bridge loan to nowhere

As I've touched on in the past, we're all about sustainability here in NJ. For example, have a look at the measures being put in place to see to it that happy horses are bred in-state for years to come. You'll like this one. I just can't believe it never occurred to anyone to maybe grab a copy of Quicken at Best Buy and balance the books every so often. I mean, everyone's had that time or two when they've sent out a check and had to do the mad dash to the bank to cover it, but c'mon, I've never had the state legislature bail me out. And, sure, I know that the breeders were counting on supplemental monies, but that's like spending holiday bonus money before it's actually in hand ("What do you mean, 'marginally competent?' What about my bonus? I already bought the Play Station! Don't do me like this!"). Yeah, the state will throw a $5m or $10 bone at the breeders, whatever it is, but it's all just a bit of pissing into the wind, I'm afraid, and certainly won't help see to higher state foal crops. Ladies and gentlemen, New Jersey Racing!

Hope everyone has had a great holiday season so far. I'm off to Maine to ring in the New Year, which should be a good time. Depending on what kind of snow we get, it could mean a lot of Scrabble and bear hunting out back of the house. (Okay, one of those two is a lie.) If it really comes down, maybe I'll get to take a spin in the John Deere and plow some driveways. Anyway, if the site gets a little too quiet over this next stretch, you'll know how things went down. Just try to remember me fondly.

doh!

Veiled Reference ran great last night at Charles Town, getting nailed on the wire after making all the pace. Chart of the race is here. She's come back fine and is busy now doing last minute Christmas shopping. It was tough to miss out on the stakes win (they're now reconsidering the definition of juggernaut in the dictionary), but it's impossible not to love how she performed. She showed great speed and heart and really moved forward off of that maiden win (ran a speed figure of 76 versus the 63 last out). She's still a little green, but she'll learn from this one that, yes, sometimes other fillies are coming after you. Plus, we'll help her out and get her the added distance that she needs. No more of these shifty little sprinters; she wants to roll off 12 second eighths, so that's what we'll dial up.

Enjoy the photo. It's kind of like the rejection letter from that college that you really, really wanted to get into. Blow it up, stick it on the wall and just let the anger build. Do I have that right? Probably not. Filly is heading into '08 the right way, so we'll look to get ours down the line. Have a great holiday, everybody.

oh, okay

Short pre-race write up from DRF for Saturday's Eleanor Casey at Charles Town. Couldn't even get a "from the powerful T Street Stable operation," in there. Don't these guys read the blog? You look up juggernaut in the dictionary and it's just a big T printed there. Geeze. Anyway, just sending along the link.

just saying

It's worth checking out the latest news from Lambholm South, the Florida farm standing the great Express Tour. Our boy is on a roll. Isle Repo It won nicely at Calder this past week, posting a big speed figure going two turns and doing it the right way. Good to see that Express Tour has the few winners now, particularly given his small crop of 11 out of the gate. I told one of my friends down in Florida that I'll offer up my 2008 season to him for $750 and a six pack, so we'll see if I get any takers. Obviously, he's got a long road to haul, but I'm really encouraged by the type of horse that he's throwing. Just like the man himself, they're tough, fast, no-nonsense types that lay it down each time out. I'll take one of those all day over some of the flashier get that are more popular in the marketplace. He can be had for a song now, but if he can sustain what he's started into his second crop, he's in with a shot to make it. As I told my dad, they haven't sold him off to Turkey just yet, so he's doing something right. Here's hoping Isle Repo It rocks on with his bad self.

Closer to home, Nautical Agent will ship out from Overbrook next week to another local farm in Colts Neck. It's quieter than the training center, so maybe she won't get as fired up watching her barn mates train in the mornings. I've been told that they have a few show horses at this joint, so she'll have to get to work prepping for that life in the circus she's always wanted. All is well at last report. We'll probably x-ray the leg in February to see where it is and go from there.

gas up the car, baby

It's on again down at Charles Town in West Virginia. Veiled Reference will return in the Eleanor Casey Stakes on Saturday night, a race restricted to 2yo WV-bred fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs. Entries are here. She'll be left to wonder where all the boys are from that last visit, but hopefully not too confused so as to be thrown off her game. Post time is at 10:27pm. You should be able to watch the feed from the track at espn.com (link here). I'll make the trip, if only to have an excuse for my failure to round up stellar Christmas gifts this year. ("What can you do, Mom? I was in the car all weekend. No, of course we're cool. What's wrong with a baby cactus for Christmas? Cacti need love, too."). So, with that going for me, as well as the Charles Town nightlife, it just makes sense to hit the road. Veiled Reference is on the hook for gas money to make the trip back, so if things don't break our way, this might wind up a permanent relocation. I figure I can probably wander the casino floor at Charles Town for a good week or two before anyone misses me. Kate might tire of stealing all the blankets without a fight after awhile and call me on the cell or something to find out my whereabouts. Or at least call to find out where I'd left her gifts. Fortunately, cacti can survive long spells without water, so I'd be able to direct her right to it in the closet, no harm done. Plus, I could get her to drop the other one off with my mom. I've found you just can't send those things through the mail.

fun at the depot

Alright, so maybe it wasn't the ideal day to go and grab a tree, what with the 30 mph winds and all, but we braved the elements, took a drive to Home Depot and landed a cute little number that seems perfect for our place. Herman, our ornament (don't call him "oriental," please) penguin buddy, has assumed his position toward the top of the tree, located for ideal viewing of the adjacent TV, and we seem pretty well set for the holidays. Yes, Kate will be devastated when she piles up present after present for me and she's left to look at dead space under Herman for herself, but that's just something she'll have to get over. If she has any luck, maybe I'll throw a Kit Kat bar in her stocking. Or not. We'll see how the balance of the week plays out.

Much, of course, will depend on how Veiled Reference gets on in her next affair down in Charles Town. We're still shooting for that stakes race toward the end of the week (this Saturday, 12/22). She had her final breeze in preparation on Saturday at Fair Hill and laid down a fairly serious 5/8ths move in something like 1.02 and change. Times, of course, are all relative. Tim worked her himself and he's reported to really pile on the weight between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so the final time probably doesn't do her move justice. I spoke to him afterwards and he was pleased enough, so she must have gotten around there in good form. We'll see where we are with that race toward the middle of the week. If she goes, we'll have a perfect excuse to make another DC run and hook up with my brothers.

Nautical Agent is doing well down at Overbrook Farm in Colts Neck. She continues to take everything in stride, just as she always has, and has responded well to her initial treatment. If she keeps on like this, we'll figure out shipping plans for her in the new year. In all likelihood, she'd head to a farm/clinic for additional recovery before getting situated somewhere for the balance of the year. She is an absolute sweetheart, so I don't think we'll have too much trouble finding caretakers once she's bounced back from the injury.

get in early

Don't thank me now, but you'll now be able to tell your friends that you were in on Express Tour before anyone, maybe even his mother. He had his first winner last month from an initial crop of just 15 foals. Express Tour, you might remember, nipped Street Cry in the UAE Derby back in the day (note Street Cry's big burst similar to his son's Street Sense in the video; both father and son tended to want for more once making the sharp run). Express Tour was poorly managed from there, unfortunately, but still fired an awesome race in the 2001 Jerome Handicap for one of my bigger scores of memory. I don't mean to brag or anything, but you know this whole subprime mortgage lending mess? You know the one I'm talking about, right? Well, let's just say that the winnings from that afternoon would cover their fair share of that nut. Do I feel bitter that I used them instead for a 5% down payment on my castle and went with a juicy adjustable rate mortgage for the balance? Yeah, sure, I do. But I don't hold it against Express Tour. He told me to lock in for 30 years. And it looks like I might be in trouble.

