#Soundbites - Do three-year-old fillies deserve better treatment in the Triple Crown series?

Compiled by Bill Heller

Since 2013, when the Kentucky Derby began using a point system to determine who starts in the Run for the Roses, no filly has raced in the Derby. This year, only seven of the 373 three-year-olds nominated for the Triple Crown were fillies. Do three-year-old fillies deserve better treatment, either by making Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks points interchangeable and/or by making a more meaningful and permanent filly Triple Crown? 

Bret Calhoun
I think the only way they can get points is one of the prep races against the males. Honestly, I think it’s a fair enough system. In my mind, if they’re going to take them on in the Derby, they probably should have to be proven against some of them in their prep races.

Kevin Attard

I do think they should have the option to run in the Oaks or take on the boys. Obviously, it takes a very special filly to win that race. Having a Triple Crown for the fillies I think is a wonderful idea. A series for the fillies would be something of significance. In today’s age of social media, you can reach out to a broader audience. In Canada, they do have the Triple Tiara. It’s not the equivalent to the colts. It doesn’t get the attention of the real Triple Crown.

Ron Moquett

I would say make a more permanent and meaningful Filly Triple Crown. Or there could be a deal where you could give up your status as a filly and only run in the Derby preps to get your own points and make yourselves eligible for the Kentucky Derby. That’s fine. That’s good because you did it against the competition that you are required to meet. You can’t get Derby points by beating fillies to run against colts. But I think we should constantly be looking at things to evolve the sport and keep moving forward. In the end, you’ve got to remember the whole thing we’re trying to do is to breed a better horse. So every decision we make sincerely should be about showcasing the best of our breed.

Neil Drysdale

Interchangeable points don’t work because you can’t run colts against fillies, but I think fillies should be running in the Triple Crown, especially looking back in history. The point is if you’ve got a filly and you want to run a mile and a quarter (the Derby distance) instead of a mile and an eighth (the Oaks distance), you should be allowed to do that. My own opinion is that the point system seems to be quite arbitrary. The point system needs to be continually revised until they get it right.

Todd Fincher

Well, as long as they’re not transgender it’s okay (long laugh). I don’t think it’s against the fillies. If they want to run in the Derby, they just have to face the boys in the preps. The filly races are pretty lucrative. There’s so much money not only in the purses, but in winning a Grade 1 with a filly. So unless you think you’re a real monster, you just stay in your lane. If you think your filly is good enough, well, run with the boys.   

Peter Eurton

Wow, that is a good question, because I’ve never really even thought about it. For me, I would think that they should have an opportunity, but then it’s going to keep out some of the colts. That would be the biggest issue.

Richard Mandella

The Oaks is a big purse, and it’s at a very high level. You kind of hate to have too many fillies in the Derby. Maybe there could be a committee, people from Kentucky, California, New York and two other places, that allows starters to get in the Derby as a special case.

#Soundbites - Which other trainer do you most admire on the backstretch, and why?

Article by Bill Heller

Bret Calhoun

Brendan Walsh

Wayne Lukas never ceases to amaze me. He’s out there every morning. He’s at the sales and still competing at the highest level. He’s a guy that amazes me.

Brendan Walsh

There are a lot of trainers on the backstretch that I admire for different things. Some are good with stakes horses. Some of them are good with young horses. There’s almost too many to mention. I don’t really want to name one.

Todd Fincher

The ones I admire the most are the ones who started in the grass roots and worked their way up and became successful. Most of those guys have a true love of horse racing. It’s not an easy profession. It’s an unending job. Those guys that fought through adversity are the ones that I admire most.

Peter Miller

There are a lot of them I admire. Here in Southern California, I admire Richard Mandella and John Sheriffs because they limit the number of horses they take. I can’t do that. I’m a horse junkie. I admire Brad Cox and Steve Asmussen because they run such a huge operation with success at all levels. That shows a lot of organizational skills as well as horsemen skills. They also know how to delegate. I don’t even know how they do it. You can also throw in Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown. I’m at 80 horses, and I’m at my wit’s end!

Gary Contessa

That is a no-brainer: Wayne Lukas. He revolutionized the entire racing industry, and people took his lead. He came to the East Coast, and he showed us how to talk to clients; showed us how to develop young horses; and showed us what a barn should be like. Look at the history. What trainer in America has developed more good trainers than he has? Nobody. He’s developed horses and people.

Ron Moquett

There’s a lot of people you admire for different reasons. Probably the older guys like Bernie Flint, Jinks Fires and Wayne Lukas. They’re forever evolving. To be involved in this business for so many years and compete at a high level, it’s impressive. They do it year after year.

Larry Rivelli

Larry Rivelli

Wesley Ward—because he’s one of the very few jockeys that have become successful trainers. A lot of them tried and failed. He didn’t. He’s at an elite level.

#Soundbites - How much do you rely on veterinarians’ input for day-to-day decisions?

By Bill Heller

Mark Hennig

I wouldn’t say I rely on them on a day-to-day basis. We evaluate horses after a workout. But day to day, there seems to be a horse we want to look at. If a rider has any kind of negative comment, we make a point of going over those horses at the end of the morning. And we also go over the previous day's workers. We do have vets if there is a soundness issue or a horse needs scoping.

Tim Hills

I’m married to a vet, Laine, so I very much respect their opinions. I’m not old-school. They only get a vet when the horse is near death. 

Ron Moquett

Very little after what I’ve seen over the years. When I first started, the vets and blacksmiths weren’t allowed on the track until after the break. I use them for preventive stuff, taking care of the joints, because we’re asking these horses to do strenuous things. Other than that, I don’t rely on them at all.

Bret Calhoun

We use them when things get beyond our control—things like X-rays, ultrasound, scoping, things like that. Obviously we depend on them quite a bit for that. As far as day to day, we know our horses better than them. We see them every day. When there’s a change in them, obviously I bring them [vets] in for consultation. We use them for routine stuff like Lasix medications. Other than that, we don’t use them that much.

Mike Maker

Basically, we use a veterinarian as far as illness and lameness, and that’s about it.

Cliff Sise Jr.

I go over the horses myself pretty good. But sometimes a veterinarian’s suggestions are good, too. We have to rely on them in California. They check them for workouts; they check them for races. So we rely on a good vet.

Mark Glatt 

How much do I rely on them? Because of the rules now, the veterinarians are heavily involved. Most of these horses are checked twice a week.  

Eoin Harty

It all depends. You might go through a period where you only have a vet come to scope or vaccinate a horse. Then you go through a rash of bad luck, and you might have a veterinarian come for seven, eight days in a row. But the more experience you have, the less you rely on veterinarians. You see so much over the years. You can’t buy that education.