Equicizer Derby Digest 2018

Equicizer Derby Digest 2018

In case you missed it, the 144th annual "Run for the Roses" was held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday May 5, 2018. We send our sincere congratulations to the winning horse Justify, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith (an Equicizer user!), trainer Bob Baffert, and the group of owners!

Justify is the first horse since 1982 to win the Kentucky Derby without having raced as a two year old. Horses must be three years old to compete in the Derby.

Frankie created this Equicizer Elite in the image of Zenyatta
for jockey Mike Smith.

Did you know? 
Mike Smith, the jockey who rode Justify to victory, has an Equicizer at home in his garage! When he is unable to get to the track to ride, he uses this Equicizer to maintain his muscle memory. He said of it in a Wall Street Journal article, "If you ride that for five minutes you're extremely fit. Staying in a squat position for that long is a whole body workout." Mike Smith rode the famous Zenyatta to a 2009 Breeder's Cup Classic win and his Equicizer is modeled after the famous mare. Check out this video of Mike and jockey Chantal Sutherland giving a race demo at the Equicizer workshop, this video of his warm up before his big win at the 2016 Breeder's Cup, and this video chronicling the creation of Mike's Equicizer version of Zenyatta.

Award-winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr working out on 
Churchill Downs' Equicizer before his ride on 
McCraken at the 2017 Kentucky Derby.

Churchill Downs has an Equicizer (pictured at left) for the jockeys to warm-up and workout on, as do many racetracks across the United States and abroad. Most commonly, they will have the functional Equicizer Classic model, but some tracks have special-made Equicizer Elites created in the image of a famous or historical racehorse. This tool, used by world-famous jockeys to warm up for races like the Kentucky Derby, can be yours! You don't have to go to the track or even leave home!

 

Did you know? 

Nineteen Derby winners have names that start with the letter S. This group includes Secretariat, the fastest horse in Kentucky Derby history, who completed the 1973 race in just under two minutes. Frankie has even made an Equicizer Elite modeled after this famous racehorse!

2018 KY Derby Show/3rd Place: Audible by -2½ lengths.
Ridden by jockey Javier Castellano and trained by Todd Pletcher.

One tool that can be very useful for those training as jockeys are the new Equicizer Elastic Rein Attachments. For training on the Equicizer, these attachments can aid a rider in developing strength and adjusting to the demands of riding racehorses. They give a more realistic feel of contact. Above, you can see the kind of contact and form Javier Castellano uses on Audible is much different than a pleasure rider. 

American Pharaoh, the 2015 Triple Crown winner, 
who was bred/owned by Zayat Stables
and trained by Bob Baffert.

Did you know? 
The Kentucky Derby is referred to as 'The Run for the Roses" because the winner is awarded a blanket sewn with over 400 roses post-race. This blanket weighs about 40 lbs. That is really heavy when you consider the maximum weight to be carried by a horse in a Triple Crown race is 126lbs! That includes the jockey, saddle, and saddle cloth. Pictured above is American Pharaoh draped in the rose blanket at the 2015 Kentucky Derby.



Written/Compiled by: Amanda Elia

www.equicizer.com