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Wednesday, July 09, 2003

 
Moving

We are moving to our new site at http://timwoolley.raceblogs.com. It would be great if you could update any links to the new site.
Posted: 4:45 PM |

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The equine athlete is as prone to injury as any professional sports performer. Maintaining a level of soundness that keeps a thoroughbred at his best can be attained in ways similar to the specialists that keep their human millionaire counter-parts at their peak.

Chiropractors and Massage Therapists have received a lot of praise for the work they can do on racehorses. Sore muscles and stiff necks are commonplace to horses that have a busy racing schedule and by alleviating those problems we can help keep the horses legs sounder.

Swimming therapy can keep a horse fit and reduce the stress on knees and ankles by keeping the weight of a rider off its back.

Acupuncture is another method for helping trainers understand what problems may be aggravating the horse. A horse will compensate one ailment for another and this is when horse psychology and an observant eye from the trainer can pinpoint a problem before it manifests into a major lameness.

This weekend our stable is sending out Anacosta for her first race of the year. This little filly has had some sharp works for her debut and draws the services of Anibal Prado at Philadelphia Park. Anibal’s brother Edgar is one of the countries top jockeys but Anacosta’s pilot seems content to carve a good living around this Pennsylvania track.

Call Me Lightning is going back up to Monmouth to get his feet on some turf and a little more racing distance. This horse has been putting together some nice races and deserves to get his head back in front.

More in a few days!

Posted: 2:07 PM |

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Thursday, July 03, 2003

 
Entering a horse in a race where the trainer thinks he is most competitive to win is a frequent dilemma for horse conditioners. Racehorses can improve or decline in their performance from race to race. Running a horse in a race that their previous form suggests is clearly over matched can ruin the confidence of a horse and his efforts, as a consequence, may be sub-par. If a horse can compete with other competitors that have equal talent, then the horse may feel he does not have to exert himself as much, and can still finish with a lot of energy. These kind of races can build the “heart up” in a horse and can improve his racing confidence. A switch in a racing surface can sometimes be a factor in the way a horse performs.

We raced Casino Casey the other day at Delaware Park, which we consider to be a competitive racetrack in this region. “Casey’s” race record on the dirt was very poor, attained at lesser tracks, but the feel of natural turf under his feet produced the effect that had many observers scratching their heads in bewilderment.

Finishing a weakening fourth after contesting the pace for most of the 1 1/16th mile was a dramatic improvement. On paper, this was an illogical place to race the horse but horses cannot read racing charts and can frequently leave the trainer looking like a genius.

More in a few days!

Posted: 1:32 PM |

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Friday, June 27, 2003

 
Now that the weather is cooperating a little here on the East Coast, turf racing has finally been able to resume. The best un-used turf course in the Mid Atlantic is the Fair Hill Racecourse, which is used for one day of Steeplechase racing each year on Memorial Day.

For the remainder of the summer months, the horsemen here at the training center are able to work their horses on this one- mile oval. Apart from this turf providing excellent cushion from the fifty years of foundation that it has developed, the final three furlongs are on a subtle incline, which maximizes the work put on a horse that you are trying to get fit. We took Rick’s Rascal over to the racecourse this morning and after a satisfactory piece of work have decided that we need to start and find a race for him to run.

William DuPont started the racing here at Fair Hill back in the 1930’s and although Steeplechase racing is now considered the red-headed step child of the thoroughbred sport, this racecourse has played host to many elite Steeplechase horses. The Breeder’s Cup came to town on a couple of occasions to hold the Steeplechase division of this remarkable series of championship races. Fair Hill once drew international Steeplechasers where an Eclipse award was at stake. For now this state owned facility is content to draw a local Memorial Day crowd, and not capitalize on a festival of racing that could benefit the Steeplechase community and mirror the spectacle we will see at Santa Anita Park this October.

More in a few days!

Posted: 1:54 PM |

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Tuesday, June 24, 2003

 
The durability of today's modern thoroughbred has often come under intense scrutiny. With commercial breeding over the last quarter of a century, many breeders have made big money from the summer yearling sales by presenting us with flashy, showroom type products.

With no Triple Crown winners in the last 25 years, and many Graded Stakes winners barely making it to their four-year-old campaign, the racing heroes of yesteryear are now being marketed at the movies to draw people back to the races.

Southern Hemisphere horses are starting to be noticed for their soundness and ability. Bobby Frankel brings several performers up from places where you would not think racing existed, yet these horses race at the highest level over here.

A very remarkable mare about to make her U.S debut is Ipi Tombe. This extraordinary horse calls Zimbabwe, Africa her birthplace but traveled to Dubai to win at Nad Al Sheba in the $2million Dubai Duty Free in March against the boys. Currently at Arlington Park with Elliot Walden, it is ironic that she is exercised by the ex-wife of an old friend, Louise Hatfield (and fellow Fair Hill exercise rider of the past).

