Dan Hendricks
Dan Hendricks
Dan L. Hendricksis an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer...
changes fast field lay pressure strategy teach
The whole scenario, how it's going to lay out, I just don't know. Even with a fast pace, he'll be close. We're not going to try to teach him a whole new way of running. It's a 20-horse field with a lot of pressure up front. The tactical strategy changes because of that.
alex asking change eighth faster finished last looked work
The work was great. It was a little faster than I wanted, but he did it easy, so it was fine. He couldn't have looked any better. He went off the first eighth easily, and he finished his last eighth in 11 and change without Alex even asking him.
alex broke easy happy looks nice picked work
The work was fine. He broke off nice and easy and then picked it up and cruised on home. Alex was happy with the work. He never looks like he is doing anything because he does it so easy.
compared derby field grade kentucky knows pace poker santa scenario short totally track whatever win
The Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby are two totally different-run races, with a speed-biased track and short field compared with going back there with a 20-horse field and who knows what the pace scenario will be? This is a big race, a $750,000 Grade I. To win that would be a big deal. The Kentucky Derby is like a one-hand poker game. It's all in with whatever you've got. Whatever comes up comes up.
good ride
This makes you look like you can ride and I can train. The good ones will do that.
derby
This is what the Derby is all about.
crop stalking
It's just this crop. It's a competitive crop with front-runners and stalking types. It'll be interesting.
barn days derby fence hanging hard imagine media shook unlike
They were hanging on the fence and he didn't get shook up, unlike me and Cecil. The Derby is different. You have to get used to the media horde and the barn area. It's hard to imagine what it will be like. You need to get in there 10 days early.
couple either grade matters next race san santa stakes weather weeks
The next race will be either the San Rafael Stakes (a Grade 2, $150,000 race Jan. 15 at Santa Anita) or your race. It's $100,000 more up there. The grade isn't important; what matters to me is another $100,000. We'll see how he's doing for the next couple of weeks and how the weather is.
brother bunch cecil enjoy peacock
This is the Cecil Peacock and Brother Derek party. We've got a bunch of friends going and we're going to enjoy it.
biggest win
This is the biggest win of my career.
next work
After his work next week, he'll be pretty much set for the race.
crown genius gotten horses nice reserved special thrown triple winners
Special? Now that is a big word, like genius. It should not be thrown around. Special should be reserved for Triple Crown winners and horses like Spectacular Bid. (Brother Derek) is a very nice horse and he has gotten better and better.
early reason run sealed track
I don't want to run on an off track or a hard, sealed track. There's no reason to this early in the year. There's no reason to take a chance, that's all.