It's September

Summer is winding to a close, Saratoga is over, Belmont starts today, the Meadowlands starts soon, Monmouth is almost finished. Change is on the horizon as we start to focus on our winter plans. We have stalls at Palm Beach Downs in S.Florida and may also have some at either Palm Meadows, Gulfstream or Calder depending on availability. We are also thinking of leaving a small string up north to compete in state bred races as well.

Oklahoma Den is in Sunday at Monmouth in the 8th race, which is the final of the Malouf starter series on the grass. He finally drew a decent post position (5 of 9) in the 1 3/8th race which may be contested on less than firm turf depending on how much rain we get on Saturday. If the race gets rained off the turf we will scratch and look at a race at Belmont for him.

Lyle's Angel is also in on Sunday at Monmouth. She is in the 4th race which is a conditioned $7500 race going 6 furlongs. There looks like quite a bit of speed which should set things up well for her.

Triplehott had her 3rd four furlong work on Tuesday and went really well. Working by herself under an exercise rider she went 49.2 which was the 4th fastest of 15 and galloped out in 102. She is going to do some gate work this weekend and will probably work out of the gate next Wednesday. I am really pleased by her development.

Killingit is going to work 5f tomorrow morning and if he does well we are looking at a potential race the following Saturday at Monmouth going 1 mile on the grass.

Finishlikeapro is also working tomorrow at Monmouth. He is scheduled to work 6 furlongs and is also sitting on top of a race.

Pleasantly Miranda came out of her debut last week in good order. We will be looking to stretch her out in her next race.

My Beholder is pointing to a maiden race next Saturday the 13th at Monmouth. We are going to add a set of blinkers for his next race.

Killer Bird was a little dehydrated so we back off her for a few days but she has responded nicely and will work again early next week.

Shares Available has been doing some gate schooling and has made great strides in that area. He will also work again early next week when the temperatures are a little lower.

Midas Terms worked well at Westampton yesterday and may be spotted next out at the Meadowlands on the grass in his return to the races.

All Peace N Quiet came out of her race in good order and will most likely be racing back at Penn National soon.

JC Monba is heading back to the track after a short period turned out for some R&R.

Runhappy is also headed that same direction, back into full training after some down time.

Misterlobo continues to recover from being gelded and has not had any issues.

Better than Safe got hit in the eye during her race last week which caused her to stop so abruptly. Hopefully there will be no complications.

One Revolution gets her final treatment tomorrow. Hoping she can resume normal training soon.

Slow Day

I missed some horses the other day (never blog and sleep at the same time) and thought that I should update those today. Another day, another entry, another race not used. Racing 3 days a week is frustrating enough if you actually get to run on occasion. When you don't get in races or they aren't used it becomes torture.

Well Better than Safe didn't do a whole lot of running yesterday and may find herself back in next weekend if she trains well this week. She didn't have much excuse though she was pretty winded afterwards off of the little layoff. Should be fitter moving forward.

Shares Available has been training fantastic the last 3 weeks after we gave him a little period of light training when it looked like we were pressing him a little too much. His work the other day going 3 furlongs in 36 was really sharp and he was eager and not really asked for speed. He continues to mature into a big, good looking horse with a nice future. There actually are shares available in Shares Available and if you want to get involved with a nice Scat Daddy colt who acts like a runner contact Larry Ensor at larryensor@gumtreestables.com for information.

Shares Available and Eddie Rivera

Killer Bird worked in company with Shares Available and also did very well. She is a extremely talented filly who is extraordinarily difficult to train. She has a very high opinion of herself and isn't afraid to try to get that message across to both humans and horses. I don't recall having a horse as stubborn as she is but when she has her mind on training she goes about as well as you could ask for. Shares Available and Killer Bird will be working another 3 furlongs this week.

Killer Bird with her toys

One Revolution has been very unlucky in her career as she has had a litany of injuries that have delayed her 4 year old debut for months. She is getting closer to running and at some point this September we are hoping that she can make that long awaited debut.

JC Monba has been turned out at Gum Tree farm for a little over a month and will be returning to training on September 1st.

