I was ordered away from the barn. A track official said the people with the horses didn't want to talk. At Churchill Downs, Godolphin Racing apparently has asked the track to put up a chain link fence around the barn where the horses will be transferred once they're out of quarantine today in Lexington. This brings back memories of Al Quoz, the secluded stables in Dubai where the Godolphin horses trained for their Kentucky Derby venture. No one gets into Al Quoz, except by invitation.
Little information leaks out.
So few people knew about the trial that Almutawakel was a complete surprise winning the big race in late March. The sheiks have complete control of all information in Dubai. They've let us know very little about how these horses have trained. Now we have horses coming from a culture of control to a country where the racing industry makes great efforts to supply horseplayers with the information that they need. A culture clash that will affect Derby betting.