Waving The Flag for Union Rags!

You know how I was just complaining about the high cost of higher education? Well, I guess I should have taken all the college savings out of the bank and staked it on a Win ticket for Union Rags, because I woke up Saturday morning just KNOWING that horse would come out ahead. And by Johnny, that's exactly what he did!

A masterful ride by Johnny Valesquez enabled UR to get his head out in front in the nick of time. Mike Smith, who was aboard Paynter, apparently is beating himself up for letting them through on the rail, but I think UR was going to get there no matter what.

Actually, I decided UR was my pick on Friday night when I found out that I'll Have Another would not be running. I meant to check on the last-minute Belmont news Friday afternoon while I was working at the slower half  of my pasted-together job, but I didn't get around to it. Nor did I catch anything on CNN while walking by a TV in the break rooms at work. No, it was left to, of all things, my People magazine app on my phone to inform me of this development at about 9:00 PM. My shriek of dismay carried all the way downstairs, prompting my husband to text me with the words, "I'm sorry about the horse." (Guess it wasn't hard for him to figure out why I was yelling) He knew right when the announcement was made but figured I would also find out immediately, so he didn't say anything earlier.

*insert gnashing of teeth and hair-tearing*

Doggone it, I thought the horse had a legitimate chance. What a crying shame! On one hand, of course I'm very glad he wasn't run on an iffy leg. At first I was annoyed because it seemed like such a minor injury, but after doing a lot of reading of comments from more knowledgeable folks over on the COTH Racing forum, I found out it's really not so minor. Think of it as a pre-bow condition. Clearly, running a mile and half could very well have resulted in a complete bow or worse. I particularly appreciated this statement that someone made: "A little bit of a tendon is like being a little bit pregnant." It would have been just unbelievably bad for I'll Have Another to pull up in the race (Shades of Big Brown. That was despicable.).

Another person said that scratching from the race was actually not up to Doug O'Neill or Mr. Reddam; given the results of the scan they had done of IHA's leg, the track vet would not have allowed the horse to run. I'm unsure about that since other people said plenty of trainers WOULD run a horse with "a little bit of a tendon." This doesn't surprise me in the least, alas... but you just can't do that in a race that long, with a world-wide audience tuning in. DON's shady reputation didn't help, either. No way in h*ll was that horse going out on the track.

Retiring him/sending him straight to the breeding shed now also ticked me off, and I said so on the COTH forum. However, I got my hand gently slapped and I have to say I actually agree with the person who set me right. She pointed out that it's well within Mr. Reddam's rights to try and earn back some of the millions he has put into the sport of TB racing. True... guess I'm letting my general distaste of the man color my thinking.

At any rate, Union Rags did win, and it was a magnificent race. Slow, though - a full six seconds slower than Big Red's record-breaking 2:24! I still think he's a terrific horse and boy, I can't ask for any nicer/better connections than Mrs. Wyeth, a true life-long horse lover with a hobby stable and Michael Matz, who needs no introduction. Class acts all the way.

Here's a gorgeous photo of UR that my friend Wendy (EquiSport Photos) took of him while he was in training at Keeneland:

I have not looked into or heard anything about where Rags will go from here, but hopefully he'll be pointed towards the Travers or another Grade 1 stake coming up in a couple of months. Mrs. Wyeth adores this horse, and is thoroughly enjoying the ride of her life as an owner, so I am confident that whatever is planned will be in the best interest of the big guy. I have hope that we'll get to enjoy him as a four-year-old, too!

And now I have a confession: I didn't watch the Belmont Stakes live. Nope, I was at a polo match. I'd planned to skip it and stay home for the race, but with IHA out I decided I'd go to the biggest charity match of the year. Tomorrow I'll tell you the highs and lows of this experience - it was quite a day.

Grounded/Belmont Thoughts

*Sigh* No, I'm still alive and kickin' here in the heart of the Midwest. I'm just feeling rather discouraged on the riding front. We took a harder look at the finances involved to send the first one off to college, and OUCHIE, ow, ow ow. It ain't a pretty picture. So, Mommy's Expensive Hobby is pretty much going right out the 'ole window for now, I'm extremely sorry to say. No more Pebbles or Snickers for me for the foreseeable future. I will get on my friend's Giant WB LiRoi when I can (difficult while she's involved with polo season) but other than that, I think I am grounded. Sadness...

I'm thinking I need to get this book!

Salt was rubbed in the wound when an email arrived the other day announcing the Academy Show taking place in a few weeks at the new barn. Why I should feel bad about this is beyond me; why do I have a mad yearning to go out and (probably) embarrass myself in front of others? Why do I positively long to participate in this event? If I did sign up (unlikely if only because I haven't lessoned in a least a month and they would probably laugh at me/not allow me to do it), I guarantee you that I would spend the entire week beforehand in a frenzy of nerves.*

This is despite the fact that I probably would only enter a couple of flat classes. Not up to jumping any kind of course unless it was trot x-rails... which I would do if they had a "Flying Fossils" division for the likes of my 45+ year-old self. I hardly think I should be in the ring with itty-bitty kids! :-)

Furthermore (can you tell I'm justifying this all to myself), I would not be happy showing in my current breeches and helmet, even in an academy show. So there's another (at least) 100 bucks I don't have. Okay, okay, I guess I could stand to turn up in those items if I had to, but displaying my muffin top and less than fashionable helmet makes me feel like a frump before I even get on a horse. All I can say is, the kid had better be grateful and I had better not wreck some body part critical to riding before I'm able to do something for real again. Cancel the hang-gliding lesson forthwith, LOL!

***

Okay, enough with the pity party! The Belmont Stakes is fast approaching, which of course has the horse world talking Triple Crown. The media has managed to get some quotes from none other than Mrs. Penny Chenery, the lovely, wise and impeccably classy owner of my hero, Secretariat. Like me, she is not a fan of I'll Have Another's connections, but she thinks he can win the race. I really, really, really wish I also thought he could... but I just don't know. A rested and ready Union Rags and Dullahan stand a very good chance of blowing yet another TC attempt. I will be interested to see how young jockey Mario G. fares in his races at Belmont this week. I particularly hope he gets to ride another O'Neill horse in the mile and a half race in which it's entered, because that would be the perfect practice for the Big One on Saturday. The horse had a bruised foot but as of yesterday Doug says he's ready to run.

I just came across this interesting story (on COTH Racing Forum) about Flower Alley, I'll Have Another's sire. Must be nice to have a spare $165K lying about to buy a horse just because you like the name of the sire and dam, eh? :-) I also have been quite curious as to what effect IHA's recent success has had on Flower Alley's stud fee, previously a modest $7500 - now I know!

Eugene Melnyk was just on HRTV, and told the story of his acquiring Flower Alley.

