Back in town after a few days away in an area with limited or no internet connectivity. Prior to my vacation, we watched Wild Adventure put in a decent effort against a tough allowance field. Just a note, when reading the Equibase results chart, the number of lengths listed next to the finish position indicates how far a horse finished ahead of the next runner. For example, W.A.'s 4-17 means that she was 17 lengths ahead of the 5th place horse. A couple readers thought it meant that she was 17 lengths behind the winner (that's how DRF charts read). She finished 4 lengths behind the winner despite missing a couple weeks of training and not coming into the race 100% fit. All things considered - a "fair" effort.
Next up: Straight Laced lands in a starter allowance race on Sunday at PID (Race 5). On paper, it looks like she measures up well - expecting a good race. Stumbling Block should be next in line as we wait for a race to fill.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
That's A Wrap
Our season at Canterbury ended with a "Thud" on Friday. Turning for home, it looked like Tytus might have a shot to hit the board. However, in mid-stretch, he starting backing up through the field. After the race, it didn't take long to find out why he stopped running - he bled badly. It was a warm, humid night and that might have played a role since he has never bled on us before. Regardless, as we have seen in the past, once a horse bleeds, it is very uncertain what (if any) long-term impact it will have. Considering the standard 30+ days of rest required after a bleed, it was in our best interest to forfeit our share in Tytus and say goodbye to our only stakes winner. Financially, there just was not enough upside for me to justify the risk of a long-term liability.
And that brings an end to a meet that had mixed results. The few wins we had helped pay the bills and gave us some action. One of my primary goals coming into the meet was to leave with fewer horses - check. With the exception of Lumpy, I think it is safe to say that we did not leave too much meat on the bone. As I stated earlier, my decision to sell Lumpy was less about my opinion of the horse and more about my desire to move in a different ownership direction.
Now is the time to focus on new opportunities (had to get smaller before getting bigger). We still have some good races to look forward to at Presque Isle and the wheels are in motion to add to the stable. On-track success and any additional capital we receive (if any) will be the main factors in determining how may horses we buy. We have stabilized the slide that began last summer and I will do my very best to avoid a repeat of that scenario.
And that brings an end to a meet that had mixed results. The few wins we had helped pay the bills and gave us some action. One of my primary goals coming into the meet was to leave with fewer horses - check. With the exception of Lumpy, I think it is safe to say that we did not leave too much meat on the bone. As I stated earlier, my decision to sell Lumpy was less about my opinion of the horse and more about my desire to move in a different ownership direction.
Now is the time to focus on new opportunities (had to get smaller before getting bigger). We still have some good races to look forward to at Presque Isle and the wheels are in motion to add to the stable. On-track success and any additional capital we receive (if any) will be the main factors in determining how may horses we buy. We have stabilized the slide that began last summer and I will do my very best to avoid a repeat of that scenario.
Friday, August 14, 2009
"Time of your Life"
I know we all have experienced this.....you're sitting in your car and a song comes on the radio that seems to speak directly to you. This morning as I was driving into work contemplating our last race at Canterbury tonight and what lies ahead, along came a song with the following lyrics:
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Induction Ceremony
The theme for this entry was inspired by this weekend’s NFL Hall-of-Fame inductions. After Friday night’s win, I began to wonder where I would rate Stumbling Block on the list of our most successful horses. I crunched some numbers and came up with an inaugural class for the WG Hall-of-Fame (based on 2 factors: # wins and total $ earned).
The computations resulted in a handful of inductees (# wins): Tytus (6), Lite Brigade (5), Stumbling Block (5) Silver Peagus (6), and Dawn Raider (6). Not quite making the cut were Secret Lies (5) and Go-Go Diablo (6). An active runner who just missed this year’s induction class, but will get serious consideration next year is Wild Adventure. Her 5 wins and never worse-than-second record were strong arguments, but her earnings fell just shy of the cutoff. Honorary members for this year’s class include Iron Boy, Chief Magistrate, Leather N Lace, and Starlet Sky. While these horse’s wins and earnings don’t measure up to the others, their contributions to the stable were recognized.
