4/10/09
When preparing a horse for the Kentucky Derby there are three crucial things trainers must decide: when to ship to Churchill Downs, when (and sometimes where) to have the last workout, and how to keep the horses fit.
While Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs is glamorous and exciting, it is also “business as usual” for the horsemen with horses stabled at the legendary racetrack. Ignoring the pressure from the $2 million purse and the glory that awaits the winner, trainers have to make the same decisions they always have to make: when to ship in, when to workout, and how to get the horse fit enough for race day. Usually, these daily decisions go unnoticed by the public. During Derby Week, though, a mob of media representatives and handicappers will be recording and analyzing every move the 20 horses for the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) make.
When to Ship in to Churchill Downs?
| Five to eight days out is average for a Derby horse to arrive, meaning most contenders appear either the Friday or Saturday before the race and stay the whole week. |
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| There is a split school of thought regarding when to arrive at Churchill Downs. Some trainers will bring their horses early to have them start training over the Churchill surface with plenty of time in advance to get used to it. Other trainers reason that the horse will either like the surface or not, and that no amount of training will change that. Five to eight days out is average for a Derby horse to arrive, meaning most contenders appear either the Friday or Saturday before the race and stay the whole week. |
Arrival before the race of the past 5 Kentucky Derby winners:
2008 – Big Brown – 5 days before
2007 – Street Sense – weeks in advance
2006 – Barbaro – 9 days before
2005 – Giacomo – 3 days before
2004 – Smarty Jones – 8 days before
Churchill Downs’ surface is a “tricky” one containing more sand than a typical racetrack. The surface has been blamed for causing the downfall of several horses, including 1994 favorite Holy Bull, who went on to be Horse of the Year but floundered in the Derby. Another casualty was Skip Away, who was a force to be reckoned with in every start except two, both at Churchill.
This year, trainer Bob Baffert has already opted to send Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Pioneerof the Nile, one of the Derby favorites, to Churchill Downs with several weeks to spare. His decision is influenced by the fact that Pioneerof the Nile has never raced on a dirt surface and could need several strong workouts at Churchill Downs to get accustomed to it.
Timed Workouts before the Kentucky Derby
Trainers like to try new tactics in getting a horse ready for the Derby, but there is evidence that a timed workout at Churchill Downs is crucial. No matter where they prepped, the top three finishers in the last three Kentucky Derbies all had at least one workout at Churchill Downs before the race. The only horse to buck this trend since 2004 has been Giacomo.
| No matter where they prepped, the top three finishers in the last three Kentucky Derbies all had at least one workout at Churchill Downs before the race. |
A workout is a fast gallop designed to tire the horse and give it fitness without leaving it too drained to compete on race day. Trainers must decide when to give the final timed workout before the big day. A lot of trainers abide by a “six days out” rule, with the majority of horses working out the Sunday before the Run for the Roses.
The Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 miles, which is further than any entrant will have ever run before. Most Derby contender workouts held on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before the race are five or six furlongs, or five eighths to three quarters of a mile. As race day gets closer, the trainers who haven’t gotten their last workouts in yet will cut that distance back to four furlongs and then three furlongs the Tuesday and Wednesday before the race.
Last year, Big Brown had a three-furlong workout two days before the Derby in what is known as a “blowout.” A blowout is a short but fast workout which leaves a horse on edge and ready to run. Blowouts used to be far more common, but now trainers shy away from them, afraid that a horse will be too tired and unable to recover before the race. For Big Brown, however, it was the right tactic. Big Brown not only won the Derby, but also had a two furlong blowout on the morning of the Preakness Stakes, and easily won that race as well.
Weather is the main concern for trainers regarding workouts. The rapidly changing Kentucky weather can dump torrents of rain on Churchill Downs, forcing trainers to move scheduled workouts. Recently, some trainers have been opting to keep horses at Keeneland on the synthetic surface, which isn’t affected by rain.
Keeping Horses Fit
Once the final workout is recorded, trainers just hope to keep their Derby hopefuls fit and sound leading up to the race. For most horses, the morning after a workout is one of rest and perhaps an easy walk around the barn. Derby Winner 2007, Street Sense, was an exception. Carl Nafzgar took Street Sense back to the track for a jog the morning after his workouts.
If they aren’t working or resting, horses generally gallop between a mile and a mile and a half every day leading up to the Derby. The most common distance for a Derby contender to gallop is the full mile and a quarter of the race. If a horse only jogs, or trots, around the track the day or two before the race, it is cause for serious concern.
To conserve their energy on race day, most horses either rest in their stalls or walk the shedrow, but few venture out to the racetrack.
Usually, information on what a horse does every day leading up to a race isn’t available to the public, but in the case of the Kentucky Derby, there are sites such as
www.bloodhorse.com and
www.kentuckyderby.com that have daily reports about each horse’s training regiment.
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Emily Shields is a regular contributor to Case the Race. She has written for California Thoroughbred, Churchill Downs media, and international racing magazines.
