White Abarrio STUNS + Kenny McPeek Sounds Off, Derby Prep & Right to Party

In this episode of Horse Races Now, Kenny McPeek brings the heat with one of his most unfiltered conversations yet.

Fresh off a massive weekend in racing, Kenny breaks down the stunning performance of White Abarrio—and why the victory was about much more than just winning. From controversial vet scratches to legal battles and industry-wide frustrations, this episode dives deep into one of the biggest debates in horse racing today.

🔥 Topics Covered:

• White Abarrio’s Statement Win
  • Dominating top competition and proving a major point
  • Why this victory is being seen as “revenge” for prior vet decisions 
• Kenny McPeek UNFILTERED on State Vets
  • “They’re failing the sport…”
  • The growing tension between trainers and regulators
  • Why over-scratching is hurting owners and the game
• Solutions for the Future
  • PET scans vs. visual inspections
  • How technology could fix breakdown concerns
  • Holding trainers accountable vs. vet control
• Kentucky Derby Prep – Right to Party
  • Training updates and race strategy
  • Why he’s a deep closer and what needs to happen to win
  • Inside look at workouts, gate prep, and Derby mindset
• Stable Updates & Race Recaps
  • Holly’s Holiday dominant win at Oaklawn
  • Rattle N Roll concerns
  • Gould’s Gold, Honey’s to Blame, East Village & more
• Jockey Talk: Chris Elliott
  • Coaching a 19-year-old rider
  • Honest breakdown of recent rides (good & bad)
• Horse Racing Industry Issues
  • CAW betting controversy (odds changing after the gate opens)
  • Why bettors are frustrated—and possible solutions
  • Triple Crown debate + idea of a “Penta Crown”

🐎 Key Takeaway

This episode isn’t just about races—it’s about the future of horse racing. From regulation and fairness to technology and accountability, Kenny lays out what needs to change… and why now is the time.

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• Drop your thoughts in the comments (Kenny reads them 👀)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:42

I really wish I could get a right to heart. You too mute it. Like we can't even ask for forgiveness. A lot of people like to mute me. Well, I tell you what, Kenny.

SPEAKER_06 0:58

It's been that kind of weekend. Welcome back to the Horse Races Now podcast. Here we go again. I I tell you what, man, this last one we put up, unbelievable. The response. Now, Kenny, the response is like creating an army behind you. We've got a few people that we'll get into that disagree on some things, and I'm going to ask your opinion, but man, majority of it's like, thank God for Kenny, let's go.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

Well, I'm going to steal Alan Cutler voice in Lexington. No filter.

SPEAKER_05 1:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

No filter. I'm not going to filter anything. I'm trying not to anyway, but look, there's so many things that need to be fixed. But the topic of the week. White a barrio. White a barrio. White a barrio, white a barrio, white a barrio. First and foremost, what a unbelievable race.

SPEAKER_06 1:41

Journalism and sovereignty were in the field.

SPEAKER_03 1:44

Unbelievable race. I mean, I I look you beat the best two-year-olds or three-year-olds turning four in the nation. Yep. Um hats off to Safi Joseph and and Mark Cornette. Yeah. They've done an umbrella unbelievable job with that horse. And you know what? They they are standing firmly on all this vet stuff. I mean, they they filed the lawsuit before this race. And those vets should be ashamed. Those vets should reach out and apologize to those those guys.

SPEAKER_06 2:16

How did they get the horse eligible for this race, Kenny?

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Well, I think they got off the vets list in Florida. I don't know those details, but those vets that scratch this horse's cup, right? Send them an apology, maybe send them a check.

SPEAKER_05 2:28

Yeah. Amen.

SPEAKER_03 2:30

I mean, you know, this is this is the point. I mean, they have made the biggest point by winning. And, you know, like my mother said, the best revenge is winning. You know, you're going to have your detractors, but those guys stuck their neck out and got it done. I mean, they're they're sticking their neck out legally.

SPEAKER_05 2:49

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 2:49

And they stuck their neck out on the racetrack. They didn't, they didn't hide from anybody. Yeah. They could have run that horse in an allowance race or grade three or grade two. They took on the Bears and they whooped them. Yeah. I mean, you know, it's I I was impressed. I mean, I I'm not a gambler. I had some guy, I was actually at Frank and Dino's in Lexington. Guy said, I bet 5,000 to win on White Abarrio. Okay. He told me that when they were loading in the gate. I said, wow. I said, you're that confident. He said, yeah, I am. And I think the sheet numbers maybe said that he could beat those horses. But, you know, look, um, and no nothing against sovereignty, which I think is an amazing horse. The race was the pace of the race was a little unusual. And I think even Bill Mont was a little bit surprised he found himself on the lead, but nobody went. But um, you know, those that that that white abario ran him right on down. Yeah. And this is the point. We've talked about it repeatedly on this show. I mean, these veterinarians are proving they don't know what they're doing.

SPEAKER_04 3:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:46

They don't know. They they want to be these these geniuses and all the science and all that stuff. And they're really failing the industry. Yeah. That horse should have been allowed to run at Breeders' Cup. My horse blackout time should have been allowed to run. Mystic Dan should have been allowed to run. And they are over the top and failing. They're failing the sport. Their idea is scratch more, scratch more. No, absolutely not. Trust horsemen. We know our horses. And if you don't think we know our horses, you know at some point in time we've got to draw the line. Horsemen need to stand up to all this.

