Some observations from the Saratoga Backstretch

[covelj70]

I was lucky enough to spend the last 5 days up at Saratoga and spent at least 3 hours on the backside watching morning training each day.  We were on the main track backstretch (for those who haven\'t been, there are just as many horses stabled on the training track that we didn\'t see each morning so in no way is this post meant to be all inclusive).

Other than losing alot of money in the afternoon making stupid bets, it was the great experience it always is for me but there was one very noticeable difference.  

Alot of the trainers that used to have georgeous looking horses in the morning now have horses that look like they are noticably skinnier with coats that don\'t look anywhere near as shinny and dappled as those same trainers have had in the past.  Me and a group of guys have been doing this same trip for the same weekend for a number of years and we all noticed the difference, you just can\'t miss it, even if you weren\'t looking for it.

In particular, I thought horses from Pletcher, Linda Rice and Rick Violette looked almost unbelievably different in terms of coat and size than in year\'s past.

On the flip side, I thought horses from the barns of Mott, Howard, and McLaughlin looked as good as they ever have.

I know Pletcher is winning at a good clip up there so far but there\'s no way that there hasn\'t been some change in what he\'s giving the horses.  I believe that almost all of his winners up there so far have been either off a long layoff (like in the feature on Sunday) or with first time starters.  He should win with a good percentage of the firsters given that he is getting the best stock.

JB, do the numbers generally concur that these trainers aren\'t getting horses running back to their numbers from year\'s past?

Also JB, thanks very much for the Saturday seminar.  I always learn alot regardless of what happens on the track.