Barbaro Updates: 1007

updates are now here.

Update 6176: A light schedule of Graded Stakes racing this weekend, now that the Breeders’ Cup is only two weeks away: Weekend Stakes: Where to Watch brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

Update 6175: Research for my book is now complete. I have now returned to Pennsylvania, and am just focused on finishing up writing, for another week or so. My final day in Lexington included a morning at Keeneland, hanging out with Paul Breedon. I then went to the Keeneland Library to do a little work, before heading to Mill Ridge Farm to meet with Headley Bell. He gave me some notes he had written about Barbaro, when Barbaro was a foal and a yearling. Great addition for the book I think. I then headed to my final stop of the journey, to Three Chimneys Farm, to see Dynaformer. All in all, a terrific trip!

And please keep calling.

Update 6174: I had a great first meeting with the book’s designer. I am looking forward to seeing how that process develops. I then headed to Louisville, Kentucky, to see Barbaro’s Memorial Statue. It was amazing, I had not seen it before. Yesterday morning I had a meeting at the Kentucky Derby Museum, to discuss the sculpture, and to do a little more research for my book. Then I headed to Lexington and met with the sculptor, Alexa King. Finally yesterday I visited Barbaro’s birthplace. A busy, but fun day.

And please keep calling.

Update 6173: I am now in Tennessee, and have a meeting today with the designer of my book. I am excited about this phase of the project, having worked on design projects when I worked at the Wharton School. After the meeting, I will be heading up to Louisville, Kentucky.

And please keep calling.

Update 6172: Only three weeks to the Breeders’ Cup, at Churchill Downs, so most of the Breeders’ Cup contenders have had their final prep races. That being said, it is Woodbine’s biggest international weekend of its long meet, with the Canadian International topping the card. A great day of turf racing in Canada: Weekend Stakes: Where to Watch brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

Forgot to add: Lentenor is running today, 8th race at Keeneland, 4:52 pm post time!

I am now in Charleston, South Carolina. Will be here until Sunday, attending a friend’s wedding. Then heading out to Tennessee for a meeting with my book’s designer.

Update 6171: I am now back in the Fair Hill area, for the day. I left Quebec City to stop in New Hampshire and pick up the book’s illustrations. All I can say is, they are fantastic! I am very excited to see what the book’s designer does with them! Here I am, with the book’s illustrator (Lynden) and her sister, after we hiked up a mountain! A very fun stay.

Tomorrow I am heading out to Charleston, South Carolina for a wedding. On Monday I will be in Tennessee to meet with the book’s designer. On Tuesday I will head to Churchill Downs to visit Barbaro’s memorial, and on Wednesday I will head to Keeneland before returning to Fair Hill!

Lots of travel, lots of fun, and some last minute research for my book!

And please keep calling.

Update 6170: I arrived in Quebec City at about 5:30 pm last night. There was about an hour of light left, so I took advantage of that to go out and explore. Will explore again this morning for a couple of hours before I head down to my next stop, New Hampshire (to pick up the illustrations for my book.)

Quebec City is gorgeous. It is the closest I have seen to a European city in North America. I will plan on coming back at some point when I have more time. I am really glad I did take this detour though.

On my way I had lunch with Constant Montpelier. He was a jockey at Woodbine for the two years I was there, and retired at the end of last year. He rode Mine that Bird in his first two starts. It was great to catch up. I then headed out to see the slaughter house, where the majority of those bought for kill at OLEX go. It was an odd experience.

And please keep calling.

Update 6169: A fun day at the races yesterday at Woodbine, I will go to the races there again today. Tomorrow, early morning I head out to Quebec City for the night. On my way I may stop at the slaughter house in Massueville, Quebec, I believe this is where horses bought for slaughter from OLEX go. I do need to check that though …

Update 6168: Still enjoying my visit to Woodbine, with another early morning spent on the backside catching up with people.

There is plenty of Graded Stakes action this weekend, and many of these races will be used as final preps for those heading to the Breeders’ Cup: Weekend Stakes: Where to Watch brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

I will be heading to the races this afternoon at Woodbine, and it looks like it will be a great day for the races!

