Lenny Races Again

All eyes are on Gulfstream this Wednesday for Lentenor's race, the 8th, (an Allowance) on the turf. As of this writing, he is the favorite and probably will go off as such.

As Michael Matz has indicated, he is listening to the horse (I believe he is one trainer who usually does) and will be paying close attention as to whether or not Lenny is ready to make a run at the big time. A lot is riding on this race.

I would say that Lentenor has to make a very impressive showing. Ideally he should win but that is not the only indicator of success. He needs to demonstrate that he "gets it"--that he knows that the object of a race is to win by getting to the lead and staying there and that he can respond to different race conditions.

Johnny Velasquez is up once again so look for a textbook ride. He will try to rate the horse and get him to relax under a firm hold along the backstretch--easier said than done. Then look for an indication that Lenny has a second and even third gear--that he will accelerate when asked and then perhaps even accelerate again.

And pay attention to his demeanor down the stretch. Ideally he should be looking straight ahead not at the crowd--all indications that he is growing into the shoes of a horse on the Derby trail. Yes, he may still be green, but the general idea is that he is not going to make the same mistakes twice.

Say a prayer. Light a candle and let's root him home way out in front. I think Lenny is ready for the big time but it's up to him to prove it.