SPEAKER_06 4:22

All right. I've got some questions. So our last our last podcast, we had um, I mean, it was gangbusters, and we had a bunch of varying opinions. Um Puggles Pringle 2968, which obviously Kenny, you know all this too well. You can behind you can hide behind these facades.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Go ahead, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 4:43

They're they're common. I'd rather 20 healthy horses be scratched than one injured, one slip by.

SPEAKER_03 4:50

Would you like to be an owner of those 20 healthy horses that have to go through all the vet expenses and the wasted time and the the cost that it takes to get off the list and all the details. I mean, is there an answer to this? I think it's pretty simple. I think the majority of horses that get injured and race that are that are euthanized, it's got to do with their ankle joints. And I believe that if there's a question about a horse's soundness, usually it's got to do with the cannonbone and the seizmoids. And they have There's data on this, right?

SPEAKER_06 5:23

I mean I'm assuming. Oh yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 5:25

You know, like you're you almost never see, or I've never in my career, 14,000 starts, ever had a horse fracture and knee and be euthanized. I've never had a hind leg and be euthanized in a race. I've had it happen in the morning. Um, but it's always the sexmoid bones and the cannon bones. Okay. All right. And there's there's equipment, there's science to do that. You can PET scan a, or you certainly you can full X-ray a horse's cannon bones, ankle joints, checking their pasturins and stuff like that, because that's where the apparatus is the most fragile. And let's say a horse just put on the vets, let's say they're considering putting it on, then what if the vets got there sooner and they did diagnostics before the race and the diagnostics proved out there wasn't anything there, let then let the horse run. Right. All right. And and they're not the vets seem to think that their eyes are smarter than the science. Yeah. And they're not at all. Yeah. I mean, the notion that a that an app can predict the horse's lameness and its ability or its its um um chances of breaking down is poppy colour.

SPEAKER_06 6:38

Ludicrous. All right. Okay. So Joe Joe Salato has this, Kenny. I'm curious on your opinion on this one. Would trainers be amenable to being allowed to run any horses, even with caution from the state vets, but be held responsible for those decisions by being assessed suspensions, fines, um, should the horse break down? Absolutely. Are trainers willing to put their careers on the line by making those judgments?

SPEAKER_03 7:02

Absolutely. Be glad to.

SPEAKER_06 7:03

You think everybody be in that boat? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:05

I think I think most trainers would say, look, I yeah, hold me responsible. But but really the clients are the ones that hold the trainers responsible because the clients are the ones that pay the bills, and ultimately, if they lose a horse, they're gonna look at their trainer and go, hey, shouldn't you have caught this? Yeah, absolutely. You're already being held responsible. Yeah, but but but we're all about being responsible. There are so many extremely responsible horse trainers out there, and the veterinarians just don't have any stake in the game. They don't have any stake. They scratched 10 out of 93 on previous Sunday's card. That's ridiculous.

SPEAKER_06 7:38

That's it's getting more and more and more and more, right?

SPEAKER_03 7:40

Well, and for me, the relationship between the state vets and the trainers is toxic and it's dysfunctional. Yeah, and and particularly the state of Kentucky. I'm I'm I'm pointing at the state of Kentucky. We're not I I scanned the regulatory vet scratches in Oakland over the weekend. None didn't see a breakdown.

unknown 7:59

Uh uh.

SPEAKER_03 7:59

You scan the the regulatory vet scratches in Kentucky at Keeneland, and there's a multitude, and then there's additional scratches by the trainers themselves, me included, yeah, that take horses out because we just don't want to submit them to questions. Like we we we we know the horse is training good, but but if the horse doesn't jog perfect or there's a little bit of pressure, they scratched the horse last week because of a halter rub. I don't know what that is. Well, the where the halter goes, and it had a it had um admittedly it needed to be cleaned up, but they the horse had a rub where it'd been on a truck.

SPEAKER_06 8:37

Oh, it's just like a little mark on the horse?

SPEAKER_03 8:39

Uh between right above the ears. Oh, okay. And it had a raw raw spot where you know it needed some neosporin, probably need to be scrubbed up with some iodine and some neosporin and they scratched the horse.

SPEAKER_07 8:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 8:51

Really? I mean, come on. Really? I mean, and and and train nobody does that on purpose. Horse gets in the trailer, maybe the van driver tightened the horse up too high where they were rubbing against it. I I don't I don't know how that happens. Um, I've seen it happen. And you know, at that point you, you know, you clean it, you put some Neel Sporn on it, it'll take it 48 hours max, 24 hours to you won't even it won't even bother the horse. But for them to take a horse out for that, uh Ridiculous. You know, I don't know how horse sensitive the horse was on it, but let the horse let the trainer scratch it and put them on a seven day instead of a fourteen day, and the fourteen day you gotta work in front of the vet. Well, why would that horse have to work in front of the vet because of a halter up?

SPEAKER_06 9:37

Right.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

You know, a neck and a scratch.

SPEAKER_06 9:40

It's stupid.

SPEAKER_03 9:40

Horses find ways.

SPEAKER_06 9:41

When you say they have to work in front of the vet, so you have to arrange that at that point, right? That has to be scheduled.

SPEAKER_03 9:46

You have to make an appointment, and they are not cooperative. Man. I believe that the if they don't, if the vets don't get there by 14 days, that horse is automatically off, and that the bet the vets can flag that horse pre-race entry to be observed before the next entry. Now, if they're not gonna get there, they're not doing their jobs.

