"Michael Dickinson, the 48-year-old
Yorkshireman who was prematurely branded
as a failure as a trainer of Flat horses
in England, was being hailed across
America yesterday as an inspired master
of his craft after Da Hoss completed an
almost miraculous double in the Breeders'
Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in Kentucky."
"Da Hoss's comeback was a feat of training that had hardened veterans tossing the word genius freely in Dickinson's direction as he cheerfully admitted that he was experiencing 'the most emotional day of my life'"
"Da Hoss's comeback was a feat of training that had hardened veterans tossing the word genius freely in Dickinson's direction as he cheerfully admitted that he was experiencing 'the most emotional day of my life'"
"The most stunning performance of the day
was the victory of Da Hoss in the Mile -
the result of a virtuoso training job by
Michael Dickinson."
"The most acclaimed horsemen in American history - Charlie Whittingham, Woody Stephens, Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, Ben Jones - never did anything like this."
"The most acclaimed horsemen in American history - Charlie Whittingham, Woody Stephens, Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, Ben Jones - never did anything like this."
"There are horses and there are trainers.
I've been around the track only some 65
years. I didn't need to think it over
when Da Hoss, winner of the fourth race
of the Breeders' Cup, and his trainer
Michael Dickinson, entered the winner's
circle after the Cup Mile on the turf.
Dickinson has to be one of the world's
best trainers, and Da Hoss has to be one
of the classiest and biggest-hearted
horses."
"...but his effort in bringing back the
injury-plagued Da Hoss to win a second
Breeders' Cup Mile ranks as one of the
best performances of the modern era."
"What sort of alchemy has Dickinson been
working?"
"He is renown for an attention to details that plays a big role in the management of horses in his care."
"Rarely has there been a winning race to approach this one that showed off such a tremendous training feat and such courage from a horse."
"He is renown for an attention to details that plays a big role in the management of horses in his care."
"Rarely has there been a winning race to approach this one that showed off such a tremendous training feat and such courage from a horse."
"November 7, 1998 will be remembered as
the day Michael Dickinson pulled off one
of the great training feats in American
racing history."
"The race provided the emotional highlight of Breeders' Cup Day."
"To get a horse both physically and mentally sharp after two years absence requires a master craftsman."
"At that point, no one would have been surprised to see Da Hoss, with just one start in two years, fade."
"The victory by Da Hoss was one of the most remarkable training jobs of the modern era. Trainer Michael Dickinson has been called a genius. Now a lot of people understand why. The indelible impression left from Breeders' Cup 1998 was the courage and unexpected triumph of Da Hoss. It was truly one for the ages."
"The race provided the emotional highlight of Breeders' Cup Day."
"To get a horse both physically and mentally sharp after two years absence requires a master craftsman."
"At that point, no one would have been surprised to see Da Hoss, with just one start in two years, fade."
"The victory by Da Hoss was one of the most remarkable training jobs of the modern era. Trainer Michael Dickinson has been called a genius. Now a lot of people understand why. The indelible impression left from Breeders' Cup 1998 was the courage and unexpected triumph of Da Hoss. It was truly one for the ages."
"I think he's a genius squared. He's a
double genius. He's a genius in a mind.
He's a most intelligent person, and he's
a genius as a race horse trainer as well.
And which ever way you look at Michael
Dickinson, he just plays the game by his
own drummer. He doesn't listen to what
society tells him to do. He does what he
wants to do. And you saw the results here
today."
"Yet another Breeders' Cup winner. What a training job that was. To bring a horse back like that. It might never happen again."
"A phenomenal training job by a phenomenal trainer."
"I'll tell you, he can train one of my horses any day of the week."
"He's go to be right up there with the best in America."
"He doesn't have that many horses. So, you won't see him atop the trainers standing. But as far as horse flesh goes, you can only equal him. You can't better him."
"Yet another Breeders' Cup winner. What a training job that was. To bring a horse back like that. It might never happen again."
"A phenomenal training job by a phenomenal trainer."
"I'll tell you, he can train one of my horses any day of the week."
"He's go to be right up there with the best in America."
"He doesn't have that many horses. So, you won't see him atop the trainers standing. But as far as horse flesh goes, you can only equal him. You can't better him."
"Unbelievable, sensational in victory
here today."
"Oh my, this is the greatest comeback since Lazarus."
"He's had one race in two years."
