Field Trips Archives - Page 5 of 8

April 15, 2016April 15, 2016

My Eye On Nyquist

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I get no sleep for Nyquist! For the second week straight I have roused myself from my bed to attend the morning workout to see our beloved Thoroughbreds at Keeneland in Lexington, KY. Nyquist certainly is a fan favorite and one of mine as well. I had my weary but enthusiastic eyes upon him before 7 a.m. EST today.

After arriving at the Track Kitchen I ran as fast as I could up the hill, towards the track, to catch today’s first sight of Nyquist. As I approached the barn, where he has been living since the Florida Derby, I saw a large crowd assembled. I though it was odd since he had no other visitors when I saw him just last week but then again, this is Nyquist! Of course he has a snowballing fan base. He is the current Kentucky Derby favorite to win! I stood with the crowd to see Nyquist exit the shed row and followed like a happy lemming as he headed to the track with exercise rider Jonny Garcia mounted. The sun was peaking through the clouds and it was warm for a Spring morning in the Bluegrass.

Nyquist is a bay colt, sired by Uncle Mo. His dam is Seeking Gabrielle by Forestry. Nyquist was bred in Kentucky Summer Hill Farm and born on 3/10/13. He is owned by Paul Reddam of Reddam Racing and trained by Doug O’Neill. Mario Gutierrez is his jockey. Nyquist is undefeated with 7 career wins and an Eclipse Award for 2015 Champion 2 Year Old Colt. He broke his maiden on 6/5/15 at Santa Anita. He has raced only graded stakes since. He won at both Grade 2 races, the Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar and the San Vincente Stakes at Santa Anita. He captured 1st place at four Grade 1 races too, the Del Mar Futurity at Del Mar, the Front Runner Stakes at Santa Anita, the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland and the Xpressbet.com Florida Derby at Gulfstream. The $1 million dollar Florida Derby took place on 4/2/16. Today marked Nyquist’s first breeze since that race. He is now training for the Kentucky Derby to take place on 5/7/16. He will continue to live at Keeneland and he will have 2 more workouts here before he ships to Churchill Downs on 4/30/16. He breezed 5 furlongs today and galloped out to a 6th. He clocked 1:02.60 for the breeze. His connections were very pleased. I though he looked marvelous. I heard another trainer, not in connection with the horse, say she thought he made the workout look easy.

The smile on Garcia and the look on Nyquist’s adorable face lead me to believe, they too were very pleased with the work. The large assembly of fans and media continued to follow Nyquist off of the track and back to the barn. Everyone was overjoyed with the experience.

The fun was far from over. Nyquist was changed out of his tack and into his lovely BC blanket. He cooled off with several turns around the barn. He is quite calm in the presence of all of the paparazzi. Many people huddled up close to hear the words of his connections and to catch a look or a picture.

Then it was bath time! I particularly enjoy watching the baths. Steam rolled off his back end as he was sponged off. Nyquist kept his fancy blanket on. He looked marvelous! His handler booped his nose gently. This horse was very well behaved. Nyquist is stunning and I am so happy I have had the opportunity to have seen him now on two occasions. I know he has what it takes and I wish him well in his next race, the Run for the Roses, the 142nd KY Derby! He certainly looks appropriate flanked in roses!

I visited several other barns and will be at Keeneland the rest of today and all weekend. I am very hopeful to spend some time with Tepin and bring that story to you. She races here tomorrow, 4/16/16. Please, keep reading and tell your friends about this page and my posts on Twitter and Facebook too. Thank you and have a great weekend!

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April 7, 2016April 7, 2016

Keeneland Kickoff

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It’s a chilly start to Spring here in the Bluegrass but it still brings warmth to my heart that my favorite track, Keeneland, in Lexington, KY opens tomorrow! The Spring Meet is open from April 8 to 29, 2016. Live racing takes place on Wednesdays thru Sundays throughout those dates. I have to work all weekend so I made sure I got to participate in some of the pre-race events.

