Itch scratched

We had been curious to see whether or not Dawn Raider could run on the dirt. The answer - an empatic NO. He didn't like it at all, so we're back to what we have assumed all along - he is a turf-only horse. The other 2 runners in our "Happy Hour" had much better results. Tytus had been training really well coming into the race, so a better effort was expected. Maybe it was the soft competition or just maybe he has turned a little corner. Either way, his first win since last year's stakes win was enjoyable. Shortly after that, the win by Straight Laced capped a quick WG Daily Double. Hopefully, we have found a level that she can compete at throughout the summer at Presque Isle.

Overall, I am surprised that all 3 runners made it back to the barn. I had Tytus pretty much lined up for a new home, but his effort on Saturday along with what the jock had to say makes me want to hold onto him a little longer.

Next Up: Darby Lee should race here next weekend and we are looking for races at Presque Isle and possibly Penn National for Stumbling Block and Wild Adventure.

With racing wrapped up for the quarter, I will be calculating the WG share value. Thanks in large part to a solid June, early indications are that 2Q09 should show a modest increase in value despite taking some significant markdowns in estimated value of our remaining inventory.

End of the Line??

Within an hour or so on Saturday, we're scheduled to run 3 horses who for various reasons might be making their last start for us. In what continues to be an odd coincidence, Dawn Raider and Tytus will again race on the same card (if my memory is correct, that is the 4th time this year). Shortly after that, Straight Laced comes out to play on at Presque Isle. One caution, there is a chance for rain tonight and that raises the possibility of a Dawn Raider scratch. If they run, it will be interesting to see which of the 3 (if any) we still have in the barn. That said, I do think all 3 have a solid chance of getting their picture taken.

A jock's race indeed

As I had opined earlier, Wild Adventure's race last Wednesday indeed came down to a jock's decision. Although it wasn't quite how I had envisioned the race unfolding, W.A. was in a perfect spot as they entered the far turn (a length or so behind the pacesetter). However, for some reason, the jock decided to swing her to the outside even though he won 3 races with her at Tampa by riding the rail. That decision left the rail wide open for the eventual winner to get up and beat us by about 6 inches. In this game, an inch is as good as a yard and we were left with a second place check (about $11k less than the winner's share) - Ouch!

For those who follow Canterbury results or still have Lumpy in your stable mail, you know that he won his race yesterday. Despite the victory, I will stand by my decision to sell as it had more to do with factors beyond my opinion of the horse. Regardless, the sale still accomplishes the goal of increasing liquidity in the second half of 2009.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads - Enjoy your day!!

Triple Threat

When reading the past performances in the Daily Racing Form, you don't come across many horses who have won on the 3 racing surfaces: dirt, turf, and synthetic. With yesterday's win at Presque Isle, Stumbling Block now joins that group. It was a very exciting race as Block found a little extra gear in the final 50 yards to get up in time. While the race was not a "stakes" race, the purse was higher than most stakes races run here this year at Canterbury. However, in the process of winning, it became clear that I am Block's unlucky charm. I have seen him race in person twice and he hasn't hit the board in either while he has won the other four. I guess I'll be watching his next race on TV/online. Combined with Dawn Raider's runner-up effort on Thursday, it made for a very good weekend on the track.

Looking ahead, Wild Adventure makes her Presque Isle debut on Wednesday and puts her 4 race winning streak on the line. While the field is short on runners (5), it looks like an evenly matched bunch with a variety of running styles for handicappers to ponder. There are a couple who should flash early speed ensuring a honest pace, albeit not a suicidal one. There are couple who look like they do their best running late. And then there is W.A. - thus far, she has shown the ability to stalk just behind the pace and put in her run as they turn for home. With that setup (on paper), it looks like it will be a jockey's race. If our jock (Ronnie Allen) senses the front runners are going too slow, he'll need to move our filly early in the race and force the issue. Conversely, if they are going too fast on the front end, he'll have to be patient enough to let the speed backup, but know when to make his move in order to get a jump on the 2 closers. Should be fun to watch - good luck to us!!

The $38,000 question

The race we have been waiting on at Presque Isle for Stumbling Block has finally filled. I took a quick look at the field and I must say that it would be hard to find a more winnable race for a purse this size ($38,000). That said, Block has some major questions to answer: 1) How will he bounce back after his traumatic race (blood and dirt in lungs) in Chicago, and 2) will he be able to handle the synthetic surface at PID? As we have seen with others, once a horse goes "off form" with an injury or other reason, a return to form is no sure thing.

Along those lines, Spy Story suffered a setback in his training and we have decided to pull the plug on him (sent to a rescue farm to live out his days). This won't have a real big financial impact since I had him valued at zero last quarter, but it is still disappointing.

We will need a little help from Mother Nature if we want to see Dawn Raider run tomorrow night. The cool, damp conditions we have seen this week may result in the race coming off the turf (and subsequent scratch of Raider). Regardless of how brown your lawn is, save the rain dances for Friday.

Creamy Hot Cereal

You're probably thinking what is up with that title?? It's just my clever way to say that we no longer own Lumpsinmyoatmeal. Today, I reached a deal to sell our share of Lumpy at a to-be-determined price (fixed amount today plus a % of his earnings through the end of the Canterbury meet). Since we still have a financial stake in how he does the rest of the summer, we can cheer for him like we own him yet not be responsible for his expenses or post-Canterbury home. We can also still visit him in the barn whenever we want. In some ways, we'll have the best of both worlds. While the sale limits our ceiling financially, it also puts a floor on our potential loss. Regardless of how he does on the track, we will end up with more $$ than what I had him valued at for the 3/31 share price.

There were other factors leading to the sale that I will keep out of the public domian but would be happy to discuss with any of the partners offline. As far as the direction of the stable is concerned, sometimes you have to get smaller before you can get bigger.

Failed Experiment

I had blogged a few months ago about us maintaing a small % in breeding Miltos Express. Unfortunately, after a handful of unsuccesful covers, we have missed our window and have decided to give the horse away. The sire (Repent) has plenty of babies running around so we must assume that Miltos was not meant to be a Mom. Those of you thinking of clever names for foals will have to save them for a later date.