He was at the Keeneland September sales in 2003 - the year Funny Cide had won the Kentucky Derby. He had already made his selections, and was waiting as the sale progressed. Looking through the catalogs, saw there was a son of Distorted Humor out of Princess Olivia. Olivia was his 1 year old daughter's name, and he always called her "Princess". Told his people to check the yearling out, and if there wasn't anything wrong with him, to go ahead and get him. They replied that he didn't look bad, so they bought him. (According to the Keeneland site, for $165k, which was the lowest price he paid of the 13 horses listed he bought at that sale. Two individuals were $1.75 and $2.8M)

Then he had to include his 4 year old daughter's wishes, so he let her help name him. She wanted it to be something pretty, so selected Flower Alley, a location in Barbados they all knew.

As a late foal (May), Flower Alley didn't blossom until later in his 3 yo year. But of course went on to win the Jim Dandy, the Travers, and then almost caught St Liam in the Breeders Cup Classic.

Oh, yea, and is the sire of I'll Have Another. And his book went overnight from 57, to a full book of 120 after the Derby, also after doubling the price overnight.

* I have got to write a post about what happened at my second-to-last horse show. Let's just say little sleep for the prior three days and absolutely no sleep the night before definitely did me no good...

I'll Have Another ... Win?

I'm watching the Preakness pre-race coverage right now, and getting caught up with the goings-on in MD. I, like everyone else, am not sure of what will happen, but I have a few thoughts.

Can I'll Have Another do it again? Maybe. He's been training well and seems fit and happy. I wish him and Mario all the best and certainly HOPE they can do it, because US horseracing could really use the shot in the arm that a Triple Crown contender would bring. I'm just afraid the horse will run out of track in the shorter Preakness. Then we have Bodemeister. He led almost wire-to-wire in the Derby, and is clearly a special horse. He's got speed, that's for sure, and today he's got a shorter distance to go. But, the track is completely different shape-wise, and everyone else is going to be determined not to let him get away from them. Will his jockey try to rate him, or will they charge to the front and stay there? We shall see. Furthermore, this colt's schedule has been really tough this year. Nothing that race horses didn't do in the past, for sure - they used to be raced MUCH more and more often - but not what most horses do these days. Will the strategy pay off? Or will the horse already have peaked/be too tired?

Went The Day Well, my awardee for Best Name in this group, is one I really have my eye on today. He was closing like a freight train the Derby and looks better all the time. You know I love his trainer Graham Motion, and I will be thrilled if he wins another Triple Crown race. I have a feeling this horse is better suited to the Belmont, though.

The above three are EVERYONE'S favorites, and not hard to pick. However, if I was at Pimlico right now, who do you think I'd actually be betting on?

Cozzetti and Creative Cause.

Sorry, I'd give you a photo of Cozzetti, who I just found out about today, but I'm typing this on my new iPad and I can't figure out to do that yet. Since you're probably all going to watch the race I won't worry about it! You will also know why I like him... On the off chance you haven't seen Cozzetti, he's a breathtakingly beautiful rose grey. Big surprise, right? :-) I can't find out much about him, but he's certainly considered a long shot in this race. All the more reason for me to like him! And no, I haven't given up on the other gorgeous grey, Creative Cause. He could come on up and surprise everyone, too. What a treat for me, the grey TB lover, to have two such lovely animals to look at. Just watched the expert analysis/computerized race mockup. He says Bode all the way, and my greys nowhere. Post time is very soon and I think I'll set this aside for now. I'll be back after the race for a wrap-up!

 **********************************
YES!!! This is just great - I am so excited! WHAT A RACE, too, like an instant replay of the Derby! I really didn't think IHA had a chance to catch Bode. What a nice ride by Mario, too; I love to see a newcomer/underdog do well in a sporting event of any kind. I am waiting anxiously for word on Went The Day Well. 10th out of 11... Not good and certainly not what anyone expected. Sure hope he's okay... And what do you know, my grey CC came third! He ran a super race and I'm proud of him. I would have made a little dough on him (it would have been a WPS bet). I'll be interested to see if he tries the Belmont. I think he has the pedigree to get a mile and a half. One thing's for sure - if IHA comes out of this race well, HE has the pedigree! Triple Crown hope lives!

P.S. I'm sorry if this posts all in one paragraph, which is what the preview is showing. Another iPad glitch, maybe? At least it's better than losing the whole thing like my phone did!

Blood Will Tell

I certainly bombed out as a handicapper this year: none of my three Derby favorites even hit the board, much less won the race. Instead, we had this guy taking the roses.

Congratulations to I'll Have Another! It's okay, I will eat humble pie and just be happy that the race was run fairly uneventfully. The lovely colt Take Charge Indy was injured, but not severely (ankle chip, should be back in training in 6 mos.), and a few other horses had some cuts and bruises, but nothing disastrous, thank God.

I'll Have Another was not really in the spotlight before the race, and obviously wasn't terribly popular with bettors as he went off at 15-1, but his name did come up pre-race as a contender. A lot of that was due to his absolutely sterling pedigree. The main reason this got my attention (most Derby horses sport pedigrees laden with Big Names) was my favorite turf writer Steve Haskin said IHA's was the finest he could recall. Here's the whole quote:

"You never know what tools someone uses to pick their Derby horse, but if you go by pedigree, although there are a number of classy, stamina-laden pedigrees, our favorite is I’ll Have Another. Just look at the Who’s Who of names, both American and European, in his pedigree. From Europe: Nijinsky, Sea Bird, Roberto, Sadler’s Wells, Le Fabuleux, Ribot, and Lyphard. From America: Pleasant Colony, His Majesty, Stage Door Johnny, Hail to Reason, Alydar, Tom Rolfe, Princequillo, Arch, Kris S, Caucasus, Mr. Prospector, Northern Dancer, and Danzig. And how about top-class fillies such as Althea, Quill, Bramalea, and Patelin? There is more stamina and class in this pedigree than any we can ever recall." - Steve Haskin, Bloodhorse.com, 4-May-2012

That is a pretty ringing endorsement, my friends. Too bad I saw it after I wrote my blog, haha! The only stallion I have not heard of on that entire list is Caucasus, but I'm afraid the fillies are all unfamiliar. Might have to look into them just out of curiousity.

Despite the fact that I'll Have Another was able to catch him in the stretch, Bodemeister also ran a terrific race. I really thought he was going to win it wire-to-wire. Before the race I was not on board with him, despite the hype, for the simple reason that no horse has won the Derby who didn't run as a two-year-old since something like 1887. I was skeptical at best. However, as this article says, he set a blistering pace and was still right there at the end. He is definitely one to keep an eye on in the future. Those quotes from Andrew Beyer are rather a bummer, though; I had kept reading about the quality and depth of the field this year, there as 10 horses who could win, how great they were, blah blah blah, and here he says they're (not in so many words) a bunch of junk except for Bodemeister. I'm sorry he feels that way, as I was feeling a bit more upbeat about the state of the American TB.