Yesterday morning I arrived before 8 a.m. EST and headed to the Racing Office. The horses enter the race track through an opening, “the gap”, right next to this building. Slowly, a large group of horses and exercise riders assembled. They were mounted and waiting for as far as I could see. The fans, connections of the horses and photographers were looking on with anticipation. At about 8:30 the horses took to the track. Some Thoroughbreds went at a leisurely pace while others sped around like they were floating. I love to catch the pictures with all four hooves in the air.

After the excitement of the workouts I headed to the newly renovated Track Kitchen. I had biscuits and gravy. If you haven’t had Southern food like this you are really missing out.

Next, I went to Kellyn Gorder’s barn. He had just recently returned to the grounds after having a nice season at Turfway and ongoing at Oaklawn race track. I visited with his horses and he was very busy on the computer, phone and with office visits in preparation for more races. Some of his nice horses are pictured below. I gave these cute noses some petting.

After the Gorder barn I went to see the remaining stable area. Keeneland has 57 barns with the capacity to hold 1,951 horses. Horses aren’t the only animals you will find on the grounds. In addition to birds, pet dogs and barn cats I met two busy goats along my adventure. I also saw some cool tack including Nyquist’s bridle and Tepin’s Breeders’ Cup blanket that has been refurbished with silk flowers.

The best part of my trip was looking for our favorite race horses. I went to the Casse Racing barn hoping to find 2015 Eclipse Award Champion Grass Mare and winner of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Tepin, but she had moved to Churchill Downs. I was not disappointed in meeting Airoforce, 2nd in the 2015 BC Juvenile Turf, Catch a Glimpse and her teddy bear, 1st in the 2015 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf and Noble Bird, graded stakes winner, pictured below in order on the top row. I went to most of the barns to see what I could but unfortunately several trainers do not label their stalls so I just had to appreciate the unknown beauties as they were.

Saving one of the best for last I finally found the undefeated and 1st place winner of the 2015 Sentient Jet BC Cup Juvenile, Nyquist. He is the favorite for the Kentucky Derby with 5/2 odds currently and he is second on the leaderboard for points behind Gun Runner. He was happily snacking during my visit. I was going to return to see him train this morning but his white blood cell count was slightly elevated so he is going to rest up for now and perhaps train on Friday or Saturday. See how sweet he looks below.

Post time begins at 1:05 p.m. EST on Friday. There are 10 races that day. On Saturday post time is 12:35 p.m. with 11 races. 5 of those are stakes races, numbers 6 thru 10. The 9th race, the 15th running of the Madison Grade I stakes, for fillies and mares 4 and older is packed with multiple graded stakes winners. The 10th race is the 92nd running of The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. It is a Grade I race with a million dollar purse. The 9 furlong dirt race for 3 year olds posts at 6 p.m. This race gives 100-40-20-10 points to Kentucky Derby Contenders based on a 1st to 4th place finish respectively. There are a lot of great races at Keeneland this meet. I hope each of you has a chance to get in on the action. Catch my blog next week here and on Facebook and Twitter for more Thoroughbred news and events.

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April 1, 2016April 2, 2016

Memory Lane

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Come with me as I take a walk down memory lane. Pictured is a driving/walking path at the Lexington Cemetery, in Lexington, KY, where Spring is in bloom. There are some big Kentucky Derby prep races tomorrow, 4/2/16. While looking forward to those races I recalled some history about racing’s past.

Tomorrow brings the Florida Derby at 6:48 and the Spiral Stakes at 5:43 PM both EST. No owner has won the Florida Derby more than Calumet Farm located in Lexington, KY. Calumet won with Gen. Duke in 1957, Tim Tam in 1958, Forward Pass in 1968, Eastern Fleet in 1971 and Alydar in 1978. This farm was, for a long time, owned by the Maysville, KY born Lucille Parker Wright Markey. She lived from 1896 to 1982 and was a businesswoman and a philanthropist. She inherited Calumet from her late husband. Markey ran the farm for 30 years. She won the KY Derby 4 times during that career with horses including FL Derby winners Tim Tam and Forward Pass.

At the same cemetery, is the final resting place for John M. Gaver who lived from 1900 to 1982. He was the American Hall of Fame trainer for 73 stakes winning Thoroughbreds he managed at Brookdale Farm and Greentree Stable. In 1966 he received an Eclipse Award from the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. The KY portion of Greentree is now the great Gainesway Farm in Lexington. I bought into a partnership with Spruce Lane Pinhooking and we share ownership on one of our horses that is living at Gainesway!

