Ethan Man, Mr. Mellon Breeze At Churchill Downs
By, Jill Byrne
April 7, 2002

With the Kentucky Derby less than four weeks away, many of the potential starters in the spring classic have assembled on the Churchill Downs backside to prepare for the first Saturday in May.

On Apr. 6, two Kentucky-based Derby hopefuls were out on the track for important workouts.

Immediately following the mid-morning track renovation break on Apr. 6, Ethan Man was out for a five furlong breeze for trainer Patrick Byrne. With excercise rider and assistant trainer Kevin Willey aboard, Ethan Man was very relaxed when galloping to the five furlong pole just prior to breaking off for his move. The son of Glitterman was clocked in splits of :36 2/5, :48 4/5 and 1:00 3/5, getting his final eigth of a mile in a sharp :11 4/5. He gallpoed out six furlongs in 1:13 4/5. What was most impressive about the work was that the colt looked as if he was going a lot slower, as he covers a great deal of ground deceptively fast, with a longer stride not indicative of a sprinter. Willey never moved a muscle throughout the work, and Ethan Man switched leads on cue and excellerated quickly in the final eighth of a mile.

Immediately following Ethan Man' work, Mr. Mellon drilled five furlongs with jockey Larry Melancon aboard for trainer Elliott Walden. Mr. Mellon was accompanied by a workmate as he went the distance in 1:00 3/5 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 1/5. It seemed as if the colt's connections were looking for a strong workout, as the workmate pushed Mr. Mellon along and jockey Larry Melancon asked the Red Ransom colt to finish very aggressively.

Mr. Mellon's drill was useful, and while he and Ethan Man's times were identical, the latter seemed to have the easier work of the two as he was on his own and was in hand throughout. Mr. Mellon carries his head just a bit high and has slightly elevated knee action, yet he still manages to get over the ground fairly easily, just more workman- like in style compared to Ethan Man.

Jill Byrne serves as an analyst for TVG's award-winning "The Works" program, which focuses on the morning workout activity of horses preparing for the Kentucky Derby (GI) and Breeders' Cup. Additionally, she is a handicapper for the Churchill Downs Simulcast Network (CDSN) and is a knowledgeable, hands-on horsewoman who assisted her husband, trainer Patrick Byrne, in the development of Eclipse champions Favorite Trick and Countess Diana. She is the daughter of noted show horse rider and Thoroughbred trainer Peter Howe and first started riding show horses in her native Virginia at age three; she got on her first Thoroughbred when she was 11. She went to the University of Virginia where she studied political science and has worked directly with Dosage guru Steven Roman identifying top quality horses through a race analysis system he developed. Jill and Patrick have a daughter, Devon, and reside in Louisville.

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