Dan Hendricks Quotes (43 Quotes)

He is not a people's horse. He likes to be let be. He goes out to the track, and he is working-like, and he wants to be pampered and groomed. But, no, he is not an approachable horse.

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.

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.

I might be more excited if the gray horse won this time.

Getting the mile and a quarter in a ten-to-12-horse field, I'd love to be up against any of these horses and I'd be really comfortable. This Derby is a 20-horse field with a lot of pressure up front. That pace could take away some of my tactical strategy.

He will gallop Friday morning and when he works on Monday, Alex Solis will be there for the work. Luis Ortega is coming for the first part and will stay through the work and then Francisco Alvarado will be here for the rest of the week.

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.

I think they did that because he'll be a short price in the pick six. I hope they're right.

He's fresh and full of himself. It worked out just the way we wanted. It was a non-taxing race, and he did it in racehorse time.

It was super. He just relaxed real well and that's all he needed to do to get the mile-and-an-eighth. I don't think distance now is any question. We just have to keep doing what he's been doing and crank him up the first Saturday in May Kentucky Derby day

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.

If a horse wants to be sent out there and be ridiculous, let him. We'll be close. Everybody knows what our style is.

He's in a clean spot to see what everyone else is doing. The only worry is that he could be a little wide on the first turn, but it's not a big issue.

He's a solid, good-minded, talented 3-year-old. We're just along for the ride.

I just went over a jump without enough momentum to carry myself over it. I landed wrong and hit the ground. I rode all my life and never had a broken bone. I knew it wasn't life-threatening, just life-messing-up. I knew right away that I messed up and that life was never going to be the same.

We knew we didn't have any chance, but it was a good experience. You could even say it's a bigger race now. I imagine there will be a little more attention on us this time around.

It looked like he was galloping, and I thought he was going way too slow. But he went 49 15, 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.

It's fun. Like I've always said, I'd rather have the favorite going into any race than a 20-to-1 shot. There's a first time for everything and this is a lot of fun. I just hope we can sustain it, keep it going and stay healthy.

I'd like a nice easy race out of him. I don't need a taxing one. We wanted to settle him down between races this time. His last two workouts were phenomenal, and it's really exciting to watch him.

If I could have mapped it out, he couldn't have done any better. It was a nice, easy race on him and he did it in racehorse time.

He got one little cut above his coronet band on his left front foot that was really nothing. It just had a little blood. Technically, the state veterinarian made a note of it and put him on the injured list, but it's anything but. It was just a mild little thing and not a problem at all. It won't cost him any time.

He shipped fine and everything is going wonderful.

The fractions were a little soft and I thought Stevie was a little closer than I wanted him to be but it worked out. Alex had a lot of horse. He knows the horse and he rode him perfect.

It was a very encouraging race last time. He went wide and ran big. I was very surprised he ran that race.

Going a mile and an eighth, I have tactical speed. With a short field, it shouldn't be a problem, nor should the weather. There's only a 20 chance of rain, so we should be fine.

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.

If it were two turns, that would have been totally different. I know that he's a two-turn horse. He proved it today.

He just seems better than ever now. I didn't plan for the Derby. I planned for the end of (last) year to have a fresh 2-year-old, and I think it ended up a good plan. I have a lightly raced 3-year-old ready to go.

Everything with the horse seems to be right where we want it to be. He's fresh and going into the race with what I hope is a lot more in reserve. He seems to be advancing -- and he needs to.

It barely broke the skin. He just took a little bit of hair off.

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.

He's more of the laid-back type but when it gets to this grand scale and we're on the top in the horse racing world, he gets very excited and very much enjoys it.

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.

All they talked about was the winner and the third-place horse. He was ready to go a mile and an eighth.

The races are two weeks apart, so he would have four to six weeks from the Futurity. It will depend on the weather, and whether he needs four or six weeks between starts. He's a good horse with minimal wear and tear going into the new year.

He's getting stronger and seems to improve after every race. It looks like he's put on weight.

You always hope to get a horse that just keeps improving. Each week, each race, he's done that.

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.

I have some advantages going into this race. I just hope that it all works out. The Juvenile was a one-turn race this is different and it's not the ultimate goal for either horse, but it would be a nice, fun race to win.

Don't kid yourself, all we think about is winning the Derby. If you ask 1,000 people on the street about horse racing, they're going to say Kentucky Derby and Bill Shoemaker.

In a 10- to 12-horse field, I'd love to be up against any of these horses, and I'd be really confident. Twenty horses takes away some of my tactical strategy.

Lying in a hospital bed, I had a lot of time to think about everything. When you look at a horse race and you look at the fighting in Iraq, it puts things into perspective.

I hope he does. I don't need the lead. If they want to go, let 'em go.