Reason number 812 I don't like Todd Pletcher

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:20 pm

Todd Pletcher won the Hollywood turf over the weekend with sunriver.

this isn't about the race, it's about what he told the reporters the race

"With a horse like this, and the major stallion prospect he is and with the pedigree he has, we were focused on getting that Grade I, so it was a big step for him."

I mean, it's one thing to in the back of our minds to know as a racing public that every race is nothing more than a stud resume builder, but it's another thing to come out and pubicly say it.

Not that I very much cared for sunrive as much as I care for seeing compeitive horses in racing.

you don't care about the prestitage of winning great races, thill of having a great horse being one of the best in the world. nope, the's employee number 142 in a barn of many who you are employeed to get the elusive grade 1 win so he can go to stud and make his owners as much as money as possible for his connections.

For someone who is considered to have the gift of the gab, he sure blew this one.

how about talking about how great of a horse he is todd? how about telling us what his plans are for next yea rif you even have any? how about telling us that you are aiming him for the breeders cup turf next year? hell, how about telling us about where is he is going to be racing next month.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:28 pm

Speaking of Hollywood Turf - is The Green Monkey still alive?

TJ · Postby TJ » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:31 pm

Rokeby Forever wrote:Speaking of Hollywood Turf - is The Green Monkey still alive?

Worked in 58 the other day on the synthetic track, Mr Gambini :>) TJ

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:32 pm

TJ wrote:Worked in 58 the other day on the synthetic track, Mr Gambini :>) TJ

Thanks. Too bad he can't run that fast in a race. LOL!

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:39 pm

Actually BDW, part of developing a horse is developing value in the breeding shed. That's part of the goal, they can't race forever. And as for their plans for next year... it always amazes me that the general public seems to require full disclosure about the racing future of an individual.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:50 pm

Tucumcari wrote:Actually BDW, part of developing a horse is developing value in the breeding shed. That's part of the goal, they can't race forever. And as for their plans for next year... it always amazes me that the general public seems to require full disclosure about the racing future of an individual.

Tuc,

I get that, every fan here gets that. but what he did is the equivlant to say, Tim Tebow winning the heisman, getting on stage and saying "yeah man.. this is really going to help my NFL draft stock because you know I really want to be in the NfL and I need to be able to get as much money as I can get"

point is, we all know it's THERE but it's very, very unsportsmenlike to come out and say something like that. Fans don't give a shit. I dont' give a shit and I' sure even as a fellow trainerwoman you don't give a shit unless it's your horse.

there are unwritten do's and don't s in sports. you don't win the kentucky derby and say "well.. finally got that grade 1 win out the way, we are haivng a tought time betweeen lane's end and gainsway..."

at the end of the day, ti's about fans, and people like me, who like to watch the horses. now, I'm a stallion fan myself but at the same time my gosh. yes, there will become a a day when his time on the track is done and he goes to the shed. but so now is every race he enters in to boost his stallion career or are you trying to prove you have the best horse?

he has taken the gamesmenship out of the horse and made it about money. that's what i have a problem with.

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:53 pm

It's business.

TJ · Postby TJ » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:55 pm

Rokeby Forever wrote:
TJ wrote:Worked in 58 the other day on the synthetic track, Mr Gambini :>) TJ

Thanks. Too bad he can't run that fast in a race. LOL!

Since we're on a quote binge, it ain't over till the fat lady sings :>)

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:59 pm

Tucumcari wrote:It's business.

that it is. however you didn't finish the sentence, and the rest of the sentense is something that every other majo spot gets besides horse racing.

It's busienss....THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY DEPENDS ON FANS TO SURVIVE.

I know to people in the "business" it may be scoffed at.. but you woudlnt' have a job if it weren't for people placing 2 dollar bets on horses and who loved to watch horse racing. you don't make them feel inconsequenal by coming out and saying something that silly.

I mean, how can I put this. every fan knows it's there.yes it is a business, but you arne't doing yourself or horse racing any favors by letting the entire world know that you don't give a shit about what fans think about the horse and the only thing that matters is that he can go to stud and get top dollar know. I happen to think he will be a valuable stud, but that's nto the point. the point is that time will come. he will be a stallion the majroify of his life. he will have plenty of time to bash in his stud gloryness.

but right now he is a race horse. not a stud. so after winning a GRADE 1 race, you know.. a thing where horses get togheter and run against each othe nad the winners gets a trophy and all that good stuff.. why not talk about the race?

Foggytrip · Postby **Foggytrip** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:06 pm

Hes done a great job with that horse

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:14 pm

Foggytrip wrote:Hes done a great job with that horse

I don't know about that, Fog - Pletcher was pushin' to get this horse into the KY Derby, but he didn't have the earnings to get in. Had he run in the Derby, he might have wound up like Scat Daddy. Then, in Saratoga, he got carted to the vet clinic for Nuc Scans (remember?). I think the move to the turf was just to try to hold him together - if he was really turf meant, why did he run in races like the Florida Derby?

Foggytrip · Postby **Foggytrip** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:17 pm

The horse should have never been on the dirt. He should have ran on his natural surface and tried dirt after he was fully developed. Hes still done a great job getting this horse a G1, hes a mediocre talent for sure. SB is no sire of sires, lets see how he does.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:31 pm

Fog - why wouldn't he belong on the dirt? He's a full brother to Ashado, who never tried the turf (as I recall). I think the move to the grass was a last resort...but if you think he was turf meant from the start, how did Pletcher do a "great job" with him - I'm confused.

Well, I guess it was a great job finding a weak 5 horse Grade 1 for him, if you look at it that way.

Saint Ballado started off being bred to backyard mares - what kind of "sire of sires" did you expect him to be? If he ever got the books that Devil's Bag failed with, he might have been a "sire of sires." But, who knows....Yankee Victor might become a leading sire in Korea.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:34 pm

foggy,

he is a full brother to the best dirt mare of this decade, but it was stupid for putting him on dirt... :roll:

yeah that's it.

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:42 pm

bdw0617 wrote:
Tucumcari wrote:It's business.

that it is. however you didn't finish the sentence, and the rest of the sentense is something that every other majo spot gets besides horse racing.

It's busienss....THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY DEPENDS ON FANS TO SURVIVE.

I know to people in the "business" it may be scoffed at.. but you woudlnt' have a job if it weren't for people placing 2 dollar bets on horses and who loved to watch horse racing. you don't make them feel inconsequenal by coming out and saying something that silly.

I mean, how can I put this. every fan knows it's there.yes it is a business, but you arne't doing yourself or horse racing any favors by letting the entire world know that you don't give a shit about what fans think about the horse and the only thing that matters is that he can go to stud and get top dollar know. I happen to think he will be a valuable stud, but that's nto the point. the point is that time will come. he will be a stallion the majroify of his life. he will have plenty of time to bash in his stud gloryness.

but right now he is a race horse. not a stud. so after winning a GRADE 1 race, you know.. a thing where horses get togheter and run against each othe nad the winners gets a trophy and all that good stuff.. why not talk about the race?

"B" there is always another horse for the fans to get on board with. Part of a trainer's job with the upper echelon horses is developing that value, whether you or I like it. You know why Todd has so many horses? Because he CAN develop value in a horse and his people are happy with what he does accomplish for them. He goes through alot of horses, something I don't respect, but developing value is part of the job.
He won the race, what's to talk about?
Part of being a race horse is value and developing/managing it such that your owners have success as well, both in the winner's cirlcle and fiscally. You as a fan or a gambler might not want to hear it, but it is important as stallion or broodmare pospects. It's just reality.