Lexington Archives - Page 6 of 10

August 5, 2016August 8, 2016

Waiting on the Whitney

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Woo hoo for the Whitney! The 87th running of the Whitney Handicap will take place tomorrow, August 6,2016 at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, NY. If I could click my heels and go anywhere right now, I’d be at “The Spa”.

The Whitney Handicap was inaugurated in 1928. It has been at various tracks for different genders, ages and distances historically. Tomorrow, the Whitney will take place on Saratoga’s dirt track. It will be a race of 9 furlongs (1 and 1/8 mile) for horses 3 years old and upwards. 6 Thoroughbreds will compete for the “Win and You’re In” automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the $1.25 million dollar purse. The winner will also receive a blanket made of Marylou Whitney pink roses and a sterling silver chalice trophy with the Whitney family crest.

Considered one of the top Grade 1 races, the Whitney is named for the Whitney family. Historically this family’s contributions to Thoroughbred racing have shaped the industry and blessed us with a vast number of graded stakes winners. Marylou Whitney continues the tradition. She has a home in Saratoga as well as a farm in my hometown, Lexington, KY. The Whitney’s have won their own stakes race 4 times.

Last year’s Whitney winner was Honor Code. Kelso and Discovery each won the race 3 times.

The 2016 Whitney field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/age:

El Kabeir/Ricardo Santana, Jr./John P. Terranova/Zayat Stables, LCC./4
Comfort/John R, Velazquez/Todd A. Pletcher/Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners/4
Upstart/Irad Ortiz Jr./Richard A. Violette, Jr./Ralph M. Evans and WinStar/4
Frosted/Joel Rosario/Kiaran P. McLaughlin/Godolphin Racing, LCC./4
Noble Bird/Julien R. Leparoux/Mark E. Casse/John C. Oxley/5
Effinex/Mike E. Smith/James A. Jerkens/Tri-Bone Stables/5

El Kabeir is a beautiful grey colt by Scat Daddy and Great Venue. El Kabeir ran his first 2 of 15 career starts at Saratoga. He is a multiple graded stakes winner though he has not won in 2016.

Comfort is a colt by Indian Charlie and Unkatzable. Comfort has only raced 7 times and never at Saratoga nor has he won a graded stakes. His jockey/trainer combo won the Whitney in 2013 with Cross Traffic.

Upstart is the son of Flatter, whom I wrote about in my last story when I met him while touring the stallions at Claiborne Farm. Upstart’s dam is Party Silks. Upstart won his maiden at Saratoga on his first start. He has raced at that track 3 times of his 14 career races. He is a multiple graded stakes winner. He was fourth in last year’s Travers.

Frosted is the favorite for the Whitney. He is another lovely grey colt. He is the offspring of Tapit and Fast Cookie. He raced at Saratoga in 3 of his 16 starts. He placed 2nd the 1st two times at that track and third the last time out there. Those races were a maiden, the Jim Dandy and the Travers respectively. He is coming off a strong win at Belmont in June. In 2015 he finished the Belmont 2nd to our Grand Slam winner, American Pharoah. Frosted’s trainer, McLaughlin, won the Whitney with Invasor in 2006.

Noble Bird is the gorgeous horse in the photo. I met him at Keeneland this past April. I caught him with his tongue out as he ate a peppermint. He is the son of Birdstone and Anyhow. Noble Bird is trained by Casse, whom works with one of my favorite fillies, Tepin! She is a Saratoga sales grad. Noble Bird has raced at Saratoga once before in his 16 starts. He is a multiple graded stakes winner.

Effinex is the son of Mineshaft and What A Pear. Effinex has the most experience with 24 career starts. He has raced twice at Saratoga, where he finished 2nd in the Woodward Stakes. He is a multiple graded stakes winner. He was second to American Pharoah in last years BC Classic. His jockey, Smith, won the Whitney in 1993 with Brunswick. The father of James A. Jerkens, the trainer of Effinex, trained Onion who beat the amazing Secretariat in 1973’s Whitney.

