Barbaro Updates: 473

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Update 2922: Cowboy Cal won the Tropical Park Derby: Cowboy Cal Romps in Tropical Derby, excerpt:

"He trained really well on dirt from the beginning, but his first race was a little disappointing, although it was a sprint," Pletcher said. "Then, he worked good on the grass and the Giant's Causeways do well on turf, so we mapped out a program that included the Laurel Futurity and he was pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and so was Why Tonto, but neither one got in.

"We will definitely try Cowboy Cal back on the dirt, possibly the Fountain of Youth, and go from there."

Update 2921: its official (thanks equidaily) Steve Asmussen did win the training title for 2007 by three wins over Scott Lake. Jose Figuerao did ride two more winners for us last night at Sam Houston Race Park. Very cool.

Update 2920: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Two years ago today Barbaro won his third and final race on the turf as he prepared for his magnificent Derby victory. Cowboy Cal is attempting to follow Barbaro's path by coming off an emphatic win in the Laurel Futurity to the Tropical Park Derby: Cowboy Cal leads full field for Tropical Park Derby.

Update 2919: A pleasant afternoon and early evening spent at Sam Houston Race Park for the Lope fundraiser and slide show. Lope is an impressive rescue, that combines passion and business sensibility. Lynn (founder and owner) offered an impressive presentation and really believes it is a privilege to work with racehorses (x-athletes) as they transition to their new careers. She noted the importance of that mindset for her adopters also. She wants adopters to revere and treasure the opportunity to have these horses, rather than simply adopting them through pity.

The racing community seems to welcome LOPE's involvement with open arms. This manifests in their open support as well as financial support. At the slideshow I met the Houston Bureau Chief for the New York Times (who had written an article on LOPE in 2004) as well as an owner who had a horse who was a Texas-bred 3yo champion, he lost the horse through the claiming system, then he claimed him back solely to retire him, from a race out of Mountaineer Park. Just very cool.

Anyway, it was a fun event, on my way out of the racetrack I saw our jock (Jose Figeuroa) who was psyched we have won the training title for the year (no pressure on him to win a race or two tonight I guess!) A great evening, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Update 2918: Jay Privman reviews the year in horseracing: 2007: A vintage crop of 3-year-olds.

Off to Sam Houston Race Park for the final night of racing for 2007 and the LOPE fundraiser.

Update 2917: Fig (Jose Figeuroa) won the first race last night at Sam Houston Race Park. I will be wearing his Romo shirt later this week! I also received a set of jockey silks signed by all the jockeys. This will be donated to the LOPE silent auction later today at the racetrack. Day off today (and tomorrow).

Update 2916: A little chilly to start the day but it soon warmed up to a super morning. I had eight sets, six before the break and two afterwards. All went nicely, although quite a few of them were horses I had not ridden before. A few of my regular horses were working this morning (with the jocks) and went well too I think. Everyone was in good humor this morning, possibly to do with the fact we have two days off at this stage. The Fig (our jock) got plenty of ribbing this morning for getting beaten on the wire on one of our horses by the "old man" Paul Nolan, who rode three winners last night. Paul also organized the Jocks to sign a gift that will be included in the silent auction for LOPE during a fundraiser they are hosting tomorrow at the track. Paul said the jocks were pretty excited to do it knowing it was for LOPE. Very cool. Good early day's work.

Update 2915: Here are some photos of me riding off the track yesterday afternoon: Alex rode my OTTB today. Its the first time for a very long time I have ridden a horse for any other purpose than a racehorse in training. It was fun, and at a western barn which gave me an opportunity to watch some western riding (roping etc.) A pleasant way to spend the afternoon. At the races last night we won one (had a few seconds) but our jockey Figuero needs to win another tonight for me to wear his Cowboys shirt!

A former claimer won a Grade 1 race yesterday at Santa Anita: Former claimer Dearest Trickski captures La Brea.

Update 2914: Off to ride an OTTB, and then to the races to meet with Steve and Vicki Long.

Update 2913: A little chilly and overcast this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. It was a quieter morning for us too as we only had seven sets then a couple extra. That was a good thing as a few of the riders struggled to get to work on time this morning, I think night racing is starting to take its toll (although our jockey "Fig" who rode another winner last night arrived on time). I rode one of the extras making it eight for me ... course the other riders were kind enough not to start cleaning the tack until I was finished! The horses went well. I rode one for the first time which had been in our barn for a while. A colt by Indian Charlie, he went nicely. Most of the time we ride the same horses so we can get used to them, but once in a while its nice to get on something different. Coming off the track off my last horse someone fell off right in front of me. Thankfully I was attached to the pony so my horse did not do anything silly. All in all a decent morning's work.

Update 2912: John Henry is Kentucky's newsmaker of the year for 2007: John Henry Wins Newsmaker Poll.

Pat Valenzuela, who rode Sunday Silence to spectacular victories, has had a very troubled career, and his troubles continue: Pat Valenzuela's License Revoked.

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Update 2911: Curlin remains in training and may be targeting the Dubai World Cup: Asmussen looking toward Dubai World Cup with Curlin, excerpt:

"He is in training until he isn't in training," Asmussen said on Friday. "I have speeded him up a little bit--I two-minute licked him on the 24th and I plan to do so again on the 31st."

"The Breeders' Cup Classic winner should be considered for the Dubai World Cup, if he is in training," Asmussen said. "I would be looking for a [prep] race before that, no more than one, and it would all depend on how quickly he comes around."

Update 2910: A little chilly this morning but not too bad at all. It had rained in the night and was a little overcast early, the track was sealed up until the break time. The lights still appear to be not functioning perfectly (racing was canceled a few days ago due to the lights) so its light and dark for the first few sets. We had nine sets today, so a little easier. All seemed to go well, certainly the ones I rode. Only one went to the gate, so it was a very straight forward morning. I was chatting with our jock's (Jose Figuero) agent at break time. Apparently we are tied with Scott Lake for leading trainer for the year at this point, so every win counts. We won one last night and our jockey ("Fig") won three, two outside mounts. I told him if he won another three by the end of the weekend I would wear his Romo shirt. Everyone was in good form this morning, a good way to start the day.

Update 2909: Golden Hair is looking to make it fourteen victories for the year this afternoon at Fair Grounds: Golden Hare seeks 14th win of year. Most recently he has been training with us at Sam Houston and looking good, if he cannot win I will be rooting for Billy Idel, a horse I have ridden a couple of times.

Saturday at Turfway Park, sees the return of the 2006 Kentucky Derby Favorite: Last year's Derby favorite returns.

