Sharing with you my fascinating discoveries about Thoroughbred racing, sales, fashion, food, beverage, tips and more.
When life hands you snow, make burgoo! First, I would like to thank everyone who contributed with a prospective name for the new guest chef that will be used to share the many track favorite and comfort food and drink recipes that Thoroughbred U has collected. The horse plush has been named, Horseradish. Today we feature, Chef Horseradish Dishes, with burgoo on the menu.
Continue reading “Burgoo on the Menu”
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Thoroughbred U has a new assistant! I’ve always wanted to bring more recipes and fashion to my followers but I don’t want to be on camera myself. I’m asking for name ideas for this new plush horse. It is not as hard as submitting to the Jockey Club but I’m hoping for something catchy and creative. Please, share your ideas and enjoy the first recipe from our mystery chef. Today we bring you, wassail.
Continue reading “Wassail While We Wait”
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The Ohio Derby at ThistleDown was so much fun that I just couldn’t wait to visit another one of Ohio’s 3 Thoroughbred racetracks. A road trip ensued and I was back in Ohio this weekend. Belterra Park was my destination of choice for live racing!
Continue reading “Racing Through Ohio”
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The celebration continues! The Kentucky Horse Park is honoring the legendary Man o’ War’s 100th year since his birth. The party was in full swing Thursday evening, 6/29/17, when an event was held in downtown Lexington, KY to unveil the completed mural.
Continue reading “Man o’ War Mural”
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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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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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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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Yesterday was cold and wet but I was still a happy lady because I was back at my favorite track, Keeneland in Lexington, KY. Friday, 10/2/15, was the 1st day of Keeneland’s Fall meet. It was also the beginning of Fall Stars weekend. This meet, Keeneland will host 16 graded stakes races between October 2 through the 24th. The total purse value is over 5 million dollars. 8 of the races allow the winner to automatically qualify for Breeders’ Cup races. These races are termed, “Win and You’re In”. I was there to see Gomo and Runhappy qualify.
Fall Stars weekend had 2 “Win and You’re In” races yesterday. Today will feature 3 more and Sunday will have 2 of these stakes as well. Race 8, yesterday, was the 163rd running of the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Grade 3 stakes race. The purse was $250,000. Runhappy won on the sloppy track by 1 and 3/4 lengths. He won a Grade 1 stakes in Saratoga in August, his last race. His jockey is E.S. Prado, he is trained by M. Borrell, and is owned by James McIngvale. We will see Runhappy again at the same track at the month’s end in the TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint!
The next race, 9, was the feature of the day. That race was the 64th running of The Darley Alcibiades. It was a Grade 1 stakes race with a purse of $400,000. Gomo won by 2 and 3/4 lengths in the mud. That is her crossing the finish line above. She is owned by J. Paul Reddam of Reddam Racing, LLC. Her trainer is Doug O’Neil. Mario Gutierrez is her jockey. Gomo was sired by Uncle Mo. She will next race in the Juvenile Fillies Division in the Breeders’ Cup.
I had hoped to share, with all of you, pictures of some of the newest additions to Keeneland in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup but the weather kept me inside. I did however come across a new menu item, The Chicago Style Reuben. I have long been a fan of Keeneland’s traditional Reuben but I enjoyed this one as well, so much so that I ate half before considering taking a photo! I took in views of the paddock changes, the trophy, and a bit of educational BC artwork too.
It is still cool and overcast today but I am hoping a little drier. I am going back to see the races including race 6, The Thoroughbred Club of America stakes (G2), race 8, The Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity stakes (G1) and race 9, The Shadwell Turf Mile stakes (G1). They are at 4pm EST, 5:10 PM and 5:45 PM respectively. The purses are $200,000, $500,000 and 1 million dollars, in this order. I love the name Heykittykittykitty in the 6th! In the 9th Bobby’s Kitten will compete against The Pizza Man. The Pizza Man’s last race was the Arlington Million Grade 1 stakes in August where he won his third race in a row!
I am mostly excited today to see the parading of Wise Dan. He is to be shown in the paddock and walking ring during the 3rd race around 2:15 PM EST and then before the grandstand after that race. He has been living at Keeneland for a while and I have always tried and failed to see him. He won the Shadwell Turf Mile last year and in 2012. He recently retired but prior to that he was American Horse of the Year twice, American Champion Older Male Horse twice and American Champion Male Turf Horse two times also.
Sunday, will have a full day of racing including the $250,000 Dixiana Bourbon stakes (G3) and the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster stakes (G1). The Dixiana will go off about 5:10 PM EST, as race 8 of the day, immediately followed by race 9 at 5:45. In the 8th I like the name Camelot Kitten and in the 9th we see last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable battle against this year’s winner Lovely Maria!