Okay, I made some of that up, but you get the point. Express Tour has been berry, berry good to me (and the Fed might be wasting its time on that other matter) and I'm hoping he'll be good at stud, too. I expect tough, fast, durable runners like his daddy, Tour D'Or, got back in the day. He doesn't stand for Hard Spun's $50,000 - try $2000 instead. What a steal!!! (Disclaimer: ummm, yeah, I own a share of him.) Just be glad to be on the bandwagon now. It's the least I can do, it being the holiday season and all.

have a laugh

Go ahead and read this latest piece on NJ racing published over at Bloodhorse. It's good for a chuckle or two if nothing else. The 140 days all at Monmouth Park that trainer John Forbes throws out as sufficient to support a state breeding program is high comedy. Set aside the fact that the Monmouth surfaces can hardly stand 90 days of racing a year, let alone 140, and ask whether you'd breed horses in the state with such a limited window to earn out. I know what you're thinking: "NY, PA, WV, DE and, heck, even MD offer more days, most of them racing year round. Ummm, why would I breed in NJ?" You wouldn't of, course. Not that any of the proponents of the 140 days really care. They're happy to have the small band of the usual suspects (Sleeters, Broome, Generazios, etc.) clean up the state-bred purses while the balance of the troops chase after the subsidy/slot enhanced purses with horses that should likely run for about half of what they're chasing each afternoon at MP. It's a nice little racket for those that can get the stalls. Claim something useful for $20,000 down at Gulfstream in between rounds of golf, give him a few months leading up to MP and then run him for $40,000+ and knock off a condition or two before dropping him back in. Life is good, baby. Sure, you've got to live with a few seconds and thirds while Pletcher and Dutrow break some maidens and reel off a few conditions with their "C" string horses, but with the size of those pots, ain't no harm in a handful of second place checks, right? Come August at MP, unless you catch a tough $10,000 claimer shipping in from PHA, those x1s are there for the taking all month long.

Does the set-up help grow the NJ industry? Does it even help foster a more compelling betting product? Unless 3-5 shots running off the screen in six horse fields is your cup of tea, the answers are no and no.

Additionally, all this talk of bailing on thoroughbred racing at the Meadowlands is ridiculous. You've got nighttime racing in the biggest market, plus this deal with TVG (which needs PM content), plus a brand new mall, football stadium at rail line at the place, plus slots (you know it's only a matter of time before that place is a casino), plus one of the best turf courses on the east coast. And you want to leave it behind? You should be running sixty days there every year. The business only benefits from the variety of the product. Throw down an artificial surface that works for both breeds if that's what it takes, but don't give that market segment up, that's just silly.

And since when does a four-year plan constitute long-term planning? How about never? It's not like these most recent three and four year plans have worked. I mean, we've been threed and foured right into the friggin' abyss. These plans and subsidies are nothing more than the equivalent of a fresh coat of paint on a house that's structurally shot. Sure, maybe it looks nice for awhile, but underneath the paint it's just a mess. Rest assured, if the current trends and modus operandi in the state continue, they can wax poetic about Breeders' Cup 2007 (and 2014, too, while they're all it) until the cows come home, but for all the smoke and mirrors, the rotting will persist and the house is coming down.

how many days left?

Man, I have got to get on it. There's something like, what, two days left until Christmas and I am woefully behind on shopping. I love people, but really don't care for crowds (unless they're chanting my name and/or throwing flowers and/or cash at me, all things that have yet to happen), so the mall is definitely out. That leaves sending off Kate to do my bidding or on-line shopping. Since I'm still working to get Kate on the program (didn't I include something regarding obedience in the vows?), I'm left with on-line shopping. Historically, I've done okay with it, but I usually find myself braving the crowds at the eleventh hour year after year. This time around, things are going the be different, so even if I have to resort to mail-ordering Viper Pliers for everybody on the list, I'm dodging the mall at all costs. Time to do some quality surfing on Amazon then. As long as I can avoid the "one for you, one for me," approach to shopping, I should be able to take care of business. Plus, I don't think it makes me a bad person if I limit gift options to those that ship with Free Super Shipping Saver Discounts. Sure, I usually know just the thing to put a smile on my brother's face come Christmas morning, but if I can duck the $7.95 in shipping, he's getting that third copy of Dianetics.

Thanks to everyone that's keeping Nautical Agent in mind. She's been taking care of business at Overbrook this week, which is great. Our short term goal is to get through the month and, so far, she's been the model patient. I'll have to get down there with some treats to mark the holidays and reward her for being so good. She'd much prefer a saddle and rider, but she'll just have to settle for carrots and the occasional jacket sleeve. If she's good to go come the new year, we'll figure out where she ought to hang out for the balance of her recovery.

No news from Fair Hill re: Veiled Reference. I saw that she worked this weekend, slowly, as planned. Tim will likely let her roll a bit next weekend which should set her up for an engagement later this month. Word is back from the stewards in WV that we'll be good to put the blinkers back on her next out. She'll miss scoping out the latest fashion trends on the apron, and just maybe will keep her mind on running through the lane. I'll show her pictures afterwards of what the crowds were wearing.

Check It Twice was recently sold and transferred to the Pletcher barn. Why should you care? Colt was sired by Repent, who's daddy is none other than Louis Quatorze, the sire of Veiled Reference herself. He'll race down at Gulfstream Park through the winter.

too cruel

Tough news to pass along on Nautical Agent. She's okay, chilling in her stall at Overbrook Farm in Colts Neck, but her racing days are over. She suffered a condylar fracture of her left front leg in that last race at Philadelphia Park and will require stall rest for the next three or so months. These next few weeks are key, as laminitis and colic are both risks, but she's been a good patient so far, can put weight on the leg and has been smart enough to take it easy on herself in the stall. Doug passed along that she's unhappy to miss her training in the morning, but the gang there has been giving her extra attention to help her cope with the new routine. I was down to visit with my dad and she was her usual self: picky of the snacks she chose to munch on, nipping at our jackets and acting the real sweetheart, true to form.

She's wearing a Robert Jones bandage similar to the one The Tin Man has on now. It protects the leg, provides support and overall helps facilitates the healing process. She has a complete fracture, but the vet doesn't believe that it warrants insertion of a screw. Time should pretty much do the trick. If our plan had been to race again, the screw would be required, but we were looking at 3-4 starts more, anyway, before retiring her, so it's a moot point. With some good fortune and the 3-4 months of hanging out, she should be 100% sound to get back to her goofy dances and be a broodmare if that's in the cards. Right now, we're just keeping our fingers crossed that she hangs in there, gets through these critical few weeks and can let time work its magic into the new year. A tough pill to swallow, yes, but hope remains very much in the fold and, with any luck, she'll be busting her moves again before we know it. As always, it will be quite the sight to see.

splitsville

Slightly disappointed not to have landed anything at this last sale, but you've got to turn the page. Naturally, we like Veiled Reference and getting her brother would have been a logical move, but you've got to stick to a number (ours was $19,000; he went for $25,000) or you'll drive yourself batty. I think I've got a fairly solid process for assessing stock - certainly I've taken some lumps along the way to improve it - so I'm inclined to stick to my guns and just see what winds up clicking for us further on down the road.

Tim indicated that Veiled Reference would have a maintenance breeze this weekend before something a bit more serious next week. She seems to have come out of that last the right way and should be set for her best later this month with the two moves under her belt. Santa will be coming down the chimney with an AMEX bill, so let's hope she keeps on as she has. Catch you on the flip side.

and you get nothing, sir

Looks like we're going to have to cancel plans for an emotional, made-for-TV special marking the reunion of Veiled Reference and her younger brother. Tried to buy him at the Timonium Mixed sale going on in Maryland, but he went for more than we had loaded up in the trunk. Oh well. Word must be out on the sister...That's him pictured on the bottom: good shoulder and back end; bone a touch light compared to Veiled Reference (on top), but that's likely the difference in stud (Lion Hearted vs. Louis Quatorze) coming through. Note he's a weanling in the photo and she's a yearling, so the one year older. You still get the idea, though. (Both have nerve to move while I'm taking photos...). I wasn't especially crazy about Lion Hearted as his sire, so it's not the end of the world. They'll just have to meet up at Charles Town or something to catch up if they're ever in on the same day. "Mom left you, too??! OMG!"