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Update 2908: A quick Nicanor update from Jill Stevens:

There is nothing really new and exciting. Nicanor is just getting the miles under his belt. He is feeling great and training well. On the mornings when the weather is a bit cooler, he loves it, and tends to get a bit playful...even when being ridden. That's a good thing, but we have to remind him that he's not a superstar yet!

Update 2907: Joe Clancy pays tribute to McDynamo: Commentary: Big MC.

Update 2906: A chilly 38 degree start to the day (I had to call Tim to see how cold it was at Fair Hill ... and it was not much colder) but when the sun came up it turned into a gorgeous day. We had ten sets again today, and I was last off the track before it closed at 10 am. As I was coming off the track off my seventh, the first after the break, I was just thinking how quiet everything was and no one had fallen off ... no sooner did I have the thought and the siren went off! We took a few to the gate. At one stage I was sat on my horse in the gate, to my left was Cash Asmussen on one of his horse's stood in the gate. I joked with him about if only my racing buddies in the UK knew who I was hanging out with these days! Anyway, all in all a pleasant morning's work.

Update 2905: Santa Anita's newly renovated Cushion Track performed well on its opening day without exhibiting any noticable bias: Santa Anita Opens and Records Fall. The Malibu, the marquee race for the opening day, was won by Johnny Eves for his first stakes win: Johnny Eves lands first stakes victory in Malibu.

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Update 2904: Yesterday's Christmas morning from Penny at timwoolleyracing.com:

Tim and I thought that we would take just a few minutes to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas this morning. What a beautiful morning to be at the barn with the horses. It was so quiet as the sun came up. The horses seemed a bit confused to start. Horses were turned out and others were walked and we were finished by 11 am. Mike came to help out and we couldn't have had a more relaxing morning. Veiled Reference has come out of her stakes race in good form. Tim has censored me in saying anything about the ride she got from the jockey. She finished a hard fought second. Rockin Fun got a new neon green ball to play with. As I was walking Paris this morning she suddenly began jumping around. I realised that Rocky was throwing his ball about. I got a few good pictures of him playing. He is such a character. Finally the absess has come out of Paris's foot and she is back on a regular training schedule. While I was walking her we had a good chat. She is a tall beautiful bay filly. Luke enjoyed a good hour in the porta pad this morning and seemed to love the nice sun hitting his back. Molly was staring at me as I came into the barn so I stopped to give her a Christmas hug and kiss. She is so quiet we hardly hear a peep from her. As we left this morning all of the horses were quiet and eating their lunch. I gave Kitty a scratch on her bum . This morning I find myself missing Real Lace, Red Aspen and Mass Romantic. Although horses have filled their stalls they are still in my thoughts and heart. I hope they are all well and enjoying their Christmas day. Thank You all for the most beautiful Christmas basket. We will be enjoying it for days to come.

Update 2903: Kauto Star won his second King George this afternoon at Kempton in impressive style: KING KAUTO DOES IT AGAIN, excerpt:

Walsh said: "It was a bit special. He's a fabulous horse. There wouldn't a better horse of my generation.

"I wouldn't swap him in the Gold Cup," he told Channel 4 Racing.

Update 2902: It seems to rain a lot in Houston, a lot. This morning was no exception, although it was still reasonably warm. We had ten sets. I think it was a bit much for one of our riders, he left after the third set! Oh well. The horses had had a couple of days off so some of them were a little more lively than usual, but no harm. All seemed to go well for us, mine did anyway. The siren did go off on the track three times, three loose horses. One came "smoking" by me on my outside as I was just coming on to the track, the outriding was chasing it ... all quite exciting to observe as I clung to my neckstrap. Anyway, all in all a damp morning at Sam Houston Race Park, and now we need a new rider I guess.

Update 2901: Boxing day is a huge day in the sporting calendar in Britain, highlighted by the King George Chase at Kempton. This year's renewal includes last year's one-two, a pair of chasers (Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer) who have completed exactas in multiple efforts. Today's race should be very exciting: STAR TO LIGHT UP KEMPTON.

Santa Anita opens its winter meet today. The Malibu is its feature: Santa Anita Begins With Malibu.

Calder trainer Frank Gomez died shortly before christmas: South Florida Trainer Gomez Dies.

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Update 2900: Merry christmas everybody! Wherever you are today, spare some thoughts for Barbaro, the reason we are here. Reflect on all the wonderful things you have helped accomplish this year for Barbaro and recommit your resolve to continue your good work. Thank you for everything.

Update 2899: More on Dale Baird: Dale Baird Killed in Auto Accident.

Update 2898: Leading trainer in North America, Dale Baird, was killed yesterday in a trailer accident: Wind may have been factor in crash that killed 3.

Update 2897: Tim Woolley trained Veiled Reference was a close second in her first Stakes race last weekend. Here is the report from her owner (being an ex-college admissions officer I thought the analogy was funny): doh!.

Update 2896: Great Hunter returns to the races on December 26, opening day at Santa Anita. It is his first start since the Kentucky Derby last year and he faces thirteen challengers on the newly renovated Cushion Track (host of next year's Breeders' Cup): Great Hunter returns from layoff in Malibu.

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Update 2895: Hawthorne cancels racing today: Hawthorne cancels due to cold weather. I forgot to mention, racing here at Sam Houston Race Park was canceled last night due to a transformer blowout. We were still without some lights galloping this morning. Lets hope it is fixed in time for tonight's racing, which I plan to attend.

Update 2894: A busy Sunday morning, which is unusual for me. We had ten sets ... and it was a chilly morning too! A few of our sets went to the gate. We just stood in and backed out. All went well. Everyone was in good form, we now have two days off!

Update 2893: Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, fourth on the all time trainers list, trained his 5,000th winner on Saturday on the closing day at Hollywood Park: Hollendorfer 4th to Mark 5,000 Wins. Into Mischief won the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park: 'Mischief' Nabs CashCall Futurity.

We won six at the Fair Grounds: Asmussen, Bridgmohan win six at Fair Grounds.

Update 2892: We have eclipsed 500,000 messages on the discussion board!

Santa Anita opened their Cushion Track for training this morning after a 3 1/2 week hiatus ahead of its meet opening December 26th. Santa Anita's Main Track Opened

Update 2891: An odd mix of warm weather this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. We endured some showers, but after the break it brightened back up and remained warm. I had ten sets today, six before the break and four after the break, a busy morning. All went nicely, some in company (where typically I sit behind a pair of horses with another horse) and some on their own (which is much easier and you are less likely to inhale dirt).

We had a photographer visit this morning, texang73 from the CoTH board, so here's hoping to get some pictures online. There were also a couple of loose horses this morning, one early on and one late after the break. The poor person who fell off the second one (about the half mile pole) had a long slow walk back to the gap! Anyway, all in all a pleasant morning's work.

