Fountain of Youth Preview w/ Marty McGee

But a man who is not dealing with the weather here in

Louisville today, is a man named Marty McGee's with the Daily

Racing Form and very, very kind to join us this morning.

Marty bleep, you for the nice weather.

How are you? Well, I'm doing good punch out

of Florida. Louis, thanks for having me.

I'm sorry you guys are in such trouble with the schools and the

Wolf. Yeah, schools closed.

And then the winds and the storms and my girlfriend's gonna

have to go out. Pick up the sticks again

tonight. I guess who's gonna tell a dad

at we live at the Like on a hill.

We have standing water in our backyard.

That's not good party, it's just that good.

But the real problem is, they gotta pick five, carryover a

Turfway, I'm worried. They're not gonna be able to run

in this wind. That's what I'm worried about

who everybody's worried about that fresh on everyone's mind.

All right, so you know, you're down there covering covering

Gulf Stream as you as you usually do.

Any Trend, stand out to you so far in the championship meet Oh

gosh, just bet on the Ortiz, Brothers, I think we have two

days ago that they won seven out of eight.

Jose, 13 Iran wants for Iran. As I was writing some stuff for

the they're having a giant Rainbow Six carry over here,

Force out that they got to pay it all out and if it doesn't get

hit today or tomorrow, they'll probably get 10 to 12 million

dollars in it, and I was writing about the six races that are

involved this morning and called I read Ortiz, jun'er the hottest

jockey on the planet. T is so that it kind of doesn't

matter who he's riding. He seems like he's coming in a

lot and it's kind of reminiscent of our days back in when Pat

Davis Around, Churchill Downs, and Keeneland.

And it's just the first thing you do when you handicapper

races, who is Iran writing he and some of them Marty they're

not all for 250 other. I mean I've seen him come in

with a number of double-digit winners lately.

Yeah. Yeah he had one.

I think about twelve to one the other day and you know but still

when he wins with a 12 12 21 coach.

It's it's like the horse should have been 30 to 1 so you're not

getting the value on. It is like getting used to say

about Pat day. He should have to give everybody

five pounds. Wouldn't when he mounts up Marty

McGee with us at drf McGee on Twitter, if you are not

following him, join 19,000 people.

Who follow, Marty McGee on Twitter, did you ever think

that? Would be a thing, like Twitter

and that you would have nineteen thousand followers on it

morning. It was hard to imagine that, you

know, I walked into Pimlico Racecourse, on March 10th, 1985,

not even thinking about that. And my first day in this

profession, so much 38 year anniversary is coming up.

I'm so old. I remembered before coach was

paying for the Colonel's, when they were playing on Walnut

Street. Now Muhammad Ali and guys, like

Goose leg and Gene Mort and course, Louie dampier, and

Darryl carrier were on the team. Well, that that was a Long time

ago, Marty unbelievable card. What is there like seven or

eight stake races? At Gulfstream tomorrow 99?

Yeah we're having a 14 race car to starts at 11 a.m. eastern, of

course, we're still on Eastern Louisville.

It's funny though, if he drops out that sort Bowling, Green

gets in this central time. But anyway, 14 races, nine of

them are Stakes, eight of them are graded.

The last of those is the Fountain of Youth.

It goes at five. Forty-three p.m. and like you

said, we've had, we've kind of been starved for some good

horses around here lately, and that's what they do.

They purposely back load these cards on to Saturday's where

everybody has a day off and then that's their brains at and I'll

get like 40 million dollars in handle tomorrow.

So but the Fountain of Youth the course of major stepping stone

toward the Mets 6, Kentucky Derby.

We've got the reigning divisional champion in Forte.

He makes his three-year-old debut tomorrow.

He's number four with the aforementioned I read Ortiz,

Junior in Porsche and post for and a field of 10 3 year olds in

the fountain of youth. So the found of you Stakes.

If people are wondering and Marty McGee with us from the

Daily Racing Form is a 50-point race.

Essentially, if you're healthy and you win this race, you

probably qualifying for the 20 horse field for the Derby.

A simplification won this race last year.

For Antonio cinoman, of course, in Ortiz brother was on him.

The it's not Necessarily a great predictor of Derby winners but

lots of very good horses have come out of this race gun.

A very Bohemian code of honor simplification, frankly is one

really well last winter, Dan, do you happen to know the last

Fountain of Youth Winter that went on to win the Kentucky

Derby. I do not 2013.

