McGaughey: ‘I Can’t Wait For a Week From Saturday’
May 9, 2013 18:08:11 GMT -5
Post by Jon on May 9, 2013 18:08:11 GMT -5
McGaughey: ‘I Can’t Wait For a Week From Saturday’
by Natalie Voss
In a Preakness preview conference call on Thursday, Orb conditioner Shug McGaughey said that he remains confident about what he’s seeing from the Kentucky Derby winner.
“Each day I get a little bit more confident. Just sitting here talking to you, I can’t wait to train him tomorrow morning,” he said. “As we know, anything can happen, things can reverse any minute, but I sure don’t expect that to happen.”
McGaughey reported that Orb is handling the activity around him well, and will likely breeze on Monday depending upon the weather before shipping to Pimlico Race Course to complete preparations for the Preakness. He anticipates that if Orb runs in the Belmont Stakes, a home track advantage could prove helpful.
The Eclipse Award-winning trainer remained relatively unconcerned about whether the Preakness pace would be fast or slow, pointing out that Orb has successfully chased down both scenarios. Instead, he believes the quick transition from Payson Park to Churchill to Belmont to Pimlico is a bigger concern for the colt, although travel has not appeared to take anything out of him yet.
Among the foes McGaughey is watching closely are Oxbow, Normandy Invasion, Will Take Charge, and Illinois Derby winner Departing.
For his own part, McGaughey said that he’s remaining as calm as possible, and trying not to focus on the historical implications of another win.
“When we got into this process, I said, ‘Let’s make this fun.’ So far it has been.” said McGaughey, who noted that when he senses his nerves mounting, he tries to stay out of the barn so as not to transfer the energy to his horses.
McGaughey is no stranger to the Preakness, having run Easy Goer (second in 1989) and Pine Circle (fifth in 1984) in the race. Although the prospect of bringing his horse back in quick succession for the three legs of the Triple Crown is a challenge, McGaughey does not believe that the timing of the races should be altered. In fact, as he pointed out, Orb won his first race, a maiden special weight at Aqueduct, off just a 14-day layoff, so the schedule won’t be totally foreign to him.
“I’m an advocate of the way the Triple Crown is set up. I know a lot of people question it, try to spread it out and this and that, but I think that’s what makes it difficult,” he said.
Trainer Al Stall, Jr. said that Triple Crown newcomer Departing is on “an upward swing” and seems to be getting better with time. Together with owners Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, he made the decision to bypass the Derby with the gelding in order to keep him fresh for what is likely to be a longer career than many horses with potential stud careers in the balance.
He also mentioned that Departing will receive a small dose of Lasix, as “a prophylactic type of thing,” although the gelding has not previously had a bleeding issue. Departing ran with 3 cc of the drug in the Illinois Derby, and will run on a similarly small dose before the Preakness Stakes
Stall is confident about his chances, saying Departing is happy and fresh after nearly a month’s rest from the Illinois Derby, but acknowledges that Orb will be a tough contender to beat.
“We’re going in with a horse that we know is doing well and we think is a nice horse,” he said. “We plan on running our race, and whether that’s good enough to beat Orb, I have no earthly idea.”
Jockey Gary Stevens, who will again pilot Oxbow in the Preakness after a sixth-place Derby effort, is also convinced that Orb is the horse to beat in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do to turn the tables,” said Stevens with a laugh. “The tough part about it is that I feel a lot like I did with riding Victory Gallop against Real Quiet in the Kentucky Derby. You’re paid to go out and try and beat him and devise any way you can to try and beat him, and I’m trying to do that right now. That’s my job, that’s what I’m paid for. But you can bet that if I get passed at the sixteenth pole, I’m going to be rooting for that other horse.”
www.paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/mcgaughey-i-cant-wait-for-a-week-from-saturday/
by Natalie Voss
In a Preakness preview conference call on Thursday, Orb conditioner Shug McGaughey said that he remains confident about what he’s seeing from the Kentucky Derby winner.
“Each day I get a little bit more confident. Just sitting here talking to you, I can’t wait to train him tomorrow morning,” he said. “As we know, anything can happen, things can reverse any minute, but I sure don’t expect that to happen.”
McGaughey reported that Orb is handling the activity around him well, and will likely breeze on Monday depending upon the weather before shipping to Pimlico Race Course to complete preparations for the Preakness. He anticipates that if Orb runs in the Belmont Stakes, a home track advantage could prove helpful.
The Eclipse Award-winning trainer remained relatively unconcerned about whether the Preakness pace would be fast or slow, pointing out that Orb has successfully chased down both scenarios. Instead, he believes the quick transition from Payson Park to Churchill to Belmont to Pimlico is a bigger concern for the colt, although travel has not appeared to take anything out of him yet.
Among the foes McGaughey is watching closely are Oxbow, Normandy Invasion, Will Take Charge, and Illinois Derby winner Departing.
For his own part, McGaughey said that he’s remaining as calm as possible, and trying not to focus on the historical implications of another win.
“When we got into this process, I said, ‘Let’s make this fun.’ So far it has been.” said McGaughey, who noted that when he senses his nerves mounting, he tries to stay out of the barn so as not to transfer the energy to his horses.
McGaughey is no stranger to the Preakness, having run Easy Goer (second in 1989) and Pine Circle (fifth in 1984) in the race. Although the prospect of bringing his horse back in quick succession for the three legs of the Triple Crown is a challenge, McGaughey does not believe that the timing of the races should be altered. In fact, as he pointed out, Orb won his first race, a maiden special weight at Aqueduct, off just a 14-day layoff, so the schedule won’t be totally foreign to him.
“I’m an advocate of the way the Triple Crown is set up. I know a lot of people question it, try to spread it out and this and that, but I think that’s what makes it difficult,” he said.
Trainer Al Stall, Jr. said that Triple Crown newcomer Departing is on “an upward swing” and seems to be getting better with time. Together with owners Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, he made the decision to bypass the Derby with the gelding in order to keep him fresh for what is likely to be a longer career than many horses with potential stud careers in the balance.
He also mentioned that Departing will receive a small dose of Lasix, as “a prophylactic type of thing,” although the gelding has not previously had a bleeding issue. Departing ran with 3 cc of the drug in the Illinois Derby, and will run on a similarly small dose before the Preakness Stakes
Stall is confident about his chances, saying Departing is happy and fresh after nearly a month’s rest from the Illinois Derby, but acknowledges that Orb will be a tough contender to beat.
“We’re going in with a horse that we know is doing well and we think is a nice horse,” he said. “We plan on running our race, and whether that’s good enough to beat Orb, I have no earthly idea.”
Jockey Gary Stevens, who will again pilot Oxbow in the Preakness after a sixth-place Derby effort, is also convinced that Orb is the horse to beat in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do to turn the tables,” said Stevens with a laugh. “The tough part about it is that I feel a lot like I did with riding Victory Gallop against Real Quiet in the Kentucky Derby. You’re paid to go out and try and beat him and devise any way you can to try and beat him, and I’m trying to do that right now. That’s my job, that’s what I’m paid for. But you can bet that if I get passed at the sixteenth pole, I’m going to be rooting for that other horse.”
www.paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/mcgaughey-i-cant-wait-for-a-week-from-saturday/