On the same grounds, Hal Price Headley was laid to rest. Headley lived from 1888 to 1962. He is the founder of my very favorite and my home track, Keeneland! He was president of Keeneland Racetrack from 1935 to 1951. He was an owner and breeder, as well, at Beaumont Farm in Lexington,KY.

The next 3 horsemen all held important roles at Elmendorf Farm, Lexington KY. Charles Henry Berryman lived from 1867 to 1946. He managed Elmendorf when it was owned by James Ben Ali Haggin from 1897 to 1914. This farm was founded in 1874 and churned out fine race horses. Man o’ War’s sire, Fair Play, and dam, Mahubah, are buried at Elmendorf. Much of Elmendorf is owned by Clovelly, Normandy, Green Gates and Old Kenney Farms now. Elmendorf still holds part of a ruined mansion’s pillars where I attended a wedding reception once. Many Thoroughbreds are buried near the pillars. It is very pretty.

Before it was managed by Berryman, William Thomas Hughes operated Elmendorf Farm from 1862 to 1874. He inherited the farm from his father but he found himself in debt and was forced to sell the farm to Milton H. Sanford. Hughes was not always buried where he rests now, near his wife’s plot. He was buried in Richmond, KY for some time.

Hughes father, Thomas Hughes was the third owner at Elmendorf Farm. He bought the property from Carter Henry Harrison. He owned the farm from 1855 to 1862. He was first buried at the Hughes Farm but later moved to Lexington Cemetery. The Lexington Cemetery was established in 1849.

Across the street and over a few blocks is another cemetery. This is Calvary Cemetery created in 1874. It is not nearly as pretty but it is a peaceful place. I went looking just for Belle Brezing’s grave. The top says “Mother”. Her last name is spelled incorrectly on the stone. She is most famous for being an internationally known madam but she was an important figure in Thoroughbred racing too. She lived from 1859 to 1940.

I wrote more on the Lexington Cemetery and Belle Brezing in my other stories:

Heaven’s Horsemen

Brothels, Books and Bloodstock

I hope you enjoyed my walk down memory lane. I am excited about the races tomorrow. The Florida Derby will be held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, FL. The inaugural race was in 1952. The 1 and 1/8 mile (9 furlong) dirt track will award a purse $1 million dollars. It is a Grade 1 stakes race. 8 horses including Nyquist and Mohaymen will compete for 100-40-20-10 KY Derby points, based on the finish of 1st thru 4th. The Spiral Stakes, 1st held in 1972, will be at Turfway park in Florence, KY. This race is the same length but has a synthetic track. It is a Grade III race with a purse of $500,000 dollars. 12 horses including Airoforce will try for 50-20-10-5 respective points. These are my favorites to win. Choose your picks wisely and if you can’t get to the track enjoy this lovely Spring. As always, thank you for following me on my web page, Facebook and Twitter.

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March 19, 2016March 19, 2016

Reimagined Red Mile

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Hello to all of my fellow horse fans. I have been enjoying all the great racing for Kentucky Derby prep and otherwise good fun and competition. I was hoping to make it to Turfway Park to see one of my favorite horses race live yesterday but that race proved to be a little too far away and too late. However, I finally made it to the Red Mile to enjoy an evening of historical and simulcast racing.

The Red Mile is a standardbred harness race track in Lexington, KY, my hometown. Harness racing is not my favorite sport but I have been there a few times to see it. The track length is a mile and it is composed of red clay thus the track’s name, Red Mile. The 1st race there was on September 28, 1875, There was no live racing at Red Mile yesterday, 3/18/16, rather the facility was remodeled last September to mark 140 years and to feature “Instant Racing”, simulcasting, dining and entertainment in addition to harness racing. Keeneland went in with Red Mile to make it the fun place it is today.

“Instant Racing” is a lot like slot machines. There are over 900 terminals featuring pari-mutual electronic games. The games show historical racing on a small screen after you have picked 3 horses and made your bet. I thought it was fun to play and I loved seeing all of the different tracks featured.

