Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Ship's Cabin tries the dirt

Ship's Cabin has been entered to run at Churchill Downs on Friday. Wearing his extension blinkers like a Halloween mask, he drew post position number three in the first race which is a $50,000 maiden claiming race going seven furlongs on the dirt. Diego Rodriguez will be riding and Ship's Cabin will be getting 7 to 9 pounds from the rest of the field. Hopefully his mind will be on running on Friday.

Galaxy Lady was very tired after her race on Sunday. She came out of the race well an we will look for another spot for her in about 10 days.

Makutus worked very well once again this morning and was entered for Friday's races in a turf allowance race as a main track only entrant. He went in 48.80 under a tight hold this morning and was feeling really good leaving the track. If the rain doesn't show up he will run on the 5th of November.

We have moved out of Keeneland with the Breeding stock sale looming next week and have all the horses either at CDT or at Bluegrass Equine Center.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Workout update

We dominated the work tab at CDT yesterday with 10 horses working. The day went well as all of the horses except Aldebutante worked really good. Aldebutante did not go bad but she did not have the same spark in her work that she had last week. She went in 102.40 which was actually the 2nd best of ten workers at the distance but she was not doing it like she can. This morning both her front feet were bothering her and we will be pulling her shoes and soaking them for a few days in some warm water and epsom salts.

Rampillion worked very well from the gate and we are going to move her debut up to next Wednesday at Churchill in a maiden $25,000 race going 6 furlongs. She blasted out of the gate and worked in 48 seconds while galloping out strong.

Appoint and Normandruth worked an easy half mile together, going 51 and galloping out in 105. Graphite Halo went a nice four furlongs in 49.60 under a tight hold. She is going to run on the 1st of November at Churchill in a grass maiden race.

Bubble Berry worked a sharp half mile in 47.80 under the cover of darkness. Apparently it wasn't dark enough as the clocker still managed to catch her. She is set for the 29th at Churchill.

Makutus worked great going 59.60 from the gate under Diego Rodriguez. He has had issues with breaking slow from the gate in the past and was a little slow in his last start so we wanted a sharp work from the gate from him. We got that sharp work and he will work one more time before his next start on the 5th at Churchill.

Carl S. and Inki Blanford went 5 furlongs in company with Carl S. breaking off in front of Inki. Inki caught him at the wire and I thought it was a good work for both horses with them timed in 103.20 and 102.80 respectively. Inki Blandford is going to start on the 7th at Churchill and Carl S. wont be too long after that.

Comeback worked early in the morning while it was still dark and the clocker did not get a time for him though he was blowing afterwards and the rider thought he went well.

Richwood Silver drew into the 5th race at Keeneland on Saturday which is her turf debut.

Fading Light hung a bit in the stretch yesterday at Keeneland while finishing 5th but was found to have bled after the race. She is at BEC for a little R&R while she recovers from the episode.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Lots of works tomorrow

We will be working a lot of horses tomorrow morning at CDT. With wet weather on the horizon we have moved most everyone up in addition to the horses already scheduled. Aldebutante is going to work a half mile and gallop out an additional furlong. She is being pointed to a maiden race at Churchill Downs on the 9th of November. Rampillion, Normanruth and Comeback are all scheduled to work from the gate going four furlongs. Also scheduled to go from the gate is Makutus who is pointing to a November 5th allowance race at Churchill. Graphite Halo will work an easy half in preparation for her next start on November 1st at Churchill on the grass. If she is still a maiden after that there is a NY state bred race on November 20th at Aqueduct going 1 1/8th on the dirt for her. Appoint, Carl S. and Inki Blandford are also all scheduled to work tomorrow with Appoint going four furlongs and the other two going five. Bubble Berry is going to go four furlongs which will be her last work before a scheduled start on October 29th at Churchill.





Amethyst Rose (formerly known as Rocket Dog) had her first work this morning though the clockers did not catch it. She has done well since starting back in full training at Keeneland. Ship's Cabin worked four furlongs in 48.40 this morning at Keeneland. He was excluded from the race he was scheduled to run in this week and will run in a maiden $50000 claiming race opening week at Churchill going 7 furlongs. Moonlight Flite is training well at Keeneland and will have her first work soon. Galaxy Lady worked in 50 at Keeneland on Sunday which was not recorded by the clockers either. She is going to run opening day at Churchill Downs in a $5000 claimer.