Orb of all things. Oh yeah.

That'll John Velazquez, is anybody in this race tomorrow?

That can be a Derby winner. Oh my gosh, we've got Forte.

And you've got a Chad Brown horse.

Neighing blazing 7. Who One the champagne last year

but you're right. Louis, I mean, once you, once

you get to be nine weeks from tomorrow to the Kentucky Derby,

right? And it seems like the Fountain

of Youth become somewhat of a distant memory, by the time we

get to that point. So there's a number of unknown

number of forgettable winners who have won this race in recent

years. But before Orban 2013, the last

Fountain of Youth want her to go on when the Derby's was sender,

Gulch back in 1995, For Mike Smith, actually wrote him.

That Gary Stevens, of course running in the Kentucky Derby,

but that was one of the you and Lucas is for winners of the, of

the Kentucky Derby. Marty you were talking about Pat

day and and Lynn, why Tegan and days Days of old?

I mean, it used to be horses would start four five six times

before they got to the first Saturday in may.

Now, it seems like to a to race prep is about all these These

people want anymore. Is that good or bad for horse

racing? I guess it's good.

I don't know. But I remember in the Churchill

Downs, Press Box, it's the one that they tore down.

They used to maintain a book of charts of all the Derby starters

and you could go back like into the 60s and 70s and look at how

many starts these horses would have.

They had like 13 as a two year old and 7 more as a as a

three-year-old I remember snow Chief or back in 86, he won

both. The Florida Derby and the Santa

Anita Derby, which is would be unheard of now because they're

scheduled so close together. But yeah, it's like they've

gotten away from three preps back to only two.

And I would imagine the Todd Pletcher right now with Forte.

He's going to running once here. And then he'll run a mini that

probably the Bluegrass, I would guess since you won both the

Breeders Peter D. And the Breeders Cup juvenile at

Keeneland, or if he runs big tomorrow, he might just keep me

in running the Florida Derby if you show things like adultery

and crack but Getting back to your point coach is just like

the methods have changed the philosophies of changed.

It's a different ball game from what we grew up in the Marty

begin with us. Drf McGee on Twitter, go find

him there. It doesn't apply to the Fountain

of Youth tomorrow. Marty, but around the country,

for 50 point, perhaps tomorrow, including the founder of Youth,

of course, we're seeing the Timmy.

Octene Runners who were previously in the backward,

Barn, I am of the opinion. That last year, when he had that

90-day ban, when he actually had to not, At the track, it

affected the acting Runners. I think this year with him,

actually being at Santa Anita being able to watch works and

those sorts of things even though whatever the technical

rules are about him helping out with the training.

I think him being on site is a bigger is going to be helpful

for those hopeful Runners that are in these 30 point races.

Do you agree with me? Do you think it's different than

last year or should we expect similar results to what we saw

last year? Oh gosh, I hadn't thought of

that Louis. But it's why they pay me the big

bucks, buddy. Yeah, but Bob baffert

nonetheless, if you want to call Em, Yak teen horses are bad for

the horses. They've got a strong hand, they

have our Arabian Night is one of the favorites right now.

They have a horse named reincarnate.

They have a horse named Cave, Rock.

They have one named National Treasure neat.

I think there's about a half dozen of them actually.

So whatever the case and it's going to be these have been such

weird times with the, I mean, we haven't had a normal door. 2016.

2017, yet always dreaming over a really sloppy track. 18 was

justifiable in a downpour 19 with maximum security in the and

sloppy track when a DQ and the 2020 was the covid year. 2021

was the dean of spirit last year, we had some bomb come in

that, you know, he hasn't won a race instead.

Although Eric reads pretty good friend of mine.

But anyway, this is going to be another one in that the whole

baffert issue fabric /. Yeah, I can is going to dominate

emanate it and it would not surprise me if they had three or

four runners and we're going through the same stuff about the

Medina Spirit Fiasco still in the courts.

Probably will be a couple more years.

So I'd like to get back to normal one point.

If we can with the Kentucky Derby, I just assumed once.

John Asher died, we'd never have a normal Derby again.

What it is held true to its kind of chuckling Marty as we had a

great undercard for the Fountain of The youth tomorrow.

One race because he's a good friend of mine that I'm really

interested in, is the Philly race Oaks points on the line.