As if the Whitney isn’t enough action, there are 11 races on the card Saturday. 5 of those are stakes races and there is another stakes on Sunday. Then the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale takes place August 8th and 9th while my most favorite horse, Juba, races at Saratoga on the 8th as well.

I part own 5 horses that will be auctioned off at the sale. 3 will go on Monday and the 4th and 5th on Tuesday. This sale is one of the first of the season and finest of sales for yearlings. 252 select yearlings have been catalogued for the 96th Saratoga Sale.

Juba is trained by Jerkens, just like Effinex and has the same jockey, Velazquez ,as Comfort. Juba is a 5 year-old grey son of Tapit and Adoradancer. That is the same sire that Frosted has.

If you are at Saratoga tell me all about it. If you’re watching from a television or computer tune in to NBC Sports for race 10, the Whitney, at 6:18 pm EST on 8/6/16. Find Juba, in race 8 at 5:02 pm EST on 8/8/16. I’m hoping to see it on TVG. Finally, follow along with the Fasig-Tipton sale on http://www.fasigtipton.com

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July 13, 2016July 13, 2016

Yearning For Yearlings

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The official start of the yearling sales season kicked off yesterday, 7/12/16, at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, KY. This sale came one day after the Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale. I was especially excited to attend day 2 because it marked the first time I part owned a Thoroughbred at an auction.

I was not on hand, due to my day job, for the horses of racing age sale. That sale was quite a success. Compared to last year, more horses were sold fetching a higher overall price, a higher average price and far fewer unsold horses. 72 horses sold versus 65 the prior year. The total sale brought in over $5 million dollars compared to less than $4 million in 2015. The average price per horse rose by over $8.5 thousand dollars. Finally, only 19 horses did not get sold this July, where as last year 31 did not sell. The sale topper was the 7-year-old mare, Storm Lucy at $575,000. Malibu Moon and War Front sired 5 Thoroughbreds each in that sale making them the top sires by numbers in the sale. Taylor Made Sales Agency was the top consignor.

The July Selected Yearling sale did not exceed 2015’s results. The number of horses sold declined, as did the total price as well as the average price while the number of horses that failed to meet the reserved price increased. The 2016 sale sold 183 Thoroughbreds versus 205 the year before. Last year’s sale made over $20 million dollars while this year brought just over $17.6. On average horses dropped from $97 thousand dollars to $86 thousand each. This year 110 horses were not sold versus only 83 the prior Summer sale. Seen above is the sales ring screen showing an Uncle Mo filly bringing in $250,000. A colt sired by Curlin, hip 222, was the sale topper at a price of $475,000.

Wearing hip 235, pictured above, is a horse that I part owned thru a pinhook partnership I bought into last Fall. He came in with a 4 way tie of top selling horses. This colt, sired by Graydar, brought a price of $200,000. He sold to Twin Creeks Racing Stable, LLC. I loved his unique coloring, best seen in the sunlight. I can not wait to see how well he does on the track later in life!

Hips 338 seen at top left was sired by Speightstown and sold for $350,000. On the right is hip 326, another horse sired by Curlin, who sold for just $90,000. He is in front of the walking ring screens as hip 324 by Stay Thirsty who sold for $260,000.

Touring the grounds a bit I saw some interesting reminders of the exciting sales graduates that Fasig-Tipton has sold before. On July 19, 1975 the Lexington location of this great auction company sold the amazing Seattle Slew for just $17,500. He went on to win the Triple Crown in 1977. He has a whole building complete with art named for him as seen above. Below, we see a reminder of American Pharaoh, our last Triple Crown winner. He was featured as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in New York in 2013 and bought back by his owner. This is where the next major yearling sale will take place on August 8 and 9th, The Saratoga Sale. My group has several horses in that auction so I will be following it closely.

I hope you all enjoy the yearling auctions. Check back with me weekly for more Thoroughbred news or adventures.