Update 2890: The closing day feature at Hollywood Park is the Grade 1, $750,000 CashCall Futurity for 2yos. It is a 14 horse field: Massive Drama to face full field in CashCall Futurity.

Kenny Rice will be the new host of the Eclipse Awards, to be held on January 21: Kenny Rice to host Eclipse Awards ceremony.

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Update 2889: Training is scheduled to resume on Santa Anita's Cushion Track on Saturday (tomorrow), ahead of its meet opening (December 26): Horses Set to Work at Santa Anita.

Update 2888: A little bit of a crisper start this morning with less humidity and no rain. It soon warmed up and it is shaping into being another lovely day. We only had seven sets this morning, so an easy day for us. We have a new rider, new to us, but not to riding or the track. That being said, he got dumped off one of his horses. He seemed to bounce OK though and is no worse for the (humbling) experience. Another rider from another barn fell off and seemed to hurt herself, she was attended to by the ambulance crew. I think she is fine. There was also an unfortunate horse breakdown which closed the track for a while. I don't know any of the details. Always sad to hear.

Update 2887: The Horse Owners' Protective Association (HOPA), an industry advocacy group, has reorganized: HOPA Reorganizes Board, Focus, excerpt:

Under its new leadership team, which includes Jackson, HOPA aims to broaden its message of reform on both the state and national level. According to a news release of Dec. 20, initiative includes national standardization of medical regulation, unification of racetracks with state Thoroughbred organizations to form a unified Thoroughbred racing league, and implementation of marketing and lobbying efforts.

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2886: More developments with respect to Curlin: Stonestreet Controls 80% of Curlin.

Sailing in 80 degree weather with a few knots of wind was wonderful.

Update 2885: Another muggy morning, mixed in with some rain early which cleared out into a warm day. We were scheduled to have eight sets today, nice and easy morning. Someone did not show up so eight became nine. That person was not very popular. All horses seemed to go well. I took a couple to the gate who I had been riding regularly but had not yet been to the gate here. Since they had run before they were no problem in the gate. I also galloped one out of the front, no one really knew much about him so it was "see what he does". He galloped out nice and straight, but it might have easily been very different. Anyway, all in all a decent morning, although a little longer than scheduled.

Now off for my second sailing lesson. I have been trying to learn a lot of the sailing jargon, and there seems to be a lot of it. I guess its like those who are newer to horses and horse racing learning our jargon we take for granted!

Update 2884: The weather has further delayed the opening of Santa Anita ahead of its meet: Rain Stalls Cushion Track Project, excerpt:

Horses were unable to use the main track Dec. 19, when track officials had hoped to finish the project to address drainage problems with the surface. They had hoped horses could work on the surface a week before the Dec. 26 start of the winter/spring meet.

It isn't known when horses will be able to train on the main track, though officials are hoping for Dec. 21.

Please keep calling and writing.

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Update 2883: A Wednesday update from Penny at timwoolleyracing.com:

Today was not a bad Wednesday. We had a couple horses work this morning. Molly and Kitty went an easy five eights of a mile together and both did it just fine. Rocky went to the gate and galloped out. So far he is doing everything we ask of him. Luke accompanied Veiled Reference to the gate. She can be a bit nervous but is fine when she has a little company. Tim reports that Luke enjoyed his outing and is moving fine.

Tim will be shipping my little boy Lucky from the farm tomorrow to continue his training at Fair Hill. He has been on the farm to let his stifles strengthen and hopefully can now continue with training. We also may need to geld him. His is such a nice boy by the very popular stallion Kafwain. His real name is Yourtheluckyone. It should be quite interesting seeing him get to the races. Anyway, things continue at Fair Hill with business as usual.

Update 2882: Superfecta here, with your regular weekly update.

The rumor is out that a decision has been made regarding Curlin's future; since it will likely involve ongoing litigation no matter what, here's hoping he'll be in training in 2008. There have certainly been enough retirements this week; Citronnade headed off to the farm after her most recent G1 win in the Dahlia and Mustanfar is off to Shadwell for a mere $3000 a pop -- but at least Brass Hat is still around.

Speaking of stud fees, the BBC is reporting that '[o]nly 10% of a horse's lifetime winnings can be attributed to their bloodline' and that:

"There are good genes out there to be bought but they don't necessarily come with the highest price tag," Dr Alastair Wilson told the BBC News website.

"It seems much more likely that people who can afford to pay high stud fees can also afford to manage and train their horses well."

The full article is available here.

Of course, the aim of the study was to predict success on the track -- and as we are well aware, success at auction is the likelier aim of the highest eschelon of breeders. Given how very many genes modern racehorses share, it would indeed be peculiar for there to be huge genetic differences between this stud or that one, although determining which individual mating has more potential of producing a winner using genetic analyses is not impossible.

But back to the subject of winners; PA-bred Redaspen captured the La Prevoyante last weekend, defeating a high-level international field. However, this should not be entirely unexpected as she has international connections as well -- her Australian-based sire, Bianconi, now has winners in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, England, France, Canada, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain and Hong Kong. The win was the first graded stakes victory for Rebecca Baker, but as we at Superfecta HQ employ what we refer to as the Helen Pitts Principle, kudos should also be given to previous trainer Tim Woolley for getting Redaspen into winning condition.

Once again, here's hoping we see more of the former Helen Pitts trainee mentioned above...

Update 2881: A very foggy and warm start to the day. Even the lights on the track had trouble penetrating through the thick fog! We had nine sets and all went very smoothly. I took two to the gate just to stand and back out. The rest galloped bar one which just jogged one turn. All in all a pleasant and relaxing start to the day.

Update 2880: Curlin remains in training for now, but a final decision has not yet been made: Decision on Curlin near, excerpt:

"Right now, I think he's the best horse in the country, and we're going forward from there," Asmussen said Tuesday morning. "I definitely have ideas in my head."

Asmussen said that Curlin was scheduled to have his first two-minute lick this coming Monday, with a similar piece of exercise less than a week later. A two-minute lick is faster than a gallop and slower than a breeze, and after a couple of them, a horse coming back from a layoff is generally ready for his first published workout.

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2879: This is very cool, a quote from the Sports Illustrated article on Brett Favre:

"Without Brett, we would not exist", by Carolyn Rhodes, Program Director for Gaits to Success, a therapeutic riding program.

