Scotty Schulhofer
Scotty was indeed a wonderful person, and always media friendly. His help stayed with him for a long time, because of the great work atmosphere he provided. He learned from Nerud, and always subscribed to Nerud's training method of breezing all horses a half in about :50. That was the advice Ben Jones gave Nerud, and he passed it on to Scotty when he named him as trainer of Ta Wee for the Fall Highweight Handicap. Jones had told a young Nerud: "Breeze 'em a half in :50 and they'll win in spite of you."
One of my favorite Scotty stories happened right before the 1999 Travers. As Lemon Drop Kid was being washed down one morning a few days before the race, Scotty happened to look down and noticed something that surprised him. Lemon Drop Kid was a listed ridgling, but when Scotty looked under the horse, lo and behold, the horse was a ridgling no longer. "Damn, he's got two," Scotty said.
Lemon Drop Kid, literally overnight, had become a full-fledged horse and he was feeling the part. He started giving his hotwalker a rough time being walked around the shed. When Scotty came over to lend a hand, Lemon Drop Kid decided to get the trainer's attention. As soon as Scotty grabbed hold of him, Lemon Drop Kid swung his head around, wheeled, and put Scotty right on the seat of his pants. Scotty landed on his shoulder and rolled completely over. With a smile on his face, he got up, dusted himself off, and headed home to change clothes. He knew Lemon Drop Kid was ready to kick some butt, and the next day, the "colt" went out and won the Travers.
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12-17-2006, 09:38 AM
Seek respect, not attention.
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