Back in 1982 a grey filly won the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr.I), Ruffian Handicap (gr. I), Monmouth Oaks (gr II) and was even third against the boys in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. She returned the next year at 4 to beat the boys in the Gulfstream Park Handicap and retired sound. Christmas Past was her name and she was laid to rest last month in Kentucky at 29 years old. A daughter of Grey Dawn II out of a Bold Ruler Mare she didn't set the breeding world on fire but had 6 winners of 10 foals, none of major races. In her day she was a homebred champion for Cynthia Phipps.

 Sometimes it's easy to overlook the old champions once out of the limelight, especially with a new crop of three year olds coming on and a hint of early roses still a hope for many. These old horses set the standards though and deserve credit where it's due.

Continue reading "Christmas Past euthanized"

For a moment the bay son of Harlan's Holiday was a maybe Kentucky Derby contender. After winning the Grade III Holy Bull it was foud he has a chip in the knee, meaning a layoff to heal until summer. He'll go in for surgery and get some recuperation time so maybe he'll be a "coulda been" challenger later in the year.

Continue reading "Holy Bull Stakes winner Saratoga Sinner injured"

While the Thoroughbred Eclipse awards get the most attention there was another horse of the year title handed out recently. SomeBeachSomewhere was named Horse of the Year and Pacer of the Year and Deweycheatumnhowe was named Trotter of the Year.

 Far less noticed than the Thoroughbred stars, Standardbred racing has had a banner year too. SomeBeachSomewhere retired with 20 wins from 21 starts and $3.22 million in earnings, including 14 of 15 in 2008 with a single season earnings record of $2.44 million. He won the North America Cup. He won the Breeders Crown. He won the Messenger Stakes. He earned the Dan Patch Award for Pacer of the year and 3 year old colt pacer of the year. He equaled the fastest mile i history at 1:46.4 in Lexington and set the world record for 3 year old pacers on a half mile track. In his division he was every bit as dominant as some of thoroughbred's stars with more starts and less money to show for it, but an accomplishment worthy of noting! The only loss was to Art Official by a neck in a world record 1:47 mile at the Meadowlands Pace. SomeBeachSomewhere will be standing at Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania for $20,000 fee. SomeBeachSomewhere is by Mach Three out of WheresTheBeach by Beach Towel and second dam by the outstanding Cam Fella.

Continue reading "The other Horse of the Year"

Stardom Bound impressed many in th eBreeders Cup Juvenile but after Pinkarella set the pace she dug down to show her true colors even further in the Las Virgenes Stakes. Class always rises and this big hearted grey filly rises to the top of the fillies in her first start at three.

With four consecutive Grade I wins the champion 2 year old filly gave notice she knows where the winners circle is. It's been some transitions for the talented filly since the Breeders Cup as she sold in November's Fasig-Tipton sale for $5.7 million to IEAH partners. Rumblings are made of taking on the colts in the Santa Anita Derby. She was full of run for this race and carried top weight of 122 pounds in the win. A Kentucky bred by Tapit, Stardom Bound is out of My White Corvette by Tarr Road.

Continue reading "Stardom Bound returns"

Damascus is just a name on a page to many fans and for recent fans not even that. Damascus won the Preakness and the Belmont in 1967, along with the Dwyer, American Derby and romped in the Travers by 22 lengths. He won at two miles in the Jockey Gold Cup. He did all that was asked of him as a three year old and perhaps the only thing he didn't do was win the Kentucky Derby. He was third, washed out from nerves and humidity. He was handed nothing as among his competitors were legends Buckpasser and Dr. Fager. In the Woodward he won by 10 lengths over both of those horses. Damascus was easily Horse of the Year. Retired to stud Damascus sired scores of stakes winners including Desert Wine, Highland Blade, Belted Earl, Private Account (sire of the hard knocking classy mare Personal Ensign), Timeless Moment and many others. By Sword Dancer out of Kerala by My Babu Damascus carried the old lines of Blue Larkspur, Phalaris and Teddy. He was pensioned in 1989 and died at age 31 in August of 1995. He is buried at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky.

Continue reading "The unknown family members"

Among the colts that came in from a yearling sale at the barn I worked was a little bay colt by Shecky Greene. As one of several grooms we split up yearlings coming in from sales and Shecky proofed to be a tough little horse but plain, overlooked in many ways. His sire perhaps epitomized this.

Shecky Greene had the misfortune of not being able to select the year he was born. He was born in a year of monsters. 1970 was a year of legends, no two ways about it. With the phenomenal competition of Secretariat and Sham as two of the top horses of any era people forget other horses in that Triple Crown series. Sham would have been heads and shoulders above the competition in any other year and ran his heart out in the Belmont trying to stop a force that racing has not seen since. In the 1973 Kentucky Derby when the gates opened Shecky Green set a scorching pace that was sizzled further when Secretariat broke the race record previously set by Northern Dancer. Angle Light, Shecky Greene and Royal and Regal took the lead and first time past the stands Shecky Green showed the way in a field that included Forego, Our Native, My Gallant and of course Secretariat and Sham. At stud from the same foal crop was Mr Prospector.

Continue reading "Brushes with Legends"

Although accomplished on the track Curlin begins life now in a real race...that of proving himself quickly and, in some ways, impossibly by producing better than himself. However, he's off to a good start with breeding the first mare, Maggy Hawk. This would be an exciting foal.

If that name sounds familiar, Maggie Hawk is the dam of a grade II placed Unforgettable Max and an incredible athlete named champion, Afleet Alex, who won the Preakness in an unbelievable display of athlelticism then won the Belmont. What a prospect that is!

Continue reading "Curlin begins new career"

Does anyone remember the horse who ran the opening quarter of the Kentucky Derby faster than Secretariat? The horse who pushed the fastest 3/4 record in history? He didn't win the race...but he pushed the fastest time stopping the clock since Secretariat.

SongAndAPrayer is a beautiful horse by Unbridled's Song out of Alizea by Premiership. He now stands at Walmac Farm for a fee of $22,500 and was Kentucky's leading sire of 2 year olds in 2008. Stallion farms like to focus on winners and success and although he didn't win the Derby he certainly had a factor in it with a large, talented field of horses that he made run every step of the way. He broke from the inside and pressed Balto Star to a speed duel making good horses such as Point Given, AP Valentine, Millenium Wind. 44 4/5 was the opening quarter and into the turn Point Given pressed and Congaree started closing and took the lead. The call was "and Congaree has come away with the lead...here comes his stablemate Point Given..they're at the 3/4 in 109.1 record time here at the Derby..." was the call. Fans who remembered Secretariat's awe inspiring win had mixed feelings watching an amazing field of talented horses and the big horse's record close to being beaten.

Continue reading "Kentucky Derby moments"