SPEAKER_06 10:05

All right All right, King, let me ask you this question. Is there a way because I I don't I mean obviously there's not really an organization that you can go to the government, you don't want to ever get the government involved, but I know HeISA's in a in a sense that organization. But can you get the trainers? I mean, can somebody say, all right, listen, we're gonna band together, we're not gonna race. Tried that.

SPEAKER_03 10:26

I mean, when I say that, I don't I we did we did a what do you call it where everybody signed a petition. A petition. We did a petition several years ago, didn't help. We've had multiple meetings. It's it's you got a strike? The problem is, I mean, it's hurts the ownership. I wouldn't want to lead a strike. I think I think like who does it who does it damage? Does it damage Keeneland or Churchill or whether it's Ellers or Turfway here in Kentucky? And they don't deserve that. It's not their fault. And and it's and the players are gonna be upset if you shut down a card for a day. Um but that's you know, that's tricky, but you know, you just keep complaining. I sp I spoke to the governor last night. There you go. Uh I spoke to Did he hear you? The yeah, oh sure. You know, I've knew him. I knew him, I knew him before before he ever ran for office. He's a wonderful guy. Yeah. He was unaware of any issues, and so I think he's his head's ticking a little bit, and you know, some decision making. Well, that's where you gotta go. There you go. Well, that's a good start. I spoke to Andy, Andy Basure directly. I spoke to Andy Barr yesterday afternoon at Keeneland uh after he was leaving the races. I mean, this is this is a really important deal. And and we're really the fight's more for the owners because like the owners of Waitabario, they they're significantly damaged by that horse not being allowed to run. Yeah. And whether it's a 10 claimer or a$10 million Breeders' Cup Classic, the the the cost to the clients, and you know, there was a there was a message by Ellis Starr, and and he and I don't know each other directly, but we you know share some notes. And how that horses, 25% of the veterinarian scratches don't ever race again. Well, that's because many of those, like let's say it's a Philly and it's the end of the year, and she can be bred in the spring. We don't even bother. Right. I mean, we don't even bother getting off list. What if it's a horse that doesn't have enough value to go through what month and a half, two months of bureaucracy to try to get them off? And and so what you do, you give that horse away, and that horse gets less care when it leaves the racetrack than on the racetrack. Of course, get very well taken care of on the racetrack.

SPEAKER_06 12:36

Of course.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

And yet those horses are disappearing from the pool. They they're they can you run them in B circuits, C circuits? Yeah, I've had horses that you know they get vet scratched, they uh I sent them to to uh Stacey Vyans and and uh uh Mountaineer in West Virginia and he he he wins races with them. And um, but those uh those 25 percent that they're saying never raced again, that's not that's not an accomplishment. For me, that's just bad for the game. Now, if those horses had had you know serious fractures, I mean they're scratching horses for for P1 sagittal ridge chips. I don't know if I've ever talked about those. Where the r where the ridge, where the cannon bone goes out into the joint, and there's there's small ridges on those, on on the from the past turn up into the ankle, and those those will debris comes off those, and with digital x-rays, you can see them. When you get a little P1, a horse will get a little bit, just a small amount of pressure. And some horses run with P1s. War Emblem won the Kentucky Derby with P1s. Um I had Tahana run as as a as a good horse who ran second in the Derby. He had P1 addressed repeatedly. Swiss skydiver had him repeat had him taken care of. This is a normal, but this isn't a breakdown issue. Right. P1s are not breakdown issues. Right. But do they need to be addressed orthoscopically? In many cases, it's a good idea. Yeah. So, you know, these are details that I don't think the racing commission knows that how to deal with all this. And I don't think the state vet's in their extreme position of taking everything out with the smallest uh item. I don't think that's a good position either. There's got to be a balance. If there is a like I think it'd be a great idea if we could pet scan a horse's front ankles and have the ability to do that regularly. I mean, I think that's the answer. Okay, a horse gets taken out within the week. Get him over to the PET scan. Let's PET scan him. If there are no red flags or nothing lights up and the pastor, the sesmoid bones or the cannon bones, that horse is immediately off. Get it back in the let that horse run. The trainer trusted that the horse was moving good. I think the PET scan's the answer.

unknown 14:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:54

But but scratching horses because, well, the you know, we don't like them in behind, and because some horses are are what I'd call cheaters in behind. They move, and and when they move, some horses jog like crabs. I mean, and some horses, and jogging is not a race. And the vet state vets are, well, that horse just jogs a little bit odd. I I don't like him. Well, he came out of his mother jogging odd. Right. You know, favorite day is a horse that jogs horrible. His father was an odd mover, he's an odd mover. He's not allowed to run in Kentucky. Crazy. Never had a bone chip, never had a had bone scans, nothing. It's because it's a little different. PET scans, nothing. X-rays clean as a whistle. A year couldn't run in Kentucky. Craziness.

SPEAKER_06 15:40

Oh man, hopefully these politicians can help.

SPEAKER_03 15:43

Run this horse rant runs in Louisiana, Arkansas, no problem. State vets there approve them. Yeah. But we don't have any evidence that he's got anything fractured, but he doesn't move good. So Mr. Smith says, I don't like the way he moves. Well, neither do I, but I can't I haven't injected him. I haven't done anything, but this is the way the horse jogs. Yeah. And it's not a jogging race. Yeah. Some horses gallop amazing and jog terrible. And so are we gonna let an app or or a veterinarian that doesn't understand the horse's pattern or how they how they move through themselves? I mean, there's got to be some sort of bend or happy medium here, and we're not there.

