Paul Tobin

What makes this particularly striking is how much of that record is tied to one horse. Twoplustwo Equals has been Tobin's most frequent partner, running sixteen times together without managing to get their heads in front. That's a long road of near-misses, or simply misses, for a yard that is clearly still searching for its breakthrough moment.

In fairness, four years is not a long time in training. Building a string of horses, finding owners, and learning the rhythms of the sport is slow, unglamorous work. But sixteen runners without a winner — across an entire season and the full stretch of his career — means Tobin and his team will be desperate for the day when that changes. Every trainer has a first winner. His is still out there, waiting.