"Oh my, this is the greatest comeback since Lazarus."
"He's had one race in two years."
"We said Michael Dickinson was a mad
genius. How in the world can you have
this horse ready with one race in two
years and win his second Breeders' Cup
Mile?"
"It was just an astounding performance."
"A wonderful training job by Michael Dickinson. One of the all-time training jobs."
"The tradition holds true as Joan Wakefield and Michael Dickinson score again in the Breeders' Cup Mile."
"People were scoffing at him. People thought 'No way. He might even get in the race.' And here he is off one race in two years winning against the best in the world."
"It was just an astounding performance."
"A wonderful training job by Michael Dickinson. One of the all-time training jobs."
"The tradition holds true as Joan Wakefield and Michael Dickinson score again in the Breeders' Cup Mile."
"People were scoffing at him. People thought 'No way. He might even get in the race.' And here he is off one race in two years winning against the best in the world."
"Mr. Dickinson told me this horse was
going to be ready for today."
"Well, Dickinson proved once and for all
he is indeed a genius, as he sent out Da
Hoss to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup
Mile."
"The eccentric genius of Michael Dickinson and the courage of Da Hoss has melded together to create one of the great chapters in the annals of the Breeders' Cup."
"The eccentric genius of Michael Dickinson and the courage of Da Hoss has melded together to create one of the great chapters in the annals of the Breeders' Cup."
"The outstanding individuals of the 15th
Breeders' Cup were Da Hoss, winner of the
Mile at 11-1, and his trainer, Michael
Dickinson."
"Da Hoss and especially Dickinson made bids for titles because of the dramatic victory in the mile. One of the greatest training jobs ever."
"Da Hoss and especially Dickinson made bids for titles because of the dramatic victory in the mile. One of the greatest training jobs ever."
"Fresh was best. Da Hoss, trained by the
brilliant Michael Dickinson, had made
just one start in the two years since his
victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile."
"More than 100 Breeders' Cup Races have
been run, but few have created the buzz
that Da Hoss's win did in the mile.
"Da Hoss' success is a testament to the
ingenuity of his trainer and faith of his
owners."
"Da Hoss' comeback from almost two years
off to win the Breeders' Cup Mile for the
second time is the feat of the year, for
both horse and trainer Michael
Dickinson."
"Miracle Worker... All the speed figures
and handicapping theories in the world
can be tossed out the window when it
comes to horses trained by Michael
Dickinson... The feat will go down in
history as one of the greatest training
accomplishments of all time."
"Dickinson pulls a miracle."
Dickinson is proving to his American
contemporaries that he is among the best
trainers in the world."
"The rulebook was re-written when Da
Hoss, trained by Michael Dickinson, won
the Breeders' Cup Mile. You would have to
search racing history far and wide to
come up with a horse that even came close
to matching this feat."
"Year in Review, Best Training Job:
Michael Dickinson"
"Mind-numbing accomplishments."
"One of the greatest training feats of
all time."
"It had never been done before, and few
believed trainer Michael Dickinson, who
had begun to be described in the media as
"Mad Genius", could pull it off."
"Volponi Award - Michael Dickinson: In
Italian, Volponi means "the old fox".
That's what it took to get Da Hoss ready
for the Breeders' Cup."
"Trainer of the Year: Michael Dickinson,
for saddling the best-prepared individual
ever pointed toward a championship -
ever."
"Dickinson's work with Da Hoss will be
remembered as one of the best training
jobs in Breeders' Cup history."
"As Michael Dickinson pointed out at the
time of his incredible first five home in
the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup, getting
just one horse fit and well enough to rub
at that meeting is an achievement in
itself. To have as many as five runners
in the season's most prestigious
steeplechase is extraordinary, and to see
those horses fill the first five places
quite astonishing. I'm sure such a feat
will never be repeated."
"He can probably keep them a lot sounder
than we can at the race track. He has all
day to fool around with them. Here, we're
in a regiment of 'got to get them in and
get them out.'It gives him a big edge,
and he's a smart man, a great trainer."
"In all walks of life there are fifferent
levels of achievement. Not all training
centers and not all trainers are created
equal. No trainer of record, with the
exception of Michael Dickinson, has
achieved more success from his or her
training center than Noel Hickey."
