Richard Mandella says United is primed for Breeders’ Cup Turf

3 years ago 291

Leave it to an accomplished Hall of Fame trainer similar Richard Mandella to cognize the concealed to keeping a equine dependable and racing into its aboriginal years.

Mandella, who celebrates his 71st day connected the archetypal time of this year’s Breeders’ Cup astatine Del Mar connected Friday, was good known for grooming The Tin Man, 1 of the astir fashionable geldings ever.

He besides campaigned different brace of aged stalwarts successful Gentlemen and Sandpit. They weren’t geldings similar the 6-year-old United, a lad of Giant’s Causeway, but they ran their tails disconnected similar Mandella’s introduction successful Saturday’s $4 cardinal Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Mandella was asked Tuesday during a telephone interrogation however he’s managed to bid truthful galore horses whose careers lasted overmuch longer than most.

Predictably, helium shrugged it off.

“Probably conscionable had bully luck,” helium said. “If you halt erstwhile you got a tiny occupation alternatively of a large one, that allows them to heal, and a steadfast older equine tin get amended and amended arsenic they go.”

United has won 3 of 5 this twelvemonth and 10 of 22 beingness during a vocation that has seen him slope $1.8 cardinal successful earnings. He’s besides won 3 of 6 with 2 seconds implicit Del Mar’s Jimmy Durante Turf Course, making him an absorbing longshot anticipation astatine his morning-line terms of 20-1.

But on with bully luck and not pushing a equine erstwhile it mightiness amusement signs of a problem, Mandella feels that it tin beryllium a immense payment for a horse’s longevity to beryllium gelded astatine a young age.

“When I was a young kid, determination was a mentation that if you gelded a colt, they mislaid a important magnitude of value successful their thorax and cervix and head,” helium said. “As acold arsenic staying dependable goes, that, on with amended behavior, is portion of wherefore they last. If you geld a horse, they go a small spot much similar a female. They don’t person arsenic large a thorax and arsenic dense a neck. You astir apt prevention a equine 50 to 75 pounds of value connected their beforehand extremity that they would person if you didn’t castrate ’em. That quality of value connected their beforehand extremity makes a quality successful however dependable they stay. That, mixed with bully behavior, helps support them sound.”

United heads into the Turf arsenic a equine that handicappers mightiness overlook, but 2 years agone astatine Santa Anita helium mislaid the Turf by a caput to Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar astatine boxcar likelihood of 51-1.

“We were precise arrogant of however helium ran (that day) and helium showed however bully helium is,” Mandella said. “We thought helium was (that good), and helium proved it.”

Now helium tries the Turf for the 3rd consecutive year. He finished a disappointing eighth successful a 10-horse tract a twelvemonth agone astatine Keeneland, but he’s travel backmost with a beardown run this twelvemonth and Mandella thinks he’s arsenic bully arsenic ever.

“I deliberation he’s had a small spot of atrocious luck this twelvemonth successful a fewer races,” helium said. “I deliberation he’s arsenic bully arsenic ever.”

United won’t person Flavien Prat successful the saddle for the archetypal clip successful 17 races Saturday. Prat has opted to thrust the Chad Brown-trained Domestic Spending successful the Turf, truthful Mandella mislaid a aboriginal Hall of Famer’s services lone to onshore connected a existent Hall of Fame rider successful John Velazquez.

That’s what Hall of Fame trainers do.

“I called Ron Anderson (Velazquez’s agent) and helium was available,” Mandella said. “You can’t get a amended rider than Johnny Velazquez. We don’t person immoderate atrocious feelings astir that.”

Mandella and Velazquez haven’t hooked up often, but United’s connections volition beryllium blessed campers if their reunion turns retired similar their past effort together.

“I deliberation I enactment him connected a maiden present astatine Del Mar successful November a mates of years ago, can’t retrieve her name, and I deliberation she won ligament to wire,” Mandella said.

As for United’s future, Mandella said arsenic agelong arsenic he’s blessed and sound, he’ll proceed to contention into 2022.

“We’ll get past this and program adjacent year,” helium said. “He’s a gelding, truthful he’s doing what helium loves doing close now. As agelong arsenic that’s the case, we’re going to support doing it.”