One Smart, Determined Lady

Usually Ph.D.s in neuroscience spend their lives chasing federal grants and finding Darwinian explanations for common sense or replacing the truths of revelation with the law of the jungle.  Michelle Nihei took the analytical mind of a scientist and the stick-to-it-ivity of a successful scholar and channeled them into her passion: horses.

Dr. Nehei left an academic job at Johns Hopkins to go back to Kentucky seeking work exercising horses, a sure fire path to poverty.   Bill Finley in the New York Times tells us, "She could have had a long career as a scientist. Instead, she chose to take her diplomas, her training and her background and virtually dump them in the trash."

Why?


“'I just knew I’d be happiest doing this,'” she said."  So much for stereotypes!

She is now that rare soul, an increasingly successful woman trainer in a man's world of racing.

How did she do it?

"In 2003 she joined trainer Todd Pletcher as an assistant and soon was handling strings in Kentucky, Florida, and Delaware. During this time she rode and helped train champions Ashado and English Channel in addition to many other stakes winners." Jacqueline Duke is writing about her on BloodHorse.com, the web site for Blood Horse magazine a trade publication in the thoroughbred horse industry. Todd Pletcher might be thought of as the IBM of horse training, commanding many of the best as well as many of the less classy horses. To manage horses in various parts of the country requires management skills as well as hands-on horse training.  Duke tells us, Nihei "learned important lessons about organization and consistency."  There's more to being a trainer than just handling the horses.

When it comes to determination, do not underestimate this lady. Remember that riding three quarters of a ton horses in not quite a safe profession.  As an exercise rider for Pletcher, a filly filliped over on her, breaking "her tibia and tore all the supporting structures in a knee."

Duke tells us, "As paramedics loaded her into the ambulance, one of them told her, 'You’ll be lucky if you ever walk again. You will never ride again.'"

Did that daunt her?  Heck no! She told them, "'Watch me. Even if you cut this thing off, I will ride again.'”

Leigh Hornbeck, a writer for the Saratoga Times Union, puts it in perspective after she interviewed Nihei: "She’s an exceptional person – if she wasn’t so gracious you might hate her – smart, pretty, incredibly fit."

Is Calvin Borel Happy?

Mine the Bird won the Derby.


Calvin Borel is the most enthusiastic of all winners.

He went off at 50-1.

I did not even look at him.

Still, he was the 2008 Canadian Two Year Old champion. And his breeding is marvelous. I suspect they dd not look carefully at his distaff side.

The Kentucky Derby is here!

Pictures Top to Bottom:

Frisien Fire

Bollinger with her foal, Frisian Fire

I Want Revenge

Dunkirk




The Favorite

I Want Revenge is the current favorite, although the weather in Louisville may change that. Joe Talmo rode a fabulous race in the Wood Memorial. The horse had a horrendous start and conceded two or three lengths to the next to last horse. Talmo steadied his horse and rated him. He made a number of moves, threading him through the second pack about half way around and fighting his way near the final turn to get out four wide around. He took charge in the stretch and held off a very credible challenge by West Side Bernie by a length and a half. He ran the mile and an eighth in 1:49:49. His grand sire is A.P. Indy. His mother was Argentine, sired by Roy—a top notch sire with blood lines including both speed and stamina.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is an intriguing entry. He ran second, a length and a half behind Quality Road in the Florida Derby at a mile and an eighth. I estimate he ran it in just over 1:48, at least five lengths better than anyone one else in the field ran that distance.

Had he not had cracked hooves, Quality Road would have been the favorite.

You can see this dappled gray in Bob Coglianese picture. His grand-sires have both won the Belmont (Unbrideled and A.P. Indy.) His mom, Secret Status, won the Kentucky Oaks. Garrett Gomez has chosen to ride Prince of the Nile rather than Dunkirk which some see as a negative signal. Dunkirk gains Edgar Prado. Dunkirk may be better off.


The Aussie Connection
The Land Down Under has a horse to back. Andrew Eddy writes in the Age, "THERE will be plenty of Australian horse owners and breeders tuning into this weekend's Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs as victory in the classic by one of the race favourites, Friesan Fire, would create quite an impact in the breeding barn down under."

Friesan Fire is Bollinger's second foal. The second picture shows him as a youngster. Gai Waterhouse trained Bollinger. Among others, the the mare won the Group One Coolmore Classic in Australia six years ago. Vinery Stud, which used to own Vinery Study in New South Wales, brought Bollinger, to America. Colitis cut her racing career short. Ray Thomas tells us in the Daily Telegraph, "Friesan Fire didn't sell as a yearling but Vinery Stud aren't complaining now."

Friesan Fire's father is A.P. Indy who was scratched from the Derby, but won the Belmont and the Breeders' Cup Classic. His grand father is the Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. Friesan Fire has had a long layover (seven weeks.) His last race was impressive winning the Lexington over a mile and a sixteenth in the slop. You could see the water on the track, it was so wet. I would prefer to see my horse run a mile and an eighth, but with the forecasted rain over the next twenty four hours, I think I am going with the Aussie connection.

There is Was a Horse Named Sequence

You must know my love of medieval sequences (are there any other kind?) Well there is a horse named Sequence that was born in 1946. Now that was a great year!

She was Gold Digger's mom and Prospector's grandma. Thus she was Smarty Jones' great great grandma. Since Prospector is the leading study in the U.S., she is in a lot of family trees.