We sent out 5, came home with 6. Not that I need another mare, but how can you say “No” to a horse named “Horse”? I certainly can’t!
5 O’Clock Shadow has been trying to break her maiden for a long time now. She has some lovely bloodlines and ran well as a 2yo, so I’d been doing some head-scratching as to why the poor thing wouldn’t WIN. Change of equipment, a bit more height (17.0hh, this girl’s a super model!), and BAM. Win. Let’s hope she keeps this up. Stablemate, Contemptable Dream, was an also ran in 6th place. Equipment changes are in order for her.
Never Been Kissed beat the boys at their own game, and came home for a nice (if narrow) win. I think we’ve found her equipment, too. Excellent.
Hannah Banana hates the turf. Still. Well, that’s good to know. 13th out of a full field.
Premiere, who’s still a hand short of where she’s estimated to be brought home a 5th place in a maiden. She’s been less than stellar, but her bloodlines keep our hopes up.
Horse, our 5k claimer filly, won her claimer and then poofed back home to our farm. We’ll rest her up and send her out again. Here’s hoping we have another nice mare.
Atlas was the only one out and he came in 4th. He was moving up for a better finish but cut his leg and fell back. So we’ll rest this boy up and then he’ll be back to kick some booty
New purchase Mocktail came home with a second. Not bad, I’m pretty happy with him and I hope he’ll continue to be consistent. I think the shorter distance as he gets older will be better for him.
Sent out two, ended up with three. We’ve been claiming mostly mares lately, so we went for a colt/stallion this time.
[color=blue]Seeking the Stars stayed in front for the entire 9f of his $10k claimer and is now settling in at the farm. He’s won on the dirt and turf in the past, so he should be interesting.
[color=blue]Banjo Pickin’ finished 7th in his 6f Allowance. We’re trying some different equipment on him, so this was more of an experiment.
[color=red]Still Fleeting, a recent claim, proved jumping might be for her with a 3rd place finish in a 8.5f Allowance. We’ll be trying her at something shorter next time hopefully as she faded big time in the last .5f.
Finest Flyer was last in her allowance. Not sure why, but she never fired.
Torrid won her allowance.
Unshakable was a very nice third in the Mackinnon Stakes. This sister of King David was coming off three allowance wins in a row so I’m pretty happy with her 2012 stakes debut.
Peer To Peer ran dead last in the Victoria Derby. I have no idea what happened to her but she broke last and didn’t move the entire race. Maybe it was the turf or the distance, but she was primed and ready for this and I expected her to be at least fourth. Very strange run from her and hopefully just a one-off.
So Assertive was having a good run in the Hotham Stakes until the stretch where he went from being a nose behind the leader to second last. No idea why this happened but perhaps the distance got to him. I’ll keep him under 10 furlongs next start, but this was very disappointing.
Forgot that I had anybody entered today, but it turned out okay for us.
Clever Victory went out in an allowance that was identical to his last start, except not in Santa Anita, and brought home a win. He did decently as a three year old, so hopefully he’ll decide to keep this up.
Highway ran 3rd in her allowance…and continues her streak of crappy runs. No idea what’s wrong with her this year but today anyway its ok BECAUSE…
Lahar won the GI Victoria Derby $1,000,000 in his very fist stakes start!! This was also only his 8th career start(yes,I’ve babied him a bit). I didn’t really want to enter him in that caliber of a race so soon after his first win last start in a NW3, but I decided he really needed a long turf race next time out and the Victoria Derby(12.5f on turf) really was the only one available. Since his full sister NCh.Arda was a GI winner at that distance and surface I decided to go for it. He’s beginning to really impress me this year, his 3yo year and I can’t wait for his next start!
Go West and Shawnee Sunrise were 2nd and 3rd in an NW1. No complaints with either of them.
Tuesday Afternoon was 3rd in an NW2.
Marvelous Markus dueled it out with Khepri and took his NW3 allowance. Big Spender was our only disappointment of the day, finishing 10th. I wish I could make this one happy somehow…
Dr. Carson was an encouraging 3rd in his maiden race. That’s the best he’s ever done!
And, Jazz Sonnet ran nicely to come in 2nd in a starter allowance. Good job, guys.
Congrats on Lahar’s win, Jade.
And if I ever thought a horse was cut out to be a Cricket Hill horse, it would be…Horse.
I tried Sleipnir once again in a classic distance race, the GI Mackinnon Stakes. He just must not want to run the distance anymore, he was well placed in fourth up through the mile but faded badly and finished 8th/10. We’ll keep him in sprints to a mile from now on.
Kill A Mockingbird broke her maiden a few starts ago going 1 1/2 miles over the fences. Today she ran the same distance and did it again. She stalked the lead in second for a bit then faded back to fifth. Two furlongs out she looked hopelessly beaten when she faded to 9th place but she rallied boldly to win going away…and against the boys. She looks like she’ll be a marathon distance girl.
We’ve been claiming mostly mares lately, so we went for a colt/stallion this time.