Runhappy is a Super Saver two year old with immense talent that is going through some growing pains as he is already 16,2 hands having grown quite a bit since coming in June 1st. He will be headed back to full training soon.

Runhappy back in June

Pennypennypenny has a minor injury that will put her on the shelf for a few weeks.

Pennypennypenny

Pleasantly Miranda worked really well last week as she nears her long awaited first start. Right now we are planning on a work Tuesday and a potential start on September 1st going long on the grass.

Was so happy to see my friend Jimmy Jerkens run one-two in the Travers. One of the good guys in the sport.

My Annual Post!

We had a slow morning because overnight rains left the tracks sloppy at Monmouth and Westampton so I decided to take a look at the blog since it has been some time since I posted anything. Well when I opened up the page and saw that the last date I posted was exactly 1 year ago, I had to laugh. There are a lot of new faces that have arrived in a years time yet some of the old holdovers are still here. I suppose I should give an update?

Better than Safe is in tomorrows 3rd race at Monmouth Park, breaking from the rail out of post number one under Eddie Castro.  I expect her to be competitive despite having to run her a class above her condition due to a lack of races for that price at the NW3 level.

 Killingit and Finsihlikeapro are scheduled to work 5 furlongs tomorrow morning at Monmouth. This is their 1st work past 4 furlongs. If all goes well, they will work from the gate next weekend and a race shouldn't be too long afterwards.

Oklahoma Den came out of his 2nd straight "unlucky trip, finished 4th but should have been 2nd" race in good order. We are going to look for a NY bred race at Belmont for his next start.

Lyle's Angel is training well and should race next weekend if one of the races we enter her in fills.

Triplehott has been training really well. She will do some gate work on Sunday and work again going 4 furlongs next week.

All Peace n Quiet is about ready to roll. She will be entered off the layoff in a 7500 nw2 race at Parx on the 31st.

Midas Terms is also close to ready to return to the races. A 5000 nw3 race at Penn on September 3rd looks like a good spot.

Misterlobo is recovering nicely at Westampton from being gelded.

Red Razzo is now at Monmouth after training most of the summer at Westampton. So far, so good at the bigger track.

Charge is in a holding pattern again as we search for a spot for him.

Catching up

It has been a while since our last post and we have a lot of catching up to do!

Oklahoma Den is in the 5th race at Monmouth on Saturday afternoon. The race is a maiden 20000 on the turf going 1 1/16th and he drew post 1 with apprentice Manuel Franco riding. Oklahoma Den was unfortunate both his last starts at higher levels having the saddle slip in one and breaking slowly in the other.

Frosty's Whirl broke his maiden last out, winning a maiden 25000 race at Penn National by 5 lengths in his first start in close to a year. He is entered at Saratoga for Saturdays card however a minor cough is probably going to prevent him from racing.

Small Town Talk has had a lot of luck this year unfortunately almost all of it has been bad. In his first start off of the layoff in the Salvatore Mile he drew a tough post position on an intensely biased track and raced pretty well despite not hitting the board. His 2nd race back in the Monmouth Cup was run over an embarrassment of a track surface on Haskell Day. He absolutely could not handle the ridiculously deep footing and subsequently ran uncharacteristically poor and was found to have bled afterwards most likely as a result of struggling with the surface. We are hoping to get into a turf allowance race this Sunday at Monmouth.

Malibu Murmur ran 2nd last Sunday at Parx in a starter allowance race after winning her prior start at Delaware Park. She tries very hard and we are hoping to get a few more starts in with her before she is sold as a racing/broodmare prospect in the Fasig-Tipton mixed sale in October in Saratoga.

Midas Terms made his return to the races a winning one a few weekends ago. Having been off since last October with a fairly serious injury, Midas Terms dominated a conditioned claiming race winning easily by more than 8 lengths. Susan Ditter did a great job nursing him back to health and you won't find a more deserving owner in the sport than Bobby Okuba.

Mustang Island who had been off since April, won his comeback race on July 17th at Penn, a conditioned claimer on the turf. Under a clever ride by Josean Ramirez, Mustang Island, who often races on or near the lead, came from far back to run by the leaders in the stretch. He is going to be entered to run this Saturday at Penn National in a open claiming race.