Update 6167: The movie Secretariat opens today. There are plenty of reviews on Paulick Report.

And please keep calling.

Update 6166: I am sitting in the Jake Howard Center, on the backside at Woodbine, posting this update. Just like I would many times last year! I just showed the books pictures and illustrations to Chaplain Shawn Kennedy, and Corinne Phillips, who runs the HBPA office, and both had very positive comments. They are both in the book, as I describe some of the culture of the backside at Woodbine.

Last night I went to the races at Woodbine, and met with a few people I worked with over the last couple of years. A very fun evening.

Tomorrow at 2 pm, I will be participating in this online discussion, on the topic of horse slaughter: Horse slaughter and animal rights.

And please keep calling.

Update 6165: A fun morning this morning on the backside at Woodbine. Caught up with a lot of people I had not seen this year, but had worked with for the previous two years. Planning to go to the races this evening.

I was contacted by the Globe and Mail, to participate in a horse slaughter forum on Friday. Not sure if they knew I was back in Canada, or the timing is just coincidence. Either way, it should be interesting.

And please keep calling.

Update 6164: Yesterday I made it up to Fort Erie, and made it to the races. It was a pretty grim, grey and rainy day for the races. My Fort Erie “host”, Mike Mehak, had a spill in the first race, his horse clipped heels. I think the horse was OK, but Mike will now be off for a couple of weeks. After the races we had dinner with about half the jockeys at The Fort. A fun evening. I then came back to Mike’s and showed him the photographs and illustrations for my book. He liked them both, and will be helping me sell my book in Canada.

Plan for today is to head to the OLEX auction, and then over to Woodbine to meet up with Hank, my boss from last year!

This week’s ABR Facebook Group message: Zenyatta, Goldikova, Blame, Haynesfield, Work Force, Rachel Alexandra, Fort Erie, Laurel, Michael Matz.

And please keep calling.

Update 6163: I am off to Canada for a little over a week. I am not sure if I will be updating here everyday, but I will try! First stop, Fort Erie races.

And please keep calling.

Update 6162: Some terrific racing this weekend. The highlight of yesterday, by far, was seeing Zenyatta make it 19 for 19. It was close for sure, but she did what she has always done, and won! Congratulations to her team for keeping her on top of her game for so long: Zenyatta Does it Again; Wins in Heart-Stopping Fashion.

Lookin at Lucky also won, and Blame was beaten in the Jockey Club Gold Cub to a freewheeling Haynesfield. Regardless, the day belonged to one athlete, Zenyatta.

Today it was the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and that was won by the Epsom Derby winner, Work Force. A terrific performance by this record setting three-year-old. Goldikova was running in another Group 1 race on the Arc undercard. She also won, under an inspired ride.

Breeders’ Cup will be an absolute treat this year if we see both Zenyatta and Goldikova defend their respective titles. Both are going for their third consecutive Breeders’ Cup win, a feat that has never been accomplished!

Update 6161: It’s prep weekend for the Breeders’ Cup with a slew of Grade 1 races both at Belmont Park and at Hollywood Park. Lots of quality horses on display, but of course the standout with be Zenyatta at Hollywood Park, attempting to win her 19th straight race. ESPN will be on hand to cover the race (7:15pm EST). The one thing that does seem a little lacking is the number of three year olds taking on older horses for the first time. Today is usually that day for those at the top of the three-year-old division. Lookin at Lucky is, instead, running in the Indiana Derby. If he does not win then the three-year-old division will be wide open: WEEKEND STAKES: Where to Watch brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

And here is my final question, as I begin to write the last chapter of my book: How will history remember Barbaro?

Update 6160: More progress on my book this week, which is my goal for the week before I start traveling next week. Yesterday I interviewed Michael Matz for the second time. I had interviewed Michael in the Summer of 2007. This time around the interview was much more focused in terms of the questions I had. It was also very important as I had made a couple of assumptions, based on things I had read, that were not entirely accurate. I had to go back and rewrite some of the early material, as Barbaro went through his early races.

Michael’s key point about Barbaro seems to be, that we really will never know how good he was. He never reached a limit, in everything he did, he did with ease.

Jeannine Edwards also sent me the Foreword for the book last night. Another piece of the product is now in place.

This morning I talked to Alexa King for the second time. The final chapter of the book is titled “How will Barbaro be Remembered.” The statue at Churchill Downs is obviously one medium that will represent Barbaro for far into the future. It was interesting to hear Alexa describe to me the Jacksons’ goals for the statue. In an initial meeting between Alexa and the Jacksons, Alexa asked the Jacksons directly what they wanted the statue to accomplish. Mrs. Jacksons response: “to show Barbaro’s joy for running.” They also wanted to portray Barbaro at the top of his game, as powerful and beautiful!

And please keep calling.

Update 6159: yesterday was not a good day for horse racing. We lost a star, Real Quiet, who died in his paddock in Pennsylvania. He is the closest we have come to a Triple Crown in recent years. I was at his Belmont Stakes: REAL QUIET: Remembering ‘The Fish’.

We also heard, via another ridiculous press release, that Rachel Alexandra is being retired. The news was very unsurprising given her only real option ahead of her this season is to consider a Breeders’ Cup race, and there really is not a Breeders’ Cup race she can win on current form. She was great last year, but my opinion is they pushed her too far to do what they did. She never recovered, and this year they paid the price. And for her last start this year, they had to dig deep again. She just was not going to recover and be at her best for this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

Here is my memory of Rachel Alexandra, in her barn at Oaklawn Park, Spring 2009.

Rachel Alexandra was terrific, Zenyatta is terrific, I am a true fan of both.

And please keep calling.

Update 6158: Yesterday I went to New Holland to catch up with the horse auction and see what was being done in response to the new EU rules. There were plenty of horses at the sale, and many were ridden through, going for cheap prices but not being purchased by the kill buyers. The loose horses that went through, were all advertised as having a “signed paper.” That I understand is the document that goes with the horse to prove it is “drug free” over the last 180 days. If I go again, I will try to see if there is a price differential between those loose horses with a signed paper, and the very few who did not have a signed paper. Of course the signed paper does not take into account drugs like bute, which are permanently banned, but that is another issue.

For my book yesterday, I completed a second telephone interview with Edgar Prado.

Here is this week’s ABR Facebook Group message: Morning Line, Apart, Lookin’ at Lucky, Nicanor, Ramon Dominguez, Lentenor, Grand Rapport, Sharon Dominguez, New Holland, Signed Paper, Courageous Comet, Jake Chalfin.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 1:22 PM | Comments (524)

Barbaro Updates: 1006

updates are now here.

Update 6157: It was a fun afternoon at the races at Delaware Park yesterday, and there were also plenty of FOBs in attendance to watch Lentenor run in the Kent Stakes. Unfortunately Lentenor did not win, but fun nonetheless. Here is a picture of the winning jockey and his wife. Ramon also won on Nicanor the day before, and he used to own Delaware Park when he rode there full-time.

The Pennsylvania Derby was won by Morning Line: Morning Line takes the Pennsylvania Derby in a thrilling finish. The Super Derby was won by Apart: Apart wins the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Great story about Courageous Commet, who is competing at the World Equestrian Games: Riddle: Comet a star among ex-racehorses.

And finally, here is a new (old) picture of Barbaro!

Update 6156: A great wire-to-wire win yesterday for Nicanor at Belmont Park. He was the second longest shot going into the race, but Ramon Dominguez just stole the race on the front end. It was an inspired ride, and great to see Nicanor return to the winner’s circle. Today his younger brother, Lentenor, will be in action in the Kent Stakes at Delaware Park.

