saddle aboard Alpha in the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial. Ramon, it’s Eric Wing in New York. Thanks very much for being with us and, most importantly, how are you feeling?
Ramon Dominguez: Hi, Eric. I feel very good, thank you. I really have made a lot of progress over the last week, and I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and he was very happy with how I look, and he took an x-ray and so he feels pretty good about me coming back on Friday, and the only thing that he made emphasis on is for me to try to minimize how many horses I rode over the last—the first week or so, so that I start gradually getting back in form; he say it hadn’t been but it’s going to be three weeks since the accident so he thinks that I should get stronger as I—the time goes by, but he was very optimistic about me feeling good when it came time to ride.
Eric Wing: Ramon, maybe you won’t be able to answer this question until Friday, but as we sit here on Tuesday, are you confident that you’re healthy enough to ride Alpha to the best of your abilities on Saturday?
Ramon Dominguez: I do, I mean right now, I feel great. I have been exercising, and I’m planning on getting on the Equicizer tomorrow and start getting on the horses Thursday morning. So, I do feel great, and if it wasn’t—if that wasn’t the case, I definitely wouldn’t be riding.
Eric Wing: Earlier in his career, Ramon, Alpha had been a bit of a bad actor at the gate, but he seemed to be much more professional last time out in the Withers. Do you think those gate problems are behind him, or will you be kind of on watch for that, should it pop up again on Saturday?
Ramon Dominguez: I’m not quite sure. As you say, he behaved absolutely great last time. I know they were doing a lot of schooling with him, and I’m really not concerned at all.
Marc Doche: Hey, Ramon. For all the success that you’ve had and the races that you’ve won, it seems that when you don’t win, the fans are quick to heckle you; do you get that impression? Do you hear them, and how does that make you feel?
Ramon Dominguez: It’s funny you say that, because I always—I absolutely feel that way, but always feel like I was probably being paranoid, or I put even more emphasis because it was myself, I didn’t know how the other horses—or the other guys, whether they went through it or not. But, you know, I don’t have a problem with it. For one thing, we’re in New York and the fans are unique, and it doesn’t bother me. I mean, you can win five races and then you get beat in one and they are there to criticize you. But at the same time, I do have a lot of guys rooting for me, so it doesn’t bother me.
Donna Brothers: So, you know, in all the years that I rode myself, I have a broken collarbone but I never dislocated a collarbone. Exactly what happens when you dislocate a collarbone? And I know initially after the accident, you said that it wasn’t painful, but it—was it just unstable and that’s why you weren’t able to ride?
Ramon Dominguez: I don’t really know a whole lot about it, I just go by what the doctor has said. And I guess there are two ways of dislocating or separating your collarbone, and it can happen at either end of the collarbone, and when that happens more often is when it is towards the outside of your shoulder, and that will usually leave, like, the bone sticking out, and you probably have seen quite a few jockeys have had it that way. In my case, it’s where it attaches to the sternum, and I guess the way he described it is like there was a slight separation, so it wasn’t completely like out of a joint or anything like that, so it’s just a matter of giving it a little bit of time for it to heal, because the bottom line even if I went to ride the following day, which was impossible because I was in too much pain when I tried to move it, but even if that was the case, I wasn’t going to do any further damage; it was the way it was. It was just a matter of feeling a little bit stronger where the pain wasn’t going to really be an issue.
Donna Brothers: Did you have to go through physical therapy for it?
Ramon Dominguez: No, not at all, no physical therapy; just (cross talking) whatever I felt like I was up to, and now I do.
Donna Brothers: Last question. Alpha has obviously had a history of problems at the starting gate. So I guess my question is, do you have a comfort level with the starting crew, starting gate crew there in New York because they know him, and how does that translate to—if he happens to run at a different track, is he a horse that will be easily managed with another gate crew?
Ramon Dominguez: Yes, I mean, I really—it’s the last thing that is going through my mind, whether he will misbehave or anything in the gate. I felt like last time he was in there for a while and he had every chance to really act up if he was going to do, and he really behaved great, and prior to the race, they told me that they took him to the gates a few times and schooled him, and both Artie (ph), the assistant trainer, said that to me and the gate crew guys told me that the horse has been schooling well. So I’m really expecting him to behave well, and if that’s not the case, I mean we just deal with it. But I’m not concerned either way.
Danny Brewer: Listen, is familiarity something that’s important for you with Alpha and the Wood Memorial this weekend?