Nose First capped off a big night for the barn July 17th (we went 3 for 3 that night at Penn) by wiring a field of maiden claimers to break his maiden in his 2nd start. Unfortunately the gate crew somehow allowed him to get loose behind the gate this past Saturday and he was scratched from his turf debut after dumping the jockey and running off.

Sweetjudyblue Eyes made up some ground late while sprinting in her return to the races last month. She is being pointed to a PA bred allowance race next week going two turns.

I Can See Russia has been sent to Gum Tree farm for a little R & R.

Pennypennypenny was wheeled back July 4th in an allowance race that was for some reason taken off of the turf (no rain). She broke in a tangle and sometime during the running was hit in the eye with a clod of dirt which prevented her from ever mounting a rally. We have taken our time getting her back to the race and she will be seen this fall at Laurel back on the turf.

Made to Love Her ran a decent 5th in her comeback race after missing time due to a leg infection. She came out of the race in good shape, posting a solid workout yesterday at Monmouth and is being pointed to a race on September 14th at Churchill Downs.

Sinatra's Dancer is a NJ bred that we claimed after losing Max's First. He ran on that same extremely deep Monmouth dirt track as did Small Town Talk and didn't appreciate the "new" surface at all. He is being pointed to a NJ allowance/optional claimer on August 31st.

Lyle's Angel just hasn't fired since her solid 2nd earlier in the Monmouth Park meet. We are going to look at several options for her.

Latent Charm is going to have an "official" work Friday at Westampton. She has trained well since returning to training after some time off.

Pleasantly Miranda is finally coming around and is going to be headed to Penn National to get ready to run soon.

Stella's Issac should make his first start soon.

Brown Monba (not his actual name) is a 2 year old PA bred that was purchased by Davant Latham for Gary Marsh and Kurt Luscombe at OBS April. He has trained well and is improving seemingly every day. Look for him towards the end of September/beginning of October.

My Beholder is a Fu Peg 2 year old colt who was sent to us by noted KY horseman Beau Lane. He has had a couple solid works since arriving at Monmouth and should be ready to roll sometime in September.

One Revolution has some bone bruising and we are giving her some time off with the thought of bringing her back this Winter in Florida.

All Peace N Quiet has had 5 works back since her return. She has progressed nicely and should be ready to run soon.

Heating Up

The first few months of 2013 were quite a challenge as the weather just never cooperated and between snow, rain, wet tracks, cancellations combined with several unfortunate setbacks the stable just never seemed to find itself in a groove. However as we close in on July and the heat of the Summer we have finally started making up for lost time.

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

Start of Summer update

It has been a very busy time these last few weeks with Monmouth opening and shifting horses and people to new places. This past weekend we had an unfortunate death in the family as Paula's step father passed away, not entirely unexpectedly but it is still unsettling when it actually happens.

We want to offer belated congratulations to Rake Stables for Bourbon County who broke his maiden in impressive fashion by 14 lengths over MN breds at Canterbury Park last weekend. Bourbon County always showed a lot of talent though his physical stature did not allow him to be rushed to the races, Dr Rake was patient enough to allow us to let him to develop and mature enough to show what he can do. His patience was rewarded and the 95 Beyer figure that he received shows that the talent is actually there. We want to wish Bourbon County, Dr Rake and the Bernell Rhone stable the best of luck when  cleaning up the MN bred stakes this summer at Canterbury!

Unfortunately there is a bit of bad news as Coax Liberty who is a stakes winning, graded stakes placed mare owned by Copper Penny Stable has been retired after suffering an injury last week. She had made great strides and had recovered completely from an old, unrelated injury suffered last summer and we are all disappointed that we wont get a chance to campaign her this season. On a positive note she will make a terrific addition to the Copper Penny broodmare band as she is well made, interestingly bred and amply credentialed.

Some other good news involves quite a few horses closing in on or making their returns to the races as well as some nice debuts to report on. Small Town Talk has had 3 solid works as he moves closer to his return to the races after some nagging foot issues. Tentatively we are pointing to the series of older horses two-turn stakes at Monmouth Park where he had quite a bit of success last year. He is training phenomenally right now.

