Sorry Dick, but I beg to differ

Ok,

I didn't even get past the second sentence of Dick Powell's column this week in Blood Horse and I had to stop and correct him.

He tried to say Todd Pletcher is a Super- Trainer. For those who don't know - super -trainers are the ones who win at a 28-35% rate when most of the trainers around the US win at a 12-18% of the time. They jump horses up when the arrive in a super -trainers barn. Its really not believable for anyone to win at a super-trainer percentage , which makes the whole world suspicious that they are 'juicing'.

For ten years or so, Todd Pletcher was a super trainer. These muscle bound gorillas would come to the races , go fast and win. He won race after race with young horses who usually run sprint distances. Those day are over for Mr Pletcher, have been for a while. In fact , I'll give you an exact date when the plug was pulled. The Belmont Stakes - Rags to Riches , the filly who gutted herself for Mr Pletcher. If you use that day- go 18 months on either side and look at his winners and win percentage. It win astonish you. Its night and day.

Mr Pletcher since that day - stopped being a super - trainer. Why ?? Nobody really knows the answer except Todd, and maybe his father. I heard that his father told him finally to "knock it off". So whatever made those horses go fast and win was stopped cold. Mr Pletchers 2 yr olds no longer are muscle bound freaks running there eyeballs out. They no longer look like they will run thru a wall. The stats prove he is sliding backwards. He has lost more owners in the last two years than he had two year old winners!! His final win percentage in 2008 was 19%. That might have been the lowest since he broke free from D. Wayne.

Mr Pletchers days are over as a super-trainer. Do you think he actually forgot how to train at 28% like the previous 10 years ?? His horses regularly weaken down the stretch. Here is a good question - Can you name a Todd Pletcher trained horse that has gone on to be a Top Class Sire ?? That seems kinda funny after 10 years of saddling 'superior' horses.

Sorry Todd - but you will have 'The Green Monkey' on your back forever !!


Peace & Love - Peace & Love