"For decades, nearly every high profile
trainer in the United States based their
operation at a racetrack. Owners
routinely sent those trainers the best
horses and many others followed this
accepted path to success. However, the
recent accomplishments of local trainer
Michael Dickinson spearheaded a dramatic
change. Dickinson proved private
facilities could produce quality runners
and high-profile owners took notice.
Michael Dickinson is somebody who's
really put this style of training on the
map, before it was somewhat unprecedented
in this country. This may be a bit of an
exaggeration, but I think a lot of owners
didn't realize you could train very
successfully in a training facility. Most
of your top trainers have always trained
at a racetrack. That was the way it's
been done and I think that's changing a
little bit in this country. A lot of that
is due to Michael Dickinson and the
success he's had in Fair Hill."
"Really, this issue [condition of
racetrack surfaces] ties into the drug
consortium - this is the next step to
protecting equine athletes. If the same
people on the consortium turn their focus
to racing surfaces, then we might be able
to make some gains when it comes to the
welfare of the horse. This is the trainer
Michael Dickinson's favorite theme. He
put money where his thoughts were and
built his own facility that he trains
over every day."
February
17th 2006, Racing Post, United Kingdom.
MWD is awarded the Greatest Training Feat
for having the first five home in the
1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
"Michael Dickinson thoroughly deserves his top spot. It was a very, very remarkable achievement."
"He was very intense about his horses - it's not in my nature to approach the job like that - and he was a great talent. It was a great loss to British racing when he went to train in the US."
"It was a shame that he went to Manton to train two-year olds as well, as he would undoubtedly have been champion trainer over jumps and set the standard for a long time."
"Michael Dickinson thoroughly deserves his top spot. It was a very, very remarkable achievement."
"He was very intense about his horses - it's not in my nature to approach the job like that - and he was a great talent. It was a great loss to British racing when he went to train in the US."
"It was a shame that he went to Manton to train two-year olds as well, as he would undoubtedly have been champion trainer over jumps and set the standard for a long time."
"That man should move to Alaska because
he could win the Iditarod with a team of
Chihuahuas."
"They should have saved some time and
built Michael Dickinson his own wing in
the National Museum of Racing and Hall of
Fame back in 1998 after he trained Da
Hoss to win the Breeders' Cup Mile on
only one prep race following a two year
absence. Now, if they don't at least get
Dickinson's plaque ready, they may as
well turn the property at the corner of
Union Avenue and Ludlow Street in
Saratoga Springs into a hamburger stand.
That is because Dickinson did it again
Saturday. Make no mistake, his victory
with A Huevo in the Grade I Frank J. De
Francis Memorial Dash was definitely of
Da Hoss-like proportions. ...But it does
little to temper the degree of difficulty
involved in this piece of training work."
"Another Michael Dickinson miracle."
"A Huevo paid $20.60 and would have paid
more - much more - had anyone but
Dickinson trained him. Bettors back
Dickinson when they'd scoff at another
trainer. A horse running in a Grade I
stakes with a record comparable to A
Huevo's? Well, a horse with that record
wouldn't be running in a Grade I stakes
if it were trained by someone other than
Dickinson."
"With Tapit, he showed he can train a young one too."
"With Tapit, he showed he can train a young one too."
"They talk about him being the mad
genius. If anyone thinks this man isn't
the best trainer on the planet... He's
the only person who could have done
this."
"The mad genius struck again."
"...the adjective 'orthodox' has rarely
been applied to Dickinson..."
"Throughout his career, Michael Dickinson
has proved capable of extraordinary
accomplishments. Dickinson has made his
reputation defying conventional wisdom.
That is the main reason no one seems
ready to give up on a horse with so many
challenges in his way."
"Dickinson has tossed tradition aside in
his relentless pursuit of perfection."
"When Michael Dickinson brough his
unorthodox philosophies from across the
Atlantic, his eccentric confidence amused
and baffled American racegoers. Here was
an enigma who refused to train at a
racetrack, but could turn cripples into
graded stakes winners. The years have not
diminished the sideways glances at his
unusual methods, but no one dares doubt
him when he unveils a new star."
"No one ever knows what to expect from
Dickinson. He once won a race with a
horse off a two-year layoff, which was a
pretty big deal, except he also won with
a horse that had been on five years' R
& R. For sheer madness, it's tough to
top the tale of how he won a Breeders'
Cup race using a secret weapon of 5-inch
stiletto heels. No, he wasn't wearing
them, but he had a friend don them to
scout the racing surface for softness."