Philadephia Park, or whatever it is now called, hosts its Derby today, and we also have the Louisiana Super Derby, so plenty of action at the top of the weak 3yo division: WEEKEND STAKES: WHERE TO WATCH brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

Update 6155: I saw Michael Matz this morning, in Prizzio’s. He was on his way up to New York to saddle Nicanor later this afternoon: Nicanor and Lentenor Racing This Friday and Saturday.

I asked Michael a question for my book.

And please keep calling.

Update 6154: Well I have now retired from riding horses, again. Lets see how long it lasts this time. But I need to focus all my energies, over the next week, on my Barbaro book. Then for a lot of the month of October I plan to travel, which will conclude at the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs in early November. I will still provide mostly daily updates on this site, but in case I skip a day or two along the way, you know why!

And please keep calling.

Update 6153: Four ridden this morning at Fair Hill, and that’s it, I am done riding out in the mornings for a while at least. Time now to really focus on finishing up my book and doing a little travel.

And please keep calling.

Update 6152: Four ridden this morning at Fair Hill, and it was only 48 degrees when I arrived. It felt cold! My second horse, coming home, was obviously feeling the weather. Aside from that, all my horses went nicely.

Here is this week’s ABR Facebook Group message: Court Vision, The Usual Q T, Redwood, Fifty Proof, Jake Chalfin, Judge Beautiful, Pop Star, Lizzie Snow, Mrs. Jackson.

And please keep calling.

Update 6151: Three ridden this morning for an easy start to the day. All three of mine went nicely.

Yesterday afternoon I went over to a Three Day Event, near Unionville. The CIC 2 Star contest was won by Pop Star and Lizzie Snow. Pop Star is a thoroughbred, who has obvously found a better second career. It was nice to see CANTER there presenting an award for the highest placed thoroughbred. Then it was bareback puissance time. This is crazy, and another x racehorse who has found a better career!

And please keep calling.

Update 6150: A day off for me today. Not sure yet exactly what my plan is. Course if I was up in Canada this year it would be to attend their biggest day of racing with the Northern Dancer (Marsh Side Defends Northern Dancer Turf Crown) and the Woodbine Mile (Diverse Field Drawn for Woodbine Mile). Should be a fun afternoon up there!

Nice to see this winning debut yesterday: Goldikova’s Half-Sister Makes Winning Debut.

Update 6149: Four ridden this morning at Fair Hill, and it was a chilly start to the day. All four of mine went nicely for a straightforward morning. One galloped out of the gate, and came out fast and straight!

Not much in terms of top class racing in the US this weekend, but the focus is on Woodbine, and their major races today and tomorrow: WEEKEND STAKES: WHERE TO WATCH brought to you by WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS.

Update 6148: Another three ridden this morning at Fair Hill. After some rain came through last night, a very pleasant day for riding horses. All mine went nicely. After I was finished I went to a friend’s house to ride some more horses. Here I am, schooling a horse who will be competing in a puissance event this weekend. If I can get her over a fence, she will be in great shape with a real rider on her back!

And please keep calling.

Update 6147: Another three ridden this morning at Fair Hill. A very straightforward start to the day. As is my routine, I went to Prizzio’s afterwards to catch up with the Daily Racing Form.

And please keep calling.

Update 6146: Three ridden this morning at Fair Hill. A short morning for me, but I nearly ran into a fox! Thankfully all my horses went nicely.

And please keep calling.

Update 6145: Another four ridden this morning at Fair Hill, and another gorgeous morning for riding horses. All mine went nicely, which included a little gate schooling on a two-year-old filly.

Here is this week’s ABR Facebook Group message: Delaware Park, CANTER, Dr. Meredith, Kelso, Northern Dancer, Secret Gypsy, Jane Simone, DVD Fundraiser, Barbaro in a hand ride.

And please keep calling.

Update 6144: Four ridden this Monday morning at Fair Hill. A very straightforward start to the day. It was nice weather for riding, and all my horses went nicely.

Steve Haskin takes us down memory lane with Big Red, as we wait for the Secretariat movie to come out: The Real Secretariat.

And please keep calling.

Posted by Alex at 2:10 PM | Comments (284)