Tony Dutrow skipped saddling in the Derby

[IcouldbeU]

I was amazed when the folks on NBC announced that Dutrow would not be in KY to saddle his horse. He made it sound like well the owners want the horse to run, I don't, so I am not going.

How many other trainers have not attended the Derby but had a horse run?

I think I would be looking for a new trainer

[ageecee]

Im sure Dutrow would have no problem with them finding a new trainer. Horse had no business in the race and they made the decision to enter the horse and apparently went against Dutrow.



Owners need to own and trainers need to train.

[winds]

Tony is an excellent trainer and knows where to place his horses. The owners were wrong.

winds

[valjoe]

the old saying "the number one responsibility of the trainer is to protect the horse from the owner" comes to mind

[TJ]

I was amazed when the folks on NBC announced that Dutrow would not be in KY to saddle his horse. He made it sound like well the owners want the horse to run, I don't, so I am not going.

How many other trainers have not attended the Derby but had a horse run?

I think I would be looking for a new trainer

Hi IcouldbeU,
I don't know how many other trainers have refused to saddle their owner's horse in the Derby....but the most notable of the group would be Sol Rutchick. Owner Jack Amiel wanted his horse to run in the Derby and the trainer refused, saying he didn't belong after running poorly in his Derby preps. Jack disagreed....believing his horse will go the Derby distance since he was by a Derby winner (Count Fleet) out of a dam who was sired by a Derby winner (Reigh Count). So Jack entered him in the Derby in Rutchick's name...shipped him from NY to CD and asked another trainer to take care of him and put the saddle on him in the Derby. That horse was Count Turf, the 1953 Kentucky Derby winner. TJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDX9qHAc ... 33nm1LF3io

[Bohemia]

Apparently Maggi Moss isn't a Tony Dutrow fan. Here's a blurb from the Des Moines Register after So Many Ways won the Eight Belles at CD in her first start after moved by Moss from Dutrow and given to Tom Amoss:

Trainer Tom Amoss took over for Tony Dutrow in April after Moss saw a troubled horse at the Fair Grounds Oaks in New Orleans.

“I was appalled because she was painfully skinny, and she looked nervous,” Moss said. “She just wasn’t a happy horse. Tom trained her for a week and she was eating, and he said she couldn’t be doing any better.”

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... hill-Downs

[IcouldbeU]

Thaks TJ, that was the kind of information that I was wondering about.

Giant Finish should not have been in the field as some feel, but he did qualify using the new points system, he did beat 1/2 the field including Verazzano and Frac Daddy.

I believe owners and trainers should work together and if I say my horse should be a certain race, then the trainer can tell me why or why not my horse will not be ready for that race but to not saddle a horse in a race like the Derby is complete arrogance IMHO. And I really glad that the horse did not run last. I hope that the owners find a new trainer and I am glad my little cheapie claimers have a classy trainer.

[TJ]

Thaks TJ, that was the kind of information that I was wondering about.

Giant Finish should not have been in the field as some feel, but he did qualify using the new points system, he did beat 1/2 the field including Verazzano and Frac Daddy.

I believe owners and trainers should work together and if I say my horse should be a certain race, then the trainer can tell me why or why not my horse will not be ready for that race but to not saddle a horse in a race like the Derby is complete arrogance IMHO. And I really glad that the horse did not run last. I hope that the owners find a new trainer and I am glad my little cheapie claimers have a classy trainer.

Hi IcouldbeU,
It was mentioned on the Derby telecast, that Dutrow did decide to come to saddle the horse, but was unable to make his flight connections?? True or not I don't know. What you have to understand is that Giant Finish wasn't trained to run in the Derby and this is why Dutrow was so against running him in it. Dutrow and the owner's had decided not to run in the Derby and were pointing to an allowance race at Belmont Park. When the Derby slot opened, the owners got derby fever and decided to run. Dutrow knew he didn't have his horse prepared to go 1 1/4 miles. Giant Finish had only worked a 1/2 mile 9 days prior to the Derby. Had he planned on the Derby he would have trained him differently to go 1 1/4 miles. Certainly a longer breeze than a 1/2 mile and most certainly closer than 9 days out. Dutrow was concerned for his horses readiness and safety and this is why Dutrow overeacted. Yet after he blew up, he did come to his senses and reversed his decision to saddle the horse. I read the owners were going to stay with Dutrow....but who knows, they may change their minds too:>)TJ
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... his-owners

[wgc517]

For me the goal is the derby, it is what most of us dream of. Sure winning is the ultimate goal but just getting there creates something special.

Is it the owners or the new point system to blame or is it the trainer's job to train the horse accordingly. At some point the trainer and the owner's should have had a discussion on what the possibilities of the derby were. Especially after running in a graded race in March and getting the points. IMO, it is his responsibility as a trainer to make sure they are all on the same page as far as strategy. I wonder what would have happened if the horse was trained for the race. He did come in tenth. No to bad if you were the other horses behind him. We like to think that the favorites always win but with 20 horses running in most derbies these days, anything can happen.

I am not sure the horse was in any danger as he was already training and racing at a higher level. I would have had a discussion with the trainer as soon as the horse picked up some points but that is me. To not come to the race of your clients IMO was truly arrogant.

Either way, it will be a lesson learned for everyone moving forward.

[winds]

First off, I worked for Tony Dutrow. His horses are treated like kings and queens. He has round pens where they are turned out every day. If one isn't eating he finds out why and acts accordingly. Moss is just a bunch of talk on this one. Tony tried to get a flight out of California in time to be at the Derby and couldn't, so at least he tried. His assistants are extremely capable of saddling his horses. Tony being there wouldn't have made a difference.

Obviously he and the owner were on different pages and if they aren't happy than they can find another trainer. Tony will be able to fill the stall within an hour.

winds

[TJ]

First off, I worked for Tony Dutrow. His horses are treated like kings and queens. He has round pens where they are turned out every day. If one isn't eating he finds out why and acts accordingly. Moss is just a bunch of talk on this one. Tony tried to get a flight out of California in time to be at the Derby and couldn't, so at least he tried. His assistants are extremely capable of saddling his horses. Tony being there wouldn't have made a difference.

Obviously he and the owner were on different pages and if they aren't happy than they can find another trainer. Tony will be able to fill the stall within an hour.

winds

Hi Winds,
Thanks for confirming....I thought he tried to get there. I think they were on the same page till that opening came up and his owners got Derby fever. I agree about Maggie Moss too....surprised she said something like that. Especially since a friend of hers (Mike Dubb), who has horses with Dutrow, recommended him to train that filly she is talking about. The big money offers she turned down were thanks to Tony Dutrow developing that filly to win all three of her starts as a 2YO. TJ

[winds]

Thanks TJ. Can't forget he developed Harve de Grace too!

winds

[IcouldbeU]

Thanks again TJ. I can understand the Maggi Moss decision, not all horses are happy in all situations. I was happy to hear that she saw that there was a problem and moved the horse.