“Thrilling” Says Laura, After Ras El Hanout Wins Derby
The 2012 Bluegrass Derby winner, Ras El Hanout, does not belong to one single owner, but to a group of owners, comprised of J.C. (whirlwind), Laura (topicount) and Tony (afc).
It’s not such a unique situation, for a number of players to be involved with one stable group in Derbyfever. There are many such stable groups in the game now. Super Stables is one of the first, if not the first to have come up with the idea. (Not quite sure about that particular fact, if they were actually THE FIRST to come up with the idea; I guess I should have asked that question. Oh well, trucking onward…..)
After talking to Tony, he suggested I talk to Laura and J.C., since he was interviewed last week about his afc stable group’s Sydney Oaks winner, Tenderloin. (“I talked enough last week,” said Tony.)
J.C.’s interview appears in the BTB in the article entitled ”Sublime” says J.C. After Ras El Hanout Routs Derby Field.
Here is much the same Q/A interview session with Laura as J.C. was offered, about their 2012 Bluegrass Derby-winning colt, Ras El Hanout.
QUESTION:
Okay, let’s start with the obvious. If you could describe winning the 2012 Bluegrass Derby in one word, what would it be? (Here’s your chance to write your own headline; I like this one, it means I don’t have to think of a headline tomorrow, when I submit the story.)
LAURA:
Thrilling.
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QUESTION:
This is a subject I hear a lot of people talking about. Talk a little about the horse and his breeding. I believe this is the first time a Japanese-bred horse has won the BG Derby. How did that come about? The breeding I mean? Tony alluded in his interview last week that you and Laura are genius breeders, and he said you guys love to experiment outside the box, and he specifically talked about how good you two were–so good, in fact, that you could get a JPN-bred to the BG Derby. Well, you not only got it there, but you won the whole thing. Most people would see that breeding and say, TURF! And that’s where he ran his first few races, before you guys switched him and he caught fire on the dirt. Talk a little about all that.
LAURA:
Jeff bred the horse, and already talked about that part of it. He and I work really well together. We have our share of blue bloods, but we like to experiment around. Our previous Derby winner, Virtuoso, was by Cryptoclearance, who isn’t exactly a big name sire either. I’m the one who tried dirt. He was fine on turf, but I like to try to check a horse early in his or her career, around the fourth or fifth start, on the other surface. If the horse is putting up huge numbers in his first few starts, I may hold off, but otherwise, I figure at worst I’ve wasted a start, rather than figuring out 40 starts into the horse’s career, ’Oh, wait, he was better on the other surface.’ Not sure why I picked that particular start to experiment with dirt, as opposed to stretching him out on the turf, but I’m glad I did.
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QUESTION:
Did you watch the actual race? If so, take us through the race from gate to wire, and what you were feeling at different points (the first time past the grandstand, the clubhouse turn, the backstretch, the far turn, and the stretch), based on what you were seeing during the race. Maybe you could throw in some quotes about how you felt the extremely fast pace affected the outcome, with Street Etiquette trying to steal it on the front end.
LAURA:
I didn’t get a chance to watch the race until after I saw the results. I was at Churchill, and I managed to take a break about 3 hours after results were posted to check a handful of the big races. But, I did a little dance in the middle of Churchill when I saw that we won.
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QUESTION:
What were you guys at Super feeling in the days leading up to the race? I mean, you’re sitting there with a qualifying horse, who had never won a grade 1, who was about to run in the biggest grade 1 of all for three-year-old dirt horses. Did you realistically believe he had a shot the whole week? Just how confident were you guys at Super? Specifically, was there anything special or different about how you guys were going to run the colt that was discussed between the partners of the ownership group in the days leading up to the race?
LAURA:
To be fair, we’d never run him a grade 1 prior to the Derby, and that was by design. We had talked after the (Grade 2) Giant Slayer about what to do next, and the consensus was go Lane’s End. We wanted a 9-furlong prep, and the thought was that if he won, even though it was a grade 2, he’d have enough points to make the Derby. The spacing suited us, and we wanted a fresh horse going up to the big day. We really didn’t talk much about it leading up to the race. We thought he was one of our best shots, if not the best shot, in the Derby.
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QUESTION:
Talk about his name, Ras El Hanout, who thought of it, and why, and where it came from.
LAURA:
Jeff already discussed that one.
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QUESTION:
When did you realize you had just tied the Bluegrass Stakes record set by Indy Storm Cat last year (2:00 4/5). And how do you feel about that particular accomplishment. Now, you not only have the only JPN-bred colt to have won this race, but he’s a co-stakes record holder, as well. How special do you guys feel about that particular achievement?
LAURA:
I’ve got to echo Jeff on this one. I don’t really pay attention to time. I pay more attention to how hard I think the horse has run. Was it a narrow gut-buster? Or was it something that looked easier, etc., to figure out? What are the chances of a bounce, and how to space the next race?
