Trainer McCarthy Sends Out First Starter

   New trainer Michael McCarthy saddles Norastone (Kafwain) in today’s California Cup Oaks. The undefeated bay represents the first-ever runner for his barn. He went out on his own last month, after spending 11 years under Pletcher’s tutelage, including five in the Golden State. 
    Several of McCarthy’s years working for Pletcher saw him based at Belmont Park. However, McCarthy started thinking about what it would be like back at his home coast. 
    “I always knew I wanted to come back to California,” McCarthy said. “It’s where I’m from, it’s where I first started working in racing. My wife and my daughter were here and they spent a lot of time coming back and forth to the east coast to come see me. My wife has a job out here and in today’s economic climate it is better to have two good jobs than no jobs at all. It got very hard to do. I spent 2002 and 2003 in New York and loved everything about Belmont Park. I wasn’t crazy about being in New York year-round though. I ended up coming back here on my own.” 
    The duties and responsibilities of assistant trainer and trainer are similar, but McCarthy is well aware of the differences. He currently has a handful of horses and numbers among his clients Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which also has several horses with his former boss. 
    “When you work for Todd, the great part is dealing with the horses and Todd, you know,” stated McCarthy. “You do have some owner interaction. However, there is obviously some financial obligation [as a trainer] that you don’t have as an assistant. It takes up a large bit [of your time] when you become your own man.” 
    “It’s nice to have some freedom, as far as picking spots and developing young horses,” McCarthy continued. “I’m not sure if you have more or less freedom on your own, you know? Either way, both situations present themselves with quite a few obligations.” 
    Like most people in the Thoroughbred industry, McCarthy is looking on the bright side and to the future. 
    “I’ve got some business with some 2-year-olds coming in, so obviously it’s a little quiet right now, but I’ve got some people that are willing to invest some money,” McCarthy added. “We will be active in the 2-year-old sales. The opportunity from Aron [Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners President Aron Wellman] and Lee [Eclipe’s Chairman Lee Midkiff], that they expressed to me was to make it a viable one, so definitely I jumped at the chance. Eclipse has come a long way in a short period of time and it’s hard to argue with what they’ve accomplished thus far.” 
    Norastone was owned previously by Hopes Racing Stable, Inc and her past trainer was Guadalupe Preciado. She has already been under McCarthy’s care for several weeks. The bay filly was a private purchase by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and will be making her third trip to the post in the California Cup Oaks. Both her prior starts were victories at Parx in Pennsylvania. She worked a half mile Jan. 18. 
    “She arrived here in very good order,” said McCarthy. “She worked a half-mile over the turf in :48 and four here the other day and I thought she finished up well. It’s a slightly ambitious spot, but I think she’s live, with what I’ve seen so far.” 
–Heather Likins