He didn't want to go to his right lead and didn't seem to be taking to the track. He was just uncomfortable. Ward downplayed any disappointment. Horses aren't machines. They are flesh and blood.
Trainers recite that mantra constantly to explain the inherent unpredictably of thoroughbred racing.
There is no guarantee that a horse will run the same every time out. Baffert, who knew disappointment after the Kentucky Derby, also took a realistic view. Horses beat horses. You have to look forward. And racing fans will do just that.