Had the pleasure of spending the last few days at the spa, backstretch in the AM and races in the afternoon. A few thoughts:
1) I have been there many many times but each time is better than the last, I really love that place
2) No one has any clue about the Travers. Absolutely no consensus at all about the race other than Quality Road is up against it trying to get the distance. That\'s honestly the only thing that everyone agrees on. Makes me nervous about tossing him (which is what I intend to do) given that very few seem to disagree that he won\'t get the distance given the lack of recent foundation.
3) I really noticed a changing of the guards from a jockey perspective. Prado and Velasquez are almost like elder statesmen now. You don\'t see them as much on the backstretch in the AM and they are very busy in the evening at charity affairs, etc. I got outbid by Prado and Velasquez on separate auction items at the charity event for Anna\'s House (Belmont Backstretch child care).
Total aside about that event is that D. Wayne was the entertainment and that guy still has an uncanny ability to warm up a crowd, it\'s no mystery to me how he still gets horses, he is a riot.
Anyway, while Garcia, Dominguez and Maragh are on the backstretch all morning working trainers, owners and horses, the other guys seem more interested in charity events and big dinners. I am not saying I would be any different if I were them and these guys are great statesmen for the game and really wonderful people but I don\'t think it\'s a coincidence that there\'s a very different look atop the leader board in the jockey standings at the spa this year. The younger guys are hungry and working very very hard and the guys that have been around for awhile seem like they are stepping aside.