After, I left the machines, with more money than I had brought with me, I checked out the areas for dining and the space for the live band. The food looked appealing and affordable. The band, Zed’s Dead, was entertaining.

I also ventured up a floor to see all the simulcasting. They had a handicapping contest taking place too. The facility is nice, very clean and spacious with plenty of helpful staffing. I was looking forward to watching a race at Turfway Park, in Florence, KY, set to post at 9:09 P.M. EST.

I have had the good fortune of visiting with two of breeder, Lucy Bassett’s, horses since they first began training. These two 3 year old fillies are Titled and Ma’am. Before they were racing, these two horses lived at The Thoroughbred Center, a Keeneland affiliated farm in Lexington, KY. They stayed and trained in Geoff Mulcahy’s barn. He has been kind enough to let me watch him train them on a few occasions. Now, Ma’am and Titled are training with Kenneth G. McPeek. Ma’am was sired by Colonel John and her dam is Lady Siphonica. Ma’am has Corey S. Nakatani for a jockey and is owned by Lance, Greg and David Gasaway with David Hamby III. Titled has Lily’s Girl for a dam and her sire was Scat Daddy. Titled is still owned by Bassett and she has Sophie Doyle for her jockey. Ma’am has raced 3 times at Oaklawn Park and she broke her maiden the last time out on 2/27/16. Titled had her second career race last night. She also got her start at Oaklawn.

Titled has not broken her maiden yet. It was still very exciting to see her come from the back of the pack to sweep third place last night. I enjoyed wagering on her from the Red Mile and she paid $5.60. I am pleased with both Ma’am and Titled and I’m looking forward to their next races. I would love to see them race live and I’m still hoping to make it to Turfway Park in the near future.

The Red Mile is an excellent place for various entertainment and simulcasting. I imagine I will be back soon and I have my own rewards card now. It was easy to get to, parking was plenty and free. The facility is open year round from 10am to 2 pm Sunday thru Thursday and open 2 additional hours, until 4 am, on Friday and Saturday. If you are planning a trip, check the Red Mile out here: Red Mile Please, comment, like and share. I will post a new story weekly or more often. Thank you for your time!

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February 10, 2016February 10, 2016

Jaw Droppers and Sale Toppers

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At first I was pretty disappointed that I could not attend the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale. The sale was only two days, Monday and Tuesday, February 8 – 9, 2016 and I had to work. Instead, I was able to go out for nearly four hours the day prior to the sale kickoff and spend time visiting and photographing the Thoroughbreds. It was cool and dry, that Sunday I spent at the barns, which was the last of that weather. Winter Mixed is a great name because it not only describes the variety of available bloodstock but the term fits the rain, sleet and snow that fell throughout the sale. I don’t like cold and wet so I was happy to follow along on the live feed.

The Winter Mixed had 528 Thoroughbreds cataloged. Of these 341 sold at a total price of over $8.2 million dollars. The average hip sold for more than $24 thousand dollars. The sale offered broodmares, racing or broodmare prospects and short yearlings. Day 1 of the sale featured hips 1 thru 296 and day 2 featured the remaining hips. I learned something very interesting about the cataloging from this sale. When the catalog for an auction house is produced the horses are assigned their hip order based on an alphabetical listing of either their own registered name or, if they have yet to be named, the name of their dam. A letter is drawn at random to start numbering (hip 1) and then the numbers are assigned in alphabetical order thereafter. In a select sale the groupings can be made based on quality but not in a mixed sale such as this. That explains why at a select sale one might see the highest priced horses featured on a particular day but in a mixed sale, like this, it just so happened that day 2 had more sought after horses.

