You Have to Saddle Up Before You Can Win the Race

The old saying goes, 90% of success is just showing up.  You can’t win the big one if you never get on the track for your first practice, your first race, etc.  You have to get up everyday and work towards your goals.

Quality People are Tough to Beat

It pays off to take your time in assembling the right team.  WinStar farm bought the right horse, hired the arguably the best trainer in the industry in Todd Pletcher and arguably the best jockey in the industry (definitely at Churchill Downs) in Calvin Borel.  Quality people are tough to beat. 

Persistence Pays Off

Todd Pletcher was 0 for 24 in Kentucky Derby starts going into Saturday’s race.  He had pursued the dream of winning a Kentucky Derby for 10 years.  This year, when it looked like he had a real chance at winning, his leading horse and Kentucky Derby favorite, Eskendereya, was scratched just a few days before the big race with a leg injury.  Turns out, he still had the favorite in Super Saver. 

Preparation Can Eiminate Potential Obstacles

A good friend with horse industry exeprience pointed out to me, “there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that seem small at the time but end up monumental in the end (shoeing every few weeks, massage, dentists, feed, vitamin supplements, medication, bandaging, training schedules, turn out opportunities, etc.).  These are all small details that later can be factors that would take a horse from ordinary to extraordinary on race day.”  Obviously, Super Saver’s handlers had taken care of the details – none of those issues prevented him from running a good race.  Those potential obstacles were eliminated before he got to the starting gate.

Execution Matters the Most

Years of training and preparation had to be done in order to reach the Derby in the first place.  All of it would have been a waste though had Borel not guided Super Saver as well as he did.  He executed a perfect game plan where he paced his horse well, got him into the best position to win and then when the window of opportunity opened, Borel guided Super Saver right through it and across the finish line.   

At Some Point, You Have to Find a Way to Run Through the Slop

Sometimes things don’t go as planned or as smooth as you would like.  Sometimes it rains on the biggest day of your career or on your fiscal year.  ‘Slop’ is a horse racing term to describe a very wet and muddy track – the least desireable conditions for a race in my opinion.  However, just like in horse racing, at work or in life, those that find ways to get the job done, no matter the conditions, have a chance at success.