What's the best time to hit up a trainer for some info?
In the paddock? as they saddle their horse in front of their clients? No.
While the horses are approaching the gate? Hell No!
Calling the barn fishing for fodder? Not No but Hell No!
The best time to hit up a trainer for info is at the dinner table right before he is served the special of the day.
"We have vays to make you talk!" would have been much better served with a hot meal instead of a hot lamp.
Trainers spill their guts to make room for the entree to hit the table.
"That's the best horse in the barn'', one trainer told a talking head having dinner with him.
Jockeys are not as easy at the dinner table, as they are too preoccupied with counting calories. They are starving, but the last thing they want to hear the next day is 'two pounds over''.
Thank god, I don't have that problem, two pounds over would be a blessing, but trainers are more than willing to share their thoughts at dinner.
You also put a few drinks into some trainers and they become the Chatty Kathys you never knew existed.
Jockeys get a few drinks in them and they want to do Karaoke.
As Italian born, we were raised at the dinner table, when we broke bread with someone it is a religious experience with the church bells and confessions going on between courses, and trust me, in an real Italian family there are a number of courses, so a lot of truth telling and confessions are floating around.
I personally, don't think i have ever asked a trainer if he likes his horse, i wait for the volunteering discourse from the trainers mouth: "I wish i had one more work'' is the 'I can't lose' drumbeat.
Another dead giveaway is the ten questions about competition in their race, not a word about their horse, they are just wanting intel for their evaluations on how much to unload, however, there is a catch.
Funny, I run my blogs thru HR Approval, Amy Kearns, and she shared her thoughts about asking trainers if they like their horses:
"Don't be an idiot, don't ask, but if information is shared with me, I naturally don't believe it'
She did acknowledge that in her 7 years of being with the best horse on the planet in her days at the track, winning horse of the year and having a fabulous filly, she thought this was spot on about trainers.
Feed 'em she said
There was a trainer in California, the late Julio Canani, "I don't bet'' he used to quip, I would roll my eyes, as I had been behind him in line in the press box window, and he bet $5000 to win on The Cleaners, a claiming horse in So. Cal in the 1990s, Julio would later receive the Oscar for his performance 2 minutes later when his wager hit the tote board, The Cleaners went from 9/2 to 3-1. Julio in Acamedy Award style stood up "who crush my horse!' with a dead serious Anthony Quinn facial expression.
I have heard so many trainers say "I don't bet'' but most have someone bet for them, trainers aren't dumb, have you seen what they drive?
The other day one trainer, on live TV, said "Clockers sleep in their cars outside the track', now I know Doug O'Neill, I like Doug, so i decided to bust his chops:
Me: I can Assure you Doug, My dogs would not allow me top sleep in my Ford Raptor outside the track 🤣
Doug: Was that for me Bruno?
Me: Yessir. It was reported you mentioned clockers sleep in their cars, I found it funny but my dogs are very finicky. 😀
Doug: LOL, I'm a moron.
Funny, because one of my biggest scores was on one of his horses Pavel in the Stephen Foster 2018, where I bought a brand new Ford F 150 Raptor.
That vehicle spurred one of the most classics trolling jobs by a trainer to clockers.
That summer, 2018, Eric Guillot noticed my new truck near the Oklahoma Whitney Stand, "how you afford a $75K truck'?" I just grinned.
Ten minutes later he was screeching the tires of his golf cart, named 'Jenius', can't make that up, in front of the clockers at Spa. They all sit together, about 10 of them.
"What do y'all drive" yells Guilot, "Bruno must be doing something right, he's got a $75K truck, and y'all driving 1970s Pintos."
Clockers will be seen in the paddock, especially for baby races at Gulfstream, asking trainers if they like their horses, they have yet to learn to get to a trainer to talk is ordering them the Special of the day at a 4 star restaurant.