And it looks like Rusty has got a serious Oaks Contender here in

red carpet-ready he does. And I wrote about her Atlanta

and in the daily racing form for in the Saturday distance

quoting, the owner Gwen boat, bro.

Imagine who co-owns the red. Red carpet-ready, she's not lost

yet. And three starts.

She kind of has a look as a to Speedy Filly who won't run as

well when the when the distances stretch out like they are

tomorrow to a mile. He disagreed with me.

Says, I've heard people saying that, but she does have the

pedigree and Rusty has trained her washer carefully and think

that she will be able to get a distance of ground.

So I'm rooting for her because I'm a big.

Rusty are no fan myself. All right?

Yeah. I am too in the It's

unbelievable. Is this Philly has made three

starts, she's undefeated and but she is, I mean, Oscar

performance, out of a street sense, mayor, she ought to be

able to go to, to Chance. In fact, you know, the fact that

she broke her maiden sprinting at six, furlongs is amazing to

me. But this, this is something when

I handicapped, I love this. Looking at the buyers figures,

her buyers have gone 68, 78, 87, that's a real nice progression.

Oh yeah, it is and it takes about 100 to win the Kentucky.

Oaks after they run here, they're going to go in the

Ashland which is on the first Saturday of the king of spring

made on April 8th. And then from there, the

Kentucky Oaks and then I think it was five years ago that Rusty

and does Ashbrook stable, which is fo bromage and upset the

Ashland with wheat. No more.

She was like 30 to 1 and a 5-horse field and came through.

But they're trying to do a repeat with the with red carpet

ready? All right.

So, Dan and I have a Agreement. Marty McGee from The Daily

Racing Form about how to name horses.

I think when your dad is Oscar Performance, red, carpet-ready

as a terrific name, Dan would have named this horse something

like hot brown sandwich. Who do you agree with me or

Banner? Sorry coach.

I'm going to go with I think, I think.

Actually, we're going to find out the red carpet.

Ready is a is a Miler and I think something like the acorn

is an excellent Target for her this year.

The one turn mile up at Belmont. Marty Are you a This person or a

turns person or both, because I've seen people say, oh, to

turn Mi is the same as a 110-mile.

I'm a turns person. I disagree with those people.

Are you a distance returns person?

I am a turned purse. Okay.

Yeah. I think of one mile to Turner is

a lot different than a, that's flat mile out of the Chute

there. Churchill.

And here at Gulfstream. It's a grueling race.

And it's got a different different Dynamic to it.

Yeah. Marty.

I don't think I've ever asked you this.

It's amazing to me. Me how all of the good horses

seem to find their way to such a few number of trainers?

I mean, you've got you've got baffert who you mentioned

Pletcher, a Chad Brown I guess that cocks now Brad Cox has

joined that group. Do you think this is a good for

horse racing that we have all these not all have a few

trainers that seem to get all the good horses.

You know what? It seems like it's more

pronounced now. More now than ever, it has

always kind of been like that, to a certain degree.

You always had the one guy had more than the other.

I mean, I've kind of got a little something of a personal

stake in it. And then my brother, Paul McGee,

he's won more than 1,000 races, he's done great with steak

horses, one grade 1000 that, but the knockers the owners are not

knocking on his door as much as they would, and if any kind of

good horse for Any kind of quote unquote smaller trainer turns

over the good horse you've got bloodstock agents blowing up

their phone trying to buy it and then ultimately turn it over to

a guy like Brad Cox or Todd Pletcher or whomever.

And that's just the way it goes. It's the it's up to the owner so

they choose I have a certain Theory coach that if a guy who

has a lot of money by the horse, he's asked, who's the best in

the business. So you get those names, the

baffert's and the pleasures and Chad, and then if the horse

doesn't turn out, they can always say, well, I got the best

in the business and it just didn't work out.

And so I think that's part of the reasoning that somebody got

some of these guys do get as many horses as they do.

Marty McGee with us. He's done a Gulfstream Park.

We are previewing a fountain of youth day.

Let's go ahead and get into that race.

Marty, you mentioned a couple of horses here.

We've actually seen in some of the preps recently that the

horse is coming off layoffs from their two-year-old seasons.

Even if they were impressive in the two-year-old season haven't

fired early on in these races, I think instant coffees like the

one exception to that Forte and blazing 7s do fall into that.

