Trainers Weathering the Storm at Del Mar

[Wandering Eyes]

This week’s heavy rains that forced the cancellation of training on Wednesday and of racing on Thursday at Del Mar–the first such cancellation in over 80 years–had trainers shrugging their shoulders and taking everything in stride.

 

 

 

The track remained open for training ahead of the storm Monday and Tuesday, but was closed Wednesday after the rains struck overnight. The outside portion of the main track was open Thursday for horses to get in a jog. From Tuesday evening to Thursday morning, a total of 1.45 inches of rain was measured at Del Mar. By comparison, Santa Anita received about a half-inch of rain.

 

“As a trainer, you’re always adapting to circumstance,” Peter Miller said. “No big deal really. I hope to get those horses that would have run Thursday in sometime soon. But Del Mar is doing a good job of trying to use those races as extras. There’s nothing we can do about the weather, We’re getting the horses jogged and if they’re not fit by now they’re not going to be fit in one or two days.”

 

Added Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill: “When they stop training usually we put a rider on a horse for about 35 minutes and then walk them without a rider for another 30 minutes. Left in the stall they’d get excited, but after that they do fine. Now the track is open and it’s lovely, in very good shape. My horses all got good gallops in last week, so the jogging will keep them fit. Cancelling the races was the right thing to do, it’s better for everybody. Now I see we’ve got more rain coming next week and hopefully we can dodge it.”

 

Racing is scheduled to resume Friday with an eight-race program. Three races scheduled for the turf have already been transferred to the main track.

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