[Random aside: I was poking around and found this little gem: Beyer did a workup of Secretariat's stats using an updated methodology, in 2011, and arrived at a 139 rating. In comparison, IHA earned a 101 for this Derby (a very mediocre score). Yup, no doubt that Big Red would smoke every horse living today! :-)]

As I said, before the race I'll Have Another was pretty much off my radar screen so I hadn't looked into his connections. I thought his young jockey's  - a Derby rookie, of all things! - tears of joy post-race were just delightful and I continue to be glad of his success.

On the other hand, I wasn't sure about the vibe I was getting from the trainer, Doug O'Neill... and come to find out, I had reason to feel uneasy. The guy does not exactly have an unblemished past. There have been allegations of misconduct (dumping of broken-down horses in cheap claiming races) and fines for illegal medications (nickname: Drug O'Neill). Yes, I know, that sort of thing is rampant especially in the lower ranks of TB racing, and you're hard-pressed to find even top-ranking trainers who haven't been outed for something, but it doesn't mean it's ever okay and it's especially disappointing in yet another a Derby-winning trainer (koff, Big Brown's?, koff koff). Enough said. I hope the horse continues to do well, and stays healthy, but I'm certainly not going to root for him on behalf of the trainer.

I'm sorry if I've bored anybody silly who's not into TB racing, but this time of year I do start to pay attention. Fair-weather fan, I guess! :-) Sort of like the baseball team here in STL. Unless the Cardinals are actually in the playoffs, my family and I have not got a clue. "Oh, there was a game last night?" is a phrase I have learned not to utter around many, in response to some agitated comment, lest they glare at me like I am the stupidest person on planet St. Louis. Now just for fun, when I was at a sailing club event early Saturday afternoon, I couldn't resist asking one of my buddies if she was watching "the race" later. Blank look. The Derby may reel in many who never ever watch any other horse event, but even that isn't enough for some folks, LOL!

Wait - What, It's SATURDAY!?!?!

Oh, dear. It has recently come to my attention that there's a major equine event taking place in KY this Saturday... might be in Looiville... (that's how you say it, for the unititiated)... might have something to do with red roses, I think? ACK!!!

  Yeah, THAT'S IT!

I am so buried right now in my new job, summer plans including getting DD to college orientation 8 hours away (she's going to Ohio State, following in my footsteps!) and trying to squeeze in a few vacation days, scholarship applications, watching lacrosse games, organizing a Boy Scout troop-wide event, etc. ETC. that I have scarcely found time to breathe, much less think about the Derby. It's not even on my phone calendar yet which is truly disgraceful - but lately I've been lucky to stay one day ahead of anything, much less a week. My family would be grateful if maybe once in the next five days they got an actual home-cooked meal, but hope they're not holding their breath!

So, there's not going to be many hours of contemplation and website-researching to compile the Official RiderWriter Guide to Derby Day this year.* Nope, all you're gonna get is my down-and-dirty, half-formed, "I like these horses" because of XYZ kind of opinions. Sorry if you were counting on me for betting advice! Not to mention, I am also a fan of the current favorites, so I'm not being very original. Oh, well!

Hansen
Raise your hand if you're surprised I like the really grey horse. Hahaha, of freaking course I do. I've liked him ever since last year, along with much of the horseracing world. I think he's just a super-cool horse. I actually don't think Hansen is particularly handsome, but I do see intelligence there, and from what I've heard that is a key component to a really good racer.

Here's a bit of information I gleaned that makes me like his connections, too, especially the doctor for whom he's named:

Dr. Kendall Hansen & Sky Chai Racing

Dr. Hansen has owned racehorses for 30 years. His introduction to horse racing began while working at a Ford Plant where a coworker gave him tips on wagering. He earned enough money playing the ponies to pay for his first year of medical school. He calls champion Hansen his “horse of a lifetime” & donated $12,000 of Hansen’s Breeders Cup Juvenile earnings to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption.

Now, I'm sure that was pocket change to Dr. Hansen but to the good people at New Vocations it was a nice windfall. Yay for him! If more racehorse owners would step up and bring attention to the retraining/retirement operations, encourage people to think about their own TBs retirement, and donate towards that cause, many more former racers could be found new homes.

Union Rags
Lots of sentimental reasons to like this horse, and lots of practical ones, too. The latter include the fact that he's a real bruiser and just looks like he means business on the track. If I saw him barrelling down on me I'd probably think twice about staying in his way. That's important in a bumper-car race like the Derby.

 Yep, he's The Man alright and he knows it. Not to mention, dude has a pretty good turn of foot:  I am willing to overlook the third in the Florida Derby last time out, as he still had plenty in the tank and might just need that little bit of extra track he'll get at Churchill to really show us what he's made of. I sure hope he gets a good post position (draw going on virtually as I write this).

As far as the mushy reasons to like "Rags," (once again I'm assuming an obvious barn name, but who knows, it could be "Bozo" for all I know), they are pretty hard to miss. A big, strapping bay with a white blaze, trained by Michael Matz, a two-year old wunderkind? It just kills me that he has to be a bay and so much like Barbaro. Why couldn't MM have any other color horse who's a front-runner on the Derby trail.... *sigh* It's really rather spooky. Well, I just hope Big B is smiling down upon his "brother" here and will keep him safe. I'm sure the media is going to be all over this on Saturday, and Michael is going to be a bit sick and tired of the comparisons, but they are purely unavoidable.

Another neat thing about Union Rags is his owner, Phyllis Wyeth. She comes from an extremely illustrious TB breeding/racing family – her father owned Gone West, Union Rags’ grandsire – but is “small-time” herself. As she said in this article, “I have four foals. And one makes the Kentucky Derby.” She actually sold the horse as a youngster and then one night, woke up from a dream knowing she just had to buy him back. Just goes to show you that we should pay attention to our subconscious, because on Saturday she will most likely be saddling the  favorite!

Creative Cause
 Yep, can't ignore another grey. It really is just a coincidence that Creative Cause is also highly favored! :-) This guy is actually more to my taste color-wise than the strangely pale Hansen. CC is a beautifully-bred son of a gun and the hope is blood will tell; any great-great-great grandson of Secretariat gets extra points from me, of course.

I read some very interesting background material on this fellow, courtesy of my favorite source, turfwriter Steve Haskin. What a cool story! I like trainers like this Harrington guy; men/women of few words, not legendary or famous, trying to stay out of the spotlight despite their moment of fame but certainly enjoying the incomparable Derby experience in their own way. You just have to root for these folks over someone like Baffert or Lukas who has already won so much.

*  *  *

That about wraps up my pre-Derby coverage. Once again on the first Saturday in May I will be glued to the TV and saying to the family, "One day I'm gonna to be there." The sad thing is I really could have gone this year, in some style, as a friend of a friend offered me a grandstand ticket. The catch, of course, was the price (around $250). That didn't include meals or lodging (though I have a line on another friend of a friend upon whose L'ville couch I might be able to crash) so it was out of reach. In Missouri I shall be, screaming them home!

