Casino Drive's Training Regimen Back In Japan

The Japanese horsemen have a different training methods than their American counterparts. While the Americans use fast workouts combined with drugs to train their horses, the Japanese use a more holistic approach. Instead of a steady worktab of bullet works for Casino Drive, he 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." Not only do the Japanese train to be long and strong but they do not use drugs, hormones or chemicals to artificially enhance growth or performance. It is an entirely natural approach.

Take a look at these Japanese training centers. They seem like racehorse utopia. The Japanese not only want to make fast horses they want to produce an exceptional individual. The JRA provides facilities to nourish the entire horse, both physically and mentally. It is no wonder that they do not need to drug their racehorses with this approach. Their philosophy seems superior to the American training philosophy of work them fast, drug them if they hurt and retire them early if we are lucky. Perhaps if our training centers had uphill woodchip trails and wilderness trails passing through streams we would have relaxed, sound horses that would not need a variety of medications to compete. Knowing how difficult it is to win a graded stakes on the dirt going long off the layoff I was impressed when Casino Drive emerged off the freighter ready to romp in the Peter Pan. One look at the Japanese training methods and I understand why he was ready.