Ciampini's trip in the opener of last Saturday night's Owner appreciation night card at Penn National was not exactly what we had been anticipating going into that race. After breaking sharp, Ciampini backed off the leaders while in between horses and actually started to retreat as the field headed into the turn of the 6 furlong race. He apparently wasn't comfortable between horses and the dirt being kicked back in his face obviously wasn't helping. Jockey Josean Ramirez, sensing that he needed to get him in the clear angled him wide going into the turn causing him to lose several more lengths, but once free of the traffic and dirt he began to make up that ground as the field went by the 1/4 pole at the top of the stretch. The early pace had been fast and was starting to take it's toll on the leaders as the rest of the field began to close in. Ciampini was widest of all and grinding it out when he was bumped off stride by the horse inside of him which caused him to switch leads back to his left lead. The field was spread across the track as they hit the wire and it appeared at first glance that the #2 horse on the inside had held on and we had beaten our bumping adversary (the #3) by the slimmest of noses for 2nd place. All in all not a bad placing considering the massive amount of trouble he had faced in his first race after being off 13 months. Ciampini had been unsaddled and was heading back down the dirt horse path towards the barn as Sue and I were commiserating with Ramirez about the race when the loudspeaker announced that the winner of tonight's first race was number four, Ciampini! Quickly Ciampini was rerouted back towards the winners circle as co-owner Larry Ensor (late to the races as is his style) bounded in out of nowhere to join the rest of us including the jockey with the saddle in his hand and the horse who had his blanket on. Not exactly a traditional winners circle picture to say the least, but a truly satisfying one as Ciampini has endured numerous physical challenges that have never been exactly diagnosed. We knew he wasn't 100% fit for this race but was certainly close enough to run well and despite the track being very loose (they put water on the track after the next 4 races but hadn't put any on before the 1st) and his trip being adventurous that he was still talented and game enough to pull it off was very encouraging. He appears to have exited his maiden victory in good shape and there are numerous way we can go from here.
Max's First's only race for us went far smoother at Monmouth Park a week earlier. Claimed by Roger Cettina's Skyscraper Racing for $7500 on June 1st, we wheeled him back two weeks later to win an optional $16000 NW2x NJbred allowance race with a whopping $55000 purse. Max's First stalked the pace under Angel Serpa, staying close to the rail until the stretch when he bulled his way through horses and ran down the favorite in the deepest part of the stretch to edge clear at the wire. Our relationship was a short one as he was claimed which was the 6th consecutive race in which he changed barns. He is a real pro and I'm happy to have had the chance to train him if just briefly.
Pennypennypenny's story is seemingly just starting to be told but so much has happened already. We stumbled across her at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Eastern Fall yearling sale where she was entered as hip number 279. On paper she looked interesting having been the 4th foal out of the minor stakes winning dam Sharp Ciel who had come from pretty strong blood as her 2nd dam was closely related to Capote, Exceller and Baldski. However on examination Penny was pretty small and oddly, barely prepared for a sale as explained to us by her consignor. She had just arrived the same morning from a farm where she had been living, not having been sales prepped, she had a sun faded coat, no shoes, no xrays, no scope report and because of that no interest in her. I told myself that despite my interest in her I didn't need any projects like she seemed to be so when she went through the ring I didn't bid on her. It turns out no one else did either as there were no live bids and she returned to her stall unsold. We had gotten two other horses at the sale believing that we had gotten relatively good bargains on both. The sale was virtually over when I just had to go look at her one more time and decided that since we had "saved" so much money on our other bargains I would make an offer for the little St Averil filly. My logic was that even if she didn't make it as a racehorse her size may be an asset if we retrained her as a children's hunter prospect but she had a really free and easy way of walking and just looked to me like she'd be fast. They jumped at the $1000 offer and off she went to Westampton where she was broke and ridden relatively quickly. Around December 1 we decided to give her a little turn out time allowing her to grow as she was still pretty small. The day before Paula and I were supposed to depart for Ft Lauderdale for a few days break over Christmas I saw her limping in the field behind our house. A sliver of broken fence had wedged itself in her left front foot and the puncture wound was pretty deep. Christmas vacation was now cancelled as we worked on her foot, soaking it, bandaging it and keeping her moving and putting weight on it as to not bring on other dreaded issues that can arise when a horse cant put weight equally on all their feet. Penny is a tough little horse and despite getting tired of getting penicillin shots she was a very good patient. Eventually the foot healed but it took quite a longtime and there was no rush getting her back on track. She debuted on Preakness day at Penn in a MSW on the dirt where she ran a good third running on gamely in the stretch despite being tired. Wanting to try grass with her because of the grass influences on her dams side of the pedigree we entered her in a 5 furlong turf MSW last Thursday at Penn. She broke a step slow and stalked the leaders from 5th position on the rail, moved up nicely on the turn, forged to the lead at the top of the stretch and held the runner up safe while running her last 1/8th in 11.4. After the race she ran off another 1/4 mile as the jockey was trying to pull her up! She has now made $21800 in her first two starts for myself and Paul Harte who came on as partner as we drove home that day from the sale. There is an allowance race on July 4th going 5f on the grass at Penn that looks like a logical next step.
Small Town Talk has been working great and has been entered in an allowance race at Monmouth on Friday as a Main Track Only runner in case the race is rained off. If he doesn't get an opportunity to run in this spot there are several other races next weekend for him including the Salvatore Mile at Monmouth. The main goal for him this Summer is to win a stakes race and the Iselin would be a great place to do it.
Made to Love Her worked well at Monmouth yesterday morning and is progressing nicely toward a late July return to the races.
Lyle's Angel is going to be entered for a 40000 nw2 claiming race next Saturday at Monmouth. She ran 2nd in that same race last out and should be tough despite the cutback to 5 1/2 furlongs.
Oklahoma Den is being pointed at a July 1 race at Delaware Park going 9 furlongs on the grass. The NY bred race we entered in for Wednesday at Belmont failed to fill.
More to come in the afternoon edition