P.S. My pick for classiest name in the bunch: Went The Day Well. TB naming perfection.

* I said that, and now of course I have spent a couple hours looking at stuff online. Still, nothing like last year!

Thoroughbreds: Dying to Win

UPDATE: Thank you to the Fugly bloggers, who also just published a post on this very topic, with links to a number of recent articles. Thanks also to their readers who came up with these following extremely informative pieces:

First, my most favorite racing columnist of all time, Bill Nack, writing in 2009 about the reasons for the upswing in TB breakdowns. I'm sorry and surprised I missed this back then. I would cheerfully read every word the man has ever written, if only because he is the author of the preeminent biography of Secretariat, upon which the movie was based (Trivia: he also appears briefly in the movie, asking a question at a press conference alongside the actor playing his younger self. :-) I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Secretariat Festival in 2009 and he's delightful in person, too. This man knows racing inside-out and I believe this is the gospel truth.

Second, it appears the issue will once more be in front of the U.S. Congress, courtesy of a Senator from New Mexico. Huzzah!

*    *   * 

Anyone who has read this blog for a while already knows this, but in case you are not aware: I love and adore Thoroughbreds, beyond any other breed of horse. I grew up riding many of them in lesson programs, because that's all anyone had for H/J back in the day. Nobody was importing WBs when I was a kid, that's for sure; virtually all show hunters and most jumpers were TBs, often OTTB (ever heard of Idle Dice, my favorite childhood superstar?). My beloved Grey was at least part TB, as were my later best partners American Mare and Mom's Apple Pie. The latter was an OTTB who belonged to my trainer and her daughter, and I was very privileged to show her in 4-H. My most triumphant blue ribbon was earned on her back (a story I need to tell another time).

You have followed my adventures in Lexington, the heart of the US Thoroughbred breeding community. You know I'm a big fan of Old Friends equine retirement, home of many retired TB stallions and geldings. I hope to someday get my own OTTB from the Maker's Mark Secretariat Center or another OTTB retraining facility. A Thoroughbred is the only kind of horse I've ever wanted.

I'm telling you all this again so you understand why the following video and article just break my heart:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/death-and-disarray-at-americas-racetracks.html?_r=1

I saw a link to this several days ago on Facebook, via the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, but I have resisted reading it until now. I knew I was going to be upset. The situation on American racetracks is even more grim than I had realized; more and more horses are breaking down, and jockeys being injured.

One of the reasons is people are breeding lighter-boned, faster-maturing TBs. The main reason, however, can be summed up in this one sentence from the article.

"In England, where breakdown rates are half of what they are in the United States, horses may not race on any drugs."

Yup, there you have it. Especially in the lower levels of racing, trainers are pumping massive amounts of painkillers into the horses, masking injuries. They're also experimenting with "cocktails" of God-knows-what drugs to hopefully improve a horse's performance. It's a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately, the oven temperature is getting hotter. Back in 2009, after the Eight Belles incident, Congress actually called racing onto the carpet and the industry "promised" to clean up its act. What's happened? An even higher rate of horse deaths. Now, I think the increased media scrutiny, the greater awareness of the breakdown problem, and more public knowledge of what happens to TBs after they race (especially slaughter) are HOPEFULLY going to cause a major overhaul in the way we race Thoroughbreds in the United States. It probably won't be quick in coming, but I am praying that it will happen.

Sorry for the non-cheerful post today, but this is a topic very near and dear to me.

P.S. You may find it interesting to hear that my brothers went to high school with the president of the Jockey Club, John Gagliano. He appears briefly in the video. I haven't met him, but I have met his father, who used to be my parent's attorney. One of these days I plan on putting this connection to good use...

"And They're Off!"

"I am still under the impression that there is nothing alive quite so beautiful as a Thoroughbred horse." - John Galsworthy

It makes me sad that I feel like I need to justify what I did a week ago Saturday night, but here goes:


I LOVE Thoroughbreds. They are my favorite breed by far and always have been. I love them for their looks, their courage, their spirit, their personalities, for everything that makes them the Ferraris of the equine species. My fondness for the breed was born during childhood riding lessons spent at hunter barns where everyone's aspiration was to have a TB for the show ring. My mom was also a casual racing fan, and we usually watched all three Triple Crown races (the only ones televised back in the day), so I became interested in racing at an early age. Basically, as far as I am concerned, TBs have always been THE breed. Besides riding them, I like to read about them, study pedigrees, and watch them.


This includes live racing. As the years have gone by, and I've had Internet access, I've read and heard an awful lot about the dark side of TB racing. I'm afraid that when I was a kid, I never thought much about where they went when they were done with the track. Certainly off to greener pastures, to produce more wonderful animals like themselves or to be loved and ridden by horse-crazy people, right? Now I know that thousands go to slaughter. I know about the drugs, the breakdowns, the irresponsible breeding, the running on three legs and a heart, the riding too young, too fast, too soon. But I can't help it - I'm still fascinated. They are just so magnificent! Even the lowliest, shoulda-been-retired-two-years-ago broken down old claimer is a creature of absolute beauty to me.


So I went to the races.

Fairmount Park in IL is a little over an hour from my home. Every time I've driven by in the past I've thought, "I need to go there." But it took until last year, when a guy from work told me he was putting together a little racetrack-going party, to actually get me in the place. I had a great time, so this year when the email came I jumped on it and said COUNT ME IN.


Thanks to Equibase, I was able to pull up a complete list of entries for Saturday night's races. This made for some interesting reading: out of 47 runners total in eight races, guess how many had sires whose names I recognized? Six. And two of those studs are now retired at Old Friends! (More about this later) To be fair, most of the horses at Fairmount are Illinois-breds, and I don't know much about the breeding scene outside of KY. All of the horses whose dads' names rang a bell were KY-bred. In addition to checking out pedigrees, I also looked at recent workout times, races run and results, and what track(s) the horse ran on. I have never attempted before to do so much handicapping in advance, but the Internet sure made it easy.


I was especially excited about a horse running in the first race. Initially his name, Truebill, caught my eye, as I thought it was catchy, and then I saw his sire's name: Whywhywhy. I've heard of him... I have no idea "why," but I knew it. When I looked him up I found out he was indeed a nice horse. Not spectacular or a champion, but a useful sort and a graded-stakes winner of $315,000. He stands at Gainesway so you know he's also definitely a successful sire:

Wendy, if you're reading this - you guys need to call Gainesway! I think this is a LOUSY confo. shot: Whywhywhy's neck looks bad, he's overbalanced onto his front end, and his eye looks just awful! I know you could do a LOT better.

