I did a little research on Ruis, as I'm kinda stumped as to why he has been so stubborn in not admitting he may be the problem. He was a highscool drop out but a stand out wrestler, had no background in horse training, made millions in contracting by applying that grinding wrestling mentality and said you can do anything by applying that same mentality to anything else. After he made money, he wanted to buy race horses and did got around 50 head.
One thing about horse race training is that you REALLY have to know horses, when to sit them, when to breeze them, when to sit them, how to train them, what equipment to use, etc - simple hard work just does not cut it. I've seen interviews with the guy and he did not even know what the large heart gene was. Baffert was training his dad's horses when he was just a kid. Aidan grew up under his dad, who was also an excellent trainer. Assmussen also came from horses and racing. Lukas also had horses and cut his tooth on the quarter horse track, also applied his years of coaching basketball to the barn. Ruis simply just doesn't not know what he doesn't not know, like many stubborn yet successful business men,and sadly for the horse, he went from rendering the second highest Brisnet in the pre Derby (and did it as a young two year old!) to not finishing past the wire first in his whole three year old season. Naturally tho, I expect Ruis to put the blame on someone/something else and not turn the colt over to a Chad Brown, who could clearly take this horse to heights he simply could not.
Whenever a horse is out standing like Bolt was early on, it is generally that talent is enough to get it by, and when he keeps dwindling and declining, it is then because the owner does not know what he is doing and is ruining it. If Baffert, Steve or Chad had this horse, I really think things would have been different.