We had two others in the running, but one was knocked out for vet reasons and another just went for an obscene amount of money, way over our valuation. I had the filly pegged at $20,000 and she wound up landed for $60,000. Good to see I was in the ballpark.

Horse sales are like trolley cars in that there's always another one coming 'round the bend (in towns that still run them, of course), so we'll sit tight, throw down some eggnog this month and gear up for the new year. Without a horse from this last one, I'll just go to plan B and get that alpaca for my mom. She should love it.

totally stolen recipe

Back on the scene after trip to the store and dinner. We had a tasty tamale pie that we saw put together on America's Test Kitchen the other day. Recipe follows (as I remembered it):

Ingredients:
Half a good sized onion (whatever your preference) chopped
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic minced (more/less whatever you like)
1 lb ground beef (90% lean)
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can dice tomatoes drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
handful chopped fresh cilantro
1 package jiffy muffin mix

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees (that's Fahrenheit for all my European friends)
2. Grab 1 12" oven-proof skillet (10" probably good if you're stuck)
3. Get started over MEDIUM heat and throw some canola/veggie oil in there to coat the bottom
4. After oil starts to smoke, ADD onion and Chili Powder. Mix it up and cook the onions for 5-7 mins.
5. Once onions have cooked down a bit, ADD garlic and whoosh around.
6. When you can smell garlic (30 sec - 1 minute) ADD tomatoes and beans. Mix it up.
7. ADD beef and break it up into smaller pieces. COOK for about 10 minutes until beef is cooked.
8. While beef is cooking, make Jiffy muffin mix (it's really easy).
9. After beef has cooked, ADD cheese and cilantro. Mix. Season with salt and pepper (don't forget this step).
10. Dollop jiffy mix on top of beef and evenly spread to cover most of pan (will be hard to reach edges, but it's no big deal).
11. Place in oven and cook until muffin top has browned (10-15 minutes).
12. Serve with dollop of sour cream on top. Good stuff and only one pan to clean.

Spoke to Doug on his ride back from the track and he said that Nautical Agent cooled out really well and seemed pretty satisfied with herself after the race. We'll see how she bounces back over the next few days and map out a plan from there. I had been counting on a better price next time out, but she might have tipped our hand with the solid effort today. I'll have to talk to her during the week about the importance of playing things close to the vest from time to time...Hard not to really appreciate a filly like this one. She might not be the fastest, but as Doug and I were talking about, you'd be hard-pressed to find one with more try. A cool, little girl. We'll have to get down with some carrots during the week.

pass the hot chocolate

Man, it was cold at Philadelphia Park today. Nautical Agent didn't seem to mind it, running a fabulous fourth, only missing the win photo by a length and a half. Pics from the trip are here. I'll add more after a quick run to the market for provisions. I am being told that it is time to leave. Now.

news

Caught a story in the Form this week that Lou Raffetto has abruptly resigned from his post at the Maryland Jockey Club (organization that runs Laurel and Pimlico) where he ran the two Maryland tracks for the past few years. I don't know him, but I do know that he's a Jersey guy and probably spends as much time hanging out around Monmouth Park as he does down in MD. I'd suspect that a job closer to home is in the cards and wonder if something might be in play with the NJ tracks. The NJSEA, the state agency that owns Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, recently brought in a new President and CEO, so perhaps something might be in the works. Lou was pretty popular up at Suffolk Downs and he's been a fairly straight shooter through some tough times down in Maryland, so might not be the worst guy to throw into the mix around here. He did mess around with reduced takeout this past summer, so he can't be too far off the reservation, which is more than you can say for most in the racetrack management business.

Will cruise down Route 1 tomorrow for Nautical Agent's race at Philadelphia Park. It should go off at around 4:20 or so and can be viewed here. Expectations are fairly low; just hoping we can get a good race into her against this tough field and position ourselves for a more purposeful run next out against softer. I've already started daily max withdrawals of $300 in preparation for the betting bonanza. Judging from the last ATM receipt, I needn't worry about too many more trips to the bank.

just how we roll

Veiled Reference, 11/18/07, at Charles Town. You can see the four of us down on the rail during the race, which is kind of funny. Plus, it seems that I need a new belt from all the hiking of the jeans afterwards. Better than busting out of them, I guess.

It's striking to see her shut down when she gets to the front ("What do I do now?"). Notice her ears and how she flicks them forward and starts throwing her head a bit. She's totally checking out the grandstand in the lane, ignores her cue to switch leads until very late and only picks it up when the other horse comes to her. Galloping out past the wire, she put that colt away. My favorite is the excited couple that runs toward the winner's circle after the race to take pictures of the husband with his winning ticket. Two more fans of the empire, baby.

turnpike dreams

We've finally managed to land Nautical Agent in a race. She's entered on Saturday, 12/1, down at Philadelphia Park in the 10th. Post time is at 4:28pm and the video feed will be available from the track's website. It's not the most ideal spot, but it should serve to knock off some of the rust from this month-plus break dating back to her last at Finger Lakes in NY. She's doing well at Overbrook, but has always been a filly that's better with a few races under her belt. If all goes well on Saturday, she'll put in a run, come back in good order and be ready for action again in 10-14 days. I'll explain to her after the race that I've got Christmas shopping to do, so now is not the time of year to be messing around. I can hear it already if things don't work out, "Oh, Sean, this is great. I've always wanted Crest toothpaste with extra whitening. How did you know?"

Weekend was to be busy enough with mixed sale at Timonium on the calendar. I'm looking at weanlings (little babies) and will head down on Sunday to check them out. From the work I've done so far, the pedigrees are holding up nicely. We'll see how things play out on the physical side, but I like the mix of pedigrees consigned to the sale. Maybe I'll catch a break with the stock market all over the place and banks writing off hundreds of billions in losses. If we can't find horses, I'll just buy banking and housing stocks on the cheap. I'd just be worried that they'd make for awfully dry blogging material.

turkey talk

Back on the scene from holiday fun up in Northampton, MA., a happening little town with lots of cool shops and places to grab a bite. Kate and I got started on Christmas shopping on Friday, so that was a job well done. Had a hell of a time with a wine opener when our hosts asked me to uncork a few bottles before the Thanksgiving dinner with a classic, basic opener which requires a bit more dexterity that the ol' double-handled corkscrew. Now, just because I'll have a glass or two and might, from time to time, talk about wine as if I know something, doesn't necessarily mean that I can always open a bottle without either a) breaking the cork in two or b) hurting myself. Fortunately, it was the former this time, which I'm pleased about given that a puncture wound on my left leg from Easter has only recently healed up. Sure, it was a little embarrassing to look at half the folks at the dinner table with cork stuck between their teeth, but I just told myself it was wild mushrooms from the stuffing.

Anyway, this experience marked the second time I was done in by a wine-opener, the first time happening a few years ago when someone asked me to "Grab the Rabbit from the top drawer," while handing me a bottle and heading out to guests seated in the dining room. Before I had a chance to explain that I didn't roll that way, I was left to hunt down the Rabbit - a fancy, schmancy wine opener that's grown popular over the past decade or so - and try to figure out how it was employed in opening the bottle. A few minutes went by and I just could not get the job done. Guests were at the table, empty wine glasses in hand, surely wondering about the delay. So, totally flustered, I stuck my head into the dining room and asked, "Does anybody know how to use a Rabbit?", which, in hindsight, was probably not the best entreaty for help. After all the giggling and inappropriate comments died down, one of the guests came in and saved me, explaining that the Rabbit was tricky, but he used it all the time at home. (You think that I'm making this up at this point, I know, but the man said it.) I could only manage a quick thank you before grabbing a beer from the fridge and heading back out to the dining room. And I still don't know how the friggin' Rabbit works, so I'm just hoping it goes out of style. I'm already getting nervous about Christmas.