This kind of racehorse is what we now need to bring back the race-goers. The performances of the Australian horse Choisir last week at Royal Ascot, England where he won two Group races in four days, and broke the track record in one of the victories, is another tribute to the breeding programs where a horse is bred to race.

More in a few days!

Posted: 6:33 PM |

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Sunday, June 22, 2003

 
One of the most picturesque racetracks on the East coast is Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Located close to the shore, this track draws large daily crowds and offers quality horse racing.

Call Me Lightning took us there on Saturday to compete in a Starter Handicap. This type of race is for horses that have raced for a certain claiming price within the last year and it attracted some veteran campaigners. Our horse was a mere teenager compared to the ten- year- old gelding that was the favorite and had over a quarter of a million dollars in lifetime earnings. Lightning has been steadily improving all spring and, what he lacked in age, was made up by our jockey Eddie King Jr. This fine horseman brings a vast amount of experience with the $45.00 jockeys fee that he earned for the mount.

One thing that is value for money is when these guys climb aboard a thousand pound animal and has to get it to cooperate enough to try and win a race. They are sportsmen that don't have rain delays or corked bats, and their livelihood is very much determined by how they perform in the afternoons.

Lightning ran a strong race yet again and picked up third place with the race being run during a thunderstorm. Getting wet sand kicked in your face is discouraging enough but having eight other horses kicking it back, you have to have a brave horse to run through it.

More in a few days!

Posted: 5:59 PM |

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Monday, June 16, 2003

 
Our ten-horse stable increased in size last week with the arrival of two young horses from Florida. The climate in Florida during the winter months is excellent to prepare young horses for their racing careers. The excessive heat this time of the year can be very dehydrating for horses and some owners prefer to have their horses stabled in a cooler climate.

The two fillies are a good size for two year olds, but like with many young horses, have developed physical problems that will inhibit their training. Trying to get a young horse to the races requires a lot of patience from both the owner and the trainer, as you juggle a training program to accommodate each horses capabilities. A horse that is still growing and maturing goes through bone changes and growth spurts, which if pressed too much, can develop injuries that may later limit the horses racing potential.

Perseid is a filly that we had given plenty of time to mature and she won her first race impressively at Penn National the other night. Her twelve- length win was testament to her owner's patience and the filly looks like she can win a few more. The authority in which she won suggests that her confidence is very high. She has never had any soundness problems, which with a filly, sometimes when they are racing while feeling some pain, they do not try to race as hard.

More in a few days!




Posted: 6:16 PM |

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Nothing Fancy
2 YO Filly
Breeding: Run Softly x ?
Owner: Equivine Farm
Race Record 2003: NA
Last Race:
Next Race:
Notes: Purchased from the 2YO in training sale at Timonium in May. She is currently galloping, having had a short break after the sale.
Posted: 1:51 PM |

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Casino Diva
2 YO Filly
Breeding: Not for Love x ?
Owner: Casino Royale Farm
Race Record 2003: NA
Last Race:
Next Race:
Notes: Arrived from Florida, June 10. Currently jogging and easy gallops for a few weeks. Arrived with the Malibu Moon filly and training together.
Posted: 1:47 PM |

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Malibu Miss
2 YO Filly
Breeding: Malibu Moon x ?
Owner: Casino Royale Farm
Race Record 2003: NA
Last Race:
Next Race:
Notes: Arrived from Florida, June 10. Currently jogging and easy gallops for a few weeks. Arrived with Casino Diva and training together.
Posted: 1:46 PM |

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Friday, June 13, 2003

 
Now that the Triple Crown races have been run this year, the public interest in horse racing will diminish. The achievements through this series of Funny Cide have been memorable and we can take comfort in the fact that somewhere out there is a two-year-old colt or gelding, whom has probably not even raced yet, that will win the Kentucky Derby and generate the excitement all over again.

The physical and emotional toll that these races have on the connections of the horses, can take awhile to recover from. Life goes on and other horses have to be trained. Funny Cide I'm sure, will have a well - earned break, but the decisions made on other horses in training can be as critical as the ones made on the Triple Crown trail.

The majority of races that are run on a daily basis are termed "claiming races". This is where a trainer puts a horse in the entries for a set amount of money, which enables other trainers to purchase the horse. These races range in value from as little as $2500 and can go up to as high as $100,000 at some of the larger tracks.

Many trainers operate their business solely from claiming horses in this manner and having horses claimed from them. Allure L'Amour was claimed from our stable the other night at Penn National and although she finished fifth in her race, it can be a test of a trainer's influence as to whether a horse improves when put in the hands of another conditioner.

More in a few days!

Posted: 1:29 PM |

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