I hope everyone has a great day and maybe makes a little bit of money. I will get those Wise Dan photos today rain or shine! Now, I must go fix my hair and bundle up.
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Here we are, its 5/16/15, time for the 140th running of the Grade I Preakness Stakes! In the lucky 13th Pimlico race of the day, at 6:18 p.m. EST, the 1.5 million dollar purse race will begin. Just 8 of 14 possible horses, the smallest field since 2000, are competing in this race and only one of them could someday be a Triple Crown winner!
The Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Just like the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes it shares the same dirt track, flower, and drink. See yesterdays post Filly Friday. They also eat crabcakes, yuk! To make the Black-Eyed Susan flower blanket, for the winning horse, since 1940, they painted the centers of about 4 thousand daisies black, now they use Viking Poms. I fudged a little on my own flower pic above too and darkened up the middle. The race is called “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.” The reason they use the wrong flower is because the Black Eyed Susan blooms in June in Maryland and it is only May so daisies are in season. I just need to take more flower pictures, myself. The winning owner gets a silver trophy replica of The Woodlawn Vase, made in 1860 and valued at 1 million dollars. This copy is sterling valued at $30,000. They also paint the jockey silks on the weather vane on top of the Old Clubhouse to match the winning owner’s colors after the race is won. The song of the day is “Maryland, My Maryland.” It reminds me of “O Christmas Tree.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJcHNCZNj24
The first race occurred in 1873. By 1932 it was the second leg of the Triple Crown series. Secretariat ran the speed record at 1:53. Smarty Jones won by the most lengths at 11 and 1/2.
Let’s check out the contenders, listed in post position…
I want a Triple Crown winner. We have not seen one since 1978 with Affirmed. Thus, I’m pulling for the favorite, American Pharoah. The KY Derby was his 5th win straight of 6 starts. 4 of those wins were Grade I stakes. He won an Eclipse Award at 2 years old. This horse won the KY Derby by a length. He is a California horse just like last years winner, California Chrome. Right next to American Pharoah on the rail is Dortmund, these two horses have the same trainer Bob Baffert. All 3 of his previous KY Derby winners have gone on to win the Preakness. Baffert has trained 5 Preakness winners total. Dortmond lost his first race ever at the KY Derby but still managed to come in 3rd, 3 lengths behind the winner. Mr. Z was just involved in a quick sale. He was owned by Zayat Stables when he came in 13th in a field of 18 at the KY Derby. Just days ago, Calumet Farm in Lexington, KY bought him and decided to give him the chance Zayat was not. Zayat still has American Pharoah in the race and he was going to give Mr. Z a break to build confidence. The trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, remained throughout and he thinks the horse is ready now. The fun thing about studying horse racing is the learning. I would have figured horses hated the transportation part but his trainer says the scenic van ride from Kentucky to Maryland was very good for the horse. Calumet Farms has the most wins of any owner in the Preakness. Lukas has the 2nd most wins of any trainer in the Preakness. Danzig Moon also ran in the KY Derby. He came in 5th place running from the 5th pole position. This Thoroughbred is close to the same post now. He lost by more than 6 lengths. Of the 8 horses running the Preakness, 5 ran in the KY Derby and he was the 2nd to last of these. Jockey Julien Leparoux did prefer this horse to ride over Divining Rod. Tale of the Verve wanted to run in the KY Derby but he didn’t make the cut. He has won a Gr. I stakes of the same length as the Preakness. He won his maiden race at Keeneland. Tale of the Verve is probably your biggest long shot of the day. Bodhisattva was not a KY Derby horse. He is however, the only horse in the race with a win at Pimlico. Divining Rod did not run in the KY Derby either. He is probably the best of the 3 without KY Derby experience. This horse did win the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and he has Javier Castellano for a jockey. He just won the 2015 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at this same track yesterday! Last but not least, Firing Line, was 2nd place by a length in the KY Derby. Thus we have the top 3 KY Derby horses running in the Preakness. That has happened 7 times in the prior 20 years and never have they come in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in repeat order.
My handicapper says, “Historically, horses that win the derby from on or near the pace do extremely well in the Preakness. Derby winners that come from far back have struggled in the Preakness. Since the top three finishers in the KY Derby were all very close to the lead, I expect all three of them to run very well in Baltimore. I will be boxing American Pharoah, Firing Line, and Dortmund in the exacta and I’ll add Danzig Moon in a trifecta and superfecta box.”
My tipster also inspired me to consider the strong possibility of rain. Looks like the favorite American Pharoah loves mud. 34 horses have won the KY Derby and the Preakness. Fingers crossed, I want the chance at the Triple Crown!
