Two Year Olds Hit the Road!

Dear Partners and Friends,

It is that time of year when we take a deep post Triple Crown breath and assign our two years olds to their new trainers.

It is important to say how pleased we are once again with the job Frank Smith and his crew at Elloree have done in getting them ready. From assisting with their selection at the sales, through their breaking and training and up to this point in their development. Frank is a huge part of our team and we are grateful to him!

First, a thought about this year's assignments. The bottom line is always the same...we have more good trainers to send horses to than we have horses to send them. That prompts us to annually look at what assignments can help get us to the very top in racing. Record of performance (both for Donegal and others) at the highest levels weighs heavily in these decisions. My job is to get us to the very top of the racing pyramid and I think when you look at these assignments you will agree we have taken another big step forward. So, without further adieu, here is where our two year olds are headed.

Dale Romans: Dale has earned the right to continue to train for Donegal with his third Triple Crown appearance on our behalf. Dale also works for us at the sales and brings a keen eye to the decision making process. Dale would of course like to have all eight two year olds. However, when we weigh the desire of partners to see our horses spread out around the country and a concern that we not have all our eggs in one basket should sickness hit a barn, we are confident our current approach is best. Dale understands where we are coming from.

Dale will be training Paddy O'Prodigy and Paschal. With Dale's background of success with Paddy O'Prado and Keen Ice, this selection almost made itself.

Peter Miller: Peter has earned our continued relationship with the job he has done for us. Every horse we have ever sent Peter has ended up running in Graded Stakes. And what about the job he has done with Finnegan's Wake!? He has flat out turned him into an Eclipse Award candidate.

Peter will be training Oatfield and Shut the Box. Both these colts have a good chance of possessing front end speed and that is the name of the game in California racing.  

Bill Mott: Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is as good as it gets. When you have a horse with Bill you just know that anything and everything that can be done for a horse will be. Bill is patient with horses and his often have long careers. He is just as strong with fillies and turf horses as he is with colts on the dirt.

Bill will be training Tradfest and Ballagh Rocks. These colts will be versatile in terms of surface and we have high confidence in Bill's ability to determine where they should run.

Todd Pletcher: We are pleased to announce that Todd Pletcher (ranked as the number one trainer in the world ten of the last twelve years) joins the ranks of Donegal trainers. In my discussions with Todd I have become convinced that he brings the work ethic and organized approach that we value. Todd knows our goal is not to win two year old maiden races at Saratoga and that we are eager for our horses to make noise in the classic races. I am confident he will help us make that happen.

Todd will be training Donegal Moon and Patrick's Day.

Once these horses have reached their trainers we will give you an update on how they are all doing.

I hope you are as excited about these assignments as I am. We are determined to continue our quest to race at the highest levels and I think these four gentlemen will help us make that happen!

Jerry