When I glanced back at Equibase and saw that Truebill is also a grey, I knew I had my pick for Race 1, pending a good look at the youngster. It was going to be his first race ever and he could act like a dingbat. I wanted to check out his eye and demeanor and see if I thought he had the smarts to figure out what he needed to do. Somewhere in the recent past - I think on Steve Haskin's blog over at Bloodhorse.com - I read that the author feels you can predict a racehorse's success by how smart s/he is. This makes sense to me. I have never felt like I could bet on a horse without seeing him/her in person, and besides checking for lameness, I now want a look at their eye. An intelligent face is going far with this bettor! (I also bet on a horse Sat. night simply because I liked his feet, but I'm getting ahead of myself :-)


Having said that, I was so excited about this guy on paper that before the horses even appeared in the paddock I went all to pieces and bet $2 on him to Win. I don't know why I was so keen; just had a feeling, I guess. I was not alone. Practically everyone else at the track also liked the grey's chances, as he was 2-1 from the get-go.


Luckily, Truebill did NOT disappoint when I did see him. He was simply gorgeous, rippling with muscles, and looked far more mature and ready to run than the other somewhat weedy and small two-year-olds in the Maiden Special. He was quiet, not sweating too much (and it was hot), and yes, had a air of intelligence. I apologize for the crummy through-the-fence cell phone photo, but here he is in the saddling enclosure:

He was a very dark steel grey; it was almost hard to tell his color.

After this I immediately went back to the betting window and laid down a couple more huge, monster bets, totalling the whopping sum of $6.00. $4.00 more on Truebill to Win, and a $2.00 Exacta box with the #4 horse, who was also popular and looked pretty good. Hey, considering my usual is the minimum $2, eight bucks IS a big splash! :-) I had vowed that if there was a horse I really, really liked I was going to be brave and risk a bit more. The only thing that stopped me from really living large (like betting $20, my entire stake for the night) was the fact that it still was his very first race. Anything could happen.


What happened was the darn horse won the race easily, making it look like it was something he'd already done a dozen times before. It was only a half-mile race, and he hung second for about three furlongs, made his move around turn, sailed to the front and never looked back. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy. To add to my joy, #4 managed to come in second, completing my Exacta. I was so excited to be holding three winning tickets that I raced back into the Clubhouse to cash them in and missed getting the Winner's Circle shot. I was handed $21.50 so I was ahead $13.50 on the first race! I got back outside just in time to catch the victor prancing his way back to the barn:

Again, a wretched photo but better than nothing.

I consoled myself for not betting more with the knowledge that, at such low odds, I would "only" have made $20 if I'd bet my whole stake. Now, if I'd thrown down the twenty on the Exacta we would have been talking the kind of money that would really be good news. I know, I know, "what ifs" are the bane of every gambler. But doggone it, that horse was a LOCK and I knew it! :-)


Gambling-wise, the rest of the night also went pretty well for me. I bet on six more races, and cashed in on four. I wound up going home with five extra dollars in my pocket and considered myself a success.


So about the other horses... There was a son of Marquetry, and a daughter of Jade Hunter running. Both of these guys now live at Old Friends, and I believe I met Jade Hunter when I was there (Marq hadn't arrived yet). I bet on both of the "kids," just because of the connection. The Marquetry did nothing but the Jade Hunter mare came in third, so I got money for my Show bet. Before one race, where I hadn't really seen anyone to get excited about on paper, I went to the ring and saw a horse with a very sweet face. When I looked at his feet I noticed that he actually - GASP! - had HEELS! A racehorse with real heels, whoo-hoo! I said as much to the trainer, an older guy who was busy saddling him. He said, "Yes, I like to keep my horses comfortable, they all have heels." So I bet on Sweet Face, too, and he ran second to last - but hey, at least his feet hopefully didn't hurt.

The other horse I was most excited about in advance, though (besides Truebill) was a son of Street Cry.* Ding! Ding! Ding! Can you say, "Zenny's Brother!" I know, technically not even a half-brother, but what the heck, I was tickled. Here's his picture, where you can at least see his head:

Don't know if there was a family resemblance or not. This guy is named Roadster, and has really been around the block. He's run a lot (40+ races) and personally, I think he should be retired rather than appear in $3200 claiming races at a not-top-echelon track. He was the favorite, and wound up placing in this race, I believe. I'm going to check back on him in a while and see what's going on.

There was one bad occurrence this evening at the track. In the last race, a horse I had bet on had to be pulled up halfway around. I overheard someone say he'd gone down on his knees but the jock didn't come off (I couldn't see what happened). Here's my ticket that I sadly, never got to cash:

I hope this guy, a grey and a good past runner, is going to be okay and finds a happy home with a TB-lover somewhere.

So there you have it: a night at the racetrack, complete with thrills, chills and plenty of beautiful, beautiful Thoroughbreds. I had a great time and so did the other folks I went with. I think it's sad and scary that going to the races used to be such a popular activity in this country and now so many tracks are closing. Fairmount seems to be doing okay, though, and someone told me that their "Horse Hooky" Tuesdays are attracting quite a crowd. Who knows, maybe I'll play hooky one of these days and head back over there!

Seattle Slew and the Belmont Stakes

Since the Belmont Stakes is coming up soon, I thought I'd share the story of my one and only trip to see the famous race in person.

I grew up in Middletown, N.J., which according to Google Maps is a mere 61 miles from the Belmont Park Racetrack in Elmont, NY. As I mentioned in a previous post, my mom and I were really upset when Secretariat won the Triple Crown so tantalizingly close to home. The reason we didn't go to the Belmont that year, though, is two-fold: as good as Red was, it seemed almost impossible that a horse really was going to win the Triple Crown - it had been 25 years! - and, Mom knew the journey would be very difficult and in reality take far longer than the 1.15 hours Google is currently claiming. ANY trip to Long Island from N.J. is pretty much guaranteed to be a nightmare on a good day, never mind a day when a whole lot of folks are headed in the same direction.

Nevertheless, just as soon as we were done cheering our lungs out at the TV when Big Red won and still wiping our teary eyes, Mom declared, "That's it - if another horse wins the first two races We. Are. Going. to the Belmont. It's just awful that we weren't there."  Fast forward to four years later...

A dark brown colt by the name of Seattle Slew was taking the racing world by storm. Purchased for a measly $17,000 by some newbie Thoroughbred owners, he quickly proved they'd hit the proverbial jackpot by going undefeated as a two-year-old and in all three of his Derby prep races. Reflect on this for a second: can you imagine the Taylor's & partner's beginner's luck??? When there are people out there dropping millions on TBs, they spend a fraction of the cost of a good showjumper even back then, and WHAM, wind up with the likes of Seattle Slew. Talk about a needle in a haystack! Anyway, Champion 2-Year-Old Seattle Slew went roaring into the Derby and won it handily, the first undefeated horse to do so. Everybody had high hopes for him in the Preakness and he did not disappoint. Some said he might fall to the speedy Cormorant, but that fellow finished third and Slew held off Iron Constitution to win by a length and a half. I must have turned to my mom (of course we had watched the race together) and said, "Well????"