Update 2878: We had nine sets this morning and for us it was a very uneventful morning's work, which was great. The track opened late because we did not have an outrider at the usual 6 am opening time, so our first set went back to the shed to shedrow instead. There were a couple of loose horses through the morning, so the siren was busy. One of the exercise riders at another barn (Liberty) brought in a copy of Sports Illustrated for me to read, the edition with Brett Favre on the cover. I am halfway through the long article, and it is very good reading. More on that later. All in all a good tuesday morning's work.

Update 2877: Kentucky is now looking into banning the use of Anabolic Steroids: Kentucky Moves to Regulate Steroids, excerpt:

Underwood said no time frame has been set on adoption of the rules. "I hope it will not take as long (to adopt) as the drug rules," she said in reference to sweeping changes approved several years ago. "We hope to have rules in place as close to the model rules as possible. If we can move ahead quickly and people are cooperative, perhaps we can have it in place within six months."

Please keep calling and writing.

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Update 2876: Despite threatening rain, Santa Anita is still hoping to have horses back training on December 19: Santa Anita Hoping to Beat the Rain.

Update 2875: A Monday update from Penny at timwoolleyracing.com:

What a blustery and cold Monday. Good thing Tim was equipped with his new gear he received in the mail from one of the owners. He stayed toasty most of the morning. Real Lace ran a very game second on Saturday at Philadelphia Park. Unfortunately, she was claimed but this is the nature of the business. We needed to run her where she would be competitive and this was the spot. It is quite different coming into the barn and she is not there looking at us for attention. Tim spoke to the lady who claimed her and she seems quite nice. We will do our best to keep track of her. Red Aspen won a huge race for her current trainer in Florida and it was very exciting for her owners and we were equally as thrilled for Red Aspen to get the big win she has deserved.

Moving on with our current horses, Molly and Kitty continue to go through their paces and both continue to do their gate training in fine style. Rockin Fun who continues to be the adolescent boy of the barn that is still more interested in playing than being serious of late. He has now been equipped with blinkers and hopefully will soon wake up. Gator Nation is training well and is Robbie's favorite ride of the day and hopefully should be back at the races in a month. Bubble Gum unfortunately is on stall rest due to a muscle injury shich she must have gotten with too much exuberance in the round pen. She is coping well with a little time off. Several new faces in the barn and we will bring you up to date in the next few days!

Update 2874: Another pleasant evening spent at Sam Houston Race Park. We had two winners and two seconds. Paul Nolan also had a winner, it was his 150th of the year which was his goal for the year. We went out to celebrate afterwards. A day off today, I am going to take a sailing lesson!

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2873: More on Peppers Pride's win: Peppers Pride Perfect With Win 14.

Update 2872: Peppers Pride kept her undefeated streak alive this afternoon winning the New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap at Sunland Park. Here is the chart.

Update 2871: Racing is canceled after the second race at Turfway: Turfway cancels after second race due to weather and Penn National closes its simulcast facility: Winter weather forces Penn National to close Sunday.

Update 2870: Lots of workers today in anticipation of our day off tomorrow. This meant I only had five sets (the Jocks had ten) and I spent much of the morning then cleaning the tack and just making sure things went smoothly. The boss was in town overseeing things, and I think things went well. Of the five I rode, three were for the first time, and one was the first time for him to go to the track after a bit of a layoff. He was pretty excited about that! It was a chilly morning, but once the sun came up it was a beautiful morning. I also talked to my last boss' assistant (Brendan) and all is well now in Florida with their horses. I of course had to ask about a couple of the horses I used to ride. Taletobetold is on a mini vacation after her good second in her last race. All done and a day off tomorrow!

Update 2869: A very pleasant evening spent at the races yesterday at Sam Houston Race Park with LyndaP. It was pretty chilly. We also met up with Steven and Viki Long who own and run Texas Horse Talk.

It looks like it will be a chilly Sunday morning here in Houston, racing has already been canceled at Aqueduct: Aqueduct cancels Sunday card.

Update 2868: Redaspen, who Tim had campaigned through four great seasons, won her first Graded Stakes this afternoon at Calder in a usual thrilling come-from-behind performance: Redaspen Rallies For La Prevoyante.

Update 2867: Two positive news items to report:

Fund for Retired Horses Approved, excerpt:

CHRB commissioner John Amerman serves on the farm's board of directors. Although $200,000 is far from enough money to support all of California's retired Thoroughbreds, he thought CARMA could help.

Added chairman Richard Shapiro, "We owe it to the horses."

Jacksons Aid Belmont Child Care, excerpt:

The Belmont Child Care Association has received a donation of $300,0000 from Roy and Gretchen Jackson, owners of the late 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Barbaro.

Update 2865: So one of our exercise riders, Scott, said he saw the weather channel before work, and we were going to get the odd light shower. I dressed accordingly. It rained very hard. So hard in fact there was a lake like flood outside our barn. Not only that, but we also had some thunder and lightening. Despite the miserable weather we had eight sets, it was one of those days you were really glad to be done when you were done. The tack was a mess ... anyway, its over and its now shower time.

Update 2864: Santa Anita had planned to reopen for training the beginning of next week, this has now been pushed back to wednesday of next week as they continue to resolve their draining problems: Santa Anita to be Ready, CHRB Told.

Sealy Hill has been named Canada's Horse of the Year: Sealy Hill honored as Canada's Horse of the Year, excerpt:

Sealy Hill, the first filly to win Canada's Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies this year, was named Canada's Horse of the Year on Friday night during the 33rd annual Sovereign Awards ceremony.

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Update 2863: Delaware announces its plan to ban anabolic and androgenic steriods in 2008: Delaware Panel Issues Steroids Ban.

Update 2862: We had seven sets today, six before the break and one set after the break. A nice straightforward morning this morning. Two of our sets went to the gate just to stand. Both my horses went nicely, both of whom had caused a little trouble previously so it is good to see them progress. We had a winner last night so our Jockey was in good form. Fellow countryman Paul Nolan rode two winners last night, but is still a little body sore from his spill a couple of mornings ago. Anyway, all in all a decent morning's work under a cloudy sky.

Update 2861: After working very hard to gain a license to compete in the Japanese Racing Association, Darley Japan has now lost that license: Darley Japan Loses JRA License.

Bloodhorse has published a Special Report on Synthetic Surfaces.

Please keep calling and writing.

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Update 2860: Beulah Park reopened for training this morning: Beulah Park reopens for training, Aqueduct canceled racing today: Aqueduct cancels Thursday card.

3yo filly High Again died this morning during training at Payson Park Training Center: Grade II Winner High Again Dies.

