Barbaro settles in

With Barbaro settling back into his stall after the van ride from Kentucky, Michael Matz was all business again yesterday morning at Fair Hill.

The triple crown can be as gruelling on the trainer as it is on the horse and Michael did look a little tired. Hopefully the horse looks much better than the trainer and both get to have a relaxing few days.

While at the local deli, which has a wall scattered with press clippings on the exploits of Barbaro, the equine machine, I ran into the all important behind the scenes man. Peter Brette doubles as exercise rider and assistant to the Matz stable, and after the horse's Laurel victory last fall commented that the horse was a 'Derby' horse. With the Laurel race being a turf race, he was thinking more the Epsom Derby at that stage!