Ramon Dominguez: I’m sorry, what was the question? I…
Danny Brewer: Is familiarity something that’s important for you this weekend when you’re riding Alpha in the Wood; to get on him and to have some familiarity with the horse, is that important for you as you get ready for the Derby?
Ramon Dominguez: Yes, I mean, but I already rode him twice and he’s a pretty easy horse to ride; other than the couple of incidents he had in the gate in the past, I mean he’s pretty straightforward, so I’m not really—he’s not tricky at all, so he’s a pretty easy one to ride.
Danny Brewer: Now, they had considered running him in different spots; they had talked about the Florida Derby, the Louisiana Derby, the Bluegrass, but they’ve settled on the Wood. Do you think that’s a good spot for this horse?
Ramon Dominguez: Okay, I see what you mean. Yes, I mean I’m not sure exactly what’s behind making the decision to run him in the Wood. But I’m sure it cannot hurt, the fact that his last two races have been at Aqueduct, he doesn’t really have to ship too far. I mean I’m not sure; the horse seems like the kindest horse in the world, I mean, in the paddock or in the barn, so—but having said that, I’m sure that having run his last two races at Aqueduct cannot hurt, really, especially since last time he was, I mean, like an angel.
Danny Brewer: But—so he really liked that Aqueduct effect, and obviously, he’s proven that with his victory, you feel like.
Ramon Dominguez: Yes, I mean I feel like he definitely handles the run just fine and it cannot hurt when the horse is coming from two previous races at the same track, so nothing’s going to be new for him.
Debbie Arrington: We’re happy to hear that you’re feeling better. During your time off, have you had a chance to see the other Derby preps coming up, and besides Alpha, who do you see as being some of the top contenders in this Derby class?
Ramon Dominguez: I mean, of course, Hansen (inaudible) did run while I was out, because I rode him last time, but he is certainly another top horse, and Union Rags, I still think that he’s definitely a horse to beat.
Ramon Dominguez: I thought he was pretty impressive considering that he really didn’t have the right setup in the Florida Derby. Really, it was not fair, it was just too much ground to make up turning for home, but still he showed that he’s a tough horse and I don’t—I mean, to me, he still looked as strong as he did the first time I saw him run.
David Grening: I wanted to get your thoughts on what attributes Alpha shows you that more distance is going to be in his favor.
Ramon Dominguez: Yes, I mean, you can only go, as a jockey, by what you feel and what you see, and I mean, I know that they tell me that the breeding is there; I don’t know much about breeding but I say he is definitely bred to go farther. And one thing about—remember when I rode him two races back, in the Withers last time – (I’m sorry, I’m awful with the names) – that day, he was coming off a layup from Breeders’ Cup, and I know that he got a little tired, although, I mean, down the lane, every time I asked him, he was always there for me but I could tell he definitely got a lot out of the race, and as we passed the wire, I always feel like it’s a very good indication or not, I mean he’s very strong galloping now, and it was really a perfect scenario for him to pull off, kind of (inaudible) given the fact that he really ran a hard race and he was obviously tiring, and he just continued galloping on strong. He’s got a strong beautiful stride, and when he settles down, he really feels that he can continue at that pace forever. So, he’s got a very high consistency and I really feel that (inaudible) Alpha will go the distance without a problem.
David Grening: And is there anything that Alpha could do on Saturday that can have you wind up on him four weeks from now, as opposed to Hansen?
Ramon Dominguez: Yes, no, I mean, of course, we have not made any decisions and I’m just very, very grateful and happy to have the chance to ride both horses. And we will see; I mean, we will have to see both of them running. I mean, I’m just thankful that I’m also riding for two outfits, two connections that are very open-minded and understand the game, but I really don’t know at this point what horse will be the best or the fastest, so hopefully we’ll know a little better after two weeks from now.
Eric Wing: Ramon, a couple of more questions from me before we say goodbye. You’ve not only got a big weekend this weekend, but the following weekend, you ride Havre de Grace in the Apple Blossom on Friday the 13th and then Hansen, as we’ve mentioned, in the Bluegrass the next day. I know every jockey has to ride now and then with aches and pains. When you’re riding in these big money races, high profile races, does the pain go away as you get caught up in the excitement of the race, or is the race when you feel the pain the worst?
Ramon Dominguez: You know, I mean I don’t think that the pain will be an issue, at least now. I have in the past, as any jockey probably, ridden with a great amount of pain due to an injury or even if it’s just muscle-related, and it is amazing; once you’re in the starting gate and the gate open the adrenalin especially down the lane riding, when the adrenalin kicks in, I mean, there is very little pain, if any. I mean, it’s the last thing that goes through your mind, and I mean once you pass a wire, you can relax; I mean that pain might intensify but while you’re riding, believe me, there is no pain.