Update 2859: A chilly and damp morning this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. The track was sealed after all the rain yesterday, but unlike most tracks when sealed, was not simply a rock hard surface. The dirt track here does have a very good reputation and I can see why. We had a short morning this morning with seven sets. Mine was even shorter as I had one horse down twice on my list twice ... so I only ended up with six sets, all before the 8 am break. We took a couple to the gate, and they stood and behaved well. One of them though wheeled very sharply as I was jogging him off the track. Its likely the closest I have been from coming totally unglued, but thankfully I had my left hand firmly planted in the neckstrap and mane. A nice short morning.

Update 2858: Superfecta here, with your regular weekly update.

This weekend's La Prevoyante sees Dalvina back in action for her second US start; she'll be facing some competition from PA-bred Redaspen (only off the board four times in 23 lifetime starts) and the Chilean-bred Eres Magica, who seemed to snap back into her previous good South American-form in her most recent race (setting a track record in the process) after a few lackluster starts in the US.

But Dalvina should not be ruled out despite the high weight and potential competition; she was a leading contender for the Cartier award for 3-year-old filly that went to the outstanding Peeping Fawn. The French-bred Green Girl is also one to watch if it's wet; she's a fan of soft turf

If the going stays firm, we should see Revved Up in his final performance of the season in the McKnight and it seems there is every chance he'll return to race again next year as a 10-year-old -- although he's often overlooked, Revved Up has won 13 stakes races over the past 7 years, on dirt and turf. Soldier's Dancer is back for another crack at Revved Up as well -- but again, any rain suggests that Revved Up will sit this one out

In a rather complicated turn of events, Darley Japan has lost their license from the Japan Racing Association for the time being, although apparently this will not affect their breeding operations in that country where they stand such stallions as Admire Moon. The trouble is over the number of foreign owners allowed; Darley's Japanese point person retired and that seems to have thrown things into confusion.

Finally, Toussaud has been pensioned due to laminitis; while I think some of her offspring were wildly over-rated (and were rumored to have inherited her peculiar brand of crazy), she's definitely been a top producer; here's hoping she is able to have a comfortable retirement.

Update 2857: An interesting perspective on why International race meets are truly International except for the absense of US-based runners: Commentary: Another World.

Please keep calling and writing.

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Update 2856: And again: Live racing canceled at Beulah Park for Wednesday.

Update 2855: Zia Park in New Mexico, which I can honestly say I had not heard of until Pat Valenzuela was there on his latest comeback, is also home of Pepper's Pride who is chasing the modern day record of an undefeated career. She has won all thirteen of her starts at this point: Top Zia Park Horses Announced.

Update 2854: A bit of a grotty morning this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. We had eight sets, six before the break and two after the break. It was a muggy start with threatening clouds, then it downpoured later on. We took five sets to the gate and all to stand. All my horses went nicely and without incident. Not so for everybody. Jockey Paul Nolan took a spill this morning and is a little body sore. No real damage though, i think his horse whipped around a little quickly. One of our riders came off coming onto the track. Unfortunately for him it had started raining pretty hard and he got pretty muddy through the process. Again, he does not seem any worse for the experience. Nice to get back and have a hot shower!

Update 2853: Ohio is forming a group to help push the business interests of the horsemen in the State: Ohio Forms KEEP-Like Coalition. Kentucky has a similar organization, KEEP, which recently raised significant money through a stallion season auction: KEEP Raises Nearly $4 Million.

Please keep calling and writing.

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Update 2852: Superfecta's weekly update will be on Thursday this week. Here is Penny's Tuesday update from timwoolleyracing.com:

Another day without the sun. Today was a pretty easy Tuesday. A couple of horses breezed yesterday and it left Tim with some extra time. Luke went to the track for two sets. Yesterday Luke was said to have had his tail over his back and everyone was laughing at him. It is quite a sight to see a rolly polly paint with it's tail over it's back. Tim had to let him have a little canter just to get his back down. I was so happy to hear that Luke was moving fine and enjoying his work. Real Lace got a clip this morning. She was very brave and looked great when she was finished. She will be racing on Saturday at Philadelphia Park. Robbie is now back from his cruise and I tacked up Gator for him first set. Gator has gotten fresh since his little breeze on Saturday. Veiled Reference went to the track with Luke. She is also quite fresh but with Luke for company she was happy. Everyone survived and Tim said she had a good gallop. Molly was enjoying a day off after a breeze yesterday. With all of the extra time today, Tim got a chance to pull a few manes and clip a few ears. He also clipped some heals out so that they could be dried easier. This keeps the horses from getting cracked heels. This is a lot like a human who gets cracks on their hands and feet in the cold weather. Once a horse gets a cracked heel, it can be a pain to get rid of. Better to prevent it from happening to begin with.

Update 2851: Beulah Park cancels racing due to the weather: Beulah Park cancels third straight card.

Update 2850: A short morning this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. We only had seven sets, six before the break and one after the break. All my horses went nicely so a very trouble-free morning. Its warm and a little muggy here but I think the weather is supposed to break and be a little cooler in the next day or so. Anyway, a short and pleasant morning with everyone in good spirits.

Update 2849: The renovation project at Santa Anita is taking a little longer than scheduled. They plan to be ready next monday or tuesday for training in advance of the meet beginning December 26: Santa Anita track repair taking longer.

Hollywood Park is doing a fundraiser for Lava Man's groom Noe Garcia: Lava Man DVD to Benefit Noe Garcia.

Please keep calling and writing.

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Update 2848: Kieren Fallon's joy from his collapsed race-fixing trial appears short-lived: O'BRIEN STANDS BY EMBATTLED FALLON, excerpt:

Just 24 hours after his race-fixing trial collapsed at the Old Bailey, it was revealed Fallon tested positive for a banned substance after riding Myboycharlie to win the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville on August 19.

Fallon now has to wait for the results of a B sample before learning his fate.

Update 2847: The NTRA is looking forward to a successful 2008: NTRA excited about '08. I will be interested to know what they plan for their Web 2.0 in January.

Construction of Michigan's new racetrack has been pushed back, but this is not going to impact their start date of July 2008: Construction of Pinnacle Race Course pushed back, excerpt:

Despite the delay, Campbell said live racing would begin on July 18 as planned.

Phase One of the project will include the track surface, barns and paddock areas. Temporary grandstands similar to those used for the Breeders Cup World Championships at Monmouth Park would be in place for the first meeting. Construction on a permanent grandstand and clubhouse will not begin until some time in the second quarter of 2009.

Update 2846: Breeders' Cup has added three new races to its Friday program: Breeders' Cup Adds 3 Friday Stakes, excerpt:

The 2008 World Championships are scheduled for Oct. 24-25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park. The new Friday races are the $1-million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, for 3-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass; the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at one mile on the grass; and the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Dirt Marathon for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/2 miles.

Please keep calling and writing.

