Sometimes you just need to be in the right place, at the right time.
For Pants on Fire, that time might be now to win the Kentucky Derby.
This is a field that has crumbled during the build up to the event and some of the horses that were looked at as possible favorites are either injured or on the fence about running in Saturday's big race and first leg of the Triple Crown.
However, one horse that has started to emerge as a contender for the top spot in the race is Pants on Fire, a participant that no one expected to be running this well at this juncture.
Per the Newark Star-Ledger:
“He pulled the trigger when it counted. That’s why he’s in the Kentucky Derby,” said Breen, who won the training titles at Monmouth in 2005 and 2006 before becoming a private trainer for the Halls. “I think we’re learning more about him as we go along. Maybe getting him out of New York and into the warmer weather helped. I don’t know what caused him to go forward and to get to
the point where he needed to be, but he’s doing awesome now.”
Despite Breen’s pre-race planning, he sensed Pants On Fire was sitting on a big race in the Louisiana Derby. So he called an audible of sorts.
“I told Rosie that I thought this horse was coming into his own,” said Breen. “So I said to her, ‘Give it a shot. Don’t just think we’re in here because we have nothing better to do. He’s doing awfully well. You don’t have to wing it and be a rabbit. Just be in a spot where you can win it when the time comes.’ ”
Sometimes, you don't need the best horse, you just need the one who is in the best groove heading into the race.
Right now, that looks like Pants on Fire. While I would love to put my money on Uncle Mo if he's healthy, I have my doubts and with the way this horse is running right before the race, I like playing the hot hand and going with this horse that was supposed to be nothing more than a pace-setter in the Kentucky Derby.
This is a horse that likes to get out front early, so avoiding traffic is going to be key, and if they can get him out in space early on, it's going to take off and I'm not sure anyone can catch him. Stamina will be key, but Pants on Fire has the talent to take this race.
It will be interesting to see if this horse has what it takes to get it done on Saturday.
For Pants on Fire, that time might be now to win the Kentucky Derby.
This is a field that has crumbled during the build up to the event and some of the horses that were looked at as possible favorites are either injured or on the fence about running in Saturday's big race and first leg of the Triple Crown.
However, one horse that has started to emerge as a contender for the top spot in the race is Pants on Fire, a participant that no one expected to be running this well at this juncture.
Per the Newark Star-Ledger:
“He pulled the trigger when it counted. That’s why he’s in the Kentucky Derby,” said Breen, who won the training titles at Monmouth in 2005 and 2006 before becoming a private trainer for the Halls. “I think we’re learning more about him as we go along. Maybe getting him out of New York and into the warmer weather helped. I don’t know what caused him to go forward and to get to
the point where he needed to be, but he’s doing awesome now.”
Despite Breen’s pre-race planning, he sensed Pants On Fire was sitting on a big race in the Louisiana Derby. So he called an audible of sorts.
“I told Rosie that I thought this horse was coming into his own,” said Breen. “So I said to her, ‘Give it a shot. Don’t just think we’re in here because we have nothing better to do. He’s doing awfully well. You don’t have to wing it and be a rabbit. Just be in a spot where you can win it when the time comes.’ ”
Sometimes, you don't need the best horse, you just need the one who is in the best groove heading into the race.
This is a horse that likes to get out front early, so avoiding traffic is going to be key, and if they can get him out in space early on, it's going to take off and I'm not sure anyone can catch him. Stamina will be key, but Pants on Fire has the talent to take this race.
It will be interesting to see if this horse has what it takes to get it done on Saturday.