  Lyle's Angel ran really well this past Sunday at Monmouth Park finishing a fast closing 2nd in a $40000 claiming race off of a 15 month layoff. Dr Rake's  patience (and mine) was really tested with this filly as virtually every time she looked to be peaking and ready to run something else cropped up setting her back. Lyle's Angel cooled out well afterwards and we are hoping to knock off a couple races with her this Summer to try to make up for lost time. My assistant Susan Ditter and vet at Penn National, Dr. Kate Papp did a really good job nursing her through her latest maladies.

Malibu Murmur is entered to run this Friday in the 7th race at Monmouth Park which is a $25000 nw3 claiming race on the grass. She ran 3rd in a starter allowance race in her last at Atlantic City which was her 1st race after a brief layoff since the Winter. She has trained well and hopefully can workout a good trip under Pablo Fragoso.

Pennypennypenny made her debut at Penn National on Preakness day and ran a nice race finishing 3rd in a maiden special weight event. She should improve with more experience and possibly a move to the grass as there is plenty of turf in her pedigree. She has come a long way from the Timonium fall yearling sale in 2011 where she showed up unshod, with no xrays or scope report nor was she even prepped for the sale. I figured for the upset price she was worth a shot and it looks like she is going to be worth considerably more than that.

Midas Terms is back breezing again after sustaining an injury last fall. He has had five easy works and will start to more serious training as we are looking to a late June return for him.

All Peace N Quiet has about five weeks training in since coming back from an injury suffered when breaking her maiden by 12 last Fall.

Ciampini is also breezing after being out since last Summer with a mysterious, more or less unsolved injury. He has had 4 solid 1/2 miles and will work 5 furlongs this weekend at Monmouth Park.

Sweetjudyblue Eyes has also trained solidly since her return from a freshening and will be back in the entries shortly.

Frosty Merry Eri may be retired as she has not shown much in her two starts and may benefit from another career outside of racing.

Made to Love Her is training really well after missing some time with an infected leg that needed to be flushed surgically. Unfortunately the overuse of antibiotics in equines has led to "super bugs" that traditional broad spectrum antibiotics don't seem to be able to handle regardless of how quick you are on top of infections. The good news is that she is fine, showing no after effects and is a fresh, sound filly entering the summer season.

One Revolution raced greenly after breaking slow in her debut at Pimlico during Preakness week. She will surely improve with the race under her belt and we are considering several spots in the coming weeks.

Southern Access raced in dull fashion last out which is just not her. We are freshening her up a bit and will look for something for her later in the Summer.

Pleasantly Miranda is a late developing filly and is still experiencing growing pain though she has physically matured quite a bit over the last few months. Look for her at Monmouth/Delaware in a few weeks.

Frosty Whirl has finally turned the proverbial corner after seemingly endless minor issues. He is very frustrating to deal with but I believe that in the end he is talented enough to deal with it.

Oklahoma Den ran an improved 4th at Monmouth last weekend, tiring just a bit in the deep stretch. He seems to improve with each race and hopefully we can draw in this Sunday at Monmouth in a maiden 20000 turf race.

Tango Master and Nose First have been doing serious gate work as we get them ready for their career debuts. Tango is a much better student as Nose First needs additional schooling which is unusual considering how laid back in general he is.

Mustang Island is prepping for Penn's cheap turf race season to gear up and will be seen in the entries soon.

Latent Charm will be rejoining the stable this week. Looking forward to her getting back to the races.

I Can See Russia made up a lot of ground 1st time out and will run back in a week or so. She should also benefit from the experience.

Quick update

Just a quick report on some of the horses.

Oklahoma Den came out of his 4th place finish at Aqueduct in good shape though he admittedly was pretty tired afterwards. It is hard to bring a horse back off of a layoff when the weather doesn't allow a full week of training for months but I thought he ran pretty well. He is still green and it was encouraging to see him fight back in the stretch and pass some of the horses that has passed him on the turn. Probably back to the grass as he seems to handle it better than he did the dirt.

