Dan Hendricks
Dan Hendricks
Dan L. Hendricksis an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer...
easy enjoy fun horse media nice santa taxing
It's fun , all the media and hype, but we have a nice horse here, and we're going to enjoy the Santa Catalina. I'd like it to be a nice, easy race, not a taxing race.
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.
asked fit looked santa since stretch week worked
It looked like he was galloping, and I thought he was going way too slow. But he went :49 1/5, and I asked him to go :49, so he got it pretty close. We just wanted to stretch his legs, get over the track, and do a little something because it's been a week since we worked him at Santa Anita. He's fit from his races; I didn't need a lot. It was just a little something as much for us as for him.
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.
loves santa
We're set for the Santa Catalina. He's here, he loves this track, so why leave?
edge turns twice
The only edge I know is I've been around turns twice and he hasn't.
pound
I won't take him off for a pound or two.
hope pick price short
I think they did that because he'll be a short price in the pick six. I hope they're right.
talented
I think this is a very deep, talented group.
excited gray horse might won
I might be more excited if the gray horse won this time.
hope horse keeps
You always hope to get a horse that just keeps improving. Each week, each race, he's done that.
easy hoped relaxed
We had hoped to get an easy lead, and he relaxed and finished. He's a real racehorse.
goes improving overall plan planning saturday start
The overall plan has always been to get there. Luckily, we've been improving and he's doing well. Once we get through Saturday and everything goes well, we'll start planning on from there.
horse hurt sit suicidal suit
It's going to suit a horse that comes from off the pace. I think he can sit off the pace. If we get the suicidal pace, it's going to hurt us.