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June 24, 2016June 24, 2016

Greetings from Gainesway

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It is my first day of vacation and I started it out on the right ~~hoof~~ foot! Earlier in the week I logged on to Horse Country and booked a tour to Gainesway Farm. This is the home of many Thoroughbreds including Tapit, seen above!

The tour started in the office before 12:30 pm. Marilyn Brashear, the receptionist, and two sweet dogs offered a warm welcome as we collected in the seating area. We were surrounded by lovely equine art and many framed cover shots from Bloodhorse magazine. Ian Tapp, with Sales and Bloodstock Development, fetched us and led us onto the beautifully maintained grounds. He explained that the area had once belonged to the Shawnee Indians. Several generations of horseman have owned the land, Ben Ali Haggin, C.V. Whitney, John Hay Whitney, John R. Gaines, Graham Beck and Antony Beck. The farm has rolling hills and plenty of bluegrass, clover and rye making it a great place for Thoroughbreds to thrive.

During the 1980s, the eight stone barns, a few seen above, housed as many as 52 stallions. Now they have eight available sires living on the farm. These lucky sires are Afleet Alex, Afleet Express, Birdstone, Empire Maker, Hat Trick, Karakontie, Tapit and Tapizar. The stalls are clean and well ventilated to keep a comfortable environment for their tenants year round.

Entering barn three, I met Afleet Alex. When he raced he won the 2nd and third legs of the Triple Crown after a third place finish in the 2005 Kentucky Derby. He won an Eclipse Award that same year. His progeny include Texas Red, Materiality, Afleet Express and many more.

Next, I had the pleasure of viewing Birdstone. He was a Belmont Stakes winner in 2004. Swipe, Mine That Bird and Summer Bird are some of his well know offspring.

Then, Empire Maker made an appearance. The name is so appropriate. The empire he produced includes Bodemeister and Pioneer of the Nile. The later is the sire of the only Grand Slam winner, American Pharoah. When Empire Maker was racing he was 2nd in the Kentucky Derby and he won the Belmont Stakes.

With much built up anticipation, Tapit finally hoofed it on over. He is the beloved sire of Juba, Twitter’s favorite horse! Tapit is stunning, as he looks snow white. He is the leading sire for 2014 and 2015. He is well on his way to the 2016 title as well. He sired the adorable, Lani. Some of his other crops include Creator, Frosted, Tapizar, Tonalist, Untapable, Mohaymen, Cupid and many more.

Our next stop was the breading shed. As MTV Cribs would have put it, “this is where the magic happens”. Tapp went into a lot more in depth information on that subject. I admit, it is quite the process and it was educational. We learned about resident teasing stallion, Bud. He has an important job to do up to three times per day during the busiest of seasons.

As the tour was about to wrap we walked thru the barn that houses Afleet Express and To Honor and Serve. Afleet Express is a multiple graded stakes winner including both the Pegasus Stakes and the Travers Stakes in 2010. He began his stud career in 2011. His graded stakes winning filly Diva Express frequents Churchill Downs.

To Honor and Serve won the Cigar Mile in 2011 and the Woodward Stakes in 2012 as well as a few more multiple graded stakes. He came to Gainesway in 2013 and his crop produced some pricey Thoroughbreds at the sales.

The Gainesway tour was wonderful. I would love to see their mares, weanlings and yearlings too. It was such a neat experience to view these champion sires up-close. If you find yourself in Lexington, KY, I recommend checking the place out yourself. Enjoy my photos and check back soon for my next Thoroughbred story.

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April 30, 2016April 30, 2016

Nyquist Loves and Leaves Keeneland

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Over all too soon. Yesterday was the closer for Keeneland’s Spring Meet. Live racing took place from April 8-29, 2016. I was there for the final day of racing and it was too much of a good time to be sad that it was all about to end.