"The only other Grade I of the month, the
De Francis Memorial Dash on November 15,
at Laurel, provided one of the most
heartwarming stories - and most amazing
training feats - of the year. English
readers, though, will be familiar with
the infinite patience and training
wizardry of Michael Dickinson and he
never gave up on A Huevo. The 17-hand
gelding returned to the races in August,
won in September, and simply dominated a
good field in the De Francis. Shake You
Down, third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint,
was not fast enough to keep up but held
on for second."
"Tapit also has had the advantage of
training at Dickinson's Tapeta Farm in
Maryland, with its all weather surface
and open, uphill gallops. Dickinson,
who's meticulous about details and
uncompromising about the welfare of his
horses, has earned a reputation over the
years for performing racetrack miracles."
"It is the true meaning of confidence
when one knows he will excel at something
that has never before been accomplished."
"This science has been slow to reach the
horseracing wolrd. But, there are a few
pioneers among us, and Michael Dickinson
of Tapeta Farm in Maryland is one of
them. His passion for winning is matched
only by his passion to create the perfect
training environment."
"If you have a trainer as brilliant as
Michael Dickinson working for you, you
should listen to him."
"...but he's in the hands of the
masterful Michael Dickinson, so bettors
weren't reluctant to take the short price
- he put in a nice five furlong drill
last week and should be poised to pounce
when the real running begins; beat him to
collect."
"Trained by the legendary Michael
Dickinson, A Huevo was the beneficiary of
his conditioner's remarkable patience and
horsemanship."
"A Huevo was still one more he brought
back from the dead."
"Michael Dickinson has had many stakes
winners over the years. Up until a few
years ago, Dickinson was known primarily
as a 'turf trainer' but that label no
longer applies. At one time, the majority
of his runners were European-breds, so
they were naturally suited to grass. With
a healthy respect for pedigrees,
Dickinson's major strength has always
been knowing where to place his horses,
and his lofty win percentage over the
years has consistently been between 20
and 40 percent. If his runners have turf
pedigrees and are bred to route, he does
not begin their careers on dirt at six
furlongs like many trainers do."
"Dickinson out to make more magic in
Hollywood Turf Cup."
"Michael Dickinson has been called the
Mad Genius on more than one occasion. He
showed off his genius side once again on
Saturday by winning the Grade I De
Francis Dash with A Huevo, who knocked
off the brilliant Shake You Down by 1-3/4
lengths in 1:08 4/5. Not bad for a West
Virginia-bred who was laid up for 3-1/2
years, and was making only his third
start back. This is not the first time
Dickinson has pulled off such a feat. Who
can forget Da Hoss, who won his second
Breeders' Cup Mile (gr.1T) off one prep
following a year layoff. And then there
is Cetewayo, a rare complete horse who is
still competitive in graded stakes at age
9, and was a Grade I winner at age 8,
despite nagging problems throughout his
career."
"In the wake of Da Hoss's Breeders' Cup
Mile and countless other amazing layoff
winners from Michael Dickinson's
headquarters at Tapeta Farm, it stands to
reason that Cetewayo wouldn't be in this
race unless he was doing extraordinarily
well."
"One other note about this race. Da
Hoss's victory in last year's Mile at
Churchill in just his second start after
a two-year layoff was something to
behold. But the fact that he come back
leads me to believe it was more of an
all-star job by Michael Dickinson."
"Trainer Michael Dickinson has done it
again."
"...But, there is a giant wild card in
this Derby, and that is Michael
Dickinson... Factor in Dickinson's
amazing work with Da Hoss and A Huevo,
just to mention two examples, and the
strong feeling is Tapit and Michael
Dickinson are a duo that can break a
bunch of Derby Rules."
"...the horse has obviously responded
beautifully to the unorthodox training of
world-class horseman Michael Dickinson."
"Dickinson does things the average horse
trainers simply don't do."
"This was more than just another
logic-defying conquest by the man they
call the "Mad Genius". Although some
perceive Michael Dickinson to be a
graduate of Hogwart School, performing
Harry Potter like feats of Magic."
"This is strictly a faith play. When
trainer Michael Dickinson was convinced
Da Hoss was going to win the 1998
Breeders' Cup Mile, I did not bother with
past performances. I just went to the
windows."