Nautical Agent is still a racehorse, yes, but we continue to have a tough time getting her in. We might have a little something, something that works for her later this week down at Philadelphia Park. I'll know more Mon/Tue. She'll need a race off of this break before firing her "A" race second off the layoff. I didn't really plan for this freshening, but it could work out and get us a few solid efforts from her as the winter months rolls in. Veiled Reference is back on the track now at Fair Hill. She'll have a light work load over the next few weeks before Tim cranks down on her in preparation for a start in late December. It seems that she's come out of that last one in good shape.

bagel time

We traveled down to Fair Hill yesterday to visit with some bagels for the gang (and carrots for the horses). Weather was touch and go, but the rain wasn't too bad, so we did well enough. Took some photos of Veiled Reference that are posted here. She hasn't been back to the track since Sunday, so she got a little fired up when she caught those other horses in the distance. Tim indicated that she'd go back later this week. Overall, she looked good, not too tired and certainly plenty alert. It was funny to learn that her next door neighbor and new best friend in the barn is Nautical Agent's younger sister, Sailing Home. Nautical is a friendly type, so it's no surprise to find out that the sister is much the same. I was feeding them carrots and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Veiled Reference would stick her neck out and around to meet Sailing Home and they would huddle up in the middle to chat. I think it was mostly just talk about how much fun it was playing the fool in front of them with the carrots, but maybe it was about allocation of their 401ks, I don't know.

Nautical Agent, the little devil, will enter today for a race down at Philadelphia Park on Sunday. Doug passed along that she's doing well. He worked her at a two-minute lick during the week and she picked it up nicely through the lane. She should be ready to fire off of this mini-break, so I hope that the race goes and she can pick up a decent piece of the pot. We'll need some cash coming in to cover gym memberships after the holiday.

cuz this is our country

Pictures from trip south are posted here. We covered it all over the two day span, from debating West Virginia's role in the Civil War to sorting out the best used car with ideal seating for four. (Ummm, the 2001 Nissan Sentra did not win.) A few more successful trips to Charles Town and the down payment on the Hummer is locked in.

Mixed emotions on the Saturday having lost Mass Romantic via claim. She was taken by Tim Keefe, who trains for a lot of breeders, so I imagine that the plan will be to breed her in the new year. She's got the pedigree and is a really sweet horse, so if they can somehow match her up with a stud that can help add some substance (particularly in back), I think she has a shot to be a nice broodmare. I really hope they have some luck.

I'll try to get a copy of Veiled Reference's win over the boys up in the next week or so. She ran really well, certainly impressing the lot of us down there for the afternoon. She broke well, secured a nice early position running through heavy dirt on the first turn (see photo of her after race), sat four lengths back down the backside and took control of the race into the far turn with a sharp attack on the pacesetters. They were tired from knocking heads with each other, but it's very nice to have a filly that seems capable of sitting just off a legit pace battle and forging ahead just as the speed is most vulnerable. As was the case yesterday, it enables her to get the jump on the closers and then rely on her stamina to gallop strongly through the lane. She was more distracted than anything in the stretch yesterday ("Oh, look at that grandstand. Are those people yelling for me?"), but she was without the blinkers that she's accustomed to having (long story, but locals' idea of hospitality is somewhat twisted; it's like they don't want us in town to take their money...), so I've got to give her a break on that score. We'll take steps to get them back on her next out and she should be more focused on running as opposed to the new winter jackets sported out on the apron. Chart of the race is here. She'll get a few weeks now and if all is well we'll look to run her back in a stakes at Charles Town in late December. She's certainly earned the opportunity and it could make for a fun Christmas weekend. I'll have to hunt down a Santa hat for her to sport in the paddock before the race just to keep things festive.

rocky mountain high

It's on in West Virginia. For better or worse, Veiled Reference is in against colts on Sunday down at Charles Town. Race number two goes off at around 1:20 and can be viewed at espn.com (link here). Something to do during one of many NFL commercial breaks.

Yes, she's facing boys, but it's actually not a bad spot. Race boils down to four, including her, Toy Soldier, Valid Trip and Senseny Road, who should run well stretching out. Entries are here. We'll look to settle her off the pace and make one run; hopefully, it's good enough to pick off a decent lot of them.

Weekend necessitates a road trip, so I'll roll out to watch Mass Romantic tomorrow at Laurel and then continue on to Charles Town on Sunday for Veiled Reference's race. I'll hook up with the fam down in DC, so we'll have a good time heading out to the two tracks and getting our party on after-hours. Let's hope the fillies help pick up a tab or two.

zigging and zagging

Mass Romantic will run on Saturday down at Laurel Park. She's in the last race of the day and drew a nice outside post. Post time is around 4:30pm. Let's hope that she's in the mood for some running. Was tough enough getting a race for her, I'll say.

Finding a spot for Veiled Reference has not been as easy either. We scratched out of the Laurel race tomorrow due to another bad inside draw against a tough field. Then we were excluded from a Saturday race down at Charles Town (your typical closed shop, if you know what I'm saying; we need Taft-Hartley for horses). So, now we're looking at another race at Charles Town on Sunday, against the boys, which isn't ideal, but seems the best option at this point. Philly Park doesn't have much that makes sense (3/4ths or 1m 70 later in the month) for setting her up for a stakes run in December (at 7/8ths), so I figure that getting the race over the track (even against colts) is better than a wasted run against tougher elsewhere. Tim is enthralled with the approach, as you might imagine, but seems to see the logic. For all I know, she might get excluded again and the whole exercise rendered moot. Maybe we'll just set her free in the backyard or something. She's doing fine, anyway.

Nautical Agent is being, well, Nautical Agent at the Overbrook Training Center in Colts Neck, NJ. Have to get back on to Doug, but we're still shooting for a race on the 25th at Philly Park. She just goes with the flow, which is nice. Yes, it sometimes means that she's more interested in showing off her new dance steps than chasing down other horses, but I've learned to take the good with the bad in this business. I will get down to visit her soon.

Still doing due diligence on those weanlings we saw earlier in the week. I'll post more (pics, too) as that whole deal shakes out.

kids' pool

Had a great time looking at baby horsies yesterday. Look at that cute belly on this one. It was fun to hang out in the paddock and have the lot of them come up nuzzling at you. Hard to believe that they'll grow so much in just the additional year. Still have some homework left to do, but we might pursue one or two if things break a certain way.

places, everybody

Veiled Reference had her final work in preparation for her second start over the weekend. She worked 5/8ths over the Tapeta surface in 1.02, a solid enough time. Looks like she's coming into the race in good shape; just have to keep fingers crossed for a nice, outside draw. Race is in the book for Friday.

Mass Romantic might have a go herself on Thursday at Penn National. We'll know more later today. It would be helpful for the race to go as she's overdue to run.

Nautical Agent is training away down in Colts Neck. We've decided to wait for the spot on the 25th at Philadelphia Park. It's a slightly longer break for her than we had planned, but it's the right race for her and so we'll just cool our jets. She shipped down well and is doing fine.

Interesting piece in the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred on PA-breds scoring across the Atlantic. Some of these old-school outfits in the Keystone state breed really awesome horses. Mostly turf, but they do throw in the occasional horse like Hard Spun (though he's really turf, too). I'll just need the few decades to play catch-up.

should we start a fund?