This sale had 14 horses sell for 6 figure prices. The sale topper was hip 426, Flashy American for $395,000. She is a pretty 7 year old gray/roan sired by Flashy Bull, her dam is Inn Between. Flashy American is pregnant by 2013 Kentucky Derby winner, Orb. 2016 will bring Orb’s 1st crop. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales and purchased by Blue Sky Stable. She may be bred to Tapit next. She was sold at Fasig-Tipton in the 2015 Kentucky Selected Fall Mixes Sale for $360,000 but the owner defaulted upon her offer. Funfair (hip 431) went for $350,000. Achiever’s Legacy (519) sold for $330,000 as did Stoweshoe (522, seen in the above promo poster). Maggie D’ Oro (55) was session 1’s topper at $210,000. Zundaq (296) and Dorothy’s Spirit (403, seen below on the top) each sold for $190,000. Kateri (18, seen below on the bottom) fetched $167,000. Bonnie Bear (338) and Darling Bird (389) both had a price of $150,000. Suzy Sage (228) followed at $130,000. Aunt Ellen (314) sold for $115,000. Finally Lady Zieg (28) and the yearling topper, a colt out of Bala and sired by Violence (318), each sold for $100,000.

Dorothy’s Spirit’s sire was the late and great Scat Daddy who passed away this past December of an apparent but unexpected heart attack at only 11 years old. 9 horses in this sale were Scat Daddy progeny and 7 sold. Another of his offspring is Lady Gayle (26, seen below). She sold for just $14,000. While there was quite a price range on his lineage there was a high demand for the mares pregnant with a Scat Daddy sired foal. Funfair, Maggie D’ Oro and Bonnie Bear, all toppers, are all in foal by Scat Daddy.

I was pretty impressed to see the next two Thoroughbreds. It’s Elementary (11, seen below at left) won 1st place at Gulfstream Park last Friday 2/5/16. She was not sold. Crocus Hill (383, featured below on the right) came in 2nd at Tampa Bay 2/6/16. She is sired by Medaglia D’Oro and sold for just $30,000. I’m going to keep a lookout for these two to see if they race again soon.

Finally, who doesn’t love, love, love a baby? A few broodmares had their foals pre-sale but they still go thru the auction as a package deal. Tecnica (239) and her lovely Discreetly Mine foal were a joy to watch. They sold for just $14,000. That foal was already off and running. He gave his handler some trouble keeping up! Look at this adorable baby below.

I’m sure I would have loved the auction rain or shine, or sleet and snow. One thing I am sure of, I am still really glad I was blessed to see many of the Thoroughbreds before they changed hands and futures. I’m anxious to see how these grads perform at racing and breeding. Please, share my auction story and comment with your experiences at the sales. Check back in for next week’s story too.

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January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

Action At The Auction

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What a sweet week I had. I was able to go to Keeneland 4 times for the January Horses of All Ages Sale. It was a moving experience as always.

This sale featured hip numbers 1 thru 1796. Of these, 1,040 Thoroughbreds sold versus 948 for this same sale last year. I arrived the day prior to the sale and the grounds were bustling with horsemen, prospective buyers and of course, the horses we love so much. The sale ran from Monday 1/11 thru Friday 1/15/16. The 5 day session was a full day longer than the previous year. On opening day, the auction began with hip 3 after the first 2 horses, and several more were “out” for various reasons. Hip 3, seen above in the Keeneland sales pavilion, is Captive Melody. She was consigned by an agent for Claiborne Farm. At a price of $70,000 she didn’t really get sold. She is listed as “RNA”, reserve not attained. This was the case with several of the horses at the auction. Captive Melody is 13 years old. She was sired by Unbridled’s Song and she did race. Her earnings are over $117,000 and she is pregnant with Malibu Moon’s foal. I find her to be very pretty.

Many horses did fetch a good price. Hip 259 was Summer Solo. She is a 5 year old daughter of Arch, in foal by Ghostzapper. She was consigned by Denali Stud for the dispersal of Sarah J. Leigh’s estate. She was purchased by Payson Stud, Inc. Her half-sister, hip 260, is Summer Sweet. Sired by More Than Ready, this 2 year old filly was also sold by Denali to Payson. These beauties were sale toppers at $700,000 and $550,000 respectively.

Virginia Kraft Payson bought the above Arch filly, hip 230, from Denali as well. She fetched $450,000. Payson was this sale’s top buyer. In all, the sale grossed over $35 million dollars. It made $158,000 more than the 2015 January sale and should be considered a success.

The crowd released audible coos when hip 76, Grenobloise, entered with her 5 day old baby. What a doll! I heard from Taylor Made Sales Agency, the leading consignor with 92 horses sold, that several babies were born in the Keeneland stalls during the sale. Grenobloise and her baby were also RNA. They were consigned by Buckland Sales.