Keeneland’s meet was quite a success story with plenty of excitement and quality races, horses, owners, trainers and jockeys. The handle was up over 23% versus last Spring and the attendance was up over 4%. I had the pleasure of attending 6 times and the weather was quite pleasant each of those days. Keeneland credits the appeal of the Breeders’ Cup, that they hosted in October, with the returning fans and Thoroughbreds. They also believe that having Nyquist, the 2016 Kentucky Derby favorite, living and training on the grounds added a special attraction. I certainly agree. Nyquist had his last Derby prep work at Keeneland on closing day and then shipped to Churchill Downs today. He is featured in most of the pictures throughout this post. I watched him work once again prior to the races yesterday. He breezed a mile in 1:41 with Mario Gutierrez on board.

45 horses that participated in the Breeders’ Cup in October returned to Keeneland this meet to race or train. Ralis is seen in the top photo with Nyquist. Other BC horses on the grounds this meet were Tepin, Ready for Rye, Barbados, Rachel’s Valentina, Nickname, Camelot Kitten, Ma Can Do It, Limosine Liberal, I’m A Chatterbox, Dacita, Azar, Thrilled, Private Zone, Land Over Sea, Bradester, Green Mask, Riker, Recepta, Holly Boss, Dothraki Queen, Fioretti, Gilding By, Red Rifle, Salama, Shinning Copper, Curlina, Right There, Grand Arch, Siding Spring, Catch A Glimpse, Wavell Avenue, Stopchargingmaria, Sheer Drama, Undrafted, Brody’s Cause, Da Big Hoss, Something Extra, Swipe, The Great War, War Envoy, Twilight Eclipse, Super Majesty and Tourist.

As for the people who help make this sport awesome, many big names were present this meet. Javier Castellano was the leading jockey with 17 wins. He won that title last Spring as well. Ken and Sarah Ramsey are owners who won 9 races at Keeneland this meet. They are Keeneland’s leading owners for the 17th time. The leading trainer was won by Michael Maker, his 4th time earning this title. Many more Hall of Fame, Eclipse Award and Graded Stakes winning jockeys, owners and trainers were in attendance for this Spring as well.

I really had a great time at Keeneland, as always. I am really going to miss the track that won’t have live racing again until October. I thought that watching Nyquist work was a real joy. I appreciate that the horse’s connections and Keeneland were kind enough to share the experience. I wrote a story about a prior work a few weeks ago

My Eye On Nyquist

I hope Nyquist wins the Kentucky Derby next week on May 7th. The success of American Pharoah has me eager for another Grand Slam. Nyquist is a champion and he looks ready to win. The 20 horse field won’t be finalized until Wednesday, 5/4/16. Look for me to bring you the information you may need for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

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April 23, 2016April 23, 2016

Tepin, She Can Run…

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Tepin can run but she can’t hide. Well, actually she is very good at that as well. I have seen Tepin before but I was really hoping to see her up closer while she was in town for the Jenny Wiley 1 week ago today, on 4/16/16. Alas, better luck next time. I still got some nice paddock and track photos and she was amazing again as she broke a track record and won by 5 lengths.

Search my site and it is easy to see my interest in Tepin’s star power. I have written about her before. I first took notice of Tepin on 10/3/15 when I watched her win the Grade 1, First Lady Stakes at Keeneland race track in Lexington, KY. That was actually her 14th career start. It was her 2nd race and win at Keeneland, where she broke her maiden as early as 10/6/13. I didn’t have to wait long to see her again. She triumphed in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on 10/31/15, also held at Keeneland.

Tepin has quite the fan following now and she has earned it. This year she has won 3 Graded stakes as a 5 year old and is tied with Songbird for the top rank in the American Graded Stakes Standings. Tepin has had 18 career starts including 10 wins, 3 place finishes and 1 time with a show. She is an Eclipse Winner and she is on a winning steak, 5 races deep. In 2016 she won the Grade 3 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay, the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes, also at Tampa Bay and now the Grade 1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland. She set a record in the Hillsborough and then again in the Jenny Wiley. Her earnings stand at $2,895,873.

