Tim Ritchey
Tim Ritchey
Timothy F. "Tim" Ritcheyis an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He is best known as the trainer of Afleet Alex, a 2005 winner of two American Classic Races, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes...
grade ideally race running second
Running in a Grade 1 in his second race is not ideally what you want to do, but Menacing showed me a lot off the first race,
anyhow coming morning race
At this point, he's only going out once a morning anyhow because the race is coming up.
breeze easy few fitness galloping half hours jogging looks maintained racetrack ready starts three turn underneath walking
When we started jogging him, he was ready to turn around then, so we had to go real easy with him. He didn't want to come off the racetrack a few times. He had been walking for two and half to three hours a day, and then we started to jog him, but I'll know more as to how much fitness he's maintained once he starts galloping on his own, and once we get a breeze underneath him. But he looks really good.
closer couple figuring ideal matter prep races ready weekend weeks
There are a couple of races that weekend for us to look at, ... If we can get a prep in, I wouldn't want it to be any closer than two weeks before the Breeders' Cup. The 14th or the 15th would be an ideal scenario. It's just a matter of figuring out if he's ready to do it, and, if so, what race we want to go in.
pointing race
That is the race I've been pointing for.
available barn bottom line longer moved race security since situation three worked
The bottom line is that since barn 14 was no longer a security barn and he would have to be moved on race day anyhow, I thought it would be a better situation in Barn 5. Since there were three stalls available there, it worked out perfectly.
bet cancer dollar donate entire everybody fortunate juvenile lemonade local maybe move racetrack stand states throughout united
I said before, hopefully, Belmont day, I would move for every racetrack to have a lemonade stand on Belmont day throughout the entire United States and give a dollar to the lemonade stand or their local juvenile cancer fund. And, like I said earlier, everybody who was fortunate enough to bet on this horse, makes a little money, just take $1, donate it to Alex's Lemonade Stand or local juvenile cancer fund, and maybe we can make the world a better place.
breeze ideal ill job plenty race races week winning
If I can do that it would be the ideal way, but Ill know more after a week of gallops and after I get a breeze into him, ... Hopefully, it can be the Breeders Cup, but if its not well find another race for him after the Breeders Cup. There are plenty of races out there. My job is to get him back to winning form.
expected far performance surprised
We expected this kind of performance. I wasn't surprised he was that far back, but when he got rolling, it was a lot of fun.
days early five galloping gave half jogging last miles six spoke start three
I spoke to Dr. Hogan and Dr. Bramlage yesterday, and they said the X-rays were really good, ... Dr. Bramlage gave us the OK to start galloping him. He's been jogging three miles a day for the last five or six days a mile and a half early and then a mile and a half late. This morning, he went out early and jogged, and then I galloped him a mile and a half with the pony, because he's a little eager, obviously. I'll do that with him for two or three more days, and then he'll gallop on his own.
believe finally horse opportunity small time trainer
I've been a trainer over 30 years, so you put your time in at the small tracks, you finally get an opportunity to find a horse of this ability, believe me it's the horse,
faster forward good hoping means sign work
The work was faster than what I was hoping for. But I thought that was a good sign because it means we're more forward than I thought we were.
angel asked extra fine glad ok
Angel has been bugging me for a year. He has always wanted to get on him. When they asked me to do this, and the X-rays were fine and everything was OK to go on the tack again, I called him up and said I've got something for you on Saturday. He was more than glad to do it. I think that it was something a little extra for the fans.
again came digital friday healing taking
Dr. (Larry) Bramlage came on Friday and we did the digital X-rays again and it showed the healing is taking place,