Is there a reason to look at a horse like a rocket can or a

mage tomorrow? I think there is maybe not them

but Forte is by violence. So that just screams to me

Sprinter / Miler even though he did went twice going around 16th

at Keeneland, I still think that at some point down the road his

pit his pedigree will come out so we did have I put some on

Twitter a couple days ago about General Jim number one in here

he missed a scheduled work out last week at last weekend for

Suge, McGahee, He was kind of skeptical whether or not he was

actually going to run, so do not be surprised.

The number one General Jim, who is a six to one third choice of

the races scratched? But as far as as long shots, I

would love to see Cyclone Miss just redeem himself coach.

I know you and Dale have been closed over the years.

You had he's trained horse for you, he gave him no real excuse

for his seventh place finish in the Holy Bull, but Dale did win

this race. A few years ago was with the

promises Fulfilled. I'd love to see this horse.

Just go on and get out there and run a big race that Cyclone

mischief number 9 with Tyler. Definitely own.

So he would be my long shot, pick in here, Marty, you

mentioned Dale and I don't know if you if you wrote the story or

not but Dale has lost 140 pounds.

I guess he had the surgery on the stomach.

That's amazing. Yeah I went up to a stuck up on

him because Morning going on the backside game of kiss on the

cheek, he smelled like a cigar because he can't eat.

So he's smoking these cigars at all times, which is a great way

to keep losing weight. I guess he looks great.

He's looks better than he has in many years and good for him,

they quit drinking him. What he was on.

We carry my show on my kind of show on Saturdays here and he

does the final segment with with Tim Wilkins which is always fun

and He said he quit drinking and and Tim asked him, will you have

a, you have a beer if you win the Derby to goes.

Of course, I'm having a beer but when the Derby but we do it, he

might he might have more than a beer.

Yeah. Hey, the race before, the

Fountain of Youth, and Marty McGee with us from the drf

drf.com, go check out all their stuff.

And if you're in Louisville, man, drf is available.

Lots of places. My liquor store on the corner

Evergreen Liquors is one of those spots of go up, always a

nice read, nice to have that physical form to Dan.

It's absolutely, I've got to have it.

He even if I've got it on my iPad, I printed out of you know

hard to teach an old dog and so the Mac.

Dear media is the race before that it's a marathon Race.

Going three turns on the turf course there with the

installation of the Topeka. It did change the sort of nature

of the turf course there. I try to find two horses in

these kinds of races. Marty one that's going to be on

the lead. It could just get out front,

stay out front and one that I eat I trust either closed or to

be a Stalker, I landed on astronaut before they before

they came out with the morning line, with Luis saez.

Who else do you like in that race?

I like value engineering. I think might make, or he has

been so tumbling, will not only in Kentucky, but down here in

Florida and these Marathon Turf races for older horses and

value. Engineering got beat by his

maker stablemate Red Knight, who is not running this race.

He's waiting for the for the race on Florida Derby.

Down here. Red light might be the most

underrated horse in North America.

Yeah, I think he's nine years old.

It's unbelievable, he's great. Yeah, but value engineering made

a huge movement that race, and it looked like he was a winner

and deep stretch until Red Knight went by.

And but I think off that race, and with maker in this quarter,

I'm gonna go with value engineering.

Marty. It as far as I'm concerned, you

have the greatest job in the world.

You get to spend spend the winters at Gulfstream.

When will you be headed back? Back to Kentucky at the

beginning of the Keeneland meet. Well, I've been coming down here

since 1996. I used to I went to Oak Lawn for

four years. I worked for the forum for more

than 30 years now. And before that, of course I was

with the Baltimore Sun 47. So I've done it.

Like I said, 38 years and I appreciate you saying that

coach. I think I'm gonna write a book

about it one day and just kind of detail all my Memoirs

etcetera but including going to the see you play that the

Buccaneers and the Floridians and the Memphis Pam's st.

Louis Spirit, who was, who was a fellow player.

What about John brisker was? He pretty tough to play against

for the Pioneers well, thank goodness.

He was a guard, but I remember he used to beat poor.

Louis up. Louis had knows the Louis had no

shot against brisker. This show, there's more Louie

dampier, slander on the show though than anywhere else in the

world that poor guy, such an easy target.

What about Darryl? Carrier shooting, jump shooting

his free throws. I always loved that.

But but, you know, I, I'm coming home in three weeks, Dave,

grunting, my New York College. We've established a pattern

years ago where he gets to come down.