Small Town Talk continues to train well towards his season debut. His 103 work the other day at Penn doesn't look impressive on paper but considering he did most of it into a 30 mph headwind the time probably stands up pretty well. He will work again this week and we are looking for something for him towards the end of March/beginning of April.

Lyle's Angel is back in full training after a little colic scare that wound up with her in Mid Atlantic clinic for a couple of days. She is scheduled to work later this week and if all goes well she should be back (finally!) to the races in April.

Bourbon County and One Revolution shipped to Penn last week to do more advanced gate work in advance of their debuts. Bourbon is pointing to a March 30th race at Penn National and One Revolution's schedule is still up in the air until Pimlico's condition book comes out with it's turf schedule. It is possible she will get a race on the dirt as a prep for the grass especially if the weather continues to be miserable.

Speaking of turf, one horse who will not be getting a dirt prep, Mustang Island has trained well as he nears his comeback after a winter break. He is the future book favorite for the title of 2013's top 7500 middle distance turf claimer in the mid-Atlantic area.

Coax Liberty is doing great as she also trains along toward her 2013 comeback race. It will be great to run nice race mares like her, Made to Love Her and Lyle's Angel this Spring/summer. Cheaper horses have their place and if you are racing in this region they are a necessary component of most stables but good horses make it easier to get up early each morning.

Frosty Whirl is close to his return to the races. We will work him later this week and get a better idea of his readiness.

Pleasantly Miranda grabbed a quarter last week and missed a few days training but the injury is very minor and she is already back in full training.

I Can See Russia worked really well out of the gate on Saturday with one slight issue, she forgot to bring her jockey along for the ride!. She stumbled leaving the gate unseating JG Ramirez and proceeded to go ahead and work herself. Unscathed after the incident, she will try again this week as she also nears her debut.

I'm a little pressed for time today and will report on the ones I missed in a day or so.

Looking Forward

Today is the final "unofficial" day of Winter, as March showers may bring April flowers but as of tomorrow...no more snow! Well we hope that we have seen the last of it for it has been a tough season for trainers in the Northeastern portion of the US. That being said Laurel has turf races written in its upcoming condition book and Atlantic City's all grass schedule should be out soon and nothing says springtime louder than lower rung horses running on the weeds! If it would ever stop snowing/raining the turf should be lush at the mid-Atlantic tracks grass courses, except for Parx whose abysmal course needs a serious dose of Scott's turf builder.

Horse racing in the Northeastern area is at a crossroads right now in many respects but the fact is that the opportunities for horsemen in the region are very good. Monmouth and Delaware have released their condition books, the former with the same purse schedule as last season and the latter I believe has gotten a slight bump. Parx and Penn National still have healthy purses and Laurel/Pimlico have seen nothing but strong gains since the slots program in Maryland came on line. Charlestown has good purses considering the competition and for the better class horses, NYRA's purses are the best in the country.

Made to Love Her scratched out of the minor stakes at Charlestown that she was entered in on Tuesday due to sloppy conditions. We will look for a similar spot for her in the coming weeks.

Southern Access is going to be entered for next Wednesdays races at Penn National. She is coming off two blowout wins in a row and is being bumped up in class to the 10000 nw3 level. Hopefully the race will fill (Penn is going back to the 4 day a week schedule which will help the races with fewer than 10 entries go) and she can make it three in a row.

Bourbon County had a small setback last week but has recovered and is back in full training. We are thinking that he will launch his career this coming month.

Mustang Island has returned to full training and we hope to get him in a grass race sometime in April.

Frostys Whirl is just about ready to roll and we are searching for a NY bred maiden race sprinting for him.

Oklahoma Den is going to be entered for Mondays races at Parx or more likely for March 6th at Laurel.

Small Town Talk has trained really well lately and will work five furlongs this week. We are targeting the $250000 Mountainview Handicap at Penn as his main target for now with several stakes at Monmouth after that.

One Revolution has really progressed nicely since arriving and worked a solid half mile on Tuesday in 50.40 over a deep surface at Westampton. Everything would have to fall into place perfectly but there is an outside chance that she could make her debut at Laurel on March 30 in a MSW going 5 1/2 on the turf.