The trip was on. My younger brothers and dad were either not interested in going, busy, or simply not invited - I don't remember which. Mom and I were definitely the horse people in the family so I think it was the former. Probably things were said along the lines of, "Why would you want to sit in traffic for hours just to see a stupid horse race," but we were undeterred: we were off to Belmont Park, come hell or high water, hopefully to see history being made once again.

The morning of the race dawned overcast, with some rain, but that did not dampen our spirits. I actually do not recall the car trip there, but I'm sure it wasn't any fun for the driver. Belmont Park was definitely crammed full of people, I do remember that! We parked somewhere and went to the in-gate for the grandstand. That's where I got this:

Isn't that a simply gorgeous trophy... I love silver anyway, and silver with horses is REALLY nice.

Yes, that's my real program from the day, dog-ears, pencil marks, beverage stains and all! I must confess that when I dug this out, I headed over to Ebay to see if it might be worth anything in actual dollars... nope, not really. Especially not in "well-used" condition. Oh, well, to me it's pretty much priceless - I'm extremely glad to still have this wonderful souvenir.

Mom and I made our way into the grandstand and from there out onto the apron in front of the track. I don't recall if we tried getting close to the rail prior to the Big Race, or were content to stand back a bit until it really counted.  I do know that we viewed most, if not all, of the races leading up to the Stakes, which was Race 8, because there are pencil marks on lots of the pages. Looking at the program the other night, I found it entertaining to check out the sires of all the runners that day to see whose names I recognized.

Belmont runners:

Bold Reasoning (Slew's dad)

Sir Ivor

Dust Commander (know he won the Derby)
Good Counsel

Horses in other races:

Dr. Fager

Hail To Reason

Raja Baba

Gallant Man

Northern Dancer

Damascus

Hoist the Flag

In Reality

Stage Door Johnny

Grey Dawn

An interesting look back! Here's what's really fascinating, though: out of all the runners themselves that day (nine races, so around 75 horses), guess how many names I recognized? Two. Slew himself, and Our Mims. Just goes to show you the percentage of how many TBs do not make it big on the track or in the breeding shed.

Here's the page before the listing of the horses in the Belmont:

It's hard to see but that's a list of prior winners going back to 1965 at the top of the page, and of course the race record holder's name at the tippy-top. Wonder who that could be... AND STILL IS.

Prior to looking at this, Mom and I had definitely made our best attempt to battle through the crowd to get as close to the rail as possible. We wound up about 10' away, and about 75' short of the finish line, packed in like sardines. The page for the Belmont itself:

Anybody recognize any of those other names? Not me.

As we were standing there a commotion rose up behind us. Two young men were making their way through the crowd, one of them pushing the other in a wheelchair. Oh, dear, I thought, poor handicapped guy! He'll never be able to see anything. At about 5'4" myself, I'd quickly realized that I wasn't going to see a whole heck of a lot, either. The crowd parted up to a point, and the young men wound up right next to me and Mom. The one in the wheelchair had a standard-size plastic cooler balanced across the arms of the chair. They weren't going to get any closer; everyone else was clinging to their hard-fought positions.

Go ahead and laugh if you saw this coming... the next thing that happened was a (koff) miracle! After his friend lifted off the cooler, the guy in the chair promptly stood up, reached into the cooler, grabbed a can of beer and declared, "Happy Belmont, everybody!" while grinning madly. Not a thing wrong with HIS legs! Nice scam to make your way through a crowd, hunh. Nobody was really mad at them, fortunately, as everyone was excited and in a party mood (and probably half of them were bombed, too).

This whole escapade turned out to be my saving grace. The guys saw that I was struggling to see anything on the track, and graciously offered to let me stand on the cooler. That helped a lot; I was now a foot taller. "New York, New York" played, everyone sang, and the horses came out onto the track. I scanned the runners, trying to scope out the Big Guy and how he looked. Drat - it was still hard to see anything. And that's when the Wheelchair Guys really got inspired, and made the race for me: "Here, get up on top of this and you'll be able to see!" They'd put the cooler on the arms of the wheelchair!

So that's how I wound up viewing the 1977 Belmont Stakes from my own private elevated stand, around 4' off the ground. I was not good with heights, and the whole arrangement was rather shaky, but I truly did not care: I had a bird's-eye view of the whole thing. It was FANTASTIC! Not to mention, my dad and brothers were at home watching it on TV, and when we got there and told them where I'd been, Dad said he thought he remembered seeing someone sticking way up above the rest of the crowd in front of the grandstand. So I might have made it on TV, too. :-)

As for the race itself, yes, I remember seeing Slew leading the race handily coming towards the finish line. Unless he fell flat on his face he had it sewed up. I was shouting, "He's going to to do it! He's going to do it!" but I couldn't celebrate too madly due to my precarious perch. If you watch the YouTube video, you can see the whole race and the fact that Slew led virtually wire-to-wire. What a triumph! Seattle Slew became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner. Mom and I were absolutely thrilled to have witnessed it, and made our way home tired and happy. It was certainly worth the trip.

Jockey Jean Cruguet celebrates after crossing the finish line. I got to meet him in 2009 at the Secretariat Festival in Paris, KY and told him about how I saw the race, which he thought was pretty funny!

My only other brush with Triple Crown greatness has been through relatives. My two nieces who live in Cincinnati are dancers, and Steve Cauthen's daughter is a member of their troupe. The two families are quite friendly. So I do have an autographed picture of Affirmed with Steve up, winning the Belmont. I haven't gotten to meet him yet but I hear he's a really nice guy, in case you're wondering! :-)

Looking forward to the 2011 Belmont this Saturday - go Mucho Macho Man and Animal Kingdom!

Who'll Be Wearing The Roses?

Who will be standing in this famous enclosure, at about 6:40 PM Central Time tomorrow?

I have seen this winner's circle in person, on a grey and gloomy day, when all seemed deserted at Churchill Downs and no racehorses were visible. Yet the echos of famous hoofbeats still seemed to reverberate throughout the towering grandstand and on the track where so many hopes and dreams have been realized or reduced to dust. Walking through the tunnel from the paddock, I could only marvel that I was treading where He had: in case I'd forgotten, Secretariat's name appears along with every other Derby winner's around the paddock area. His name, though, is lettered in gold, just like the few others who have managed to complete the seemingly impossible trifecta of the Triple Crown.

So many horses seeking the biggest prize in horse racing have passed through that tunnel. Native Dancer and Northern Dancer - the first, a horse who by all accounts should have won and didn't, the second, a horse who avenged his grandfather by claiming the roses and whose blood is carried by innumerable modern TBs. Pensive and Ponder, a pair of father and son winners. Black Gold, hero of a favorite childhood book which still causes me to burst into tears at the end even after countless re-readings. Monarchos, a gorgeous grey whom I have had the pleasure of meeting and who almost, but not quite, eclipsed Big Red's record time. And of course, the movie-star handsome, phenomenally talented Barbaro, who would go on to break the hearts of racing fans and ordinary people alike. He certainly looked like the next Triple Crown winner... but if there's one thing certain in racing, it's that nothing is ever for sure.

