Justin Curren: Pletcher's Best Bet! by Tara Cochran
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” so the saying goes. There is no better proof of this than the synergism found within Todd A. Pletcher Racing Stables, Inc. With over 200 horses in training today, it would be impossible to achieve the successes that Todd Pletcher has alone. In addition to the six assistants that he entrusts to oversee his multiple strings of horses in Florida, Kentucky, California and New York, he also has a team of foremen, exercise riders, grooms, hotwalkers and office staff that collectively help run this well-oiled machine. Recently, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the Pletcher barn at Hollywood Park, where I was able to speak with someone who is an integral part of this operation, Justin Curran.
At just 23, this aspiring trainer already has an extensive resume, which he began building in his native country of Ireland. As a graduate of The Racing Academy Centre of Education, Justin was the first in his class to win a race as a jockey. He has also worked for the likes of Dermott Weld, galloping horses such as the 2002 Melbourne Cup winner, Media Puzzle, and Sights On Gold (IRE), whom he rode to victory in the Irish Apprentice Derby, at the age of 17.
Like most workers on the backside, everyday is a workday for Justin. His days begin at four in the morning and can last for 10 hours or more, especially on race days. Today they do not have any horses racing; however, there is still plenty of work to be done. As the barn’s foreman and one of three exercise riders, Justin has both morning and afternoon responsibilities. In the overall organization, Justin falls about midway down the chain of command; however, working in this particular barn, he is second in command.
Today, his duties as foreman include putting on bandages, checking horses’ legs, administering medications and overseeing the payroll of the other employees; on race days, he accompanies grooms with their horses on their walk over to the track and in the paddock and, if necessary, the test barn, and ensures that the horse(s) running that day have their necessary equipment for the race.
As an exercise rider in the mornings, he gets on five to six horses per day. These days his mounts include Kentucky Derby hopefuls, Circular Quay and Ravel (recently off the Derby trail due to injury), and Kentucky Oaks hopeful, Rags to Riches. He has also ridden other notable Pletcher trainees, such as Any Given Saturday, Flower Alley, Icy Atlantic and Ready to Please. When asked about what he perceives as the main difference between racing in North America and Europe, he quickly answered that North American racing places more emphasis on speed and times than European racing.
Although the hours and workload can be daunting at times, Justin thoroughly enjoys working for one of the most successful trainers in racing. An employee for a little over a year, the things that he enjoys the most about working for Todd Pletcher are “being around good horses and working with good people.” When asked to describe Todd Pletcher, Justin noted his undeniable work ethic and horsemanship skills, as well as his ability to communicate effectively with people, including the media and his owners. He also added that he is meticulous and “leaves no stone unturned.” This, no doubt, was evident just by looking around the shed row, where sheets were folded and hung with precision, charts were written without any stray marks, bright white bridles and lead shanks were uniformly hung, and saddles were neatly stacked in the tack room. It was definitely one of the most organized barns I have ever seen and the horses that filled the stalls were some of the happiest. And, despite the long hours involved, each employee had a smile on their face.
Given his nationwide success, it stands to reason that every barn bearing the sign reading “T.A.P.” runs in this manner. For any business to prosper, the employees performing the day-to-day tasks must have skill, dedication and passion for their jobs. Judging by what I saw on this day alone, I have no doubt that Pletcher’s enthusiasm and dedication to his business and this sport are shared by each of his employees as well. The proof of this lies in the impressive stats Pletcher continues to compile, stats that would not be possible without the devotion of workers like Justin Curran. |
