Some will be relaxed and on their toes and just want to run. To me, it s more important how a horse is in the saddling paddock than how it is on the track. I don t really look at bandages that much, because some trainers use them for different reasons. Some horses run down and trainers use them to prevent that, to protect the horse from hitting itself. Back East, most horses wear bandages, but not so much in California.
Tracks are deeper in the East and horses run down more.
Hess expects both horses to get to the races at Del Mar . . . But it was a good race for him because he needs to get some serious racing under his belt. When you have to start moving a half-mile out, it s not the perfect scenario. But it worked out all right. It showed that he s got some mettle, which is what we re looking for.