Albin has gone to BEC for two weeks of R&R after a minor injury. Cool Clue is training well and is close to his first work since his brief freshening at BEC. Colonel Klink is doing really well since he started back from his break and I still have high hopes for him. Richwood Silver is ready to roll and will run Saturday at Keeneland in her grass debut. Sugarland Star has returned to training at Keeneland and is doing good. The Suit has been gelded and is still a little rough to the guys at Rea Quarter horses. However the Quiet American filly, the Medallist colt, Eddington filly and Smarty Jones colt are all progressing nicely. The other yearlings are all doing fine and we will be sending a couple more out to Rea's next week. Mercury Rising has one more start in him for us on November 1st at Finger lakes going 1 mile and 70 yards. If we don't see a lot of improvement he will be sold. Fading Light is in on Wednesday in the 1st race at Keeneland which is a $30000 nw2 LT race on the polytrack. She is listed as the 6-1 third choice on the morning line and will be ridden by Diego Rodriguez.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Long overdue update

It has been a busy week during the morning hours though we have had no runners in the afternoon. Yesterday we worked several horses at CDT including a set from the gate.

Aldebutante worked after the break during a steady drizzle with Cherie aboard. she went really well, settling nicely and finishing strong. Her time of 49.20 doesn't look that impressive but as Cherie said after the work, Aldebutante is really starting to stretch out and use herself properly. That is a sign of both physical maturity and experience and she will work a few more times before her next start at Churchill Downs at the upcoming meet.

Appoint worked four furlongs from the gate though she was only credited with three furlongs in 38. She broke well and did fine though she is not as advanced as some of the other horses.

Bubble Berry whistled four furlongs in 48.20 galloping out in 100.80. She is going to run in a claiming race at Churchill though we have not settled on a race yet.

Carl S. and Inki Blandford both worked four furlongs out of the gate. They were both timed in 50.40 and galloped out in 103. They need a little more gate work but both should be ready to run at the Churchill meet.

Normanruth worked early in the morning, going a half mile in 50 seconds. He is progressing nicely and may make the races at the Churchill meet also.

Rampillion worked 5 furlongs, the first four in company with Normanruth, finishing up in 102.20. She has really been training well and will be another of the two year olds that makes at start at the Churchill Downs meeting.

Graphite Halo came out of her race in good order and we are considering a turf start for her on the first of November at Churchill on their two year old showcase day. We want to get a chance to see how she handles the turf before the winter season eliminated our ability to do that. Sine she is a NY bred there are still a lot of opportunities for her at Aqueduct in the Winter, though turf is hardly an option then.

Mercury Rising needs to show a lot of improvement in his next start around two turns or her will find himself competing against $5000 maiden claimers at Penn National for different connections.

Albin strained his left leg in his tough trip stakes debut. he will get 15 days of handwalking before resuming light training. The injury is fairly minor and he should not miss much training or racing.

Colonel Klink has resumed training at Keeneland after a short break and change of treatments. He is doing well and appears to be on the right track now.

Campaneris has been training aggressively and has grown quite a bit since the early summer.

Cool Clue is doing well since his return from BEC.

Comeback was coughing this week and missed his work. He will do something serious on Monday or Tuesday if his lungs clear up and don't give us any problems.

Galaxy Lady has resumed racetrack training and is scheduled to work tomorrow morning at Keeneland. She will make a start at Churchill this November.

Ships Cabin is scheduled to run this coming Thursday at Keeneland in a maiden $40000 claimer going 1 1/16th on the polytrack.

Fading Light is also going to run this coming week at Keeneland in a $30000 nw2 race also going 1 1/16th on the polytrack.

Richwood Silver worked great yesterday at CDT going five furlongs in company in 10o.60 under jockey Joe Johnson. We are planning on running her at Keeneland next Saturday in a turf allowance race going 1 1/16th. This will be her first start since the Spring.

Shades of Hope lost his manhood this week as he was gelded. He just hasn't matured enough mentally and was becoming dangerous with his antics. This will make him a better racehorse overall and I still have high hopes for him.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Wednesday Update

The horses that ran this weekend have all come out of their races in good shape. Ship's Cabin will be running back in a maiden $40000 race going 1 1/16th at Keeneland on the 23rd. Albin will be pointed for November 1st at Churchill Downs going 1 mile on the turf in a maiden special weight. Plans for Makutus are still in the air, though a turf start may be possible.


Graphite Halo had an educational trip today in the 5th at Keeneland. We weren't looking a huge effort first time out but wanted her to have a good trip and gain some experience. Diego Rodriguez did a good job in schooling her early in the race, coming up the rail inside of horses and finishing up strong in the lane. Though it does not look like much on paper, her race was something that she will improve upon.


We postponed this mornings works due to a muddy track at CDT. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will work Comeback, Carl S., Aldebutante, and Appoint.



Bill Recio reports that Shades of Hope has really turned the corner in his training at the Classic Mile training center and his silly behavior seems to be a thing of the past. He will join the main stable shortly.