Update: A record crowd of 131,680 attended the Preakness to see American Pharoah win. This was the 14th time since 1978’s Triple Crown that a horse has won both the KY Derby at the Preakness. Finish order was:
- American Pharoah
- Tale of Verve
- Divining Rod
- Dortmund
- Mr. Z
- Danzig M00n
- Firing Line
- Bodhisattva
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My mom grew these pretty flowers in her yard, right here in Kentucky, but they happen to be Maryland’s state flower and also the name sake, for the second jewel of the de facto Filly Triple Crown, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
Friday, 5/15/15, Pimlico Race Course will host the 91st running of this race. At 4:50 p.m. EST in race 11, nine 3 year old fillies will compete to make history and a $250,000 purse, the smallest amount in 4 years. Pimlico is located in Baltimore, Maryland. This race was created in 1919 and at that time was called the Pimlico Oaks. It wasn’t until 1952 that the name was changed to the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, named for this 13 petaled flower representing MD as one of the 13 original colonies. They made a drink by that name as well, The Black-Eyed Susan Recipe. This dirt race is 1 and 1/8 miles or 9 furlongs. It 1st became a graded race in 1973 and has held Gr. II since 1976. The fastest time is 1:41:20 and the largest win is by 9 lengths.
The Filly Triple Crown is generally comprised of the Kentucky Oaks held at Churchill Downs, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park. Some may argue that this isn’t the correct line up but these are the three races that match the counterparts to the Triple Crown; The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. There are other important filly races and New York has there own Triple Tiara too. There have only been 3 horses to win the Filly Triple Crown. Those were Wistful in 1949, Real Delight in 1952 and Davona Dale in 1979. Each of these Thoroughbreds were bred and owned by Calumet Farm in Lexington, KY. Nellie Morse ran and won the Pimlico Oaks and the Preakness stakes back in 1924. She was the fourth filly to win the Pimlico Oaks and no filly did that again until 2009, she is Rachel Alexandra, also born in Lexington,KY.
This year’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes isn’t just about one race. It got its own day! The 1st post starts a 12 p.m. and for just $10, those who attend, get 14 races, 7 of those being stakes races, and 5 live bands. I love living in the horse capital of the world but now would be a great time to visit Baltimore. The Maryland Jockey group developed Empowerment 3600 to make this day “The Ultimate Girls Day Out” by partnering with groups year round for development of healthier and happier lives. They chose to fund raise for Susan G. Komen, for breast cancer and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, for retired horses. The bands are the Gin Blossoms, Fuel, Vertical Horizon, The Reagan Years, and Margaret Valentine. The final race of the day is the Pimlico Special. This is a Gr. III race for horses 3 and older. This year all ten contenders are 4 and 5 years of age. The race is 1 and 3/16 or 9.5 furlongs on the dirt. This is the same race that Seabiscuit beat War Admiral in, back in 1938. There are some good betting opportunities this day. The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes has a gifted field, so anything could happen there and the day holds two 50 cent pick 4s and one 50 cent pick 5 with guaranteed pools. Also, there is a daily double that flows into the following day for the Preakness.
So, what about this gifted field, all bred in Kentucky, listed in post position…
Danessa Deluxe is the second favorite. She has just 1 start this year in which she placed in a Gr. II. She has had 6 starts total. This race will be long for her. Pure has 3 starts in 2015 and 7 lifetime. She won her maiden in San Anita last month. Ahh Chocolate won her race at Keeneland and she is undefeated but has only had 2 starts total. She is the third favorite and runs off the pace. Gypsy Judy has had her eye on this race for sometime. She is slower but of 5 starts she has won twice, placed once and showed once. Include Betty is the only horse in this race that just ran 2 weeks ago in the Kentucky Oaks. That makes her our only hope for a Filly Triple Crown this year. She finished 8th in the Oaks after getting bumped and running into too much traffic. She finished 7 lengths behind the winner, Lovely Maria, who shares her same owner. Include Betty has had 8 starts and is a graded stakes winner. She is the 1st horse to run this race following the Oaks since 2010. She likes to run from behind and this is the horse I want to see win. Sweetgrass, with 4 starts has 2 wins and 2 shows. Her last race was at Keeneland where she won. Devine Aida has 6 races in her past in which she was 1st four times and 2nd once as well. She is a multiple stakes winner. Luminance is the favorite. She is trained by Bob Baffert. He pulled her out of contention for the KY Oaks pretty late saying he intended to enroll her in this race and the Acorn. She has a stellar pedigree. She likes to jump up front then sit off the pace. In 3 starts she has 2 wins and one place. Finally, we have Keen Pauline. She has the same jockey, Javier Castellano, as last years winner, Stopchargingmaria. She has no wins of 2 starts this year but in her last 4 races she ran 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in that order.
Cheers to the ladies. I’m pulling for the Filly Triple Crown!
Update! There will not be a Filly Triple Crown winner this year. Congratulations to Keen Pauline!
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