Gotta love this broad

[cowgirlintexas]

Originally Posted by phystech

Take this in another direction - how many of these assistant trainers to the super trainers go out on their own and reproduce the st's results?
Here in MD, I can't think of a single one. For example, Tim Hooper was the asst to Scott Lake before he went out on his own to train for Mike Gill. Between those two top producers, you'd think Hooper would have carried their magic with him. He hasn't. He has mediocre results, at best. So then you have to ask, is it the magic, or is it the horses the owners are able to provide? Or is it the business model the owners follow, i.e., a willingness to claim and drop right off the claim, and then jam, jam, jam......

Probably count on one hand the number that are just as successful.
Pletcher is the obvious 1st, as well as most of Lukas' protégées. A few year back one of Vienna's assistants Tim Yakteen looked like he was going to go someplace, but has sorta fizzled out since.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by cowgirlintexas

Probably count on one hand the number that are just as successful.
Pletcher is the obvious 1st, as well as most of Lukas' protégées. A few year back one of Vienna's assistants Tim Yakteen looked like he was going to go someplace, but has sorta fizzled out since.

I think you're thinking of Darrell Vienna's assistant Tim Pinfield, who's claim to fame was training the good sprinter Big Jag (whom he got off of Vienna). He had "financial" troubles a little while after and fled to train privately in Singapore. Had more trouble there and got booted out.

Of course, with ten years or so going by, his financial debts in CA are no longer much of an issue and sure enough, he was welcomed back with open arms recently in SoCal where he has a string of 10 or so horses. Not sure if he's started any yet.

Tim Yakteen is an ex-Whittingham and Baffert assistant who has done fairly well since going out on his own a couple of years ago.