SPEAKER_06 16:23

All right. Let's move on. Let's let's let's do some let's do let's do some positive. Holly's holiday. Holly's holiday. Uh listen, uh, nice redemption of sorts. Um man, she ran away from the field.

SPEAKER_03 16:37

So this Philly, her first two starts in her career, we were she got a little crabby on us, and she didn't run well in her first two starts, and then we bone scanned her and kicked her out. And she had some she had some mild distal bone bruising, but she wasn't willing to run through it. And uh she didn't run well, and so we we did the research. We and she was never on a vets list. Never. But anyway, um, I'm gonna circle back to that. I'm allowed now. Um, and then we turned her out and and uh the partnership there looked said, yeah, do whatever you think. And we turned her out, and boy, she's she's rewarded us in spades. Yeah, that's yeah, that was a big win uh Saturday, so when the Valley of the Vapors down there at Oakland, 200,000, and um just galloped away. And I think uh, you know, look, if her season goes accordingly, then this Philly could be a graded steak source by the end of the end of the summer.

SPEAKER_06 17:27

There you go. That's a good one. Yeah, um, all right. So uh a lot of questions on rights party. Uh how's it look so far? I know you ran it with uh very connected as far as I know. Well, you did a nice uh video on your Twitter, your X account, which is kind of cool. But so how how's it looking?

SPEAKER_03 17:43

It's going great. Um, you know, that this horse is he he handled the work well. He jumped in the feed tub post workout, which is what we watch.

SPEAKER_06 17:49

Oh yeah. You know, you used to always talk about that with Torpedo Anna. Show she ate so well.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

Oh yeah, yeah. She ate like a grizzly bear. Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_06 17:57

And it you always attributed that to be her being really good.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

Yeah. The faster they eat, the faster they run, I believe. When they're really in the feed tub, they do good. But but he's uh that horse come out of the work uh eating well. And um we're we're gonna like today, we just did a jog and first day back from the workout, and then tomorrow we'll do a little bit more. And then he's got one maintenance work next weekend and uh some paddock schooling, some gate standing. We're gonna I'm gonna jump him out of the gate once quick to just ask him to leave there with a little bit more enthusiasm uh derby day. But yeah, he's he's coming into it in good order.

SPEAKER_06 18:30

Well, I'm very connected. Why are you why are you training with very connected?

SPEAKER_03 18:33

Very connected's a very good horse in his own right. You need to match like to like. Got it. You know, I want a good three-year-old against a good three-year-old. Yep. Um, very connected, it's a nice horse, and had had gotten derby points. Yeah, but he hadn't gotten enough. Got it. And he was just uh, and and you look, he gives he gives right to party everything he can handle, which is the way it should be. And um, you don't want to work a three-year-old cult going into the derby against a two-year-old or a two-year-old Philly or even an older horse. You want the same age bracket. And we do a lot of that.

SPEAKER_06 19:05

We had a we had a listener ask why uh longer gallops are rarely employed today.

SPEAKER_03 19:11

Well, define longer gallops. I mean, uh, I think a mile and a half, a nice mile and a half gallop's a good gallop.

SPEAKER_05 19:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

Um, the shorter a horse runs, typically the shorter we gallop them. Because you'll take the speed out of a sprinter. And I tend I tend to like galloping horses, well, we call seven to the four a mile and three-eighths at Churchill. Yep. And then at Keeneland we do a lot of six to the four, but the the circumference of that retracts a mile and a sixteenth. So that actually is the same as a mile and three-eighths. Okay. Well, six to the four is back to this three six furlong pole, gallop one turn and back to the four-furlong pole. Right. And then jog home. Right. But but that's a typical mile and three-eighths gallop. Yeah, I there's trainers in the past that let horses gallop two miles.

SPEAKER_05 19:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:59

I saw I saw a derby horse gallop two and a half miles Saturday.

SPEAKER_06 20:05

This past Saturday. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:07

I was surprised.

SPEAKER_06 20:08

Wow. Well, uh, listen, this particular listener, and I don't know if they're correct on this, this may be way off, but they said the average Kentucky Derby towns have plateaued in the past 40 years, slower since the 60s and 70s. Do you know if that's right or not?

SPEAKER_03 20:21

The Derby Town?

SPEAKER_06 20:22

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

Um, well, Secretariat set the mark, and Monarcos ran two minutes and change. But I think the racetrack that particular those particular days was a little quicker. But um, you know, we won it last year in 203, but then I ran it with Tahana Run, he went. I think he was 202 and change. 2020. Um look a mile and a quarter is a long way around there. If you could hit 12s with a with a three-year-old, I mean they're gonna run well in the derby, but you know, it takes a significant amount of stamina. And um, I don't know. I mean, it kind of depends on the racetrack. I hadn't paid much attention to that. Sunday silence at easy goer, I think, was 204 or 205. Okay. It was considered a really slow derby, but those can people consider those two great horses.

SPEAKER_06 21:08

Yeah, that's a good point. So i in and the track conditions always play into that, too.

