Jeff couldn't win a 1 horse race for a couple years !! Then he starts winning and his horses like Downtown Bus go from bad grass rooter to top end stakes horse! All at the he same time the Dowse horses show up in his barn. Coincidence?
While I agree that The Downtown Bus was somewhat of a rat in the beginning, I think it's fair to say that he isn't the first to improve with time and maturity.
As for representing that Gillis "starts winning" all of a sudden, you couldn't be more wrong. The guy's done nothing but win ever since he took out his trainer's license. Started with cheap horses and made the progression to Stakes calibre. See Federal Flex, Santanna Blue Chip, Mister Herbie and the list goes on. They all came well before the likes of Will Take Charge and The Downtown Bus and if you bothered to actually know someone and their practices beyond what you see and read on the computer in your dungeon, you'd know these things. Yes, he did have a spell where he was cold and not racing as much or as much quality, but I believe he put racing on the back burner to be hands on raising his two boys and get involved in their baseball, hockey, etc.. So in this case and based on these FACTS, no, Gillis' situation doesn't compare to Blake's.
