Old School

Old school, guys; you’ve got to think old school.

Why? Because there’s a fella who doesn’t often come and play on the first Saturday in May – name of Richard Mandella – who well might be Louisville bound this year. And the farrier’s son, a California-bred who took a pass on the surfboards to learn the ways of the backstretch, has an old-school style that reverberates around one key thing – the horse comes first. Which is a very good thing in so many ways, but can be a bit dicey when it comes to picking Derby winners three months out.
Now you’re eligible to be interested in this because Richard not only could be coming to the land of white fences and blue grass with his Hall of Fame credentials and marvelous dry wit, but he could be coming loaded for the proverbial bear. In fact, he may be ready to fire both barrels.

Last weekend at Santa Anita he cut one loose named Crown of Thorns, a long-striding bay by the 2002 Louisiana Derby hero Repent, who in turn is a son of 1996 Preakness ace Louis Quatorze. In the mile and a sixteenth Robert B. Lewis Stakes Crown of Thorns made a lickety-split move approaching the far turn when Victor Espinoza moved his hands a few inches and slipped through a hole on the rail to a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. It was a classy response to classic Mandella training by a young horse who is only just learning the game, but who is being schooled by a teacher who won’t settle for less than an “A” from any of his pupils.

Mandella takes his young horses out in sets in the mornings and gets their heads right by showing them first hand what’s expected and how to do it. He’s very old school with that. He’ll gallop or work a horse down on the rail; then in between horses; then on the outside. He’ll gallop and work them behind horses, first up close so they get that kickback on their legs and chest, then farther back so they taste it in their mouths and feel it on their faces. They learn how to change leads. They learn to bear down in the lane. They learn to wait for that rider’s response before they give theirs. While many a trainer counts on racing to serve as a learning vehicle for many a horse, the Mandella runners have already been-there-done-that come race day and are usually ready to rock ‘n roll when others are still tuning up their strings.

When Crown of Thorns made his move on the rail Saturday, you saw two things: You saw the benefit of a young horse responding to his conditioning. In addition, you also saw an animal who right now is so full of confidence that he is fearless. Oh, my – fearless and fast. And throw in race ready. With a pedigree (there’s 1995 Derby star Thunder Gulch on the dam’s side) that says my-alley-was-made-for-a-mile-and-a-quarter. You can take it from there.

Now comes this weekend in L.A. and yet another Mandella torpedo who, just maybe, might carry an even bigger charge. Whereas Crown of Thorns was making his stakes debut in the Grade II Lewis, stablemate Into Mischief has Grade I stakes credentials already, thanks to a eye-catching score over a deep field in the Cash Call Futurity at Hollywood Park in December. The colt by long-winded Harlan’s Holiday will drop back from a mile and a sixteenth to seven furlongs Sunday in the San Vincente and a good effort there will no doubt have him being considered Derby timber with a bit of “look out below” thrown in.

Both these bays are owned by a racing stalwart named B. Wayne Hughes, who has dabbled at the Derby a bit (including a fourth by Don’t Get Mad in 2005), but now looks like he might be tuning up for that same bear-hunting trip Mandella has in mind.

And note, too, please, that jockey Espinoza, he of the War Emblem Derby tally in 2002, also rides Into Mischief. At some point the muscular Mexican may have to make one of those lovely choices that their agents all say is so hard, yet in fact are the kinds they live for.

It is likely that Mandella won’t want to be running these two talent-laden colts against each other until he absolutely must -- say on that first Saturday in May -- so somebody is likely to be packing his suitcase with Louisiana or Arkansas or Florida or New York or Illinois in mind. The educated guess here says the traveler will be “Mischief,” who has just a bit more seasoning under his belt.

And know one other thing while we’re at it: Mr. Mandella has his name on at least a half-dozen other Derby noms. Give that consideration, too, if you want to get an early jump on forming the Kentucky chapter of the fan club.

Finally, know this about the trainer we’ve been going on about: You can be riding high with him and his horse; so high you think you’re about to enter heaven. And all of a sudden you can find yourself hurtling back toward the ground quicker than you can shout “Look out below.”

Richard Mandella will shut one down quicker than a night light in a bordello. If he gets a hint that something isn’t right with one of his horses, then that horse is going to get a fast dose of that old-school cure --- Father Time. Pushing on is not his game. Waiting, waiting, waiting – like the trainers of yesteryear used to do all the time – is the way he plays the game. His owners know it going in and you rarely hear a complaint, or see a horse shift barns. The man believes in the rule that if you take care of your horse, your horse will take care of you.

Yes, yes, you say, but really, would Richard truly shut down a potential Derby winner just a jump or two away from the Gloryland? Well, then, we’d ask right back: Does a cat have a tail? You bet he would, so factor that one into your Ruminations about the Roses.

But know something else. If Richard does make it to Louisville with a pair or more of bullets in the gun, he’s come for the bear. And know, too, that that bear best be ready for an old-school schoolin’.