The morning after the Grade 1, $400,000 Vosburgh Invitational, winner The
Lumber Guy was said to be in fine fettle, while trainer Mike Hushion was feeling
weary.
“I’m exhausted,” Hushion said. “He came back fine.”
The toll on Hushion may have been emotional. Although he had been confident
in his colt leading up to Saturday’s six-furlong race, he was feeling jittery by
the time the horse got to the paddock.
“Typically of me, and I think I’m not the only one, the last couple of days I
tend to get cold feet,” Hushion said. “By the time I’m putting the saddle on,
they can’t win. I think I learned that from (Allen) Jerkens, actually. I was a
little concerned about the track because when Johnny (Velazquez) came out he
said it seems like the horses love it or hate it, and that wasn’t what I wanted
to hear.”
The Lumber Guy handled the track fine as he posted a 1 1/4-length victory
over eight others in the six-furlong race. One of only two three-year-olds in
the field, The Lumber Guy beat an accomplished group including Grade 1 winners
Sean Avery — with whom he was coupled in the wagering — and Poseidon’s
Warrior. For Hushion, the turning point in his attitude about the Vosburgh was
easy to pinpoint.
“Just before they came around the bend turning for home, when he loomed up
there I said, ‘Well, this is going to be the telling time,'” the trainer said.
“Then I got blocked a second, for about four jumps, and then I saw he was in
front and I felt pretty good. It didn’t look like anything could get to him.”
Now The Lumber Guy is Breeders’ Cup-bound, though Hushion said that he and
owner Barry Schwartz have not yet decided whether the New York-bred son of Grand
Slam will run in the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs or the $1
million Dirt Mile.
“We talked about (the races) again; we’re going to keep talking,” said
Hushion, whose only previous Breeders’ Cup starter, Noteasybeingreen, finished
10th in the Juvenile in 1998 at Churchill Downs.
“One consideration is that the (Dirt Mile) is two turns out there, which I’d
like him to do, but I’d like him to do what he’s already proved he can do around
one turn this time. So, we’ll see. We’ll see what the competition looks like. My
best guess would be I’d go five to six days before; I’m not interested in going
out there for a couple weeks. We’ll let him gallop over the track.”
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