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QUESTION:
Talk about some of the other horses you were particularly worried about in the days leading up to the Derby. What were some of the horses you guys at Super discusses as being potentially troublesome for you in the big race?
LAURA:
We never really talked about the other horses, but then again, we rarely do. For me, you had to respect Schizoid and Proust. They both were graded stakes winners at 9 1/2 furlongs, facing legit fields. I love Street Etiquette, but I would have liked to have seen a 9-furlong prep under her. Silverton and Immensely were two others that looked to be prepping well for the big dance. Our colt had just done everything so easily since switching to the dirt, that I just felt like if he ran his race, he’d have a huge shot.
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QUESTION:
Not quite sure about this fact, but I think this is the only Bluegrass Derby, or one of few, I’m quite sure, that had one single digit odds horse at post time. That was Street Etiquette, the filly who was favored at 9/1. It’s very unusual for this particular odds situation, but for a filly to be favored??? Did the way the odds set up–with a lot of horses seemingly being give a real shot to win this race–indicate anything particular about the race, about how evenly it was matched, or did you feel the betting public or morning line odds makers may have been just a little bit off?
LAURA:
The odds are always off, in my opinion. They seem to be more tied to recent speed figures than anything else. She’d run a 105 last out against the boys. I’d previewed that race for the Bugler. I think that was the highest speed figure of any of the contenders. So, I didn’t pay any attention to it (the odds).
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QUESTION:
Talk about any of Ras El Hanout’s races in particular BEFORE the BG Derby that made you guys think, “Wow, we’ve got a real Derby horse here! Not just a qualifier, but a real contender.” I know everyone thinks they’re going to win, when they enter the Derby, generally, but did YOU seriously think you had a realistic shot at it?
LAURA:
I’d sent Jeff and Tony an e-mail right after he won his first dirt race, saying, I think we may have a colt worth putting on the Derby trail. After he wheeled back to win the (Grade 2) Club, we knew we had somebody good, and started seriously planning a schedule out for him. After the (Grade 2) Land’s End, we really thought we had a legit chance at the win, if he ran his race.
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QUESTION:
Tony said this would be the second Bluegrass Derby you guys have won together in his interview last week. Talk a little about that first one–and that horse as well who won it for you the first time, and how this one feels any differently for you guys, if it does feel differently. I guess where I’m going with this is I want to find out if what most people say is true, that when they win a big race twice, they say the first is always the most special. But this is not just any stakes race, this is the Bluegrass Derby. Could you expand on the differences in emotion after each win?
LAURA:
The first win was just crazy. We’d started Super and took all sorts of heat for it. We looked like (RL Trainer Nick) Zito that year, with five Derby starters. I originally thought Rhibus would be the best of the bunch after he won the Florida Derby, but then he bounced to the moon in the Wooden Indian, so that was a question mark. Was it a one-off or a slump? But, Virtuoso just kept steadily improving. I think it took us a week to come down from that cloud when we won. I’m still giddy about this one. It never gets old. They’re both special to me. One of the best things about Super, in my mind, is that you know there are two other people who are just as excited as you. It really is a team effort, in the best possible way.
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QUESTION:
Talk about the Middle Jewel here, and your colt and his chances there. I’m assuming you’re going. There would probably be a riot if you didn’t. Also, in what condition did he come out of today’s race? Any special preparations going forward to the second leg of the Triple Crown, or is it just business as usual? Will you do anything different with Ras El Hanout than you did with your first Bluegrass Derby winner, Virtuoso?
LAURA:
Jeff mostly answered this. To be honest, we don’t really sweat the small stuff. There isn’t any great tinkering at this point. That all happens in the preps. It’s like a marathon (I just did Big Sur on the 29th, although that one was more of a scenic long run than a race). The goal on race week is to not do anything new. He’s a little groggy right now, but he’ll bounce back. The real test is how he’ll bounce back with two weeks’ rest, but that’s true for all of the Derby contenders.
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QUESTION:
Can you compare the differences between the two Bluegrass Derby winners you guys have had? Their routes leading up to the race, their running styles, anything at all, about the two colts and how they compare to each other?
LAURA:
I think Ras is more talented than Virtuoso at this point in their careers. Virtuoso showed some promise at two, but he always seemed to want longer. He was closing fast at 1 1/16 miles, but not quite getting there. Nine furlongs and beyond were really his cup of tea, and it wasn’t a huge surprise to us when he rebounded like he did in the New Yorker. Ras kind of makes his own luck, and so far, it really doesn’t seem to matter whether it is 1 1/16 miles or 1 1/4 miles, he simply fires. He comes from behind, like Virtuoso, but he has a more powerful kick, I think.