SPEAKER_03 21:12

Yeah, it could be sticky out there sometimes. And then when you got to remember, when they come around the second time, they're crossing ground that's already been run over by 20 horses. So that's a plowed field when they're finishing up. Yeah. You know. Calvin Burrell attached himself to the rail because he knew there weren't many horses down in there. And Brian did too in 2024.

SPEAKER_06 21:34

Uh Mystic Dan. Um so how your your final thoughts on Wright's party. Feeling good?

SPEAKER_03 21:41

Yeah, I mean, cautiously optimistic. I mean, my goal is to get him in there and go in good order. He came from Jimmy in New York in great shape. Um, he's he's you know been flawless here. We we uh uh my local blacksmith shot him here. He did have a little bit of a scalp on one hind leg where they kind of nick themselves. Um I don't think that'll happen and that could have just been a one-off deal, but he came in in great shape and um he settled into our our division here good. Um Chris Elliott was a decision of mine. Um I had Jimmy put him on two starts ago in the Withers and then came back in the in the wood and Chris is extremely excited. We ought to talk about that a little bit. Um you know he's a young kid, he's 19.

SPEAKER_06 22:20

Yeah, he's real young. Yeah, and and I tell you, there's some there's some you have some listeners um that seem to think he's he's lost you some races.

SPEAKER_03 22:29

Well, look, I mean jockeys can lose races. I mean, that's fine. Um, I think for the most part, I haven't seen that he's been um terribly bad at all, but but he's extremely hungry and he's working hard. And um, no, I haven't seen him, I haven't seen a race. I thought maybe he could have stayed inside in the Wood Memorial and and made the trip to get second a little bit easier, but I don't think it would have been the difference between winning the race or losing the race. I still think we would have been second. And um I wasn't happy with the ride the other day. He rode um stick up without a gun. I think that's one of them. And he he and I had a long talk about that. That was a that was a one-minute reprimand that he took well. No, I didn't like that ride. I told him, I said, Chris, really? I mean, well, and and the horse may have been trained up to go quick early, but he went way too, way out way too fast, way too early, extended himself, and I said, next time, just wrestle that horse back. Yeah, don't don't don't let him do that. He went he went the first half mile and obnoxious numbers, and yeah, okay, for for the listeners that wrote that, yeah, you're right on that one. But but but I saw it. And I now look, don't think I don't see it. And then Chris and I talk about it, and we said, we're not gonna do that again, aren't we? Are we? And Chris says, I got it. You're right. He's young, a lot of learning to do. He's coachable.

SPEAKER_06 23:50

That's good.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

Yeah, he's coachable.

SPEAKER_06 23:51

That's good.

SPEAKER_03 23:52

Yeah, some jocks you can't coach them.

SPEAKER_06 23:54

Well, maybe you can disclose this, or maybe you can't, because maybe you don't want to give this away. But what is the plan for the Derby for Right to Party? Is he a closer? You're gonna try to get out quick? What do you think you're gonna try to do?

SPEAKER_03 24:05

Oh, I think it's simple. I think I think he's proven a deep closer. He I'm hoping he draws ten hole inside because I think he needs every inch of ground. This is a similar concept to Mystic Dan. He he's gonna need to find his way to the rail. He's gonna have to save ground and and and he's gonna have to live and buy the by the inside. He's gonna have to, you know, like try to get through on the inside and hopefully he can find a spot and and um if he can make an inside trip without letting having to force the horse and and let him go the last quarter of a mile, he's got an outside chance. It's gotta set up. It's gotta be a race that that paces is swift in the early and the middle, and that they're laboring when they come home, and then he passes tired horses and and um you know, look at he like he's gotta find another level. I'm not going into it thinking I was much more confident with Mystic Dan. I was I was thinking this horse is gonna fire a big, big shot. Yeah. Um you know, right to party is gonna need to yeah, he's gonna need to run a race of his life, but you know, it can happen. What did Dan Folgerberg say? A lifetime of chance. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 25:16

It can have listen, it can happen. You never know, you get the right now. Do you need a fast track that day, you think?

SPEAKER_03 25:23

No. So would please be fine to be muddy? Really? Oh, yeah. But I don't worry about anything I can't control. Okay, fair enough. Which is starting with my daughters and fair enough my wife and the credit cards and the we and the weather, Mother Nature. Okay. I don't worry, I don't worry about the wife I can't control. I'm being facetious about the girls there.

SPEAKER_06 25:44

Uh somebody made a comment that you'll like here. Uh tell Kenny that the big five races could be called the Penta Crown, and maybe the winner of those five races could receive an extra$10 million bonus or something like that. Wouldn't that be unreal? Wouldn't that be cool? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:57

You could get a sponsor behind me for sure. That would be unreal. You want to sponsor that?

SPEAKER_06 26:02

So yeah, we could little Tal Grace marketing. Are we doing horse races?

SPEAKER_03 26:05

I think that would be unreal. Look, really, that would be more than the triple crown. Yeah. Yeah. And and it would capture the world's attention.

SPEAKER_06 26:14

Well, and if they set it up the way you said, yeah, it would work. And then also, somebody also said, listen, I was in the camp of keeping the triple crown as it is for nostalgic reasons, but after listening to Ken's input, it makes sense. It would make it better.

SPEAKER_07 26:28

Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 26:28

Thank you. I mean, and but there's a lot of other people that go on that you know want to talk about um how that triple crown, how it how it would lessen it and make it cheapen, and it's a participation trophy, but I don't think so either. I think it needs it for the sport.