I couldn’t attend on Tuesday but on Wednesday I saw 4 of the top 5 sale prices for that session. Seen above are hip 828, a filly by More Than Ready for $95,000, hip 917, Ready For Romance for $240,000, hip 927, Rock Me Mama for $90,000 and 945, a colt sired by Shanghai Bobby for $105,000.

Prom Time, hip 1271 and a colt by Super Saver, 1314, were the two top prices on Thursday. Each can be seen above. Eaton Sales consigned Prom Time. She was sold to Warrendale Sales. The colt was consigned by Hidden Brook and sold to Calumet Farm.

The best thing about Thursday is that it was the first time I was warm enough to roam the grounds freely. I saw some nice short yearlings and some stallions too. That is one of the pleasures of this sale. It is such a mixed bag. This sale offers horses that have raced, that will race, great broodmare prospects, stallions, you name it! Not only are they all ages but they are all kinds of pretty too. I likes the grays, especially the ones that almost look white. See some of the lovelies below.

I didn’t make it out yesterday but I see that it closed strong and the final horse was hip 1795, a gray or roan colt sired by Uncle Mo. Consigned by Brandywine Farm, this little guy sold to Eico Ventures for $80,000, the top price of the day.

I will have to wait until September 12th thru 24th to see the next Keeneland sale. It will feature yearlings. Fortunately, Fasig-Tipton has a Winter Mixed sale in Lexington February 8-9th. Perhaps, I can venture out then. Stay warm my friends and keep watching for my next post.

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December 26, 2015December 26, 2015

Equine Illuminations

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I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. Mine was wonderful. I enjoyed a lot of family time which included a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park to experience Southern Lights. Tours will continue until December 31, 2015.

Southern Lights is an annual event at the park with over 4 miles of light displays. I like the horse themed lights the best. Above I included pictures of Keeneland and Churchill Downs. There are all sorts of displays including the Wizard of Oz and the 12 Days of Christmas. Views of the lights are most accessible by driving. Once parked they also have a craft market, gift shop, visit with Santa, train displays, a train ride, camel and pony rides, part of the museum for touring and a petting zoo.

I really enjoyed feeding carrots to all of the animals at the zoo. I am surprised the animals could still eat with so many people eager to feed them. The kangaroos were not eager to eat or allow themselves to be petted. They were ready to snooze.

I believe I was most excited to pet the llamas. A camel tried to eat my brother’s hat and I took a selfie with the happy and hungry camel.

On the grounds near the visitor center the Secretariat statue had a horse light display and the Man O’ War had the Wizard of Oz scene behind it.

I did not recognize any changes in the museum since my last visit in June but I included these pictures for your enjoyment. John Henry, Secretariat, Affirmed, and Seattle Slew were some of the featured Thoroughbred displays.

It was odd being at the Horse Park without getting to see the horses but still a great time. If you ever find yourself in Lexington, KY around Christmas time I would recommend visiting Southern Lights. This is one of those stories that are better told with pictures although photographing light displays is most difficult. I hope you enjoyed my pics and that you might see it in person some day.

For Christmas I was gifted a few new equestrian themed items too. I got boots, some horse shoe art and a horse hair bracelet. Feel free to comment with pictures or details about the horsey gifts you received this year.

Thoroughbred U turns 1 on this coming Friday! Thank you for following along with me. Wishing all of you a happy New Year!

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December 19, 2015January 7, 2018

Home For The Holidays

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There is no place like home for the holidays! It’s been another fantastic week since my last post. I got to spend some time in Gatlinburg, TN and had a blast as usual. I love the mountains and the shops there. I had some fun in my own town this week as well. This time of year Lexington, KY has an outdoor ice rink located downtown. Right in the middle of Triangle Park, you can pay to rent skates and spend almost 2 hours surrounded by the city. Lexington won’t fail to remind you, it is no ordinary city. It is the horse capital of the world!

