Casino Drive brining drama and unique workout style to Belmont
Casino Drive and his Japanese connections have brought drama, intrigue and some unorthodox practices to Belmont Park. His workout routine is something that is not seen in America and is turning heads at the track.
New York Times - Joe Drape: From a Leisurely Trot to a Showdown at Belmont
Each morning, Casino Drive is saddled up and ridden along the backside of Belmont Park. For an hour, he darts between barns, sends puffs of dirt in the air as he clip-clops down shady paths and garners admiring stares from the most hard-bitten of horsemen. When Casino Drive, a chestnut colt, finally hits the racetrack for a gallop, he swallows the ground with his giant strides......more
The Canadian Press: Japanese colt Casino Drive is walking the Belmont Stakes walk
....The way Casino Drive is training for the Belmont has raised eyebrows. It is a unique approach, by U.S. standards. Most American-based horses prepare for races with jogs, gallops and workouts on the track. Casino Drive, in contrast, is a power walker, taking vigorous one-hour strolls through the barn area. He then goes to the track for an easy jog before resuming another hour of walking. "We really try to pick his feet up," said Nobutaka Tada, spokesman for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. "We want him to be ready, so he will be strong.".....more
Jim Militello reports for the Associated Press:
