Q & A with Eoin Hearty

HA: Over the last couple of years, you have had the pleasure of training some very high quality horses. Did any of those horses just seem to pop out when they first came to you? What traits did they seem to possess that made them stand above the rest?

EH: Colonel John, Well Armed, and Dubai Escapade all stood out right away. They showed professionalism and had the ability to work well right from the get-go. They showed the talent was there from the start.

HA: As a trainer, what traits do you look for in a younger horse when trying to gauge their ability and potential?

EH: Very good ones show their ability and potential from the first time you work them. There’s no one trait. If the talent is there, you are going to see it.

HA: Speaking of horses that had a lot of ability, you have had quite a few very nice colts since moving to WinStar, most by Tiznow. Do you notice any similarities between his offspring?

EH: Most Tiznows are bigger horses. They have very good minds and are very sensible. Most of them seem to be willing to please and are easy to train.

HA: Would you say that most of Tiznow's offspring are fairly versatile runners, or do you think they prefer one surface over another?

EH: Truly good horses will run on anything. I think most Tiznows will run on anything.

HA:Colonel John and Well Armed both showed great versatility. Colonel John had stakes wins on all three surfaces and Grade one wins on dirt and synthetic, while Well Armed was a very good horse over synthetics but blew horses out of the water on dirt. How do you feel your latest son of Tiznow, American Lion will fair on dirt?

EH: I think American Lion will be better on dirt. He’s an aggressive horse who likes to be in the fray right off the bat and I think that style is better suited for dirt than anything else.

HA: Many would say that American Lion disappointed in his last start, what was your take on the Robert B. Lewis?

EH: As in both the Lewis and the San Felipe, he was too aggressive early on and I think that on the synthetic, if you don’t relax you don’t have a shot. Ultimately he might not be good enough, but we will know more after we try him on dirt.

HA: Lastly, what do you make of your chances this year vs your previous tries with Colonel John and Mr. Hot Stuff? Do you think you could get your Derby win this year?

EH: As of right now, American Lion is going to have to really improve. My best shot was with Colonel John.

I would just like to say thank you to Eoin Harty. I know you were busy and I really appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions. Good luck to you, I hope you get your Derby win this year.