A horse as the top athlete of 2008? Have I been sniffing the liniment? I mean what a year for sports! Any year that the Olympics is held that certainly brings outstanding achievements on top of the "normal" sports that happen and there are many athletes that are worthy of being named the best athlete of 2008. However my consideration within the athlete realm doesn't include just humans, is based on athletic accomplishment alone.He is, indeed, an athlete who rose to the top of his game taking on the best the world has to offer. He never assaulted a photographer or was involved in indiscretions, although his name was linked to legal battles. He never saw a dime of the money himself and his means of celebration was the same for winning a million dollar competition as he did in

Continue reading "Top Athlete of 2008 - Curlin"

The geldings are the truly overlooked of racing in many times. They have no breeding career and they are too often forgotten after their glory days are over. Geldings in Thoroughbred racing have given us some of the most exciting performances in racing. For example there's the gutsy gelding Cavonnier who was in the 1996 Kentucky Derby against a good field that included Unbridled's Song, Skip Away and Editor's Note. Cavonnier sat comfortably just off the lead and Unbridled's Song put a bid on with the gallant Cavonnier coming up to challenge and surging on the inside to the front. He started putting daylight between him and Unbridled's Song and looked home free but Grindstone was driving on the outside and in the photo finish Grindstone won by the narrowest of margins. Cavonnier has unfortu

Continue reading "Great Geldings in Throughbred Racing"

Seattle Slew is still the only undefeated Triple Crown champion. His name is known even to many who don't follow horse racing and one of the most beloved horses in racing.On February 15, 1974 a daughter of the good stallion Poker foaled a dark brown colt. White Horse Acres Farm near Lexington Kentucky took care of the son of Bold Reasoning in his early life. My Charmer was bred by Ben Castleman, the first foal of Fair Charmer to live. My Charmer was her sire's first stakes winner, with a win in the Fair Grounds Oaks in 1972. My Charmer was inbred to War Admiral and produced 11 named foals. While three of those were stakes winners and two others stakes placed it is her 1974 foal by Bold Reasoning that stamped her forever in history books.Bold Reasoning himself was a young unproven stallion

Continue reading "Seattle Slew - Horse Racing Legend"

Thoroughbred champions are remembered forever. Or are they? History shows that while many beloved names stand the test of time there are others that are not remembered for their accomplishments. Sometimes the also-rans are equally beloved for their attempts to stop an equine freight train that other horses could not. Such is the case of Sham as he tried desperately to end Secretariat's bid for the Triple Crown and in any other year would have been a likely Triple Crown winner himself. Affirmed and Alydar, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer are among the names that are linked forever.Sham never had a chance at a Horse of the Year title or 3 year old champion due to the overwhelming dominance of Secretariat. Secretariat and Sham in the Belmont Stakes raced head to head on the backside with Sham st

Continue reading "Remembering Thoroughbred Champions"

The horse racing industry needs change. Congressional time? No. We have escalating costs in the economy and jobs going out of the country. There are so many things elected officials need to be doing and targeting racing isn't one of them. Drugs are used in the show horse world also. Unethical people will exist no matter what Congress does or doesn't do and until OWNERS stand up and stop financing it then it won't change. Horses in some circles are mistreated and it's not the ones making the news publicly. There are horses in many areas mistreated by being allowed to be too fat, which shortens their health. There are those allowed to starve. There are those mistreated by "trainers" who don't have the sense to know what they're doing. One swat with a whip if properly timed is not c

Continue reading "Does Horse Racing Warrant Congressional action?"

 The Kentucky Derby, run the first Saturday in May, is a race known around the world. While many fans and horsemen also follow the Breeders Cup races, the other stakes races such as the Travers and the Arlington Million, for many folks the Kentucky Derby is horse racing. Yet the Derby is a cruel mistress. When those gates open anything can happen. Good horses can get shuffled back and, because they only run as three year olds in this race, it can be their one date with destiny. These young horses will see and hear a crowd unlike anything else they will likely hear in their lives. A horse that backs off at that 'wall of sound' coming out of the turn may not get a chance to come back. There are almost expected winners - Citation, Street Sense, Whirlaway. There was the top quality horses

Continue reading "Kentucky Derby Memories"

This is a topic that is more misunderstood and with more focus than any other. There are bad actors in EVERY INDUSTRY. Cops. Teachers. Religious leaders. Politicians. Sports stars. Should we ban all of them because a minority of them do cruel and stupid things? That is the same thing animal rights activists want of horse racing. Scratch that. THOROUGHBRED racing. Yes it is targeted. There is very seldom mention of Paints, Appaloosas, Arabians, Standardbreds and others in comparison including mules. It is the most visible - Thoroughbreds that get the black eye. There is absolutely no way on earth to beat speed into a horse. No matter how much the whip is used a horse is only going as fast as his genetics, heart, body and talent will let him. Some relish in a challenge while others quit, and

