Top Three-Year-Old Trio Gallop At Chuchill Downs
April 11, 2002
By, Jill Byrne

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 11, 2002) - On April 11, following the renovation break, Mayakovsky, Ethan Man, and Request for Parole were all out for a gallop; each had very different ways of going.

Mayakovsky, who made a grand appearance on the racetrack, galloped aggressively, pulling the exercise rider and cocking his head toward the inside. The nearly-black son of Matty G covers the ground well with a long, fluent stride, however his aggressive style is indicative of his sprinters' pedigree. Mayakovsky is slated to make his next start in the Derby Trail (GIII) on Apr. 27, the opening day of Churchill Downs' 2002 spring meet.

Like Mayakovsky, West Point Thoroughbred's Ethan Man has the same distance pedigree questions as Mayakkovsky but to watch him train, one would say he looks like a distance horse. The son of Glitterman covers ground deceptively fast, with a longer stride, yet he gallops very relaxed for a horse who has shown tremendous speed. He does not pull the rider hard and carries his head low and straight, while galloping around the track comfortably.

Request For Parole's galloping style fits somewhere in the middle of the aggressive style of Mayakovsky and the relaxed demeanor of Ethan Man. Request For Parole has a very relaxed appearance on the track and goes through his gallops in a workman-like fashion, much the same way he runs. He takes one steady hold of the rider and has bit more knee action than Mayakovsky and Ethan Man, but gets a great deal of push from his powerful hind quarters. He gallops around the track at a good pace, and acts as if he could go around several times at the same brisk clip, indicative of the colt's fitness.

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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