Barbaro Updates: 659
Updates are now here
Update 3906: The Paulick Report wraps up the week: THE WEEK THAT WAS: AUG. 10-16.
Update 3905: Wow! Somebeachsomewhere rolled to two victories today, winning his heat and the final of the Confederation Cup in sub 1:50.
Update 3904: It looks like a few of our top horses are considering ducking the Breeders' Cup, which will be run over a synthetic surface: Proud Spell Another Likely BC No-Show.
Update 3903: A very pleasant morning again at Woodbine. I only had five to ride, three went before the break and two after the break. We had a few workers so I helped to sort those out with the jocks. All my horses galloped nicely, and the weather remains fantastic!
During the break I caught up with the "lip tattoo" guy here at Woodbine. He is also one of the gate crew. Anyway, I wanted to ask him about how to seek out a tattoo number if I knew the name of a horse (this was based on an e-mail query I received yesterday). The upshot is while it is not straight forward, if you have a copy of the foal papers (i.e. as the breeder you may keep those records) you can interpret the lip tattoo from the registration number on the foal papers. I wrote about it here: Lip Tattoos and Papers. This might be useful for breeders and so forth interested in making sure their horses do not pass through public auctions unnoticed.
Update 3902: Welcome from Saratoga Springs, NY!
This is WendyinMI checking in while on vacation with fellow FOB JulieZ. What a great place to vacation! It's my first time (Julie's as well) and I can guarantee it will not be my last.
Julie and I have checked out all the fun tourist places and have otherwise made sure to do all the proper first-timer things. We have arrived early in the mornings for the workouts, hung out at the local eateries such as Siro's, walked through the beautiful historic town and drank water from the mineral spring at the track. There's so much to do!
I will brush on some of the highlights from our trip thus far. Through a very special favor from a friend of mine I was invited to join retired jockey Richard DuPass while he made his rounds in the morning. He is the agent for Cornelio Velasquez, one of the leading jocks for this year's Saratoga meet. There's nothing like a jockey's agent giving you a tour of their home turf. We started the rounds hopping into his golf cart and pulling up next to the great Allen Jerkens! We chatted with The Chief for a bit then moved on to the rest of the barns. We went everywhere which felt like going through the entire town of Saratoga Springs. On the tour we even met David Cassidy of Partridge Family fame. You just never know who you will run into! After Richard's tour we stopped by the McPeek barns and visited with Sue McPeek and her daughter. Sue updated us on Ask The Lord's retraining into a track pony. Then she introduced us to their horses. It was a special morning to say the least.
Another highlight was the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. It's an absolute must-do while in Saratoga. And if you are at all nearby, hop into a car and get to this exhibit. Julie and I walked into this special exhibit and stopped at the closest display. My jaw fell to the ground as I saw a Christmas ornament in the Lael colors painted with Elizabeth in PA next to the beautiful scrapbook made for the Jackson's by the very people on this board. Some of the letters written to the Jackson's are in another book for museum guests to read. I recognized a few FOB names there too! I so wanted to take a picture to post on this discussion board but photos are not allowed to be taken in the museum.
Speaking of photos, I am slowly posting mine here. Keep checking them as I will continue to add to them until I return home on Tuesday.
Julie and I have another full day ahead of us. We must go now to meet up with our seasoned Saratoga friends who include photographer Maggie Furbay and artist Shawn Faust! Both had attended the Barbaro Celebration in July. Shawn is currently working on a painting of Big Brown while here in Saratoga!
It's off for another great day of racing at The Spa!
Update 3901: Race reports from key races yesterday:
Proud Spell Gets Final Word in Alabama
Grand Couturier Repeats In Sword Dancer
Juliet's Spirit Takes Ontario Debutante
Update 3900: A pleasant afternoon spent at Woodbine races. Juliet's Spirit won the 2yo stake. She is now three for three with two stakes wins. I watched the Sword Dancer in the paddock just after we saddled Jambalaya Joy (who ran a nice race to finish fifth). Better Talk Now ran well with his usual late run, but was not good enough to beat Grand Couturier who himself had a troubled trip. I then saw the rerun of the Alabama while back on the backside at Woodbine. Proud Spell just got the better of Music Note.
Update 3899: Off back to the races at Woodbine. We have three in the 2yo fillies stakes race. The same three that finished first, second and fourth in the My Dear a little earlier in the meet. Juliet's Spirit will likely be favorite, lets hope they all run well. I will also be rooting for Better Talk Now at Saratoga in the Sword Dancer. The Alabama also looks like an intriguing race with Music Note and Proud Spell: Showdown of top fillies in Alabama. Two of my personal favorites are also running later today, Humble Janet and Poni Colada. Lots of interest!
Update 3898: Another simply gorgeous morning this morning at Woodbine. I keep having to remind myself that it is still August because the weather here is much like mid September at Fair Hill. We had a nice and quiet morning this morning with only five sets. Four before the break and one after the break. A very early finish. All my horses went nicely. Once I was done I went over to watch others galloping from the bleechers by the racing office. Just a relaxing way to spend an hour, while doing a little reading.
Update 3897: Great news, after a long set of negotiations: Endangered Mares Removed From Feed Lot.
This is discussed here: 6 stallions, 40 preg. mares Needs Help.
And here you can learn more about a feedlot.
AMAZING that this story made it into the BLOODSTOCK and a true sign that the times, they are a changin' as we used to say. IMHO: none of this would be moving forward without Barbaro and the people who were moved by his story, and then banded together through Alex and as Edgar Prado said, turned their sorrow into action.
Great stuff. Please do all you can to help support this massive and very important and VERY VISIBLE rescue. Any amount will do, you know the drill.
We are off to the Mall of Wretched Excess for our monthly greyhound fundraiser...yawn.
Prayers for all in need: xxoo:j
COURAGE
Posted by: jonnagrey at August 16, 2008 1:34 PM