Photo By: Jeremy Lyverse   Trainer Ron Ellis (above) will saddle Atswhatimtalknbout in the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby (GI) on May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The Trainer's Mantra: Know Your Horse
By: Kelly Lusk

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Apr. 27, 2003) - Say what you will about horse whisperers and Dr. Doolittle, but there is a bona fide communication method between racehorses and their trainers.

This relationship is intrinsic to every competition. In order to keep their owners happy, trainers have to win races. In order to do that, trainers need their horses to be healthy and competitive, which takes more than just physical assets. Strong personalities abound on the tracks, and that includes the four-legged mammals clomping around. Figuring out just what is going on inside a horse's head is an important part of a trainer's job.

"That's what makes a good trainer - how you adapt to the horse," said trainer Ron Ellis, who is at the Kentucky Derby for only the second time.

This can be a challenging endeavor, said Ellis, as horses "can't just say 'Look my shoulder is really killing me.'" Ellis has been working to get Atswhatimtalknbout ready for Saturday's race. The California native is usually matched up with horses when they are 2-years-old, which was the case with his Derby contender this year. Ellis said that a combination of repetitious training and just plain growing up has made Atswhatimtalknbout a better horse during the past several months.

"He was real rambunctious when I first got him," Ellis said. "We've always said that when he starts to focus, he'll be great. We've been trying to do that with repetition, and, in part, the horses just have to mature on their own."

While Ellis works with his horses for much of their maturation process, Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel is often sent horses from Europe, and might get them just months before a big race like the Derby.

"To me the Derby is just another race, as far as my training is concerned," Frankel said.

Both Frankel and D. Wayne Lukas, who is one of three trainers to win more than three Kentucky Derbys, said that experience plays a large factor in preparing horses for such a hyped event.

"It's a lot easier to make adjustments as I get further into my career," Lukas.

Regardless of Derby experience, dealing with 3-year-old horses can present similar frustrations.One of Lukas' Derby contenders this year is Scrimshaw, and like Ellis, he drew comparisons between his horse and children. But Lukas needed a stronger solution than just repetition to make sure Scrimshaw had his eyes on target. After "feeling out" Scrimshaw's personality, Lukas decided he had been too soft and his 3-year-old needed some "tough love."

"They're like kids, and you give them the benefit of the doubt," Lukas said. "But (Scrimshaw's) got an attitude problem. And I've been pretty serious with him for the past two weeks, and I think it's paying off. It's just like many good athletes that have attitude problems.

Increased discipline is a method trainers use to get their horses in line, but when horses don't respond, a trip back inside the stall to examine some of the intricacies involved in racing can be beneficial. Trainers will typically try to change various pieces of equipment, and then possibly alter the training regimen to produce results. And if the horse's performance doesn't improve, sometimes sending it back to the farm is the best solution.

"If they're just not happy, some time off will usually do them good," Ellis said. "Horses get burned out."

Ellis said he relies on his grooms and exercise riders to give him more insight into his horses' psyche.

"You have to have the right combination of people for things to go well," Ellis said. "I get valuable feedback from my help, like what sort of equipment a horse will gallop in. I have to rely on their feedback. There's a lot of feeling things out, and I can't do it all myself.

"I keep an eye on everything, and sometimes the rider can't feel what I'm seeing. So, we rely on both. But the rider is actually on the horse, so I listen."

From the Derby rookie trainers to the back-to-back winners, all senses are honed toward the legs actually running the race.

"Horses are always right," Lukas said. "Everything he does, there is a reason for it. If you get to the bottom of it, the horse is always right."

And regardless of who is right or wrong, mature or temperamental, it all boils down to which nose crosses the finish line first.

Ellis said, "We'll deal with any personality if they run good in the afternoon."

Kelly Lusk is a student at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and is a member of Churchill Downs' Annual Collegiate Sports Journalism Seminar. Ms. Warren received an award of merit for this piece due to her ingenuity in finding a unique story.

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