Nose First has been set back a few days with some respiratory issues but if this morning was any indication of how he is feeling, I'd say he is over his sickness.

Tango Master also had a lung infection but he is also back in good spirits and they both should resume their workout schedule this weekend weather permitting of course.

Pleasantly Miranda has continues to move ahead in her training. She has really grown into an imposing filly and is starting to match her coordination with that big body.

Malibu Murmur is in a holding pattern as we search for a good spot for her. With the turf season soon to arrive the number of potential races for her will widen immensely.

Coax Liberty has received a clean bill of health and has resumed full training at Penn National.

Frosty Merry Eri has been doing some gate work as she trains steadily towards her debut.

I Can See Russia picked up the pace in her latest workout, going 37.80 after a few leg stretchers in 40 to get her back acclimated to the dirt surface. She is due to work  back in a day or so.

Lyle's Angel had been training well before a little bout with colic/ovary issues ended up with her in Mid Atlantic clinic for a little visit. She is fine and will resume normal training tomorrow.

Midas Terms is returning to the track at Penn National tomorrow and will resume training right away.

Written Word is going to get one last chance on March 6th.

Post Super Bowl Report

What does the Super Bowl have to do with the stable? Outside of the fact we have a light out in the office at Westampton... nothing but the end of football season means we are inching closer to the end of Winter. Had a pretty productive week of training and did manage to win another race which is always a good thing.

Southern Access won her 2nd race in a row Friday night at Penn National. In her 1st race against winners, she quickly moved to the lead, maintained a clear margin and won by 10 lengths. We will look to make it three in a row on March 6th at Penn.

One Revolution a 3 year old Langfuhr filly owned by Dee Tee stable arrived from Virginia last week and has blended right into the stable seamlessly. She worked in company this morning with another newcomer Nose First, going an easy 3 furlongs in 38.20. She did everything right and should maintain a regular work schedule.

Nose First is a 3 year old PA bred by Outflanker owned by his breeder Laura and Larry Ensor's Gum Tree Stable. He did well in his first dirt work and also will move right along in his training.

Malibu Murmur has been entered for Thursday afternoons 8th race at Laurel. The race is a 35000 nw3 claiming race going 1 1/16th and we drew post position number 5 in an 8 horse field. Josean Ramirez who rode her to victory in her last will go down to ride her.

                                                    Malibu Murmur galloping at Penn Nat'l


Pleasantly Miranda worked in company with Frosty Merry Eri this morning, going 51.20. They broke off a bit slow and picked it up nicely, finishing the last 1/8 in 12.00 under no urging. Both fillies cooled out well and will work again next weekend.

Lyle's Angel two minute licked 1 1/4 this morning and did really well. She may have an easy work next weekend if she has a good week of training.

Oklahoma Den worked a solid 102.10 today in company with Bourbon County. We are looking for a spot for him to make his return to the races. Bourbon County also worked well and should be ready soon.

Lyford is not progressing as we had hoped and is going to be sent back to the farm.

All Peace N Quiet is hand walking as she recovers from injury.

Tango Master worked in 51.00 by himself this morning. He finished up the work with good energy and is developing nicely.

Small Town Talk was back on the work tab on Saturday. We will work him four furlongs this week as we develop a game plan to get him back to the races though potentially an allowance race at Laurel at the end of the month as a prep for the Excelsior at Aqueduct in March is a possibility.

Small Town Talk

Made to Love Her had a maintenance work on Friday going 1/2 in 50.80 at Penn. Hopefully we can find a race for her soon that attracts a sufficient number of entries to allow it to go.

Coax Liberty continues to improve and if we can get a patch of good weather it will help her progress immensely.

                                                           Coax Liberty on Saturday

Mustang Island was back under tack this week, jogging a few miles this weekend. He will gradually return to full training and we hope to have him ready to run once turf season opens back up at the area tracks.

Frostys Whirl worked a solid 101.60 from the gate on Friday at Penn and is about ready to go back into the entry box.