Eric Wing: And I have heard a lot of professional athletes in other sports say the exact same thing. Ramon, this Saturday, Alpha goes a mile and an eighth for the first time. Next Saturday, Hansen will be going a mile and an eighth for the first time. As a rider, do the mile and an eighth races give you a much better idea of who wants to go in a mile—who wants to go a mile and a quarter compared to, say, the mile and a sixteenth races?
Ramon Dominguez: You know, I really cannot, I mean, see a huge difference as a rider. I mean, I know that a lot of people believe that a horse—you know, even a sixteenth of a mile can separate a horse and, you know, a horse might be able to just come out in the sixteenth. A greater indication, in my opinion, is the way they handle themself, whether they’re relaxed or not. I mean, they are all proven to be able to go the two turns. I understand there is definitely a big difference between a mile and sixteenth of a mile; compared to a mile and a quarter, it’s a totally different race. It’s indicative whether they will go the distance or no; to me, not so much that they are handled—they are able to handle an extra sixteenth of a mile as it is the way they really relax, and to me, that’s more important than anything. So, if—let’s say Hansen relaxes the way he did last time, I feel that the horse can run forever. And something is to be said for Alpha. He’s a very (inaudible) horse, and he is in a good spot and settling to a good stride; I feel like he is also a horse that can run forever.
Eric Wing: All right. Well, Ramon, we’re glad you’re going to be back with us and back in the saddle. We wish you a very healthy and successful weekend coming up Friday and Saturday at the Big A, and we thank you very much for being on the phone with us.
Ramon Dominguez: My pleasure. Thank you guys for having me.
Eric Wing: Thank you. That’s two-time Eclipse Award-winning rider, Ramon Dominguez. He’ll be aboard Hansen next Saturday, but this Saturday, he’ll be aboard Alpha in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct; again, that race, along with the Santa Anita Derby and the Central Bank Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, on live on NBC from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, again on NBC Sports. Also the race, the Santa Anita Derby and the Wood, will have radio coverage on the Horse Racing Radio Network, and also on Sirius 93 and XM 209; they’ll be on the air from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern and they’ll have the Wood, the Carter, the Comely and the Bay Shore, the four big stakes on the Aqueduct card; so lots of coverage on TV and on radio.
Our next guest will indeed have a very busy Saturday, both at Aqueduct and elsewhere. Trainer Todd Pletcher has How Do I Win set for the Bay Shore, Broadway’s Alibi in the Comely, Calibrachoa for the Grade I Carter; he’s got Our Entourage, I believe, set to go in the Illinois Derby, and Gemologist, the undefeated one, in the Wood Memorial. And we’re reaching out for Todd Pletcher, and we hope to have him in just a moment. He was just finishing up another commitment, and just please stand by with us for a moment and we expect to be joined by Todd Pletcher in the very near feature. Gemologist, of course, four for four, has made one start at three thus far, an impressive wire-to-wire seven-length victory in a Gulfstream Park allowance race on March 16th over last year’s hopeful winner, Currency Swap. I believe Currency Swap is one of the horses currently targeting the Illinois Derby, which has a, seemingly a bulky field set to go there at Hawthorne.
And we understand we’re joined now by Todd Pletcher. Todd, it’s Eric Wing. Thanks very much for being with us, and we were talking about Gemologist earlier; he made pretty short work of a nice horse in Currency Swap in that Gulfstream allowance. Has the early part of 2012 gone according to your plan for him so far?
Todd Pletcher: It really has. Elliott Walden and I spoke after the stake win at Churchill in the fall, and we decided to plan on a similar program to what we did with Super Saver, which was two prep races prior to the, hopefully the Kentucky Derby, and our original plan was to go in either the Tampa Derby or the Rebel, and we kind of ran out of time on the Tampa Derby. We were zeroed in on the Rebel when the allowance race became an option at Gulfstream and decided to go that way as opposed to kind of going through a somewhat difficult travel arrangements; to get to Oaklawn was going to entail vanning to Ocala and then catching a (inaudible) flight from there to Oaklawn, which was doable, but our biggest concern was there really wasn’t a way back except for vanning, which would have made it a pretty long and complicated trip; and when the allowance race became available, we felt like that was the better plan. Hopefully, we get enough greater earnings in the Wood to make it right, but it was a risk that we decided was worth taking.
Eric Wing: You mentioned the graded earnings concern, you also mentioned the two preps for Gemologist. As I know