"I just don't feel I can do this at the scale I've been doing it for the last 30 years. I have to back off a little bit.”
Less than one week after his record-setting six-win Breeders Crown night at Woodbine Racetrack, Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter confirmed to harnessracing.com on Thursday that he has decided to cut back on his number of horses and not buy any yearlings at next week's sale in Harrisburg, Pa.
"I have to cut down a little bit. I'm tired and burned out,” said Takter, who traveled to his recently-purchased home in Florida north of Fort Lauderdale with his wife Christina earlier this week.
Takter said he trained between 85-90 horses this year. He had 17 starters in last Saturday's Breeders Crown finals, with his six winners helping contribute to a record $2.69 million night in purses. Overlooked on the night was that Takter surpassed the US$100-million mark in career earnings as a trainer.
Takter said despite all the winner's circle celebrations, he never had a chance to fully appreciate what he accomplished.
"You think I had any enjoyment there?” said Takter, who noted he actually made the decision to bypass Harrisburg about three weeks ago. "I was rushing for the next race and the next and the next race. I never got to appreciate it.”
Takter added that longtime yearling consultant Perry Soderberg would still be at Harrisburg, although advising other clients. He said that with 15 recent yearling purchases at the Lexington Selected Sale and another 15 homebreds, he expects to train about 30 two-year-olds in 2016. He hopes to bring his total number down to 60.
"I want to come down to a number where it's fun again,” said Takter, who turned 55 on Sept. 29. "I'm not Ronnie Burke, who can handle that big operation. He wants to have that.”
(harnessracing.com)