From where I was skating I could see the store front to the Lexington Visitors Center and the clock for the 2015 Breeders’ Cup we hosted. Nearby, signs are posted to direct foot traffic to the many interesting places downtown. One of the most unique and best places for horse lovers is naturally, Thoroughbred Park. The park is situated on 2.5 acres of land in downtown Lexington. There are 13 full sized horse sculptures and 42 plaques containing the images and history for important persons in the Thoroughbred industry.

Gwen Reardon is the local and famed equine artist who created these amazing bronze structures. The jockeys featured on the horses above are depictions of actual people. Pat Day, Bill Shoemaker, Randy Romero, Don Brumfield, Jerry Bailey, Craig Perrot and Chris McCarron are immortalized for this perfect ride! Even the silks were replicated to represent particular owners. In front there is a nice structure of Lexington, a fine race horse and stallion who lived from 1850 to 1875.

The park opened in April of 1991 and it is lovely. On the grassy hill above there are several playful and grazing Thoroughbred structures. It’s like a little piece of pasture right downtown.

All around the park are these nice plaques. Each of these contains the name, lifespan and some information pertaining to how the featured person contributed to the Thoroughbred racing industry. Above we see England’s Queen Elizabeth II. She has visited Lexington for races at Keeneland and to visit horse farms. She has kept her own Thoroughbreds in Kentucky. Robert Kleberg, Jr. owned Triple Crown winner, Assault and King Ranch. A.B. Hancock, Sr. created Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY. Claiborne has been a very influential breeding farm and is the final resting place for many great Thoroughbreds including, Gallant Fox, Secretariat, Riva Ridge and Pulpit. William Woodward, Sr. boarded his mares at Claiborne. He owned Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox who sired the also Triple Crown winning Omaha. Finally, Samuel Riddle was the owner of the wonderful, Man O’ War. Man O’ War won 20 of 21 races and he retired to stud near Lexington. Many things in my town are named for this great horse. It is rare that I can get to anything by car without driving on Man O’ War Boulevard for a while.

I have photos of all 42 plaques and would be happy to share further if anyone has a particular interest in the who’s who of the industry as depicted at Thoroughbred Park. Please, drop me a comment on my page or Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for your time. I’ll be in touch after I see the Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park next week.

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November 23, 2015November 23, 2015

This Side of Paradise

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A week ago today, while I was still on vacation, I finally put my track quest into action. I have been to Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky many times and I will be there a whole lot more but I want to see all of the U.S. tracks eventually. On 11/16/15 I made it to Turf Paradise in Phoenix, AZ!

Turf Paradise opened on January 7, 1956. It was built in the desert on 1,400 acres of land by Walter Cluer who owned the track for around 25 years. It was the first professional sports establishment in Arizona and is still the third largest sports attraction in the state to date. Ownership has changed hands five times since and there have been remodels but the track is still up and running. Currently, it is in the possession of Jerry Simms.

There are two tracks at this course. One is a 1 mile dirt track and the other is a 7 furlong turf track. Over 2,000 horses live and train on the backside. The track has live racing for 7 months, one of the longest live racing calendars in the country. The 2015-2016 meet runs 10/17/15 thru 5/8/16 on 136 scheduled days. There are seats for 7,500 guests. More than 14,600 fans have been in attendance at one time. The grandstand is 3 stories high and there are seats in the Clubhouse and Turf Club as well. The paddock is connected from the track and is easy to see from most viewpoints. The track is elevated to about eye level from a standing position in the area in front of the grandstand. There is a lovely infield pond with geese and ducks. Palm trees all around and mountains in the background make the atmosphere really beautiful. I had nice views of the horses in the paddock and while racing. I was there to see the 1st 6 races of 8 that day.

I mostly stayed in the clubhouse which is available for no extra charge on Mondays. Each of the little booths had a television for off track betting and a nice track view for all. A waiter came to the table to take our order and serve us lunch. My Arizona brother went for the taco salad, he can not get enough tacos. I had a nice reuben. Other than burgoo and hot dogs that is my go to track food of choice.

Notable races held here include the Turf Paradise Handicap, the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, the Arizona Oaks and the Luke Kruybosch. One of the more famous horses to run here was Da Hoss. Da Hoss lives at the Kentucky Horse Park now. He moved there in 2000. I met him this past June and he was lovely. He is known for his kisses. He ran and won the 1st three races of his career at Turf Paradise. Da Hoss went on to win many graded stakes including the Breeders’ Cup Mile twice, once in 1996 and again in 1998!