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Update 2845: Penny's Saturday update at timwoolleyracing.com (reproduced a day late):

What a busy Saturday. Tim called in for the backup (Juanita/aka Penny) about 8am. Lots of horses breezing and Tim had to leave early to go racing with Two of Wands. Joe breezed Gator Nation and easy three eighths of a mile and said that he loved him. His feet were on the dash so to speak the first eight and then he breezed nicely the last quarter. As I was trying to put poultice on his legs it was like trying to plaster a moving target. He kept moving and I ended up with more poultice on me than on Gator. We got the job done and moved to the next horse. Diva was nice and calm and easy to groom off this morning. She was being her usual lovey self. Next I groomed off Not A Fling. This filly is another of Joe's favorites that he would love to ride everyday. She breezed this morning and went well. I went to the back stalls to brush one of the new fillies and Kitty was looking at me. I took a few minutes to give her some love which she took willingly. She has a lot of potential and also has a hot Tale of the Cat attitude. She really does what she wants when she wants and only if she wants to. That's ok as long as we can get her to the races. She is one of my many favorites. Veiled Reference was the last one I knocked off . She also had a breeze this morning and needed poultice to cool out her legs. She was not at all tired and seemed quite bright. Tim said that she was well in herself and very fresh going to the track. I managed to get the poultice where it belonged and left her stall with all of my limbs. Jorge needed some help to get Real Lace ready for her piece of work so I held her head and gave her a little talk and lots of love. She breezed fine and both she and Tim were happy upon their return to the barn. As I walked down the shed row Rocky was busy crushing his ball up against his screen. Sometimes you wonder just what is going on in his mind. Molly had a breeze this morning. What a sweatheart. She is progressing nicely and seems happy. Wanda ran a good race today at Laurel. She broke well and ran very well to the top of the lane. We have suspected for some time that she has a breathing issue that we need to look at more closely. Tim reported in that she behaved well and saddled nicely and went with the pony without a problem. She did everything right and hopefully we can build on this experience. I believe we have a couple of Fans of Barbaro (Lyn and Donna) coming tomorrow. It is such a joy to see these ladies. The horses love the extra attention. We really look forward to their visits.

Update 2844: The tongue-wagging Premium Tap notched up another win in Saudi Arabia despite some equipment troubles: Premium Tap Wins Despite Mishap.

Update 2843: A quiet morning for me this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. I only had four to ride as most of our horses were working this morning, and when that happens the lighter jockeys (and x jockeys) ride the work. I hung around and cleaned pretty much all the tack (about 16 sets of tack) and now have a day off tomorrow! Will plan to go to the races tonight to watch the last few and then head out with a few people for a quiet night out.

Update 2842: Reviews from the races in Hong Kong:
Cup: RAMONTI TAKES HONG KONG GLORY
Vase: DYLAN THOMAS WELL BEATEN
Mile: CREACHADOIR PIPPED IN MILE
Sprint: KINGDOM RULES IN HK SPRINT

Update 2841: Another Stakes win for the late-starting Evening Attire: Evening Attire Nabs Queens County, excerpt:

Pat Kelly trains Evening Attire, a homebred, for his father, Tommy, and Joseph and Mary Grant. "He's competitive in races that I didn't dream of at this stage," Kelly said.

With his win in the Queens County, Evening Attire's career earnings are $2,749,894.

Update 2840: Michigan racing, which ended temporarily with the closure of Great Lakes Downs, has an ambitious schedule to reopen in July of 2008 in Detroit: Proposed Michigan track aims for July.

Update 2839: Another warm and muggy morning this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. We had eight sets, six before the break and two after the break. Off of four hours sleep all seemed to go pretty well. A couple that I galloped I had not ridden before, but I do manage to get on a few of the same horses each day which helps to really get to know them. All in all a pleasant start to the day.

Update 2838: I spent a very pleasant evening at the races at Delta Downs. Yesterday afternoon I decided to drive over to Louisiana from Houston for the races which included the $1 million Delta Jackpot (Duo Hits Delta Jackpot in Dead Heat.) It was a slightly humid evening, and with a smallish crowd it was easy to get around. The paddock set up is really good, there are plenty of seats available to just sit down and take in the paddock scene. Since it is a 3/4s mile race track watching the races did not require watching the TV or a large videotron. I met John White (HRTV who did a telephone interview with me before Barbaro's birthday celebrations) who seemed very pleasant. I also met Mary Rampellini who covers racing for the Daily Racing Form at Delta Downs and Sam Houston Race Park among other tracks. We watched a race together. Anyway, all in all a very nice evening although for the amount of money given away I would have expected more of a crowd and just more of an atmosphere.

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Update 2837: Coolmore's principal jockey, Kieren Fallon, who has been unable to ride in Britain (and consequently in the US) while race fixing allegations were being investigated, has been acquitted: Fallon Case Dismissed.

Update 2836: Sadly no mention of horse slaughter as a priority for the NTRA legislative lobbying efforts. I am assuming (someone much smarter than me told me this) that focusing on accelerating the depreciation of a thoroughbred makes the horse more disposable: NTRA to tackle taxes on gambling winnings.

Update 2835: A little overcast and muggy this morning at Sam Houston Downs. On the set list I had seven to ride this morning. This turned out to be six as I was delayed with one of the horses doing a bit of additional gate schooling. A very easy and straightforwward morning.

We had a nice winner last night, Golden Hare. He has won thirteen or fourteen races this year and I believe he is the winningest horse in America. He runs in starter allowance races, which are open for horses that have run for a specific claiming price in the last couple of years (or something like that) but are not claiming races. Well he had run for $3,500 and was claimed by us. He runs out of this condition in the new year. It will be interesting to see what kind of races he runs in at that point. A cool horse for sure.

Update 2834: Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) raised $2.1 million during its Charity Auction on November 30th. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were among the winning bidders: TCA stallion season and art auction raises $2.1-million. Here is a list of TCA's 2007 grantees: TCA Grants.

First Saturday in May previewed at the University of Arizona's Symposium on Racing and Gaming: Derby Movie Previewed in Tucson.

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2833: A positive review, supported by some statistics, for synthetic surfaces at the University of Arizona's Symposium on Racing and Gaming: Vote of Confidence for Synthetics.

