I know it has been a long time since my last entry. A lot has happened since I last wrote. The Triple Crown has come and gone, Zenyatta has won her 17th race in a row, and Rachel looks like she is on her way back. I started my Darley Flying Start work placement three weeks ago with D. Wayne Lukas and I can tell you that it has been everything that I’ve ever dreamed and more.
Being an aspiring trainer myself Wayne has always been an idol of mine. His professionalism, attention to detail, horsemanship, high expectations, and generosity have helped him achieve what many people only dream of. He has been working me hard ever since the day I arrived and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We start earlier than any other stable, arriving at 4:30 am, and finish later than most operations at 5:00 pm in the afternoon. It is this work ethic that he has instilled into his staff and his former assistant’s that not only have led to his success but theirs as well. Wayne is not only a teacher but a coach as well and takes the time to develop his staff and help them reach their goals. It amazes me how open he is and I never thought that I would have the opportunity in my life to sit down with Wayne and talk for an hour. My work placement is going better than I could ever imagine and I’m looking forward to the next three weeks.
As for the Triple Crown, it turned out to be a great performance all around and rewarded many deserving individuals. I was very happy to see Pletcher and WinStar win their first Derby. Both are extremely hard working and dedicated operations in our game today I can think of very few who are more deserving than them. As for the Preakness, I was ecstatic to be standing next to my girlfriend and my father while Lookin at Lucky pulled away from the field in the stretch. I was so happy to see him prove that he is the best three-year-old in the country and to share that with my girlfriend and my father meant a lot. It also was great to see my dear friend, Martin Garcia, win his first Triple Crown race. Martin is one of the hardest working individuals you can find in racing and deserves all the success that he has had this year. Though the Belmont wasn’t the crescendo that everybody was hoping for, with the absence of both the Derby and Preakness winner, it was a great race nonetheless and was the grounds for the emergence of some very promising colts. I’m really looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup Classic this year.
Royal Ascot starts tomorrow and I’m very happy to see that there are several more American flag bearers taking on the European’s this year. Good luck to all of the connections representing the United States at Ascot!
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