With one more victory, Block has a chance to catch Tytus as the all-time $$ earner in the stable. He has found a track to his liking out in Presque Isle and should get 1 or 2 more runs over the surface to add to his total. Conversely, Tytus is still plugging away, but the low purse $ in his races could make it difficult for him to hold off the others.
A recent and somewhat unexpected surge onto this list may come from Straight Laced. Her win on Sunday was visually impressive. While she wasn’t facing the quickest bunch of fillies and mares, to win by a margin that big (7 lengths) while never even being shown the whip was encouraging. The win was not without some drama though as we had to sit through a jockey’s objection while the Steward’s reviewed an incident around the turn where things got a little tight along the rail.
Next Up: Tytus on Friday night (race 7). My initial thought was to scratch because I don’t think we have a realistic shot to win the race (long story), but it looks like he will be heading East next week on a trailer. With the stable doing well out east, I think we can afford to have a one more race here for those interested in coming out.
The computations resulted in a handful of inductees (# wins): Tytus (6), Lite Brigade (5), Stumbling Block (5) Silver Peagus (6), and Dawn Raider (6). Not quite making the cut were Secret Lies (5) and Go-Go Diablo (6). An active runner who just missed this year’s induction class, but will get serious consideration next year is Wild Adventure. Her 5 wins and never worse-than-second record were strong arguments, but her earnings fell just shy of the cutoff. Honorary members for this year’s class include Iron Boy, Chief Magistrate, Leather N Lace, and Starlet Sky. While these horse’s wins and earnings don’t measure up to the others, their contributions to the stable were recognized.
With one more victory, Block has a chance to catch Tytus as the all-time $$ earner in the stable. He has found a track to his liking out in Presque Isle and should get 1 or 2 more runs over the surface to add to his total. Conversely, Tytus is still plugging away, but the low purse $ in his races could make it difficult for him to hold off the others.
A recent and somewhat unexpected surge onto this list may come from Straight Laced. Her win on Sunday was visually impressive. While she wasn’t facing the quickest bunch of fillies and mares, to win by a margin that big (7 lengths) while never even being shown the whip was encouraging. The win was not without some drama though as we had to sit through a jockey’s objection while the Steward’s reviewed an incident around the turn where things got a little tight along the rail.
Next Up: Tytus on Friday night (race 7). My initial thought was to scratch because I don’t think we have a realistic shot to win the race (long story), but it looks like he will be heading East next week on a trailer. With the stable doing well out east, I think we can afford to have a one more race here for those interested in coming out.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Deja Vu
For those who witnessed Tytus' race last Thursday, it looked a lot like what we saw a couple weeks ago. Fast enough to get a clear lead, but turning for home, he's passed by the one logical threat in the race and holds on to second by a large margin in front of the third place horse. While it is still up in the air, it would appear that he will get one more start here this summer.
Next up: the "Presque Isle Trio" are all ready for their next race and should be hitting the track again soon.
Other than that, I am still working on plans for alternative places to race this winter. Right now, it looks like the Fair Grounds in New Orleans might be the best option. Additionally, I have lined up another trainer that will work for us if we want to run horses here at Canterbury next summer. Recently, I have received a few inquiries from potential investors (first time in over a year). While we are not actively seeking new partners, any significant additional capital would affect some of the decsions I need to make in the next month or two.
Next up: the "Presque Isle Trio" are all ready for their next race and should be hitting the track again soon.
Other than that, I am still working on plans for alternative places to race this winter. Right now, it looks like the Fair Grounds in New Orleans might be the best option. Additionally, I have lined up another trainer that will work for us if we want to run horses here at Canterbury next summer. Recently, I have received a few inquiries from potential investors (first time in over a year). While we are not actively seeking new partners, any significant additional capital would affect some of the decsions I need to make in the next month or two.
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