Update 2832: A Thursday update from Penny at timwoolleyracing.com:

This Thursday morning started out chilly but now it is bright and sunny. All of the horses were able to go to the track today and seemed quite happy to do so. The blacksmith was here and put the final touches on Two of Wands before she races on Saturday. She seems fine and Saturday should be a good test to see what type of race horse she wants to be. She has the right attitude here at home. Molly continues to train well. She has a lot of personality and loves attention. Veiled Reference is anxious these days to get her food and this is a good sign. Real Lace and her sister Diva both continue to do well. Diva is improving quickly and shows us a lot of promise. Kitty has also showed us that she wants to run and it will be great to get her to the races and see what she can do. She is very sleek and shiny after her clip a few weeks ago. Rocky continues to throw his ball next door into Gator Nation's stall. He is becoming quite the man and at least at this point is pleasant and managable. We have been bestowed a new homeless kitten named Binkley. It turns out that the person who most seemed to ignore this new kitty (Tim) has now become a great fan. He follows Tim everywhere and loves his new life as a barn cat. It is so great to be back from Timonium. I stopped last night to give a huge hug to Luke who I always miss when I'm away. He of course was unaffected by my absence and only seemed to want his grain. Hopefully the weather this weekend will be good and he will get to work.

Update 2831: Another gorgeous morning at Sam Houston Race Park. We had a bit of a lighter morning this morning with only eight sets, six before the break and two after the break. We also did quite a lot of gate work, taking four sets to the gate. One set we had five galloping out together. Mine was on the inside and broke very sharply. He is certainly ready to break next time I think. Due to our activity at the gate before the break the track opening after the break was a little delayed. We were all waiting and I counted fifty horses ready to go right after the break. That's about as busy as the track is here in Houston. Anyway, a nice straight forward morning's work.

Update 2830: Racing on Sunday in Hong Kong will include many outstanding runners. Dylan Thomas has been given the green light to start in the Vase: Dylan Thomas gets green light for Vase. Vengeance of Rain headlines the feature, the Hong Kong Cup: Post Draw Held for Hong Kong Races. Miss Andretti will feature in the Sprint.

Elaine Ferri, who was kicked in the face by a 3yo filly in July, will have her surgery paid for: Trainer to have surgery paid for.

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2829: I chatted with Michael Blowen at Old Friends a couple of days ago (I was actually trying to call someone else and pressed the wrong button on my cell phone while driving) and asked him if he had taken on Williamstown yet (he mentioned to me when I was at Keeneland he was keen to get him) and he had. Here is the story on their new blog: Welcome Williamstown.

Update 2828: Another crisp start to a gorgeous morning this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. I hear it is snowing back in Delaware! We had nine sets today, of which five of mine went to the gate to just stand in and back out. All went nicely, the entire morning appeared to be incident free. During the break (track closes at 8 am and reopens about 8:45 am) I called Mrs. Jackson. We had not spoken in a while so it was good to catch up. I also called Staci Hancock. We discussed anti horse slaughter (I actually wanted to see if we had any contact info for Mrs. Romney who expressed on network TV last night how horses had saved her). Anyway, good conversations.

Update 2827: Curlin is now jogging at the Fair Grounds: Curlin doing lots of jogging, excerpt:

Trainer Steve Asmussen has been leading Curlin in the morning. Jogging on the outer part of the track, against the direction of the workouts, Curlin has been out on the track for three consecutive mornings, with Asmussen leading him to an exercise pony.

"Curlin is jogging a couple of miles on the track," said Asmussen. "He's handling it really well, traveling well. We're proceeding like we have the opportunity to run him, but we're definitely a long ways away. He'll be jogging for a while."

Carl Nazger, adds another award to his tremendous year: Nafzger Named Big Sport of Turfdom.

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2826: As Teuflesberg continues his recovery, here are the details of his next career: Teuflesberg to Stand for $10,000, excerpt:

He is undergoing stall rest at Victory Haven Training Center under the care of his trainer, Jamie Sanders, and her fiance, Donnie Kelly. The two own Teuflesberg with Gary Logsdon and Jeff Singer.

"He should be ready for hand walking in about a week or two," Sanders said about the colt who cost $9,000 as a yearling. "He's really doing well. Looking at him, it's hard to believe he went through this ordeal. He should be ready for test breeding in January."

Update 2825: Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program, the only on track horse rescue, receives an award: Thoroughbred Adoption Program to Receive AAEP Equine Welfare Award.

A tuesday update from Penny at timwoolleyracing.com:

What a cold and windy Tuesday. Just a couple of sets braved the elements and went to the Tapeta track which was in perfect shape even after the little rain and the cold we have had lately. Most of the horses were restricted to the shed row in this weather. There is nothing of great interest to report this morning. The horses are all quite stirred up with the wind outside.

Two of Wands is scheduled to run at Laurel Park on Saturday. This will be here first start and hopefully it will be very exciting. Sunday will be the Stallion show at Northview Stallion Station. I love to go see the big boys and have a look at the new stallions they have. Of course I will miss Waquoit who we lost this year. What an amazing old boy he was. Of course Two Punch is very fresh when the crowd is near and seems to love the attention. Not For Love is always a gorgeous one to look at and Domestic Dispute is turning out to be quite popular. He stamps his babies and they always have lots of chrome. Anyway, the horses are all fine. No sickness in the barn and everyone is eating up as expected.

Update 2824: Superfecta here, with your Tuesday afternoon news update.

Sunday is the big day for Miss Andretti as she prepares for the Hong Kong Sprint International, and she is the focus of much newsprint around the world as a result. Her most serious competition is local star Sacred Kingdom and word is that the track will be good.

There is an interesting aside that among the many drugs not allowed in Hong Kong racing is Regumate, a drug that's used to control when mares come into heat. When they say drug free in Hong Kong, they mean drug free there.

There is an equally-interesting article on her owner, Sean Buckley (who co-owns her with Gabriela Guenzi). He's turned down as much as $10 million for Miss Andretti - not bad for what was reputed to be a $450,000 investment on what looked like a good, but not great racehorse - upon switching to the barn of trainer Lee Freedman, she's become a monster. Apparently Coolmore has suggested a freebie with Storm Cat (on southern hemisphere time, of course) and a start in the Breeders' Cup, but if all goes to plan, the six-year-old mare will be running for at least another year, making stops all over the world (and she could end up booked to Redoute's Choice anyway,which would be my preference between the two).

Dylan Thomas is also prepping for a race in Hong Kong on Sunday - the Hong Kong Vase. It's something of a replacement for the Japan Cup which kept him out of the field due to some borderline blood test results (health-related, not drug-related). Also on the card is the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile, which features Breeders' Cup second-place finisher Excellent Art and three-year-old filly Darjina, who is the likely favorite.

Who says it's slow this time of year?

