Barbaro Updates: 648
updates are now here.
Update 3841: Big Brown won the Haskell. But it was ugly. I would be surprised if we see him run again, and certainly this is not the same horse who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Richard Dos Ramos outrode everyone in the Breeders Stakes at Woodbine. He went wire to wire with Marlang. A great race, and great race riding!
Update 3840: An easy morning for me this morning at Woodbine with only five sets. A few of my horses were working and the jocks came in to ride. Lovely weather too. All the horses I rode galloped nicely, and we had no gate schooling. Very straightforward.
Big Brown returns to the races today for the first time since his Belmont debacle. If he is the real deal, he will win the Haskell very comfortably. Lets just see.
At Woodbine we have the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown today. The Breeders Stakes. It is a mile and a half on the turf, and should be a race under great conditions. All Breeders' news at Jen's. We have a runner in the first, and hopefully he can (finally) break his maiden.
Update 3839: Reports on the major races yesterday:
Perfect Zenyatta Rolls to Seven Straight
Ready Set Goes in West Virginia Derby
Indian Blessing Cruises in Test
Sky Mom Rallies For Arlington Oaks Win
Update 3838: Zenyatta kept her unbeaten record in tact at Del Mar. Her effort looked easy in the end, but she did have her work cut out to get into position to make her final run. She also looks to be a very large horse!
Update 3837: Many culled thoroughbreds are in need of rehoming: Rescue Effort Seeks Help for 46 Horses, excerpt:
Priscilla Clark, president of Tranquility Farm in Tehachapi, Calif., claims that unless her facility can raise the money to buy and place the Thoroughbreds, which include six stallions and 40 pregnant broodmares, she said they would be sold to unknown buyers, most if not all for slaughter.
"The plan is to procure as many of the horses as possible and put them in a safe situation," she said.
It is discussed here: Seattle Bound -CA Stallion - Needs Help.
Update 3836: Sky Mom ran down Dreaming of Liz in the Arlington Oaks with a big move around the turn. Indian Blessing was in a stalking position before drawing away for an easy win in the Test Stakes at Saratoga.
Update 3835: Ready Set held on to win the West Virginia Derby for the Jackson's and Michael Matz! Z Fortune never really got into the race. We did win the race before with Zanjero, who must love the track at Mountaineer Park.
Update 3834: Two updates from Penny at timwoolleyracing.com. The first from today at Saratoga, the second from Fair Hill, yesterday:
Saratoga:
A light rain is now falling in Saratoga after a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning. While I was in the park looking at the beautiful flowers and listening to the birds I began to think about the yearlings being sold next week. Running along the tree lined street I wondered where they would end up. Who would buy them and where they would race? All of these babies are well bred and have been selected to sell in the main sale at Saratoga. Would their lives be long and happy ones? How will these babies take to being trained and learning about the racing game? I stopped by Walnut Green yesterday to pet a beautiful gray colt. He was standing so politely watching and waiting for his turn to be shown to a prospective buyer. He must have been used to loads of attention because when I stopped to stroke his face and talk to him he just soaked it all in. He seems to trust humans so it is a good start. As I look out the repository window I can see him out again. Having no idea what hip number he is I do not know what his breeding is but he seems to be very popular. Will he like training and stay sound enough to get to the races? Will he run fast or long and have confidence and dig in when being tested? What direction will his life go? This is just the beginning for these babies and hopefully they will give their owner's a lot of exciting racing days and hopefully when their racing days are over their owner's will return the favor by giving them a place to live and all the love they need for the rest of their days! Who knows what direction life takes horses and humans?
Fair Hill:
Today was not bad for a Friday. Rose Campbell has come out of her effort at Penn National the other night just fine. Showing little interest in keeping up with the pack, she will probably go home to be a riding horse. She is very lucky that her owner loves her to bits.
King Congaree and Sweet Ginger Brown breezed this morning. Skipping around the track for five eighths of a mile, both horses seem to be rapidly approaching the races. Sweet Ginger Brown seems to love the Tapeta surface and may make the trip to Presque Isle in a week or so to run. Vicar's Tune is coming around after his last trip to Colonial Downs and may run again next week at Colonial or Laurel. Our Hearthrob and Paris Night are now training partners and went a mile and a half at a leisurely pace this morning. They have both come back from lay offs and seem eager to train.
Saar Treaty will be running at Colonial Downs tommorrow on the turf. Hopefully she will like the track and not be bothered by the ship to Virginia. She is a confident filly and not much seems to bother her.
Real Lace has been under saddle for a few days with Tim in the saddle. He has decided that she needs a little more RNR and has sent her to a local farm. She has come back to her old self being very vocal at feed time. It is wonderful having her back. Hopefully with a bit more time off she will return to win a few more races.
Robbie rode at Saratoga yesterday and finished third beaten by just half a length. What a beautiful racetrack to skip around. I'm sure it is dreadful to get nipped at the wire but the scenery couldn't be better.
Tim is checking to see when the next video will be ready. I remain congnizant of the fact that you can not rush an artist but remain hopeful that it will be finished soon.
Update 3833: More racing news for today.
Baffert is back at Saratoga, and has an interesting runner today in the second, Spaniard, as well as Indian Blessing in the featured Test Stakes: Baffert back for working vacation at Saratoga.
In California Zenyetta returns to the races. She is probably the best filly running in North America: Zenyatta has rivals thinking of second.
At Arlington, I am rooting for Sky Mom, since I think I rode her once in Houston: Sky Mom Primed For Arlington Oaks.
We also have a couple of 2yos running this afternoon at Woodbine, Jen picks neither of them,, but certainly an exciting day all around.
Update 3832: Eight sets today for a relatively busy morning this morning at Woodbine. No gate schooling, which also meant no long break waiting for the gate to open. A few of mine galloped two miles, so quite a few miles galloped also. All went pretty nicely, and the weather here remains gorgeous.
Racing is on ESPN this afternoon, which includes the Test Stakes at Saratoga and the West Virginia Derby at Moutaineer Park: TV Schedule.
Update 3831: Breeders' Cup is taking a strong stand on steroids, penalizing racetracks that don't come on board as well as trainers who get positives: New Breeders' Cup policy bans steroids in all affiliated races.
Trainer Gary Contessa has been named the new President of the Exceller Fund: Contessa named president of Exceller Fund, excerpt:
"My whole life has been built around racehorses and I see this as an opportunity to give even more back to these wonderful animals," said Contessa, a Long Island, New York, native who began his career in the early 1970s at Belmont Park and gained his training license in 1985.
"I have numerous retired Thoroughbreds at my farm in upstate New York and I have been a major supporter of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and Equine Advocates for many years, but I want to do more. My primary focus will be raising awareness about the Exceller Fund and raising funds for the continuing care of the fund's horses."
Hay, FOB's!
I'm first???? Prayers for safe racing and all horses and jockeys come home safely.
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Prayers for Jim Gath and SherryVW...
Enjoy the weekend.
Healing, Love, Peace
ONS, OMPH
Padme
Posted by: Padme (Lyn Gilbert) at August 2, 2008 1:26 PM