SPEAKER_03 26:42

They've moved it for decades. Every century, they moved it. It's been moved over and over. If they go backwards and they look at the dates and the timing, it's been moved repeatedly. It was moved during World War II, World War I, it was moved. There was a time when the preakness was before the Derby. I mean, look, look, it's just been a over the last like what seven since the 70s maybe. Yeah. Yeah, it is over 50 years. But prior to that, that that when Sir Sir Barton won it, the dates were all different.

SPEAKER_04 27:14

Right.

SPEAKER_03 27:15

Um, and I think he was considered the first one. And and they didn't create the Triple Crown until after he had already won it. They wasn't even called that then. So, I mean, these things change, and and um, you know, things change in all different sports. Um I wouldn't be fearful of change. Matter of fact, we need change in horse racing.

SPEAKER_06 27:33

Uh, horse racing needs a lot of change right now. Yeah. Um, all right. The the the major comment we got across all platforms is all the different social medias. Um, people are still harping on the CAW issue. Um, basically, the and I I guess I'm starting to get my head around it. The odds are changing once the race is out. I always thought once the horses left the gate, it was done. But apparently odds are changing still after the fact. Um, and there's a couple people, there's there's tracks uh that stop it a minute before. Um any any thoughts, any and I know you gave your your thoughts on this on a couple of years.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

I'm I'm like, yeah, I really need to wrap my head around the details. I don't know. I don't know who is responsible for when those that money drops.

SPEAKER_06 28:15

There's a Naira rule that you have to start, it stops a minute before the race. That seems I mean something like that makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 28:22

A good good horse player, I know this, waits until the odds board to decide who he's playing.

SPEAKER_05 28:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:32

And it is unacceptable for those odds to change after the gate opens. Yeah. So, yes, there needs to be. I mean, I I can remember going to the races with my grandfather and he waited for the odds board. Yeah, that's what you do.

SPEAKER_06 28:50

You do at the very end.

SPEAKER_03 28:51

But once they leave, it's done. A smart horse player waits until the odds board settles. But does the CAW have an advantage on timing? I think that's unacceptable. Yeah, for sure. If that money's coming through after the gates open, then that means, and like I said, I don't know enough about it. I don't know how fast or slow the tote system works.

SPEAKER_06 29:15

And maybe that's a technology thing.

SPEAKER_03 29:17

Uh yeah, yeah. But but maybe there could, and I'm sure there could be a way to play. Like, like for example, you know, when you bid on something and somebody says, well, or you can you could actually bid on an item, but you put your limit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 29:33

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:34

Okay. And what if we created a system, and I think this is a good idea, and that just popped this in my head, that's that a player says, okay, I want X amount across 20 across on this horse if he's five to one or more. Oh, there you go. But so they so they put a cap on on what they're wanting. And I think the technology, I'm sure, is there. Somebody, somebody, I think that the totes in itself in American racing need to be reconfigured. I've actually contemplated you know hiring a team to to redo the totes. Interesting. Why not? Yeah, somebody needs to do it. I mean the the Amtote and United Tote, many say that they're that they're adequated. I don't know what world totem in Europe. I mean, like I said, this is not really my department. Yeah, I understand. And I'm all about fixing problems, but a player has a legitimate gripe if they if they bet that horse at five to one and then it's five to two.

SPEAKER_06 30:30

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 30:30

Yeah, I mean, I I don't blame them a bit. If you want me to get involved and solve that problem, you'll have to get me appointed to something else than horse trainer bloodstock agent and podcast host.

SPEAKER_06 30:41

Yeah, well, there you go. Um let's go over a couple of the the races from this past weekend. Um We you already hit up you already hit stick up without a gun. Um talk to me about Gult's gold. There that listen, as you go down the list, you know, there's some disappointing ones. There's some top three finishes.

SPEAKER_03 30:59

I should have scratched him.

SPEAKER_06 31:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

So so it it's a it was written as an allowance race. This horse really is a hard tryer, but he has hooked some bears. Skippy long stockings, two back. This time the Santa Anita Derby winner beats him. I mean, uh he is um hook some boogers. And in all honesty, I probably should have scratched him. I mean, Lance and I talked about it, and Lance is really, really hankering for this horse to win. Yeah. And um, I thought this was a good spot, but I really was hoping that the Santa Anita Derby winner would be off for him, but he came back and fired a big shot. Of course, it was a dead heat finish between him and Bill Motz or you know, both nice horses. But um the problem with Gould Scold, he's a stakes winner, he's out of conditions. Um he does love Churchill. Yep. And we're gonna come back in a three other than allowance race at Churchill, and you know, hopefully it's not deep water. Um he he's owns a track record at Churchill. Yeah. Um but you know, he's got to do that at on other tracks. And I think that track that night was a little bit lightning fast, but he's a nice horse. I mean, you know, for what we gave for him and what he's earned, he's been a real good runner, real good producer, and really solid horse to be around. And we've given him a break here and there to to rectify some some he had some distal bone bruising himself, which we dropped on. He's never been on a vets list though. And he um he's a lovely horse to be around. We just gotta find the right spot in the right place.

SPEAKER_06 32:24

All right, we're gonna we're gonna stay at Oaklawn here. Uh we already talked about Holly's Holly's holiday. Uh, what about Honey's to blame?