Have to love a story like this, posted today at the Daily Racing Form. Paul Saylor bought Fleet Indian for $290,000 a few years back at one of the KY mixed sales as a racing prospect, raced her to win a $1m+ with Todd Pletcher and is now crying in his beer that he could only sell her for somewhere in the neighborhood of $4m as a broodmare prospect. Only in America, baby. She's in foal to Storm Cat, who's not as commercially hot as he has been for the past, oh, decade, and he's annoyed that the big buyers (i.e. Coolmore and the UAE crowd) stayed away from her. Can we start something up on paypal for the guy? His Ashado money might be running low, I guess. Don't know him from a hole in the wall, but his handlers (doesn't everyone have them these days?) need to tweak his talking points. Fleet Indian was a nice mare, sure, but more the product of great placement (Pletcher's strength) and light competition, which just seems the overall direction of the distaff division these days.

Also, check out a piece on the Barnes and Noble head honcho, who is building up a broodmare operation. Now all that insider selling starts to make sense, huh?

Trip south to look at weanlings postponed until early next week. One of the babies was interviewing for admittance to a high end pre-school, so we were left to sit tight. I know, I know, you'd think these people would know with whom they're dealing...Apparently, word has been slow to get down to such parts. No hard feelings (this time). We'll do our thang soon enough.

expensive date

Young mares are all the rage in Kentucky this fall, selling for off-the-wall prices to sheiks, oil tycoons and the Irish (and Frank Stronach, too. He's spent nearly $3M over the past three days on broodmare prospects. Frank is our friend.) Other groups, mostly from Europe, are also swooping in to take advantage of the discounted dollar. Reports on the sales are here and here. Mares that I recall as nice enough, but without big pedigrees nor brilliance on the track, are selling at figures well north of $1m. Appears that all it takes is the bit of black type from a decent race, a cover from the right stud and everything pointing the proper way physically and you're on your way.

Irish Smoke, winner of the Grade One Spinaway at the Spa this summer (and nowhere in the BC Juv. Fillies at MP) sold for only $750,000, a light number considering overall results. Have to imagine that something is up with the filly given the fact that she's just two years old and already the G1 winner. She was bought by a racing operation, IEAH, so we should see her back on the track. Maybe she's really crooked, I don't know.

Money seems to be flowing in the art world, too, so the high-end spenders look to be doing quite well, thank you very much. Wonder if Wal-Mart can woo them to do holiday shopping at their stores this quarter.

Hitting the road tomorrow to check out a few weanling prospects down at Bright View Farms in Burlington County. A few just shipped in from KY that are worth the trip, so Woolley will meet me there and we'll have a look. I'll bring the camera and try to have the few baby pictures to post afterwards.

real slim shady

Now where was this cool, crisp fall weather last weekend when they really needed it for the Breeders' Cup? Karma can be wicked, I guess. As for all the pontificating on holding the Cup at MP or the need to limit it to FLA or CA, I'll only add that there are two tracks that should ever host: Belmont and Churchill Downs. If the day is to truly represent a World Championship event for racing, it's not about sunshine for the corporate sponsors and track-goers, it's about offering up the fairest, most level playing field for the horses. That means real turf courses, cool weather and main tracks that run mostly fair when managed properly (CD is the concern there, of course). When you add these other tracks to the mix and their host of fairness issues it only serves to diminish the betting product, as well as the legitimacy of the championships on the line.

As for our our own stable of future champions (of the backyard), all is running well enough. Nautical Agent shipped down to Colts Neck over the weekend. We're shopping around for a spot, probably at one of the tracks in PA. Mass Romantic and Veiled Reference are training toward races in the next few weeks. Veiled Reference worked a good half in 50 1/5 on Friday and will come back at 5/8ths next week in preparation for a second start mid-month.

Finally, it was only a matter of time before senior management canned me from my job as stable photographer. Wendy, from the Great Lake state, didn't help my cause with these additional photos from her day out a week or so back. Let that serve as a reminder of why you never turn your back on a Wolverine, people. Photos are quite good, so this is probably for the best in the long-term, I know.

oh, snap

That's what I get for drawing my own conclusions from the VLT study...NJ Senate President Dick Codey ain't none too happy with the findings. Just goes to show that one can twist numbers to mean anything under the sun. There's a long history here between the camps, obviously dating back to the gubernatorial throwdown, but also seeded in Corzine's overhaul of the deal Codey cut with the Giants and Jets for the new football stadium. Codey kicked in $30M for infrastructure from the state as part of the deal and Corzine nixed it, rightly so in that particular case. Will they sit in the same luxury box when that new stadium opens in a few years? I'm guessing no.

you don't say?

Have a look at the study commissioned by NJ on the impact/viability of VLTs at one or more of the state's racetracks. I took a quick look and two things that did jump out were 1) the projected .1% impact of VLTs at the Meadowlands on gross revenue on AC casinos (fatal, baby!) and 2) the NJSEA indicating 80 days of thoroughbred racing in the state in the future (at MP). Think that's enough of a season? Just read some of my more brilliant work.

In a shocking conclusion, the final word is that VLTs at the Big M are really not a huge deal because AC interests are already taking on added competition from PA, NY, DE and elsewhere. So, if VLTs up north meaning saving and growing an industry that's supposedly of some interest to the state, well, go ahead and knock yourselves out. Sure, we could have reached this conclusion back in 1998 and saved ourselves the bit of trouble, but what fun would that have been?

weekend visitors

Mass Romantic and Veiled Reference had some visitors over the weekend. Pictures have kindly been posted here. Both fillies seem to be enjoying the cooler weather.

I spotted that Hard Spun will stand for $50,000 at Darley next year, which sure beats the $75,000 for Street Sense. Maybe with a little bit of back and forth I'd be able to get that figure closer to $35,000, which would be a nice number for such a fine stallion prospect. It also beats the $5000 for Mr. Sekiguchi, an $8m yearling who proved an absolute turkey on the track. He was a dumpy kind of horse, really, so I think it's pretty funny that they'll talk him up as a stud now.

Nautical Agent ships out of upstate New York this weekend down to Overbrook Farm in Colts Neck, NJ. Not sure just yet where we'll go next, but she's in good shape and should be ready to rock and roll within the next week or so. I'll try to shoot down and visit; haven't seen her since Fair Hill earlier in the summer.

patience, grasshopper

I was on the phone to my dad this morning, just checking in, when we got to talking about the Breeders’ Cup Classic and how his mom, Bridie, who recently passed away (after a good, good run, I’d add), had always been a fan of Hard Spun, tabbing him in the Derby and following him throughout the year. She might have missed out on a score keying him with Curlin this past weekend, but my suspicion is that we’ll have Hard Spun, and Nan’s high regard for him, to thank for our fair share of winning tickets once his offspring make it to the track. While Street Sense, Curlin and Any Given Saturday (to a lesser degree) will be the hot sires off to the breeding shed in 2008, my bet is that Hard Spun will prove the top of the lot, as well as one of the better sires, period, at stud next year. He could win at any distance, short or long, had tremendous speed and just blossomed physically over the course of the year despite a heavy workload (unlike Street Sense, who never really matured from his 2yo season, believe it or not). Oddly enough, we’ll likely never get to see him on turf, which probably would have been his best surface given his action and turf-bent pedigree. It will be a few years yet before we have a look at his offspring, but it’s something to file away. Nan was always keen for a bet, so with any luck we’ll have an opportunity to fire away at the windows when the proper opportunity arises. If we hit it big (okay, really, really big) at the races, maybe we’ll even send a mare to him, as well. Admiration from afar will have to do for now, though.

typical MP afternoon

Saturday's Breeders' Cup was more on the lame side than anything else. The weather and racing were both lousy. Let's recap:

Juvenille Fillies: Indian Blessing goes wire to wire at 8/5. No action for me, but a gentle reminder that this is Monmouth, after all, and I should expect a fair amount of chalk.

Juvenille Colts: War Pass at 2-1 goes wire to wire. Nobody really runs much behind him in a rather uninspiring affair. Colt will not wear roses next spring; Derby winner likely still in the allowance or maiden ranks as of this weekend. No action for me.