Continue reading "Horse racing and cruelty charges"

Many people campaign for better treatment of race horses, and still more campaigned to end slaughter. How many actually put their money up to support these horses?When a 10 year old bay gelding was found in a feedlot in the northwest he looked like he had a "story." Indeed he did. Approaching the mandatory retirement age for Thoroughbreds he made his last known start at a small Oregon track, far from the crowds just months earlier in California. Without a stud career to look forward to like his famous brother, the gelding landed in a feedlot. Someone put the pieces together - he was Cappucino Kid, a respected race horse. A racing fan fronted the money to get him out of the feedlot, and funds were raised to send him to a retirement home in Kentucky. Home to other famous and not so

Continue reading "Old Friends Retirement"

I understand this is strictly racing but Thoroughbreds are used heavily in the sport, many that are didn't have the heart or talent for the track find a calling in this sport.

The horse dances off the field in perfect control and yet coiled to leap forward at the slightest cue. The rider touches his neck and the prancing turns to more of a walk as he blows from exertion of several minutes of full out running. The rider dismounts, gets on his waiting stablemate and he's led back to the trailer. Welcome to the life of a polo pony. Polo is seen as a rich person's sport. It's mentioned in passing as something the Royal family does or attends, and it's far removed from the rest of the horse and sports world. This is unfortunate because if one looks the athletic abilities are incredible,

Continue reading "The Basics of Polo"

Horse of the Year Azeri remained with present owners and was unsold at $4.4 million at Keeneland earlier this month. In foal and carrying a Ghostzapper filly she remains a beautifull mare. She's the only living female Horse of the Year and three time Eclipse award winner who we loved watching on the track.

 Her son Vallenzeri looks to be in April's two year old sale, reportedly looking fabulous after failing to sell at $7.7 million last September. Her second foal, by Giant's Causeway, is slated for sale later this year and looks a spitting image of Azeri. While many critics will point out that's still a lot of money it is. But many have a lot of money. There's only one Azeri. If Vallenzeri runs as he looks and appears to have the talent at this stage he, too, will prove the vote of confidence was warranted.

Continue reading "Azeri no sales in Kentucky; Storm Cat to breed Quarter Horses"

The site is being funny here and Eclipse award announcements were lost. :-(

Continue reading "Issues with posting"

While many people decry racing there are others who are watching closer than ever.

One of the names being watched is a young bay cold named Lentenor - being documented in video long before his racing career. http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/nicanor/archive/2009/01/30/lentenor-video.aspx is a look at a young Thoroughbred that many don't see, and wouldn't see if not for the continued interest in the "Barbaro brothers".

Nicanor will make his racing debut at Gulfstream Park in a one mile maiden special weight race after the Holy Bull Stakes. For many it holds more interest than the Holy Bull (which is a Grade III) because of the bay colt.

Continue reading "Barbaro 2 years later"

From the beginning my thoughts on this blog were not just the well known horses and events that there was already massive coverage of but the sometimes unseen. Everyone knows Curlin. The names of FunnyCide and DaHoss ring familiar even after retirement. So Good Night Shirt is another who deserves a moment in the sun.

In America the dominant coverage is those horses who run the "classic distances" in the big races. So as a steeplechase star Good Night Shirt is not a fashionable star. Fashionable or no the long strided chestnut gelding is a classic example of the imperfect horse being perfect at another career.

He wasn't suited for the sales as a weanling or yearling. He didn't start as a 2 year old and never had a chance at the Triple Crown. He was sold as an unraced 3 year old. He did win two races before being sold again. He won a Grade III, placed in a Grade II, has strung together an impressive win record including a perfect 5 for 5 in 2008 and is a two consecutive time winner of the Eclipse award for top steeplechaser. Running at distances of 2-3 miles he set a single season earnings of $485,520 which led all Maryland reds (flat or jumps) in 2008 earnings. He is the third all time money winner in his division with $934,493 in wins as an 8 year old gelding now with eyes on being the first to win three consecutive runnings of the Iroquois chase on May 9.

Continue reading "Good Night Shirt: an overlooked champion"

Even with the best of preparation things can go wrong. Nicanor, the full brother to Barbaro now 3 years old, started for the first time today and grabbed a quarter after stumbling at the start. It means more time to heal and as he did not start at two underscores it is not an age thing - injuries happen.

The maiden special weight was won by a 30-1 shot Warrior's Reward over 19-1 closing Allrightsreserved. Nicanor wasn't comfortable so did not press the pace and jockey Edgar Prado galloped out.

Continue reading "Nicanor injured in debut"