Aidan O'Brien saddles Duke Of Marmalade and Henrythenavigator still chasing an elusive Breeders' Cup Classic - and admitted his best effort in the race is now a fading memory.
The closest the Ballydoyle handler has come to Classic glory was Giant's Causeway's agonising neck defeat by Tiznow at Churchill Downs in 2000.
The likes of Galileo, Hawk Wing, Hold That Tiger have all tried and failed to go one step further.
But nothing symbolises the Irish trainer's chastening experiences of the race better than when George Washington, sixth in the Classic in 2006, had to be put down after suffering an injury at Monmouth Park 12 months ago.
O'Brien, though, is intent on looking forward rather than back and aims to set the record at Santa Anita.
Asked if he got the taste for the Classic from the Giant's Causeway experience of 2000, O'Brien replied: "Absolutely, but the taste is starting to wear off now.
"It was a long time ago.
"It would be great if they ran well but Giant's was a great horse and, as everybody knows, he's going to be a great stallion because they (his prodigy) are only going to get better from two to three, three to four and four to five.
"But it was great to be involved with it that year.
"The Classic is a great race and it's not an easy race to win.
"It's great to have horses good enough to run in it and with any of those races, you go in and you do your best in them.
"You never expect to win any of them.
"You hope, you try and sometimes it will work, and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes you come across an extra special horse and it will happen.
"Hopefully it will happen sometime.
"It's great to have the Classic there for when they're proven at other distances and if they can run in the Classic against the proven Classic-type horses, it's another string to their bow."
In Henrythenavigator and Duke of Marmalade, O'Brien believes he has two of his best chances from an eight-strong hand at Santa Anita this weekend.
"The form horses now are Henry, Duke, Halfway To Heaven and Soldier (Of Fortune)," he added. "They're the four with the strongest form.
"Heart Shaped, we're not sure about the mile, Westphalia, we're very happy with - he's another one with the form."