F/M Turf: Lahudood!!! My girl scores at 11-1, handling the soft going without much trouble. I have her strongly in pick 3s, but goofed by not playing her to win at that price. Not a major slip given her form over the going in the past, but a boo boo. Race pretty much holds to form, but the winner and second place finisher, Honey Ryder, are the only two to bring it on the big day.

Sprint: Midnite Lute (5-2) kills my pick 3s by rallying from dead last to blow by Idiot Proof (one my guys) in the last eighth. Benny the Bull, another key for me in the race, doesn't handle the ground all too well, finishing fourth. Winner is actually helped by a slow start that forces him to settle way back off of a hot pace before making his run. Really nice horse, but hard to love at short price. Welcome to Monmouth Park. That's 3-3 favs on the main.

Mile: Kip Deville (8-1) sits a perfect inside trip and holds off the favorite, Excellent Art, at the wire. I'd never have the winner, as it was just this week that his final breeze was delayed due to a filling in his leg. My boy, Host, rallies from way back to finish 5th at 15-1. Pace was too slow and he was too far back early, but the old man really fired over the soggy going. My day is over.

Distaff: Ginger Punch (9/2) wins an awful race, sitting a perfect trip and battling with tough-luck second place finisher, Hystericallady (wide all the way), through the lane. Race is slow, balance of field doesn't do much. A good spot to have taken a break to wash your hair or something.

Turf: English Channel (3-1) sits a good inside trip, doesn't get too rank and draws off on the field in the lane. Dylan Thomas is nowhere over the soft going, but it was likely the nine starts this year that finally caught up to him. Winner gets credit for sitting the trip, but let's not forget that this was a Grade 3 rendition of the turf. I mean, he was stalking Fri Guy out there. My ten bucks on Shamdinan at 25-1 is a good bet (first of the day); he finishes second and I never would have covered with the winner for the $152 exacta (which seems a bit light). Race is just proof of the general direction of the breed.

Classic: Curlin (4-1) is a man among boys and puts on the most impressive show of the day. In retrospect, I should have had the exacta with Hard Spun (paid $70). I didn't like the older horses (Lawyer Ron was dead on the board for some reason) and thought the 3yos were just better. I didn't like Street Sense, either, so would have had to play Curlin, Tiago and Hard Spun in some combination. Maybe the trifecta was a miss, too, ($645) but that would have required a stand somewhere, and I didn't like Curlin enough over the track, nor Hard Spun at the distance. No harm done, anyway.

Driving home, I realized that it was only appropriate that a MP Breeders' Cup leave such an empty feeling come the end of the card. Could have made thousands if I had handicapped with that notion in mind going in. Indian Blessing, War Pass, Midnite Lute, Kip Deville (Dutrow at MP!) and English Channel would have all been locks. Thankfully, it's over and we can focus on Wed. at the Meadowlands now. I understand NJ officials are already talking up BC 2014. Nothing like locking up the seven-year job security, I guess.

so cold

The Breeders' Cup kicks off today at Monmouth Park (4pm ESPN2 for those that can get to a TV). The weather has been fairly miserable in the days leading up to the event, but the turf course at Monmouth drains well enough, so I don't think it will play like a bog in the day's big race on grass. I'm not crazy about the card, really, but I'll head down to check out the scene. Brad Thomas has his picks up at thebigm.com (link here). Maryfield in the sprint is live; I'd mess around with her at a big price.

As for our little slice of the racing world, T Street, the beat goes on. Veiled Reference is back on the track galloping after her debut last week. We're targeting a spot mid-month for her, again at the one-turn mile, which would set her up well to go two turns in a stakes race we're hopeful to run in down in WVA later in the year. The mile might be too short (she wants to go loooong), but she can still do fine if she catches the right kind of field. Woolley has her out in the round pen for a few hours each day to chill out, so it seems that she's falling into a routine that works for her (and her demons). He's happy with how she's bounced back from the first one.

Mass Romantic is soldiering along, as well. I have to get back down to see her train in the next week or so, just to observe her travel and firm up a plan. We'll see how she's getting on and pick out a spot early in November. Her buddy from back in the day, Nautical Agent, is to the good. She ran a non-threatening fifth in that race last week, but has come out of it okay. She was just beaten for third money and, in fact, watching it on the computer, at the head of the lane I thought for sure that she'd get up. Apparently, just as she was set to dive between the two fillies in front of her in the stretch, she was hit by a gust of wind that must have knocked her two feet sideways. The jock just held on and she was probably left wondering who had just sucker-punched her. Mildly annoying to miss the money, but she wasn't bothered and we should be good to fire again with her soon. I do think that we'll get her on the road; we've had a great run at Finger Lakes, but it strikes me as the time to move on.

Breeders' Cup Musings

Following is Op-Ed piece I wrote in light of this week's Breeders' Cup. It's been picked up by all of the major outlets. (Actually, you might have to track down my high school newspaper to see it in print....)

This week’s Breeders’ Cup World Championship events at Monmouth Park offer a welcome opportunity to celebrate New Jersey’s horse racing industry and, more importantly, seriously contemplate and deliberate on its future. As is widely recognized, a multitude of factors have contributed to the racing industry’s decline over the past fifteen years or so, most notably the impact of new wagering choices in the marketplace, such as casino gaming, lotteries, sports and on-line or off-shore wagering. While racing’s sluggish adaptation to a new business environment has exacerbated its troubles, other factors, too, ranging from societal land-use choices to political maneuverings in the state have helped accelerate the downward trend and draw its future into question.

Fortunately, though, there is hope. The state’s collective love for open spaces and its favorite animal continues unabated and New Jersey remains home to some of the nation’s premier racing facilities: Monmouth Park, Freehold Raceway and the Meadowlands Racetrack, which sits amidst a sports complex undergoing a renaissance of its own. Equally important, Americans’ appetite for gambling remains as strong as ever and the racing industry is uniquely positioned to offer speculators a superior, fairly priced, betting product that presents meaningful opportunities for returns at all levels of wagering. Seizing the opportunity to strengthen said product within the framework of the state’s overall economic development plan, as well as provide continued and improved protection of our environmental interests, will require collaborative long term planning, creativity and resolve.

In the short term, policy-makers should focus on two central objectives: 1) promote the breeding of more racehorses in the state; and 2) offer additional racing dates for horsemen to enter and race their stock. As states such as New York and Pennsylvania continue to ramp up their slots-enhanced purse structures to levels which New Jersey tracks will be incapable of matching, restricted state-bred races will prove the backbone of the industry. A steadily increasing horse population, generated through purse incentives, inventive breeding and racing programs, and even tax incentives at the state level, will provide New Jersey tracks with growing numbers of horses with which to fill race cards and, in turn, foster more compelling wagering affairs for the betting public. Horsemen will be motivated to race their New Jersey-bred horses based in-state and against restricted competition for dedicated purse incentives, as opposed to racing in neighboring states against stronger competition.

Similarly, additional racing dates, even at the expense of current purse levels, are warranted so as to afford New Jersey breeders sufficient opportunity to earn out with their stock. Given the uncertain nature of the breeding business in the first place, breeders, particularly smaller operations, require a longer racing season in which to compete their horses and earn purse monies. Under today’s typical racing calendar of 120 days, when a horse misses training time and racing starts due to a physical ailment or any one of a host of reasons, a horseman projects to lose a significant window of his earning opportunity for the year. In contrast to New Jersey’s abbreviated thoroughbred racing calendar, New York and Pennsylvania both offer year-round racing opportunities. New Jersey should move toward a comparable calendar, even if it results in a reduction of average daily purses in the short term. A goal of 150 days of racing for thoroughbreds would be a good start and likely help spur larger foal crops straight away.