SPEAKER_03 32:30

Um, you know, he got off slow again and and actually got a message from John Holland, and I'm sure John will probably watch the show. And I hope he oh I actually owe him a phone call on this. I buy a horse with a long hip. And a long-hipped horse doesn't lift and leave the gate easily. They have to reach and and um he doesn't get around out all that quick, that horse. And he's had two races in a row, maybe three that he's gotten out a little awkward. Yep. Um, and then kind of woulda, coulda, shoulda won. Um, but look, he always runs hard. And he's he's chipping away at you know, some nice earnings, and and um this is another really, really quality horse to be around. But uh there's one Arkansas bred race left at the end of the meet, and I'm gonna possibly run him in there, although he'll have to run against a sp stablemate um Zippy Mark. And Zippy Mark's fast horse, he's got much more quickness, different type of moving horse. Yep. Um, but um we may run him. John and I need to talk, and Tim Steadman helps race manager such. But we'll talk about whether to run them both or not. But look, he's a nice horse, and then he should have won the archybred, never won two, three allowance race, got left speed, um, pace stole the race on the front end, and he didn't quite get there. And then this last race, it looked like maybe Manny might have moved him a little bit in the middle too soon, but he was trying to make up for lost ground.

SPEAKER_06 33:56

All right, now let's move to Keeneland, where I know there's some disappointments there, but rattle and roll.

SPEAKER_03 34:01

You know, he just this is another one. I think in the middle of the race, it looked like Brian just kind of let him go down the middle, and he went from near last to third second.

SPEAKER_05 34:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

And then he showed no finish. I mean, did he move too soon or was the horse flat? We've gone over him and we we can't really find anything wrong with him. Um we're gonna contemplate his his future here sooner. I was gonna say he's he's he's been great. He's been a good one. But um, but that's probably one of the worst races he's ever run in Kentucky. Yeah, yeah. But um, but he's seemed to be sound out of the race. We've gone over him and nothing obvious.

SPEAKER_06 34:31

How dare defying um he's slow.

SPEAKER_03 34:35

He's just a slow horse. I mean, he's a big pretty horse, but he doesn't have another gear, and he just kind of gallops out, gallops around there. And um, but um he still have me turn a foot. And but he's sound and he's healthy, and he needs a lower level, and we're gonna need to spot him aggressively to find a spot for him to win.

SPEAKER_06 34:52

All right, two more. East Village.

SPEAKER_03 34:54

Oh, you know, look, he's he's got some temperamental issues. I mean, he wants to get out, and yesterday he wanted to bolt, he bolted on the far turn. I'm bright. Oh wow, yeah. I mean, physically we didn't find anything significant, but he's he's um he's a tough one to do. He is going to get gelded.

SPEAKER_06 35:11

Okay. There you go. Um, and then Barracks.

SPEAKER_03 35:14

Uh got tired in that race. Looked like he was gonna fight on for fourth, and he needed the run. And um, well, we've got a spot picked out for him for Churchill. And um yeah, that horse that horse is gonna win some races.

SPEAKER_06 35:26

Um all right, so we've got some some entries here. How are you feeling about Maxim Promise?

SPEAKER_03 35:33

I'm dying to run him a mile and a half grass. I think he'll love that. I mean he'll talk about this a lot. Yeah, he'll run all day long. I mean, he's got some Galileo in the bottom line, and and uh the grounds uh the further the better with him. So that that that'll be an interesting and exciting race to watch.

SPEAKER_06 35:48

We've got a few others that I don't know that I've heard of. Um Power Aura.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

Power Aura's run twice in Florida and didn't really didn't really show much talent. We put him in aggressively, and that should be a good spot for him.

SPEAKER_06 36:00

Hey, Keelan. Um so special.

SPEAKER_03 36:03

So special. Showed some talent as a two-year-old, broke his maiden made in special way, but but we've got him in for the right price. And he um he needs he's trained well up to this race, but um you know he's we kind of relegated him that we think he's a mid-level claimer.

SPEAKER_06 36:18

Uh then we got some different well what do we got another one, Keenelin. Ummerited favor.

SPEAKER_03 36:24

Lovely Philly. I mean, she's she's knocked in the door and some stakes, and um she's gonna get uh well we re-entered her in the mile and a half and she didn't get in. And then we've we've opted to this mile and an eighth race. She really wants to go further. Okay. But this is her first race of the season. And um I think this Philly's gonna have um she's gonna have a good year. I like this horse. His last work was phenomenal. I think he might be a bit of a play down there at Oakland. Um it's straight three-year-olds. So so they write straight three-year-old races at Oakland still, but they don't write them at Keeneland. They write them three and three and ups. And um there are those that don't like running three-year-olds against older horses this time of year. Yeah. And for that matter, um, John Ed Anthony, great client, longtime great owner in the game, sent a note the other day about Arkansas Breds have to run against three and ups, the three-year-olds have to run against three and ups. And that's correct, because there's not enough pool of horses. Yeah. But yet at Oakland they write straight three-year-olds to the end of the meet down there. In Kentucky, the straight three-year-olds have to run against three and ups. Gotcha. But but typically the older, the four and ups really aren't that good of horses typically, but not in some some cases it's different. But the four-and-ups, if they hadn't got their maiden broke by then, they're usually not that good. So the three-year-olds can justify going in against three-year-olds and ups.

SPEAKER_06 37:54

Okay. Makes sense. Um, and you have one at Aqueduct, uh, speed walking.