Ponder after his Derby win. I have a wonderful B/W sketch of him hanging on the wall at home,
which I meant to photograph. Not the most famous Derby winner, but a special one.

For 2011, predicting the Derby outcome is especially tough. To quote an expert, "This year is as wide open as I've ever seen it." Every time I think I've made up my mind about who will win, something happens to change it. I have put off writing this post because I've been hashing things over so much. In fact, I'm still prevaricating a bit today. I have a tendency to not follow the beaten path, so one horse you won't be seeing is the current favorite, Dialed In. All I had to hear was "He looks like a sprinter" and I was out.

For the record: NO, I have not been waiting to post because of the Uncle Mo decision. The fact is, I have never been on board with Uncle Mo. For some reason, I just can't like him. This week has not helped, either: one day, we have owner Repole full of braggadocio and carrying on about how the horse is going to blow everyone away, if bettors don't make him the favorite he will (and scarily, he has the $$ to maybe pull that off), blah, blah, blah and the next day, I read in the paper, "Pletcher and Repole still uncertain if Mo will start." In the press conference today Repole said Mo has been off his meds for the suspected GI tract infection for a few days, but doesn't seem to be getting better. Whatever the reason (and I will be waiting with great interest to hear what they finally decide is wrong with him, as three of the top equine vets in the world are not agreeing), I'm glad he's scratched. We don't need another Life At Ten debacle in the racing world! You have to wonder if the racing powers-that-be flat-out told the guys not to run him if there was the slightest doubt...  Pletcher has never been my favorite trainer, and regardless of what the courts/whomever determined, I think it's HIS fault that LAT even stepped on the track that day. Ridiculous.

Anyway, here goes, in order of how I like 'em:
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1) Archarcharch

DAMN. I have to say that again: DAMN! Guess who's my favorite horse, and guess who has drawn practically the worst post position possible, #1? Yep, "Archie" (I hope that's his barn name). At least a horse has won from here in the not-too-distant past of 1986. There are some post positions from which a horse has never won! Unfortunately, the fact that the 1986 winner was Ferdinand seems like a bad omen, too. We know how that poor horse's story ended (In a slaughterhouse in Japan. Yes, - a Derby winner. As far as I'm concerned, about the most disgraceful chapter in the annals of American Thoroughbred racing.)

However, according to Steve Haskin, Archie still stands a chance IF the following happens:
 ~  He can break cleanly
 ~  He can escape the first sixteenth of a mile unscathed
 ~  He can get a good position along the inside somewhere near midpack

That's an awful lot of "ifs," I'm afraid. Nevertheless, I'm sticking with my guy Archx3 here. I think he has the record, the class, the looks and the pedigree to go the distance. I love his rider, Jon Court. (Watched every episode of that "Jockeys" show. His wait for a Derby horse is FINALLY over!) I love the fact that his trainer, "Jinks" Fire is a popular guy and untouched by a whiff of a scandal. I love that the trainer's daughter is married to Jon Court - nothing like keeping it all in the family! (Might make for sticky dinner table conversation, though, if things don't go well.) And I love the way Archarcharch took charge in the Arkansas Derby and looked like he could keep going for another quarter mile. Guess we're going to find out.

2) Soldat

This is the spot where I've been having the most trouble. I've changed my mind three times just today! So much is going to depend on the weather, unfortunately. The likelihood of a track that's going to at least be damp, much less sloppy, has caused me to go with Soldat in the #2 spot today. I think it's fascinating that a liking for sloppy tracks, aka being a "mudder," actually seems to be an inheritable trait in Thoroughbreds. I really don't know why, but if the racing peeps say that's the case, well, I guess I believe it.

Prior to his last race, the Florida Derby, Soldat was looking like a strong contender for this race. He did not finish well in Florida. But "there wuz reasons," as they say. He hated the heat and washed out in the paddock, for starters; I can sympathize with that, not being a big fan of hot days myself. Kentucky is not going to be hot tomorrow, and he's been training well, and prior to the FL Derby he was a consistent up-front horse. I'm willing to draw a line through that race and suggest that he's going to rebound with a vengeance tomorrow.

I've got to have some kind of human interest/back story connection to really "bond" with my Derby picks. Soldat's is a bit tenuous, but I did find one. His grandsire is the wonderful Danzig, who I got to more or less got to meet (along with Monarchos) at Claiborne Farm. "Danny" was an older man by then (it was 2003), and I think pensioned from stud duties, but was still turned out in his own paddock and running around. We visitors were not allowed to go and pet him, though; Danny unfortunately exemplified the stereotype of bad-ass Thoroughbred stallion, who'd just as soon eat you for lunch as look at you. I don't know much about his son War Front, who in turn sired Soldat, but hopefully that ill temper has been diluted a bit.

3) Mucho Macho Man

A very legitimate contender, MMM has also drawn an excellent post position: 13. This happens to be my favorite number, so that sealed the deal for me (if you're beginning to think I'm superstitious, you're right). This tall (over 17 hands!), dark and handsome bay did not win in his last outing, but I think he's sitting on a big race. His connections are interesting, too: his trainer, Kathy Ritvo, had a bad heart and would not be alive today but for the grace of someone donating one for her transplant. Furthermore, if MMM wins, it would be the first Derby for a female trainer - a nice little bonus.

I also like the story about Mucho Macho Man's birth. The mare was due to foal in May, already a late birth for a TB foal. That mare had other plans and held onto her baby for an extra six weeks (crazy mama). She finally unexpectedly foaled while out in a field, and when they found her little colt he appeared to be dead. People worked frantically trying to revive him, and then, to everyone's astonishment, he suddenly leapt to his feet and began running around! No usual tottering steps from the newborn, just get up and go. It was so amazing they nicknamed him "Lazarus." Maybe this long-strided guy will stage a repeat by hanging back in the pack, and then ruuuuunnnnniiiIIInnnng past all the other horses and over the finish line first. But if he runs out of track, you can be sure he'll be my bet in the Belmont.