Finally, growing the New Jersey racing industry requires thoughtful long term planning geared toward slow and steady growth, not well-meaning short term measures aimed at placating the particular and often fleeting interests of horsemen or Atlantic City casino operators. Strategic planning should recognize that the relationship between horsemen and casino operators need not be a zero-sum affair, as it is currently perceived, but rather, offers wonderful opportunities for partnership and shared growth in the marketplace. The dizzying development underway in Atlantic City and the Meadowlands hints at the common interests at hand and suggests that collaboration, not confrontation, would best serve the state’s general well-being.

New Jersey officials are absolutely right to often frame the issues facing our state in terms of sustainability and the racing industry requires no less. Preserving its future necessitates long term planning that contemplates ten and twenty year blocks of time, as opposed to three and four, as well as thoughtful consideration of the industry’s role as a natural partner to other economic engines in the state and continued steward of our environment. While we should undoubtedly enjoy the Breeders’ Cup in our backyard this year, let us also be reminded of the important work that lies ahead.

Laurel Park, 10/17/07

looking for scraps

Nautical Agent is in up at Finger Lakes today in the eighth. Tough, tough spot. We'd be lucky to grab third. Nice job by stable management...Link to watch on espn here. Race goes off at around 4:15pm.

little something

Here's a link to some pictures from our trip to Maryland. No award-winners in the bunch, but they're worth a quick scan for a laugh. Click on Veiled Reference Debut Trip and then the slideshow link. Next time I'll try to do a better job of juggling between the camera and my binoculars. With those two plus my bookbag (for my Harry Potter books), I'm surprised I didn't manage to strangle myself with all the straps going on. A very cool look for me.

like this?

Well, whatever she has going on upstairs in her pretty head, Veiled Reference is still wired to run. She had a fantastic debut on Wednesday at Laurel Park, finishing second after all sorts of excitement and trouble thrown at her straight out of the gate (chart here). It wasn't too surprising to see her break a touch slow and to the inside (these morning sessions do matter), but her break wasn't a total disaster and she gathered herself up quickly after the start. She was fairly keen to go on and pulled her jock up on the inside in and behind other fillies all the way down the backside. It was nice to see the speed from her, but she pretty much zipped into a dicey tactical position in the field, trapped behind the speed and boxed in by the outside stalkers. Typically, horses absolutely hate that kind of trip, as they get covered in the dirt kicked back by the other runners. To her credit, though, she took the dirt like a real trooper and held her position without protest, which is rare for any horse, let alone a first time starter who might or might not talk to dead people in her stall. At the top of the lane she was still boxed in behind other fillies and I was fully prepared for her to call it a day after all the dirt she had eaten through 3/4ths of a mile. So, for her to angle out, chase after the winner and spit out two other fillies that had every right to pass her was sweet, to say the least. She galloped out strongly, pulling up past the winner and gave every indication that the more ground to cover, the merrier.

I didn't get any brilliant pictures, but I'll post what I have from Wednesday just to showcase how well she's developed over the past year. She's a really nice looking filly with perfect balance and proportion, muscle and athleticism. You can see it to look at her straight on, and you can sure as heck see it when she's in motion. I'll try to get some video up, too, to show what I mean. Have to get on to my IT department.

"does this make my ears look big?"

Veiled Reference is set to make her debut tomorrow afternoon at Laurel Park. She had a final work over the weekend, breezing 3/8ths from the gate in 38 seconds. Woolley said that she was better out of the gate than her last effort, so at least she's trending the right way in that department. I don't envision her blazing out of the gate tomorrow, but if she can at least stay in the mix in that first eighth of a mile it will help the cause.

I was chatting with Bo Yates today and mentioned Veiled Reference's OCD, which was news to him. He never spotted it down in Florida, but fillies can be funny with new environments and routines, so it's possible that it came on with the move north. Anyway, he passed along that he had some success using a fly mask on a nervous filly that he once had in the barn. Apparently, she felt like she was hiding from the world with it on and totally chilled out in her stall. ("You can't see me, but I can see you. I'm hiding behind my forcefield!!") I mentioned it to Woolley and we might mess around with it just to give it a shot. It looks like the goat is no longer an option, as word is that the help would serve it up in a stew shortly after its arrival. I should have thought of that...I guess pigs are out, too, then.

Nautical Agent and Mass Romantic are both fine. We might enter Nautical to run at Finger Lakes sometime next week; the spot is a bit tougher, but it beats having to ship her out of town. Mass Romantic has come out of that first start back in good order. We'll shop around for her in a few weeks.

where did i leave my six-shooter?

Two recent articles both worth a read. One, by Andy Beyer, in the Washington Post, touches on the decline of the Maryland breeding industry (click here or here). The other, posted at Bloodhorse.com, (link here) reports that additional purse subsidies in NJ are on the way. Please hold on while I put on my party hat.

Beyer hits the nail on the head when he highlights the difference between breeder award programs in states like NJ, which do little more than perpetuate mediocrity in the breed, versus the Maryland program, which rewards breeders for breeding good horses by putting the bulk of its reward money in the stakes program. So, in NJ, crummy horses run for $50,000 purses day in and day out, but in Maryland, the crummy horses run for considerably less (as is appropriate) and the good ones vie for juicy stakes pots of $100,000 and up. The set-up requires the breeder to breed better horses, which is not only in the overall best interest of the breed, but also serves the longterm interests of the industry by rewarding those that breed talented, more durable horses through successive generations, as opposed to lesser stock which only further weakens the breed over time.

Don't try to make sense of the news coming out of NJ. I just find it ironic that an administration that prides itself on fostering sustainability would advocate a purse subsidy termed at three years. Say, for example, that you did throw a party at news of this latest development and made the decision that next year you were going to breed in NJ. This is how it would play out:

2008 (You): Buy mare. Send her to stallion (they make glorious love)
2008 (State): Year 1 of purse subsidy of trillions and trillions of dollars (you get nothing)

2009 (You): Mare has baby (hope for healthy foal and great baby gifts)
2009 (State): Year 2 of purse subsidy of trillions and trillions (still nothing for you)

2010 (You): Yearling learns to be a racehorse (many bills to be paid)
2010 (State): Year 3 of purse subsidy of trillions and trillions (you are waking up to the math now; it makes you cry)

2011 (You): Congratulations, your 2yo baby makes it to the races (pray for speed, soundness and normal disposition).
2011 (State): "Yes, can I help you?" Three-year purse subsidy is now long over. "What the f- are you looking at?" Run your horse for peanuts....

Some in Trenton view the situation as a zero sum game between racing interests and casino interests in Atlantic City, which I find absurd, particularly given the entertainment component developers are now fostering in AC, as well as the more telling fact that the same casino interests balking at slots in NJ are developing casino properties just next door in PA and NY. This piece in the Bergen Record kind of sheds some light on the prevailing thinking out of Trenton on a host of economic issues. I understand that statehouse staffers now dress like the blackjack dealers at the Borgata, which is probably not a good sign for racing...

If that last piece has you stressed, just re-read the Bloodhorse article, constantly remind yourself that help is on the way and know that the Breeders' Cup in NJ will make everything alright in your world, whether it's a bad back, troubles with your golf game or a boss that doesn't respect you. You'll sleep like a baby tonight, I swear.

cue Monk

Veiled Reference is in on Wednesday of next week down at Laurel Park in Maryland. Entries are here. She drew the rail, which is a bummer, but at least it's a small field of six that will run. The rail is tough because it typically means a bunch of dirt getting kicked back on the inside horses, as the field breaks from the gate and moves over toward the fence. Veiled Reference isn't very quick out of the gate (as we know from her few experiences out of there during training), so the likelihood is that she'll break toward the back of the pack and take things from there. I just hope that the jock is smart enough to get her into the race, as opposed to sitting back and trying to make one run. She seems to be a type with a long, sustained move, versus a big burst, so it wouldn't be a good idea to leave her too much ground to cover later in the race. One way or the other, we'll see what's cooking with her (other than the demons, of course) and get her career started.

