Breeders' Cup Aftermath

Zenyatta gets Horse of the Year. No, ifs, ands, or buts. The argument for Rachel will be that she faced "tougher competition." No, no she didn't. Jerry Bailey had the best fact to shoot that argument down. He stated that Rachel's owner had the choice to go in the Woodward Stakes or the Travers. They chose the Woodward because the competition was far less than it was in the Travers. As for the Preakness? Give Mind that Bird another 1/8th mile and he wins that race.

On the other hand, the Breeders' Cup Classic had two other locks for end of the year Awards (Gio Ponti for Turf and Summer Bird for Three Year old colt), a Kentucky Derby winner, a second Travers' stakes winner, a Pacific Classic winner, a Big Cap Winner, and two European horses that many thought were better than any American horse. The Classic lived up to what it was organized to be: the best horses all coming together for one big show down. It was unfortunate that certain people decided to rest on their laurels.

Two side notes:

1) Synthetic Surfaces: They are here to stay. 148 horses, zero race related injuries. However, the L.E.P.(tm) (i.e. my wife) also noted there is another reason for the low injury rate: aggressive vet inspections. This Breeders' Cup and last years, the vets did a more aggressive job of pulling suspect horses before they raced. That is a model that all tracks should follow.

2) The TV ratings were flat: 1.0. I don't blame the NTRA or the Breeders' Cup. They put on a very good production. I blame ESPN/ABC for this. They rarely advertised the product. The Worldwide Leader(TM) didn't mention it once on ESPN radio and barely mentioned it on Sports Center until the last minute. A certain tennis player's past drug use got more press. What are we? Filler time in between college football?

A Loss in the Herd

It is never easy to put a horse down, but this morning we had to put one of our wealings down. I found Julian this morning on the floor of his stall barely alive. We have our suspicious about what happened to him and the vet is running tests to confirm it. In the mean time, I have to sterilize the stall just to be safe.

We will miss Julian as much as we miss the horses that have been with us for years.

UPDATE (11/07/09)

Our suspicious turned out to be true, Julian suffered from an acute salmonella attack. In the vast majority of cases, when a young horse is hit by this, it is fatal. The good news that it seems to only have affected him. Everyone else, including Marcus, our other weanling, have a clean bill of health.

Prepare the Way at training track

Picture of our one horse racing juggernaut! Prepare the Way (on left) at the training track at Montpelier (home of James Madison). Our most wonderful trainer Sarah Warmack is at right. Plan is to race her early in 2010.

The Politics of Horse Racing

I recently got a request from the NTRA asking me to give money to the "Foal Fund," which is the name for their political action committee. I will not give money to this effort. Why? The politics of horse racing are at the state level, not the Federal level. The U.S. Government said as much when it passed at the Interstate Horse racing Act.

The Foal Fund as I understand it seeks to lobby Congress. The only thing that Congress affects horse racing is tax issues, namely deprecation issues, and Federal disaster relief. Yes, every once in a while some Congress threatens to regulate horse racing at the Federal level, but that's not going to happen.

I don't need a voice in Washington. I need a voice in Richmond, Lexington, Annapolis, Albany, Sacramento, and Harrisburg. Even though I live in Virginia, my business is greatly affected by what happens in other horse racing states (especially in the Mid-Atlantic). The NTRA would be better by helping the state thoroughbred organization lobby for less restrictive rules in their own states.

BTW, on another matter, I paid my $500 to nominate Marq Your Bible for the Breeder's Cup. I have that much confidence in him.

Breeder's Cup Classic-Major Potential

After watching the Goodwood this weekend, I came to one conclusion: if the Breeder's Cup Classic gets the same field plus Zenyatta and Summer Bird, it will be the best field since 2004 Classic at Lone Star (when there was a Kentucky Derby Winner, Pleasntly Perfect, Roses in May, Ghostzapper, and Azeri among others). Yes, even without a certain filly whose owner refuses to race on Pro-Ride and Sea of Stars.

This was the Goodwood line up...

Chocolate Candy
Tiago (I don't expect to see him entered, I think he's done unfortunately)
Richard's Kid-Pacific Classic Winner
Colonel John-Santa Antia Derby and Traver's Winner
Tres Borrachos
Monzante(Grade I winner)
Parading
Gitano Hernando-2009 Goodwood Winner
Informed-Grade II Winner
Mine That Bird-KY Derby Winner

add
the greatest filly since Personal Ensign and the Belmont Stakes Winner (maybe even Gio Ponti??)...I will watch that race.

Horse Nap

I have been told that if a horse on a farm (or any other place,) takes a nap lying down, he/she is very comfortable with the situation. Well, Julian (Papua-Messenger of Light by Halo) is Mr. Mucho Relaxo. Last night, after dealing with a broken down car, I had to go looking for the weanling in a very dark field (one forgets how dark "dark" really is when they live in the city), calling for the boy to come in for dinner. Not seeing the him, I almost tripped over the animal. I look down and Julian is fast asleep in the grass. At first, I thought the worst given how the day/night was progressing thus far (see broken down car comment). Then I said "Julian, get up." He awoke immedaitly, looked around, noticed he was all alone, and paniced thinking there was a preatodor. He ran to the barn and safety. *sigh* Horses, I found no matter how tame or domesticatted, always think their is a cougar around every tree. Watching My Friend Flicka must be required viewing for young foals.

Two Nominees for Dumb Comment of the Week

Time to hand out an award for dumbest comment on horse racing for the week. The two nominees are:

Nominee #1 Jimmy "The Hat"-on the September 25 episode of Jockeys, the "Hat" proclaimed that the reason you don't see 3 year old fillies running in the Kentucky Derby or any of the prep races leading up to the Derby is because "by the time they become 3 year olds, they start thinking about becoming mommies more than they do race horses."

So thats the reason Genuine Risk (1980 Derby Winner) only had two live foals! She didn't want to be a mommy! Oh but wait, I guess Winning Colors and Rags to Riches were able to suppress the urge long enough. *sigh*

This is coming on top of the comment that female jockeys can't make it in the business because "they don't have the upper body strength." (Memo to the "Hat": No one has the "upper body strength" to manhandle a 1000-lbs animal going 35 mph. Thats why bits and bridles were invented.)

On a side note, Jockeys producers deserve an Eclipse award for getting footage of jockey Garret Gomez hoping on a show horse at his daughter's lesson barn and going across jumps. The footage of Gomez's agent flipping out over loosing his star client to a 18" jump is priceless.

Nominee #2- Kentucky Senate President David Williams- Senator Williams recently denounced fellow Republican and legendary race horse owner Will Farish in Bloodhorse for backing slots in Kentucky. Williams' rambling (which you can see here http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/52714/senate-president-williams-responds-to-farish) attempts to laid down "facts" about slots and horse racing. First of all senator (and all other politicians), as the leading industry and source of export money in Kentucky, you should be doing all you can to support it. Secondly, of all the "facts" he list, none of them address the real fact that slots do indeed help horsemen's purse structure (see Pennsylvania, West Virginia and soon Maryland). All the problems he listed, such the General Assembly raiding the slots fund to balance the budget, can be solved through simple legislation. What the senator is trying to hide is his belief that gambling is wrong. Wake up senator, right or wrong, your state has lived off gambling for the last 150 years.

I am note sure who to the give award too.