What a summer!!
November 2012
Where has the year gone? Is it really already breeding season?
In a moment of desperation, Bluegrass Thorn was put up for auction. With no takers he vanned back home to become a little snot in retaliation. Let's hope he likes the winner's circle better than the sales ring.
Swain's Gold has really become our Stable Star. 10th of 12 in the KY Derby, he's picked up 2 wins and a third since. Two of those were at the Graded levels. Goldie is currently sporting $321,000 18: 3-1-1; he's not scheduled for anything though he may run once more sometime in December.
Roll of Thunder finally earned back his purchase price with a 3rd (on dirt, no less) at Woodlands. He's likely past his peak and we find ourselves with a decision: one more go at the track or off to see the mares? He currently boasts $377,850 36:5-4-5 and will start again in the John Dee Lee stakes at Victoria Park. He'll be facing his big brother, Samurai Thunder (2006, Thunder Arctic) so be sure to watch - we will be.
Enigma knocked our collective socks off with a win in his last start. Running at Ascot over 6 firm fulongs, he took the HG Bolton Sprint by over a length to bring home $21,000. Proud is an understatement as corks were heard popping from two farms over. He now claims $87,500 23:1-1-3 and will start again 1 Dec in a 6 furlong Allowance at Shenandoah.
Our replacement lady runner, Our Maiden, was anything but at purchase and has racked up another win for both herself and us. Running a minute-and-a-half mile Starter Allowance in the slop at Shenandoah netted $24,000 and her third check in a row. Did I mention she won by nearly 8 1/2 lengths? She's spent the last couple of months at Shenandoah and will start there again 1 Dec.
Our Maiden has some feminine company now with our recent acquisition Light Touch. This pretty bay filly is our third Hutton buy and we are fervently hoping she does as well as the others. She's been mostly run as a miler, though she's training nicely as a turf sprint prospect. Look for her in late December.
With the addition of Light Touch, 3 Year Old Copacabana can no longer boast "only maiden in the barn" status. He's running nicely, though not quite as nicely as we would like. He may still be a late bloomer, so he'll get one more season to prove himself. He's fabulously bred and I'd really hate to see that go to waste.
Marscay's Princess has settled in very nicely, though Revotic is still being a bit anti-social. We had considered letting Our Maiden join them, but her recent win left us wondering about next year. We also have Light Touch, though she'll run one more season, and we've placed a bid on a sharp looking filly over at (guess who?) Hutton's. Am I the only one seeing a pettern here? Maybe we need to draft a standing contract with Jim. We've expanded to 15 stalls and are planning a new barn in time for breeding season.
Speaking of breeding season, our plans for Princess have changed slightly. The Bloodstock manager was all in a tither until she realized just who was in mind instead of PG. We're in negotiations and will post the stud just as soon as everything is official.
Revotic will be off to see Bally Doyle's handsome gent Skim the Hill. All the way to England she goes...we're undecided if she'll stay to foal there or if we're going to chance the return trip.
Our Maiden, if she retires, will be seeing Perfect Goer. Their styles should compliment nicely and we're hoping he helps with her short wind. Martika (from Snowbank) will also be seeing PG if we can finalize that lease agreement with Laurie. She's a tough negotiator and Martika is going to cost us dearly, though it's worth it for a La Troienne. Did I mention Martika is out of Marscay's Princess? That lease is the main reason why Princess' plans changed.
I have to mention Olmo Dorato here, as he scored HUGE in the breeding game this season. He managed to get Champion filly Rags to Riches AND book her to 2 x HotY Curlin. That should be one monster foal. He's also got Barbaro x Wait A While and Dubai Mellinium x Azeri....maybe I should just take 2015-2017 and hide in the barn?
All the foals are growing nicely, filling out and musceling up. Unforgiv'n ("Sassy") is our short, black, stayer - always easy to find with her "shadow" the snow white Perfect Summer. Lord help me as that filly is the single most difficult horse to keep clean. Summer is drawn to mud like a moth to a flame and it's driving our grooms to distraction. Let's hope all that time in the mud hole will bode well for her track campaign.
Brothers Bluegrass Thorn and Perfect Charmer ("Lucky") are doing right nicely in keeping His Highness the Royal Pain at bay. Prince Stephen has really made a name for himself as a terror; there's one groom in particular that can't get near him for fear of her life. We are very much hoping he turns into a John Henry for us. Though Prince's breeding is a bit better that John's was, his disposition is just as dark. John overcame humble beginnings to become one of the best racers in history and that is our hope for Prince.
Only two more weeks to go then it's breeding season! Here's hoping we win enough to cover all the fees. We've already won enough to break even for our statup costs and it only took two seasons to do so.
See you at the track!