Richwood Silver continues to train well and Campaneris is also progressing nicely. Bubble Berry has also been doing well and at BEC, Galaxy Lady, Sugarland Star and Italiano Operetta have been improving.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Some of the Gang

Comeback and Ryan


Fading Light and Cherie



Richwood Silver




Aldebutante at Belmont







A lot going on

Ships Cabin was up to his old tricks on Friday at Keeneland. Though he was not nearly as bad as he was in his first two starts, he was very rank while behind horses forcing jockey Rene Douglas to steady twice, costing him important position and a few lengths. He put in a mild rally to be 4th beaten about two lengths but galloped out far ahead of the rest of the field. We are going to try him around two turns again on the 23rd at Keeneland.

Albin and Makutus are both ready to go tomorrow at Keeneland in the 5th and 7th races. Makutus drew a tough group for an entry level allowance race but has been sharp in his training lately and we are looking for him to run a career best race, which he will need to do to be competitive against this bunch. Albin has also trained well after missing some time after his first race due to a lung infection that lingered a while. He appears to be 100% going into the Woodford and if Douglas can work out a trip, he will be dangerous in the stretch. His Thorograph numbers put him in the mix with this crew and if he can step up his game a little bit, who knows? Bob Gary and the AP crew are coming in from Chicago for the race which will be Bob's first stakes race as an owner.

Graphite Halo worked a solid five furlongs in 102.40 this morning at CDT and was entered in a maiden special weight race at Keeneland for Wednesday's card. She drew post position number six in the 5th race which is a polytrack event going 1 1/16th (or eight and a half furlongs as Keeneland calls it). Diego Rodriguez, who has worked her several times including this morning, will ride her. Graphite Halo is an improving type that is probably not going to be at her best as a 2 year old but has done enough training to where she will really benefit from racing experience.

Richwood Silver snapped off another quick work this morning at CDT, getting clocked in 47.80 which was good for the bullet work of the day even though she had worked an eighth in 13 before the half mile. That would give her a five furlong time in 100.80 which would have been the fastest five furlong work by a long ways. Cherie felt her get a little tired right after the wire and she was winded afterwards. She has scoped clean after every work lately which is a really good sign.

Inki Blandford worked a nice half mile in 49.60 and didn't want to pull up afterwards. He worked the first three furlongs in company with Normanruth and went out the extra eighth by himself. Inki has returned from his brief freshening over the summer in great shape both mentally and physically. Normanruth, who has been getting over a brief sickness, did fine in his first work in a few weeks.

Bubble Berry returned to the worktab with a quick three furlongs in 36.40. She will have another work or two before being entered at Keeneland or Churchill.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Sunday a big day

We got a little lucky at the entry box today and hoping that carries over to the races Sunday when Makutus and Albin are both scheduled to run at Keeneland. Makutus, who was originally supposed to run Friday but had the race pushed back due to lack of entries, is in the 5th race which is an allowance race going 1 1/8th on the polytrack. Albin, who was entered in both a maiden special weight race on the polytrack and the Woodford Reserve Stakes on the turf, was fortunate to draw into the stake when only 11 others were entered.

Makutus race is a tough one as several of the other runners are coming off sharp races at various tracks around the country. He appears like the main speed and hopefully jockey Rene Douglas can ration out that speed and hold off the closers.

Albin drew post number 11 of 12 but that may not be as big of factor as usual because of his closers style. Rene Douglas will also ride him in the $200,000 Woodford which is a Grade 3 race and part of the Breeders Cups "Win and your in" series. Hopefully he can save some ground in the first turn, get a good position down the backside behind a solid pace and get through coming for home.

Comeback broke alertly from the gate and got right into his work but became a bit distracted when the horse he was working with pulled up after going less than 3 furlongs. His time of 50.20 would have been at least a second quicker if he had company throughout. He is improving with maturity and a Churchill start is looking good.

Appoint worked her 1st half mile going 51.20 after going 3 furlongs in 37.80. She galloped out well and is progressing nicely. We will go a few more half miles with her and will do some gate work her this week.

Carl S. and Rampillion went 49.60 in company, galloping out in 104. They broke off a little early and worked head and head throughout. They are both training well and should make starts at Churchill in November also.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Ship's Cabin leads off Keeneland meet

Ship's Cabin is in the 1st race on Friday which is opening day for Keenelands Fall meet. The race is a maiden $50,000 race going seven furlongs on the polytrack. Ship's Cabin drew post position number five in a ten horse field and will be ridden by Rene Douglas. Makutus was entered in an allowance race that failed to draw enough entries. We will enter him back for the same race for Saturday's card.