SPEAKER_03 37:59

Just getting to know this horse. Um uh the Freeburgs in Saratoga, neighbors of mine, they own they own this horse, and um, you know, I think that's uh gonna be a good first step. Yeah. I'm gonna learn myself.

SPEAKER_06 38:14

Yeah. Yeah. Um, well, that's all you got entered for for next week. Um, I I do want to mention is is Cindy Greathouse. We had a long talk the other day. Um, if you're interested in sponsoring this podcast, uh we get a ton of eyeballs. So we sometimes we get up to 500,000 listens. We're in the top 15 when it comes to uh sports podcasts of all podcasts at certain certain moments of time. Uh we do have some sponsorship opportunities available. So if you have something you want to sponsor, please reach out. You can go to Horse RacesNow slash ads, and um it'd be a really good uh really good opportunity for someone who wants to get involved.

SPEAKER_03 38:53

Probably easier to send Cindy an email. C-Y-N-D-I at horseracesnow.com.

SPEAKER_07 39:00

Boom.

SPEAKER_03 39:00

Cindy handles a lot of really important stuff for me, and and uh she she can give you the analytics on everything. She can give you analytics on advertising within within Horse Races Now or the podcast as well. Matter of fact, she probably packaged both.

SPEAKER_06 39:14

Absolutely. There's opportunities there, and there's some major opportunities with the podcast. So if you're a business owner and you think, hey, this might be a really good way for a good demographic, uh, we're in front of a lot of eyeballs and a lot of listeners.

SPEAKER_03 39:26

So I know that um phasic tipped and sponsored us, all way feed spot sponsored us.

SPEAKER_06 39:31

Morning Line. Morning Line, Keeneland, Keeneland's done it. Yeah, uh, we've had a few of the racetracks. Um I'm um blanking now. There's been a couple of the racetracks that have done some ads. So we we've we've been all over the map, but it you know, it doesn't just have to be horse racing. Yeah, you know, we'll we'll we will consider outside of the the horse racing world as well. So it's great demographic, people with money. So if you're you're interested, let us know. Alrighty. Uh the other thing too, uh if if you have something you want to see, I plan on trying to visit Kenny on the backside at some point in the near future. If you have something you want to see, let us know in one of the comments, and I'll try to make sure I either get an answer or get a visual or get something for you. There's a lot of that happens on that backside that's kind of mystery to a lot of people. So if there's something that you've been dying or thinking about, I want to just kind of know what happens, let me know, and I'd be happy to you know pull that curtain back a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 40:22

Well, and they're gonna have be a lot of derby horses galloping. We'll be able to watch them at the 715 break. You know, that'd be great if you could get the podcast out. We did a live one from 715. We can do that, no problem.

SPEAKER_06 40:36

Let's figure that out.

SPEAKER_03 40:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 40:37

All right. Anything else, Kenny?

SPEAKER_03 40:39

I don't think so. White a barrio. That was unbelievable. Yeah. Mark Carnett, at a boy, Safi, at a boy. They tried it. Pretty cool. They tried proving a point right there. They really proved it. And I think a lot of the discussion that we've been having about state vets, I mean, these guys, I mean, I'm proud of them. I mean, that was pretty cool. Nothing against sovereignty. Sovereignty set the pace, and you think he needed the race. And journalism probably the same. But but white of barrio ultra impressive, and you're gonna this is this is gonna be an interesting older horse here with sovereignty, journalism, white of barrio, where all they go next, and um it should be uh great for the sport.

SPEAKER_06 41:22

They tried to get you to join that lawsuit.

SPEAKER_03 41:24

They did. They have, they've talked to me. And I've gotten notes about, you know, should I, shouldn't I? I don't know. I don't know that I want to be any lawsuit with anybody. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We just want we just want we just want this to go a little bit better, and we think horsemen and horse ownership need to be recognized and that how this affects us. And um that that I don't think they're listening. I really don't. I don't know that any of them carry that that I have anything to say about it, or we're trying to push that ball, but um there definitely needs to be some change, and I think what Wadabario pulled off this weekend was amazing.

SPEAKER_06 41:57

There you go. If there's ever time to play Fight for Your Right, it'd be right now. I don't know. I I I'm trying to figure that out, Kenny. I just want to get muted across all of our chains.

SPEAKER_03 42:06

If I play it on my phone, they would knock us back.

SPEAKER_06 42:08

Yeah, I'm afraid so. I don't know. We may try it.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

We're the beastie boys when you need it. Anybody out there that knows any of the beastie boys, send us a message.

SPEAKER_06 42:16

We haven't been able to get a hold of them yet.

SPEAKER_03 42:18

We want to be able to get a hold of them, and we're gonna play that song for Derby.

SPEAKER_06 42:22

There you go. That that's right to parties block outside.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

Think if I walked in with a boot with a boom box right over your shoulder in front of uh my horse Derby Day.

SPEAKER_06 42:30

Boy, that would make some news, wouldn't it? Yeah, well. With Beastie Boys right behind you on the on the walkover. Oh man, yeah. NBC loves it.

SPEAKER_03 42:38

Somebody reach out to them, figure out how to get a hold of them. Where are they from?

SPEAKER_06 42:42

New York.

SPEAKER_03 42:43

Okay, well. Somebody out in New York. There you go.

SPEAKER_06 42:46

Come on, let us know. We're here. All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for listening. Hit that subscribe button, give us a comment. We'll see you again next week. Actually, see if the race is right.