Tepin has Julien Leparoux for her jockey. She is owned by Robert E. Masterson and trained by Mark Casse and his son/assistant Norman Casse. She is the offspring of sire Bernstein and dam Life Happened.

Now what will Tepin do next? She is nominated for the 29th running of the Grade 1, $500,000, Woodford Reserve Turf Classic! Kentucky Derby Day just got a little more fantastic if Tepin runs in the Woodford at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, Saturday, 5/7/16. Fingers crossed she will enter the field of 14 to hit the 1 and 1/18 miles of turf. Wise Dan won the Woodford twice in 2013 and 2014. After that she may head to Great Britain to take on the 1 mile Queen Anne Stakes on opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday 6/16/16.

Watching Tepin win is a joy I could never get tired of. She makes is look so fun and easy. I hope when she is done being a turf star that she will live her life here in Kentucky, where she was bred. Perhaps, then I can meet her on a farm tour and maybe she will breed some other fast fillies! Below, I included the song that came to mind when titling today’s story. Phil Collins and a cute dog too! Thank you for reading. Look for my story next week, please. Keeneland has right under a week to go and I’m going back to bring you more stories and pictures.

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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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February 16, 2016February 21, 2016

Purrfect Pest Control

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I woke up to more snow and more shoveling this morning. It is yet another chilly day here on the Bluegrass. On the real cold nights I say some extra prayers for all of the homeless people and animals. I know they have it tough living outside. When I visit barns I am just as excited to hunt down the cats as I am the beautiful horses. I think that the barn cats have it best. They have all the shelter and food they could want and interaction with horses, people and other such animals when they choose to allow it. The cats are a benefit to us as well. They provide pesticide free rodent control and companionship to our horses and equestrians.

Sancho, is one of the better known barn cats. He has the honor of being the barn cat for Runhappy . Runhappy is a champion runner but he likes his sleep and he wants Sancho in his stall when he drifts off. Watch Sancho creep into position here: Sancho with Runhappy.

Another well known barn cat is the Twitter sensation, Gator Kitten. He is the resident handicatter (that’s right, this cat can handicap races) at Woodbine Race Track but he is spending the winter with a lot of his favorite Thoroughbreds at a barn near Gulfstream Park. He frequently visits with Juba. Follow him here: Gator Kitten. He posts often and has followers as far as New Zealand.

Do you want to know how can you help the barn cats? When you are packing in the peppermints to see your favorite horse put some cat treats in your pockets too. Mice aren’t the only snacks barn cats enjoy. Also, you can re-home feral cats this way too. Check out these links to animal shelters with specific barn cat programs in many states. My city has Horse Country Barn Cats ran by the Lexington Humane Society. A cat from the program comes vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered. Horse County Barn Cats . See the other states listed here or Google to find a resource near you: Texas , Minnesota , California, Michigan, Illinois, Massachutes, New York

Did you know that cats were domesticated around 7500 BC for the purpose of pest control, not for pets? Cats must keep down the rodent population that are drawn to barns for food and warmth. Rodents like to eat the same grain as the horses but they can spread disease and cause trouble if they aren’t controlled. There are over 70 varieties of domesticated cats ready to do the job. In the United States cats are the second most common pet behind fish. In most barns I have seen have one or more resident felines.

Get creative when searching for cats in a barn. They can hide pretty good and the cat just might be an image on your horse’s face. I’m always looking to learn and share and when I saw the picture of American Pharoah’s half-sister, I discovered something new. American Pharoah’s dam, Littleprincessemma, gave birth to a filly sired by Tapit on 2/13/16. It has a lovely stripe of white chrome on it’s nose that looks like a long tailed cat. This marking is referred to as a Kitty Blaze! See her cute face here: Littleprincessemma/Tapit filly

I hope you have enjoyed these barn cat photos. I have not met Sancho or Gator Kitten so I don’t have their pictures yet but my collection is from Old Friends, Churchill Downs, Taylor Made Farm, Keeneland and The Thoroughbred Center. Please, share pictures of your favorite barn cats and return for next week’s post too. Thank you!

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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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