OPINIONS, . . . ?  WE ALL HAVE 'EM

Make no mistake about it: - trainer Todd Pletcher doesn't believe in the myths and legends surrounding the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher believes 3-year-olds today are a different breed and thus must be treated with a different set of rules. Don't tell him he can't start a horse in the Derby off one race around two turns like he's trying to do on Saturday with Lion Tamer. The son of Will's Way has never finished worse than second in four lifetime starts. He won the seven-furlong Hutcheson last time at Gulfstream Park and on Saturday he will be the favorite in the one mile and one-eighth Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky (1 p.m., ESPN2). A win in the Lane's End will send Lion Tamer straight to the Derby in six weeks. He won't pass go. "If you look at history, all of the horses have run within four weeks (of the Derby," said Pletcher on an NTRA conference call Tuesday. "Someone sent me an e-mail the other day, said I was making a mistake with Lion Tamer because all the past 40 winners have run within four weeks. I e-mailed him back and I said how many of the starters have run within four weeks? He e-mailed back and said he understood my point that 94 percent of the horses who have run in the Derby have run within four weeks. Calculate that out and there's a whole lot of losers that have run within four weeks. "I really don't think you have to run within two weeks or three weeks or four weeks. I keep telling everybody that's there's no secret formula to winning the Kentucky Derby. It's a very, very, very difficult race to win no matter what you do. "What you have to do is to take your horse into consideration and what fits your horse the best. I believe what fits Lion Tamer the best is plenty of time between races. I've had very good results in the past in giving horses time in between races and those horses running well. One of my best percentages is 30-60 days between races. I don't see why that wouldn't apply to the Kentucky Derby. It is a horse race." Pletcher doesn't believe you have to give horses a hard race in order to get them ready for a harder race. "That's overrated, too," he said. "My theory on that is why would you ever want to drill one if you didn't have to. I would be a proponent of the 'don't squeeze the lemon' theory, than I would if you have to ask them for their life before the race. "The one thing I know for sure is that fast races set horses back. If you run lights out a couple of times, I'll use Badge of Silver as an an example. That horse ran fantastic in the Risen Star and it's tough to put that back in three weeks. That's not to say Badge of Silver isn't the horse to beat on Derby Day, but it's very hard for any horse, much less young horses, to consistently fire back those races every three weeks." Definitely food for thought. Indy Dancer Update - Empire Maker was very impressive in winning Saturday's Florida Derby, but just as impressive was the third place finish of Indy Dancer for Pletcher. Indy Dancer trailed the field by some 25 lengths in the early going and made a huge move on the turn to just miss Trust N Luck for second place. It was all the more impressive on a speed-favoring track like Gulfstream. "I was disappointed with his effort in New Orleans (the Risen Star)," said Pletcher. "I just had to throw that race out. We just have to figure out a way to stay closer. He was a little further back than I would have preferred. "His running style is similar to Impeachment. Both horses benefit at a mile and a-quarter from a hot pace." Pletcher said Indy Dancer would make his next start in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, a track that is known to be kinder to closers, and blinkers may be added to the colt to get him into the race a little sooner. He's the Champ - Expected to give Lion Tamer his toughest opposition on Saturday is Champali, named for the former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. The son of Glitterman has won six of seven lifetime starts, but this will be his sternest test to date. Champali has been trying in the cold of Kentucky all winter for trainer Greg Foley. "We're anxious to see what we've got," said Foley. "Lion Tamer is definitely the one to beat, but he's only gone seven furlongs. I don't see getting a mile and an eighth will be a problem. I think we're in top shape and ready to go. We'll make Lion Tamer run. "He has to win this race or be no worse than second to even think about the Derby." Jockey Jason Lumpkins will ride Champali. He is the former Northern California rider who has set Turfway Park on fire this winter. "He's had an unbelievable meet," said Foley. "He's winning at a 35-40 percent rate. He's a good rider. He rode out West against Russell Baze. I think he's right up there in talent level. He puts a horse in the race." He's a Rebel Great Notion, trained by 35-year-old former quarterhorse jockey Darrin Miller, will be the likely favorite in the mile and one-sixteenth Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. Great Notion has won three of four in his career with his only defeat coming at the hands of Champali at Turfway Park on Jan. 4. Great Notion won the one-mile Southwest Stakes on March 1 at Oaklawn by nine lengths. "I was impressed with the authority in which he won that race," said Miller. "We thought about going to the lane's End, but if he's going to earn his ticket in May (to the Derby), it would be easier to do it here. He's got one shot at graded stakes money (in the Arkansas Derby on April 12). You juts keep your fingers crossed and hope all goes well." Miller is just one of a number of trainers who have come from the quarterhorse ranks to the thoroughbreds and done quite well. Just look at Bob Baffert, Ronny Werner and D. Wayne Lukas. "In the quarterhorse business you don't have a lot of help," said Miller. "You do a lot of work yourself. You spend a lot of time in the barn. You get in tune with your horses." by Jeffrey Michaels Previous Article        Next Article Copyright © 2003 - Hi2winners.com - All Rights Reserved