4) Shackleford

Again, I have been waffling on this choice, but now I'm having a "Shack Attack!" I'm leaning towards Shackleford for a number of reasons.
-  He's huge. I always think (Mine That Bird, notwithstanding) that a bit of size helps a horse in the Derby, which is such a free-for-all, sometimes resembling an equine round of bumper cars at the start. Steve Haskin commented that Shack is a Clydesdale compared to the other horses.
-  He's already won at Churchill Downs. Another mystery to me is why horses "favor" a certain racetrack more than others, and I know that Churchill's surface is one that they can definitely like or dislike. Guess it has to do with the shape of the oval and the footing, but I find it fascinating. It also makes a handy excuse for trainers when a horse doesn't run well: "He didn't like the track." Really, did you ask him? :-) I'm kidding... we horse people know perfectly well that they are quite capable of expressing their likes and dislikes. "Excuse me, but just who do you think you're trying to feed that crappy hay to? Do I LOOK like I will eat Bermuda grass? Bring back the alfalfa, and bring it now, thankyouverymuch."
-  While stabled at the Downs, Shack has worked extremely well in both slop and when the track was faster. Only Mother Nature knows what we're going to wind up with tomorrow.
-  He's a closer, always helpful in the Derby, and was leading in the Florida Derby until Dialed In caught him. I don't think Dialed In has the goods to stretch another quarter mile, so the extra piece of track might suit Shack very nicely (providing he too doesn't run out of gas. *Sigh*)
-  He's a bright chestnut with chrome. You knew that was coming, right?

5) Twinspired

You didn't really think I'd fail to mention the only grey horse in the field, did you? :-) If I was at the Downs tomorrow, you can be sure I'd bet on this fellow just because of his color. Not to mention, I believe he actually has a shot at the race, especially if it's a sloppy track. For the icing on this pretty grey cake, look for jockey Mike Smith, aka "Mikey," my favorite jock along with Jon Court. Mike rode my horse heroine Zenyatta to most of her victories and absolutely adores her. This automatically makes him a Good Guy in my book. Mike certainly knows the Churchill track and would like to get even for Zenny's miss-by-a-nose in the Breeder's Cup.

Twinspired also gets Honorable Mention for the best name of the day. Nothing like dreaming a bit when you fill in the registration papers, eh? Remember, something like 30,000 Thoroughbreds are born every year. Only 20 of them will wind up standing in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May three years later. Those are some pretty daunting odds, but here he is, a horse clearly named with the Kentucky Derby in mind, actually making it in the race. If he wins I'll wish I was a headline writer!

The best name, however, has got to be Pants On Fire. Somebody really had his/her thinking cap on! What a terrific name for a race horse. I've got a friend who's betting on this horse strictly on the basis of his name, and I'm sure he won't be alone.
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So there you have it - my official picks! And it's only taken me, I don't know, about four hours of typing/retyping and a lot of thought time. I really could keep juggling around my #2, 3 and 4 horses but I'm solid with my #1 as Archx3. I feel very sorry for the real turf writers who, according to the USA Today poll I just saw, are pretty much all over the map on their favorite for this race. You can color me completely unsurprised if none of my picks even hits the board and a longshot like, say, Twice The Appeal comes up first. With Calvin Bo-Rail riding him you just never know what might happen!

* Disclaimer: Ever heard the expression, "A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing?" I love TBs and TB racing. But I actually do have only a little knowledge of handicapping (and generally lose more than I win when I'm actually at the track), so please don't run out and bet the farm based on anything I have to say. Not that I think you'd really do that, anyway. :-)

Whistling "The Call To The Post"...

Okay,  I promised a blog about the Run For The Roses, so here goes!

Gosh, who could that be... besides the nice man in the loud pants. :-)

There haven't been too many years in my life when I've missed watching the Kentucky Derby. As a kid it was a much-anticipated event at our house, sometimes complete with guests and my mom mixing up a bunch of Mint Juleps. My most favorite memory of the race from childhood is seeing my hero, Secretariat, win the Derby in record time. He was simply too beautiful to be true. ** Other memorable winners from that time frame who stand out in my memory include Riva Ridge, Canonero II, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Genuine Risk.

During the mid-80s to mid-90s, I know I missed a few Derbies when I was busy being a college student and then working full-time. I was almost totally "away from horses," though I certainly never stopped thinking about them (when Secretariat died in '89 I wrote to the vet at Claiborne asking why they couldn't save him... no reply, alas). For example, I can't conjure up any memories at all of poor Ferdinand, or Sea Hero. Only recently did I learn of Swale's tragic story. How crushing his untimely death was to Claiborne Farm!

The mid-90s brought a resurgence of my interest in the Kentucky Derby. I had become a full-time mom by then, and keeping my sense of self intact meant taking some time to enjoy "my" things. This included keeping my saddle in the living room and watching all of the Triple Crown races. Luckily, some really exciting years came along, with Silver Charm, Real Quiet and Charismatic all winning the first two, then falling short in the Belmont. For a bonus, Charismatic was a stunning red chestnut with white socks, just like You-Know-Who. I know for sure I've seen every Derby since 1996, when Grindstone won in a photo finish (I'm positive I had been rooting for the grey Skip Away, since that's my usual policy).

Besides Secretariat, though, I don't recall ever knowing much about the runners before Derby Day. With the advent of the Internet I should have been more prepared to watch. However, in the absence of anyone being billed in the media as the "next superhorse," most years I've pretty much been content to turn on the TV the day of the race and see who's running. A few years I've looked at the Derby website or made a bit of an attempt to familiarize myself with the runners, but nothing really involved.

This year has been a different story. What changed? Well, it's a combination of things. I went to the World Equestrian Games last fall, managed to meet Calvin Borel ("Calvin Bo-Rail"/freakishly successful Derby jockey) completely by accident (what, you want THAT story now? Okay... stay tuned - yes, there's a photo!), and spent a blissful couple hours cruising around the Kentucky Derby Museum at the Downs. This all definitely served to put me in the Derby mood.

Then I have to go back to my idol, Mr. They-Finally-Made-A-Movie, and another gentleman, this time human. It goes like this: the Secretariat movie came out and there was an upswing of interest in the big guy. Somewhere, maybe on Facebook, I saw a link to a story about Secretariat by a guy named Steve Haskin. As it turned out, he was a very well-known turf writer, and he also had some wonderful personal photos of Red. Well, anybody who's a diehard Big Red fan has got to be cool, so I "Friended" Steve on FB. I learned he wrote a regular blog for Bloodhorse.com, and started reading it (along with the rest of the website - sure am glad it's free!). What's the main topic of conversation in the late fall and spring? You got it. Next thing I knew, I'm waiting for Mondays and Steve's column, "The Derby Dozen," reading the paper for Derby trail news and combing the Internet for updates on my favorite contenders. I have paid far more attention to this year's Derby than ever before and am terribly excited for Saturday's race.

So who do I like? Check back Friday!


** Watching Red win the Belmont five weeks later is, of course, indelibly stamped in my mind. Just thinking about it gives me chills to this day. How sorry we were that we didn't just get in the car that morning and drive to the track! (Belmont Park was about an hour and a half away, but the traffic was sure to be brutal) Mom said, "Okay, next time a horse wins the Derby and the Preakness we're going." And we did. And that's how I got to see Seattle Slew win the Triple Crown...  (I'll blog about this little adventure for sure another time.)