Nautical Agent's race up at Finger Lakes has not been carded over these past few days, so we'll have to get a little creative as far as her next spot. The allowance race that fits her at Finger Lakes would be very tough, but it looks like one of our few options up there. They don't seem to card the conditional claimers that would better suit her with much regularity. Might be time to explore options at other tracks and put the show on the road.

Love For Not, that NJ-bred filly I was crying about a month or so ago is in on Saturday in the Maryland Millions 2yo filly race. I'm looking into a deal to potentially acquire her younger sister, so it would really help if she were to allow one of the other fillies in there to take the cake. Obviously, the price would go up on the sister should she win the stakes race. There are three or four others in there that fit, but Love For Not has a real chance.

order me up a goat

Try not to laugh, but it looks like Veiled Reference has a case of OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. That's what they'd call it in humans, anyway, but her habit of pacing the stall when she's bored/frustrated/nervous is pretty much straight out of a Psych 101 text book. (At least that's what I'd imagine it would read were I to open one.) She's got some things on her mind it seems. In the scheme of things, it's not the end of the world, but it's mildly annoying. There are plenty of really nice horses out there that stall-walk, but the pacing burns off energy and necessitates a bit of extra care from staff to see to it that she doesn't walk herself silly. Tim runs a small operation, so that helps, but I feel bad that he has to keep an odd eye on the goofy filly in the back stall busy doing her best Monk impersonation. Maybe it's something that she'll out-grow, maybe not. I've done a little bit of research and I'll have to get on to Tim and see if we should stick a goat in the barn with her. My in-laws have a goat up in Maine to keep their horse company in the stall, so I'll set something up to kidnap him next time I visit. He can be a mean SOB, so the car ride down to Maryland might get a little bumpy. Maybe I'll stick him in the orange wheel-barrow and tie it to the back of the Sentra.

Her OCD aside, Veiled Reference is doing well. She's training like a filly with some ability, so I'll take her neurosis if it comes with a side of speed. We're trying to get her into a race next week down at Laurel, so with some luck, she'll have a chance to mix it up on the track rather than with the voices in her head. If she needs to exit and enter the starting gate seven times and only run over untrodden dirt during the contest, we're toast.

Treat yourself with some old school Xanga postings from one of the originals: click here for musings on the office. Archives hold some classics...Check it out quick before the author goes and makes the site private. People can be so sensitive.

we want the funk

Mass Romantic ran a solid race first off the bench, chasing the early pace before finishing up an even fifth. It was a pretty tough bunch of fillies and the distance probably not her best (she wants longer), so no disgrace in the effort. It seems that her knee took the event without issue, which is great. We'll monitor it in the coming days to make sure that it's to the good, but the jock said that she switched leads fine and traveled smoothly throughout. A bit more distance and slightly softer competition next out and I expect her to be in the hunt.

Veiled Reference worked 5/8ths of a mile over the weekend with Tim up. He reported that she did it well and came out of the work in good shape. We're looking to enter her later this week in a spot down at Laurel. The initial plan had been a six furlong sprint, but now we're targeting a one-mile spot first out. Given her form in the mornings she looks to be one that will do her best at longer distances, so even though she might not be totally fit for the mile, it's better to start her out there rather than chase after fillies that are probably too quick at the shorter distance. We'll know more on a potential start date toward the end of the week.

Have you caught this Mastercard commercial? It's one of those "Priceless" numbers and I crack up every time it comes on. You know how it is when they strike so close to home.

Monday, Monday

Mass Romantic will make her return to the races on Monday at Delaware Park. Entries are here. The race came up salty enough, but we're just looking to see enough out of her to signal that all is well with her knee and that she's set for a campaign through the winter. The race can be viewed at espn.com (link here), post time is approximately 2:30 EST. Tim reports that she's coming into the race in good order. She's not super-cranked, but fit enough to put in a run. With any kind of luck, it should set her up for something slightly softer next out down at Laurel.

I'll get on to Woolley at some point over the weekend. I know Veiled Reference is due to work over these next few days, so I'll find out how she's doing. We might have a road trip coming up in the next week or so to check out her younger brother down on a farm in Virginia. He's a weanling colt by Lion Hearted and looks like a nice, correct, solid-boned (like his sister) prospect. We like her, obviously, so it makes sense to check him out. If the owner reads the blog, well, I've tipped my hand, but somehow, I think our secret is safe.

goodbye, timonium

No dice at the yearling sale. I went down on Sunday to look at the yearlings on our list and by late afternoon we were through. Thanks for coming. The mildly frustrating part is that we didn't spot anything that even bordered on making the cut. Sure, we went back and looked at a few twice, but I've always favored prospects that really announce themselves that first time out. Maybe it means that I'll miss a few good ones here and there, but I'll likely save more than my fair share from the ones that I manage to dodge. No harm in going down, though. It was good to catch up with Tim and have a look at what some of the young sires are getting (some quite nice, some not too pretty).

Mass Romantic and Veiled Reference are both in good order. Depending on how she works this week, we might enter Mass Romantic to race early next week down at Delaware Park. She's plenty fit and her knee is still solid, knock on wood. Tim doesn't have her cranked, I'd say, but it's time to start her back and just see where we are, both in terms of the knee and whatever kind of ability she might have. After the few starts, we'll know more one way or the other.

Veiled Reference did much better out of the gate in her most recent work from the gate. She broke with the other filly she breezed with, as opposed to her bunny hop out of there the last time, and worked nicely in company with her workmate. We'd always suspected it, but Tim reported afterwards that she's most definitely a two-turn type filly. She seems to have a nice, high cruising speed that she's able to sustain, so we'll make plans to get her going long after a debut sprinting. Tim will work her from the gate once or twice more and we'll look at something perhaps toward the middle of the month at Laurel.

Doug reports that Nautical Agent came out of her race in fine fashion. I have to take a look at the condition book to see what might make sense for her in a few weeks. Based on what we saw at the sale, I'm more and more inclined to maybe breed her next year. The knock on her is that she's small, but I'm not entirely certain that her size is a deal-breaker. It's countered in a big way by her pedigree (very deep), heart (very large), soundness (knock on wood a second time) and conformation. Now that we've seen her handle the main track up at Finger Lakes, dirt is very much in play for her offspring. If we can add a bit of size and brilliance to the mix through a stud (the brilliance would hopefully bring out the speed throughout her pedigree), we might get ourselves something nice. That said, breeding racehorses makes racing them look like sticking your money in t-bills. Can't take it with you, though, right?

rock steady

Nautical Agent finished a good second this afternoon at Finger Lakes. Chart of the race is here. The pace and race flow worked against her, but she did well to overcome the bit of a disadvantage and pick up a good piece of the purse. I don't think she was touching the winner one way or the other, so second best is fine on the day. Doug reported that she came out of the race well. She'll get a few weeks now to recharge and we'll pick something out to target. She's such an honest filly; it's really hard not to like her.

I'm off in the morning for Maryland and the yearling sale coming up on Monday. I've got a list of around twenty to inspect once down on the scene and it's a pretty good lot. There are offspring from a few sires that I'm keen to see and a number of solid, under-the-radar type families also on the list. My readership is just too vast to divulge any information here, though. I'm sure my competition regularly checks these pages for any nugget that might hint at my inner thinkings ("Is it too late for cookies and milk?). As I've mentioned, this has been a good sale for us in the past (say, 'hey', Nautical Agent), so fingers are crossed that we can land something.

I'm not sure what my computer situation will be (no laptop going down), but if I sneak down to DC to crash with my brothers, I'll try to get on the computer and post an update. If all of our bullets are fired for Monday, I'll probably head up tomorrow night before going back down for Tue/Wed. Should be a fun stretch of days. I've found that any excuse to drain the ING account always makes for good times.