My time at Turf Paradise was fantastic. I would recommend spending a day there to any race fan. I have been told so many times how nice I have it at my home tracks in Kentucky and I agree but going to Turf Paradise makes me very excited to see all the other tracks this country has to offer. I am real glad I was able to attend this track for it’s 60th season.

Thank you for reading my stories and I hoped you learned something new or appreciated my review. Please, keep sharing and commenting and I will have another post for you no later than next week. Happy Thanksgiving!

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November 19, 2015November 19, 2015

Canyon Connections

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Ah, vacation! This past weekend I took a long overdue trip to Arizona. When I’m not chasing horses I enjoy time with friends, family and nature. For the second time in my life I made it out to see the third of Seven Natural Wonders of the World, The Grand Canyon. I have snorkeled the 4th wonder, The Great Barrier Reef in Australia. So many wonders, so little time. I saw birds, chipmunks, elk, deer and a tarantula. I didn’t see any horses, though you can ride the trails on mules and I saw some of them in a corral. The Grand Canyon truly is amazing and so was a Thoroughbred by the same name.

Grand Canyon, the natural wonder, was cut by the Colorado river over 17 million years ago. Grand Canyon, the Thoroughbred race horse, was born February 14, 1987. He was a special horse and he looked the part, very advanced for his age. Grand Canyon was trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ favorite horses, revealed in a 2012 interview. He was bred in Florida by Lin-Drake Farm. He was owned by both Lukas and W.T. Young of Overbrook Farm in Lexington, KY. Grand Canyon had 8 career starts in which he made over a million dollars in lifetime earnings. He won his 3rd maiden race after running twice at Hollywood Park and then at Del Mar. In his 1st race he came in 4th but from then on he was always second or first to finish. Every race, following his maiden, was a stakes race. He placed at Santa Anita in the Sunny Slopes Stakes, then won the Norfolk Stakes (Grade 1) at that same track. In his next race he was 2nd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Gulfstream (G1) then won both the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G3) and the Hollywood Futurity (G1) at Churchill then Hollywood Park respectively. He was the runner up for the Eclipse Award for 2 Year Old Champion. Unfortunately, Grand Canyon’s career ended at the same track in the same year it began, 1989. He achieved a speed record riden by Angel Cordero, Jr. in the Hollywood Futurity. He had so much potential but he suffered a leg injury from which he never recovered. He was euthanized in July 1990. Grand Canyon was the 1st horse to be buried at Overbrook Farm.

Grand Canyon was only 3 when he died. He has no progeny but members of his pedigree did go on to produce more great horses. Grand Canyon’s dam was Champagne Ginny. His sire was Fappiano. Fappiano is the great great grandsire of American Pharoah! Fappiano’s son was Unbridled, who sired Empire Maker, the father of Pioneer of the Nile. Pioneer of the Nile is American Pharoah’s sire and both are registered stallions currently in Kentucky. Unbridled won the Kentucky Derby in 1990. Empire Maker was 2nd in the KY Derby in 2003. Pioneer of the Nile was 2nd the KY Derby in 2009. American Pharoah won the KY Derby in 2015. What a line of superior Thoroughbreds!

The road to the Kentucky Derby is well underway. On May 7, 2016 we will have our next Run for the Roses. The 142nd KY Derby, at Churchill Downs, will feature 20 horses that qualify from earning points in 35 select races. We have already completed 6 of these races. The next race is this Saturday, 11/21/15. That race is the Delta Downs Jackpot at Delta Downs in Louisiana. There are currently 10 entries for this grade 3 race of 1 and 1/16 miles for a $1 million dollar purse. Post time is 4:15 P.M. CST. Ocho Ocho Ocho won last year and went on to compete in the KY Derby. I will be tuned in to watch as I am excited to see all of our up and coming 2 year olds. As always, thanks for sharing and following along on my educational adventures in horse racing. I hope you enjoy my scenic pictures from my trip. Soon, I want to tell you about my first visit to Turf Paradise race track in Phoenix, AZ while I was visiting out West.

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