"And down the stretch they come!"
The track announcer lets the crowd know who's in front and who will be cashing tickets as a result.
It's great when a plan comes together and the trainer, groom, jockey, owner, family and friends are in the Winner's Circle. This is a competitive business and even the best trainers rarely win over 20% of the time even if they have the best horses and owners with deep pockets.
Money, diplomacy and salesmanship are just as important as food, care, actual training in developing winners. The cost of keeping a thoroughbred in training can be as much a $5,000 a month at major tracks. Wins need to happen regularly and effective training requires communication skills with athletes that can't speak and speaking to owners who at times think that horses are not much different than motorcycles.
The trainer will usually be responsible for determining the mix of food for the horse, including hay, oats, bran mash, some corn, carrots and vitamins. The grooms usually feed and water the horses. He also makes sure the stable and horse is clean and groomed. Fresh bedding and water are also vitally important components for a happy horse.
Grooms are often ridiculed as being disinterested and incompetent unless they think they have a live animal with a good chance of winning regularly. A good groom interested in the wellbeing of their charge is invaluable in problems avoided and good information shared with the trainer who may miss things as they are always stretched for time and attention. The size of the stable, the expectations of the owners and the price of the stock are all things that affect training and the support the animals get.
The trainer, the vet and the groom may respond to the aches and pains of their four legged athletes as they train and after the race providing horse with allowable medications along with other forms of treatment like ice water baths or liniments to improve circulation. The care of these special athletes is a 7 day 24 hour a day process and how well the team function shows in the amount of money won and the health of the team.
Up to date care from a vet is not cheap and there are tests and treatments for everything. How much treatment is needed and can be afforded is one of the most important things a trainer must explain to an owner. Sometimes it is just time on the farm, which for a horse can be like quality time in physical therapy. Horses can just relax, eat, and run just as much as they want, while hanging out with the gang. The trainer needs to know if the owner can afford extended periods of time away from the track and the time needed to get the horse ready when it returns to training and if the horse worth the coddling. It may be easier to run the horse in a claiming race where someone else can buy a horse with problems that only money and time can improve. There are no guarantees in this game.
The trainer as the manager of this process will be coordinating on the ground activities with the selection of races to run in and developing a plan to bring the horse to the races ready to run and win.
On the way to the races assuming there are no physical problems (a real long shot) there are exercise schedules which may include walks around the barn, gallops on the track in the morning and full fledged workouts of specific distances. The results of these workouts are published and their significance is pondered by the betting public along with record of horse, trainer and jockey. Age, fitness, and the horse's attitude towards training are all issues to consider whether preparing for a stakes race or the lowest level claiming races. Trainers adjust their methodology to get the most out of the horses in their barn, to keep their owners interested and happy if possible and keep the excuses to a minimum.
If the effort at training the horse has been successful and the owner and trainer agree to an appropriate level of competition, surface and distance for their horse, the trainer will look for a race in the condition book that the horse qualifies for and the best jockey available. Expectations need to be managed for all parties involved because hope and reality are often in conflict.
If the race has enough entrants it is scheduled and the horse is entered. The race day ritual of reduced feeding and watering begins. If properly trained the horse will realize this day is special and will act accordingly. The walk from the barn to the track takes place.
Saddling, instructions to the jockey, the call "riders up", the post parade and that part of training process is over and the only thing left is a trip to the window where a trainer backs up his opinion with a bet and to watch the race with binoculars trained on their horse.
And they're off!
Win or lose, the trainer will watch the horse carefully after the race to make sure he has come back in good condition and to begin any needed treatment or to call the vet if he sees something more serious.
If the race is a good one, there should be no reason for excuses to explain the result, otherwise a trip to the bar and some fast thinking may be the best course of action. Wouda, coulda, or shoulda are action verbs when describing bad racing luck, a bad ride by the jockey or poor advice in the exacta. Hard work and luck are often of equal importance in a close race and should not be discounted when explaining the result to a disappointed owner.
Even with a winning ticket and the traditional donuts for the hands at the barn the next day, it will start before sunrise as the process of feeding, exercising and racing goes on.
Be it for the Triple Crown or a Maiden Claiming race for 4 year olds. The dream and the results are often in conflict but even a small amount of success keeps people hoping and trying, and looking forward to the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Derby or the next chance to saddle a winner at the local bullring in West Virginia.