“He’s the most winningest trainer in the history of all time,” Gaudet told E! of the 59-year-old. “Never won a Derby, but he is the winningest trainer of all time with over 10,000 wins.”
As for how trainers of all levels of experience prepare the morning of the big race? Terry Finley, owner of West Point Thoroughbreds, shed some light on the extensive process.
Starting at 4:30 a.m., trainers come in to clean the stalls before cleaning the horses, feeding them and getting them in their saddle to walk them around. Then, they take their competing horses to the racetrack, where a vet will check them out and clear them to race.
“They’ve got a big bed to lay down with and they’ve got their lunch,” Finley explained to E!, adding that by 10 o’clock, all that’s left to do is make sure the horses are relaxed and happy ahead of the high-pressure race. “They’re very well taken care of.”
The 151st Kentucky Derby is set to air Saturday, May 3, with coverage kicking off at 11:30 a.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
(E!, NBC and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)
—Reporting by Paul C.
