Rise and shine! It’s another beautiful day in sunny Del Mar, California. The race track will soon be packed with fans from all over the earth to watch the last day of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Today, the final 9 races will take place where each contending Thoroughbred will stake their place in history.
Miss Temple City, winner of the 2016 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland
Alas, Keeneland is open for live racing again. I have long awaited, since the end of April, for live Thoroughbred racing to return to my hometown. Friday, October 6, 2017 at 1:05 PM EDT marks the start of Keeneland’s October meet. Racing continues through the 28th. There are so many fantastic things taking place this meet, including two Win And You’re In Breeders’ Cup races the very first day and so many more to follow. It is hard to know where to begin. I’m pretty interested in the return of Miss Temple City to my hometrack, where she always finishes in the money!
There’s an old Irish saying that says just about anything you want it to. One of those being, “The best horse doesn’t always win the race.” I know of a few of the very best horses that even when they don’t win, they at least run happy. I caught up with Runhappy, himself, this weekend at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. He was head bobbing along through the paddock with a smile on his face. He is featured in the 1st three pictures.
Runhappy is a 4 year old colt sired by Super Saver. His dam is Bella Jolie. Hap, as he is affectionately named, is a Kentucky bred horse. He usually lives at the Thoroughbred Training Center with his cat, Sancho, in my hometown of Lexington, KY. Hap, is owned by James McIngvale. He had Edgar S. Prado for a jockey in his last race. He will use Gary Stevens in his next race. Laura Wohlers is his current trainer. Runhappy has had 9 career starts and he has won 7 times. He was sidelined for all of this year until the G3, Ack Ack Handicap this past Saturday, 10/1/16. He finished up a 6 race winning streak in December with a win in the Grade 1, Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA. He spent most of this summer healing from a bruised cannon bone. Hap returned to racing this past weekend in preparation for the $1 million dollar Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Mile this November at Santa Anita. Last year, Runhappy won the BC Sprint and earned himself an Eclipse Award for 2015 Champion Sprinter. His connections are working with him to do the same with the BC Mile.
The 24th running of the Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill Downs was a stakes race for horses 3 years olds and upward. It was a 1 mile race on the dirt and carried a purse of $100,000. The race is named for Ack Ack, a 1986 United States Racing Hall of Fame inductee and three time 1971 Eclipse Award winner. Ack Ack also went on to be a wonderful stallion at Claiborne Farm producing many more stakes winners.
Hap was one of 6 horses in the race this year. He unfortunately came in 4th, after a lead near the start. His connections still intend to ship him to California for the November BC Mile. Many feel he will continue to improve. Runhappy will also race in the 1st ever Pegasus World Cup on 1/28/17. The Pegasus will carry a $12million dollar purse, the world’s richest horse race.
Tom’s Ready, seen above, was the winner of the Ack Ack Handicap. He will also be targeting the BC Mile this year.
Tepin won the BC Mile last year. She is a contender to do so again. Tepin will race at Keeneland, in Lexington, KY, on opening weekend. She is entered in the First Lady Stakes, race 7 on 10/8/16. Post time is 4:35 P.M. EST. Tepin won the First Lady last year.
My beloved, Mr. Z, seen above, finished 6th in the Ack Ack on Saturday. It was his first race of this year but his 21st career start. He raced in the BC Mile last year as well. I was really pulling for him in the Ack Ack and he was leading at the half-mile. I do not know the current plans for his next race.
Churchill’s September Meet ended on October 2nd but thankfully Keeneland’s Fall Meet starts on the 7th and will continue thru the 29th. I will attend as often as possible to bring you more photos and stories. If there is any Thoroughbred in the Keeneland meet that you really want pictures of, please comment and I’ll give it a try. Thank you and check back for a new post each week.
Miss Temple City, winner of the 2016 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland
