Pletcher@#$@$%
 

I realize I'm not looking at this objectively, and the wounds he inflicted are still open, but does anybody else find what Pletcher did today to be outrageous.. I'm thinking of asking for a refund from Thorograph, because Pletcher's horses rendered them meaningless!!! I realize he's got great horses, but THIS was ABSURD! Please let me know if I'm the only one who feels this way.

No, you're certainly not.

Thanks, Grits.. I mean Deadly Dealer 44 to the half in a 7.5 furlong race, draws off by 7? Takes my Song 44 to the half in a 7 furlong race, keeps going? Half Ours, 43 to the half in a 7 furlong race, doesn't stop? Come on!!

the other two I know nothing about....but please don't tell me you thought Half Ours was gonna stop

big trainers on big days

Kev, I respect your opinion, and maybe Half Ours ends up being a super horse, but yes, I thought he might slow down a little. His career consists of 3 starts in 3 years, so I did consider it a possibility.

Could the day have been any better for Pletcher...? not a whole lot.

and I see your train of thought. I think he could be a special horse if not for his fragility. I just watched the replay and he got those fractions fairly easily...IMO...looked like he was hardly working at all for that first 1/2

Only if John V gets Vamanos' nose down on the wire in the 2nd after he "rebroke" in the final 100 yards....

As I said, I'm definitely not Objective at the moment, it's just that he got some amazing performances today from ALL his horses.. retrospectively no handicapping was necessary, just needed to play ONE trainer. I spent alot of time working on this card, I feel most of it was wasted.

at least you are honest enough to admit that right now you are not objective...

I know its a hard pill to swallow...but like Hooves said...big days you look for big trainers. Has to be considered part of the equation when capping those big days.

Yeah, that bum couldn't get Sam P. to win the Bob Lewis..( he finished 2nd) ;)

Don't forget Forest Code finishing second. Must have ruined the day Todd.

Part of the equation, definitely, but today he seemed to be e=mc2

Yes, one always looks at Big trainers, on Big days. That's a given.
But I don't think any one trainer has, or ever has had, a record that can touch what he is currently hitting at. And has, for quite some time.

Do I think he's a training genius. Not a chance.

'Nuff said.

At leat Albertus Maximus beat Pavarotti, thank GOD!

Its not like he is some kind of one day wonder though.
He sets purse money records year after year.
His horses have been stepping up on big days for quite some time.
That has to be part of the equation. Ignore his entries at your own peril.

Having John Velazquez in the irons doesn't hurt either

Not on freaking A.P. Arrow.

I agree, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

I just don't think its good for racing either to have this huge super trainer winning, whatever it is 50 - 80 million dollars per year.

His mentor Lukas use to do it...well maybe 25 - 40 million back then

Chalk trainers like this will be stuffing chalk down your throat until they die,or you die(or until you stop following racing.)Your eyes aren't deceiving you(their horses often don't feel fatigue.)

You know I never thought about it until you said that, but yes it does.
We already have one mini-super trainer over here, Catalano, but he mainly deals in the claimers. Its not like he is sweeping all the stakes races.

And when Pletcher horses ship here they get grossly overbet, he hasn't won too many here actually...I am not even going to go on my English Channel tirade

AND he's beatable in some of those claiming races. If you pick your spots right, there is a ton of money to be made betting against the Calabrese/Catalano horse in Arlington sellers.

Oh hell yes. I spend the whole meet playing against low priced Calabrese/Catalano runners.

lol, not me, I love pain

you secretly unload on Laviolette several times a week, thats where you find your pain.:D

He doesn't exactly fit the mold of a super trainer, like a Pletcher. he is just a local high percentage guy. They do a lot of claiming and then they drop the horse in class and try to win several races before they are claimed away.

The success rate of horses that are claimed off of him is not good. In fact, they almost never win back.

Yes he does train Dreaming of Anna.

LOL, hilarious....I am real pissed at myself for not even mentioning that ridiculous guy on DT Live today. Byk needs to start having the Laviolette Allowance O-Meter at ATRAB studios. I am guessing he is 1-76 in allowance races this meet at Arlington. maybe 2-76 because of Polytrack.

I will admit that I did use him last meet, I am actually discipline enough not to put win money on him, but when he does win, it ruins alot of things going on, and multiple f'bombs get dropped and the ever so fun buying a new program becuase of the wrath and force it gets chucked into cement.

I do think that they spot their horses really really well. And you need to keep some of these angles HUSH...the Catalano off angle has been solid for a couple years now, it is almost as solid as Laviolette off is at Arlington

Heck, shouldn't we be giving Pletcher's assistant trainers all the credit here? After all, Pletcher hasn't even been around until the last couple of weeks, due to the suspension, right? I just wish he were a bit more colorful/charismatic. Leno should put Pletcher on and try to get the guy to be a bit more humorous. I still think that trainers like Baffert (Mr. Colorful, and that hair!), Frankel (Brooklyn Jerk), Servis (Mr. Everyman), Tagg (Pessimism Incarnate), or Ritchey (with his hearty 2 mile gallops) are all better for the sport than Pletcher with his 34 colts at 12 gazillion tracks: "Huh? which one is that bay out there Anthony/Seth/Michelle/Tristan?" OK, that's not fair, I bet he recognizes the colts and their corresponding deposits on his bank statements, but still...200 horses? 5 assistant trainers? I'm undoubtedly jealous, guy's still under 40, right? I'm just saying that the guys is an excellent MANAGER at this point (of owners and his assistants), more than an amazing trainer; I really doubt that he sees much of the horses. Aaaaaah, sweet success...

A.P. Arrow was as washed as I've ever seen on a horse... colt was beyond "worked up."

Big Trainers Big Percentages
 

Gets back to the question i have been struggling for these past few years. Are these high percentage trainers (Pletcher, Frankel, Dutrows, etc.) high percentage trainers because: a) they simply get the best horses b) are doing something more than their lower trainer percentage counterparts - extra vitamins, better water, or whatever else that they can afford from their higher day rates or, c) they are not playing on a level playing field (CHEATING!)

or is it a combination of all three depending on who we are talking about....

How does a mid-teen percentage trainer like Contessa all of the sudden turn into a higher percentage trainer? Is it simply the winter track at Aqueduct and a good part of his competition is gone?

How does a high percentage trainer like Pletcher all of the sudden go cold like he did at Saratoga in 2005 after the first few days? There was a rumor that Mrs. Whitney had a security guard placed at his barn... Can not believe that one....

Just makes one wonder...

PSH

And he still would've won with ease without that ride.