I take the ball down to the 3-yard line, he carries it over

the goal, line for the Florida Derby, and I'm back watching

basketball and get ready for Keeneland.

Now, here's here's something, I did not know about you.

You lived in Baltimore for seven years?

Yeah, route for the ball. Our son from 85 to early 92 and

then join the Forum and may have 92.

My first gig was at Monmouth Park and I wish they'd run the

Breeders Cup there again because the one in the 07 was an

aberration, it's a magnificent facility, the way upholstering

gain here, used to be and everybody loved it.

Now not so much. But anyway you have been a

number of places their coach. Yeah.

Fortunately, I was in Baltimore for only 10 days.

So, I'm going to guess that's better than being there.

Seven years Marty I am on, I am on record man, there's nothing

better than covering the Preakness the the barn, the just

how easy it is to get around Pimlico.

I think, I think it's just wildly underrated.

And if you're a fan of horse racing, you can fly from here to

Baltimore, get a hotel, rent a car and it's cheaper to go to

the previous that it isn't going to the derby.

So it's not such an easy flight on South.

Yes, that's together, but I guess so to that, that one-way

flight on Sunday morning as the horse-racing glitterati flight.

Do you agree with me? Yeah.

It's like an 8/10. Like that.

Yeah, it's brutal died. When I was really little, when I

was little, when I was writing for the center, I lived in

Colombia coach, which is about 25 minutes from Baltimore about

25 minutes from Pimlico in about 15 minutes from Laurel Park and

of course, all the horsemen and fans preferred Laurel because it

was just kind of a nicer facility but a lot of great

laughs. So I have great friends in

Maryland where I have to tell you I was I was a member of the

Baltimore claws for 10 In days and everybody.

It was the old Memphis 4-H eyes and they had a bunch of Veteran,

guys. And Joe mullaney was our coach,

and we all knew it was just a matter of time before it, hit it

ceased to exist. And so, instead of having to a

days like you would in a normal training camp, we'd practice

once in the morning and then four or five of us would go to

Bowie racetrack in the afternoon, I love it.

I, you know, I had a key chain the last day of buoy which was

in July of 85, they gave away keychain vials with the sand

from the track in it. I've somehow lost it over the

years. Oh wow, cool.

All right. Well since since you have all of

the Maryland connections, will you be at the preakness this

year? I doubt it.

I don't know. I might, I begged out of it last

year and I might this year. I'm, I'm getting to where I'll

be 64 November. I'm getting kind of tired, so

maybe maybe some of the younger. DRS guys will fill in for me.

Well, I do I feel so sorry for you.

Marty well I'll be there, here's seven, wait till your 74. + the

burden of being Dan Issel. I mean, just the horrible.

You know, and be a pension bird. That is Dennis.

There's a there's a good chance that I will be at Keeneland for

the Ashland and for the Bluegrass.

So I'll see you there. Marty very good.

Can't wait to all right. For we let him go.

Marty McGee, drf McGee on Twitter, I wanted to give a

personal. Thank you.

Something happened in my broadcasting life this past

fall, which was that my co-host Mike and all phone died from our

horse racing. Happy Hour podcast, we're both

voted into the national Turf writers and broadcasters and I

know that Marty was one of the voices in the room that was in

favor of us joining. And I know the podcast thing is

kind of a foreign thing for lots of people, but I know Marty was

one of the voices that was very supportive of us.

It's so Marty, I wanted Publicly, thank you for that and

it was nice to run into you both at Breeders Cup, and then later

in the meet at Churchill in November.

So, just a personal thing for me.

Well, you belong, appreciate it very much.

Alright, Marty McGee, drf baby. Marty drf.com go.

Find all their stuff. Go by that paper, copy this

weekend, as we get into, I mean, 450 point races.

People, get all that information that you can.

Marty, we appreciate talk to you soon.

Thanks a lot, guys. Publicly, thank you for that and

it was nice to run into you both at Breeders Cup, and then later

in the meet at Churchill in November.

So, just a personal thing for me.

Well, you belong, appreciate it very much.

Alright, Marty McGee, drf baby. Marty drf.com go.

Find all their stuff. Go by that paper, copy this

weekend, as we get into, I mean, 450 point races.

People, get all that information that you can.

Marty, we appreciate talk to you soon.

Thanks a lot, guys.