Update 2823: A little chilly first thing this morning at Sam Houston Race Park, but it soon warrmed up to the sixties and bright sunshine. We had nine sets and more riders and more horses. I think we must be near to full now. All our horses went nicely, certainly the ones that I rode. That was not the same for everyone. One rider came off and had to be taken to the hospital. I tihnk he is OK, but since he had to leave in the ambulance the track was closed for about forty minutes. Basically we only had two sets out when this happened so it put us a little behind. After the official break, which was pushed back a half hour, the siren went off indicating another lose horse. This time no one fell off, he had gotten away from his pony and was training off the pony without a rider. Oh well, given everyone had a day off yesterday these things will happen.

Just got a phone call from Tim, who handed me off to Mike Rea who was visiting Fair Hill. He sounded great. Making progress, although as he said, not as fast as he would like. He is now doing physical therapy at the University of Delaware and seems to be enjoying it. Anyway, it was good chatting.

Update 2822: Sheikh Mohammed's team are now busy at the Tattersalls Sales in Newmarket, as they continue to develop their breeding program: Ferguson prominent on Monday at Tattersalls.

This might be worth a road trip for friday: Gomez will ride Z Humor in $1M Jackpot.

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2821: Takeover Target, a true rags to riches story, is still thrilling his Australian connections in the Sprint division: Aussie Stars Clash in $100k Sprint.

Update 2820: A lovely afternoon spent in Smithville, TX with FOB Swedishkat.

Update 2819: We are in the midst of a letter writing campaign to enable Paul Sorvino to get some network air time to discuss the horse slaughter issue. If you can spare five minutes, and write a letter that Mr. Sorvino can include when he meets with networks tomorrow, that would be very helpful. More details here: Paul Sorvino WILL help get HS to MEDIA!!

Update 2818: A day off! Last night I spent a pleasant evening at the races. The crowd was much smaller but the races were fun. A few odd things occured. A jockey fell off a horse coming out of the gate, not sure why and I think the jockey was OK. The loose horse carried a few horses wide going around the first turn. A horse was scratched in the paddock in the last race. It seems the lip tattoo identified the horse as not being the horse he was supposed to be, or something like that. A second horse was "vet scratched" while loading in the gate.

I then went out afterwards for a couple of hours with Paul Nolan to celebrate his three Stakes wins from the night before. He was still very excited about the accomplishment, the first time he has ridden more than one Stakes winner on a card. Anyway, a fun evening as a prelude to a nice day off.

Keep calling and writing.

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Update 2817: Woodbine cancels racing today: Woodbine cancels live racing due to inclement weather,

Here is a recap from last night's Stakes program at Sam Houston Race Park: Nolan wins three stakes at Sam Houston.

Update 2816: So this morning I had to wear a Tony Romo shirt for galloping as part of a losing bet with our jockey Jose Figueroa. I got plenty of ribbing for it both in the barn and on the racetrack. Many realized I must have lost a bet! I had seven to ride today, a quieter day for me as we had jockeys in breezing ten sets. Its always a bit chaotic on a sunday making sure all the workers get out on time etc. but we survived and I think all went well. The boss was in town supervising, I also saw his brother here this morning riding some of his horses. Cash was a top jockey in Europe for a number of years. Anyway, all is wrapped up for the week now and we have monday off!

Forgot to mention, its a steamy 80 degree day!

Update 2815: Dr. Dean Richardson opened the AAEP convention in Florida with a talk on his experience with Barbaro: Richardson Remembers Barbaro, excerpt:

"It's a very difficult decision when you have skin and soft tissue that is that traumatized," Richardson said. "If I would have opened up the distal aspect of the (surgical) incision more aggressively, that would have allowed me to be more aggressive with the pastern joint and probably to get a better fixation of the pastern joint as part of the original procedure. I think that possibly would have made a difference. I really believe that we got into trouble because the pastern part of the fixation began to fail."

A very pleasant evening spent at Sam Houston Race Park with FOBs Julie Z and Lynda P and Lynn from LOPE. Star of the evening was fellow countryman Paul Nolan, who rode four winners!

Update 2814: A saturday update from Penny at timwoolleyracing.com:

I must apoligize for my tardiness of late in updating the website. Traveling to Timonium for the December sale has been driving me mad. Not that I wasn't already mad before it started. Anyway, Tim has called in some new excitement for all of you. Yesterday (Friday) we had a few workers. Kitty (Tail Tales) and Molly (Sailing Home) went a strong half mile on the Tapeta track. Both are fine this morning,happy, and ate everything for dinner. Tim is starting to fine tune them a bit now. We also had a few Fans of Barbaro stop by. It is so nice that out of this tragedy has come a new love and a better understanding of these wonderful animals we take care of everyday. This morning Wanda (Two of Wands) had her last breeze from the gate before she runs next week. Not A Fling also worked from the gate and both fillies went nicely. Rocky (Rock N Fun) had his first easy three eights work for us. His usual training partner Bubble Gum is not breezing yet so he had to go it alone. He was fine. Paris Night has been training in the shed row for a couple of days. She had an abscess pop out of her foot. Tim reports that she is sound this morning. Real Lace is doing fine and is very strong in the mornings. We had a race picked for her on Monday but it did not go. Luke is bored without a pilot these days but is well in himself playing around the porta pad. The only sad bit of information to report is that Tim's rider Robbie has now gone on a weeks vacation to the Caribbean and left Tim here in the freezing temperatures to gallop. Tim starts dreading this cold in about August and isn't truely content until about May. I know it is cold but I like to just pretend that it is warm outside. I like to pretent that my hands and feet are fine. There is not pretending with Tim around. He reminds all of us quite regularly just how cold winter can be.

I am now off to Sam Houston Race Park for one of its biggest night's of racing for the meet.

Update 2813: A busy morning this morning at Sam Houston Race Park. We had ten sets and I ended up galloping 16.5 miles. All the horses I rode went quite nicely, that's not the case for everyone else. One of the guys that works with us got bucked off as we were about to start a gallop.

I am very impressed with our jockey, Jose Figueroa. He rode three winners last night (two for us), and was at the barn to get on his horses this morning as usual (he also galloped ten horses). In fact many of the people I work with also work at the races at night, the guy that fell off is on the gate crew at the races. The races go on until about 11 pm.

Unfortunately a horse broke down on the track this morning. Not one of ours, but certainly a sad end to the morning's work.

After work I picked up a copy of the Thoroughbred Times that ran our most recent advertisement. This advertisement was of a horse I saw in a kill pen when I was there with Another Chance 4 Horses. Last I heard she was doing very well. Certainly there was no need to have a 4yo filly in a kill pen who had won her last two starts at Belmont Park!

Update 2812: Tonight is a big evening of state-bred racing at Sam Houston Race Park. Here is the card. We will have quite a few runners: Big Battles on Texas Champions Day. Off to work.

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