Monday Holiday Update

We were lucky enough to sneak some works in this past weekend though this coming week looks bleak.
The track at Westampton was deep and the track at Penn was pretty normal. The Westampton works may not have reached equibase yet

Bourbon County went well, clocking a half mile in 49.30 breezing under a tight hold. He was a little winded afterwards but considering how deep the track was that's to be expected. We will do some more gate work with him this week and perhaps breeze from the gate next weekend.

Frosty Merry Eri and Tango Master went in company in 51.60. They are good work partners and we will go in company again next week. We will also get some gate work in for both of them this week.

Oklahoma Den went five furlongs in 103 finishing up well and also blowing pretty hard afterwards. He is perhaps a work or two away from being ready to run.

Pleasantly Miranda went in 39.60 in her second work back off of the layoff. She is a long striding type and did not appreciate the ground at all. April at Atlantic City is probably the goal for her right now.

Pennypennypenny went in 36.40 at Penn which was a little quicker than we were hoping for. She is really fast but needs to learn to listen to the rider a little better.

Frosty Whirl went a good five furlongs in 101.80 at Penn on Friday which was 4th fastest of 16 to work at the distance. He is also a work or two away from being ready to run.

Lyford went in 104 the same day and needs to start picking it up or he is going to wind up over jumps sooner than later.

Ski Bum is making his debut in Thursdays 7th race at Penn National.

Malibu Murmur has been entered in the Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel on Saturday afternoon. She drew on the also eligible list as the race overfilled and we may not run even if we draw in.

Small Town Talk is going to record his 1st work later this week since running 4th in the Fall High weight Handicap at Aqueduct on Thanksgiving day.

Mid-Winter Blues

Winter has officially settled in throughout the Northeastern part of the country. Winter weather of course wreaks havoc with training schedules as planning beyond 24 hours often becomes a futile battle. This week in particular has been rough as we have had periods of rain, snow, sleet, sun, a warming trend and soon to be freezing temperatures. One little secret of training thoroughbreds is understanding that our training plans aren't always 100% perfect and an extra day off or easy day of training every now and then is probably beneficial. That being said we have a number of horses that are tearing down the barn right now as they are overdue to breeze and I am just not willing to do too much speed work over sloppy or uneven surfaces. We have the benefit of having jogging machines at Westampton where the horses can get some exercise in when the track is just not kosher like this morning and Penn National does a pretty good job with its surface but training in the Winter in the Northeast is a challenge.

Made to Love Her caught a really top class filly last Saturday at Laurel in Bold Affair who won the What a Summer stakes by almost 5 lengths after holding up the start of the race, balking at the gate for five minutes. Made to Love Her raced along the inside chasing fast fractions, got untracked too late and finished 6th, though only beaten a few lengths for 2nd and galloping out strong after the wire. We will be looking to stretch her out in her next start which may come in allowance company sometime in February.

Lyle's Angel has picked up the pace in her training and her appetite as well. Despite being a fairly normal sized filly, she requires an enormous amount of feed and hay and never leaves an oat behind. Looking forward to getting her back to the races.

Small Town Talk has been training well and is ready to have his first work since he returned to full training after a brief freshening. Hopefully the weather will allow us to sneak in an easy work this weekend. 

                                                      Small Town Talk at Westampton

Frosty Whirl worked an easy 1/2 mile last week and hopefully will get to work tomorrow or Saturday. We are going to probably going to stretch him out to 5 furlongs for this next breeze.

Oklahoma Den is really thriving in the mornings and is one that I am semi-desperate to work this weekend as he is overdue to do something and has been letting us know it. 

Ski Bum and Lyford have been training partners and worked from the gate last week. We are going to perhaps get them to breeze in company this weekend. Ski Bum is ready to run and Lyford isn't too far behind.

Tango Master has trained nicely and we have started to do some gate work with him. He is also scheduled to breeze this weekend.

Frosty Merry Eri is doing fine and is also overdue to work this weekend. She will be moving to the racetrack soon as she is ready to get her gate card.

Bourbon County also is in need of a strong work. He has been training very well and a mid-February first start for him has been targeted.

All Peace N Quiet is recovering nicely from her leg injury and is due to be re-xrayed soon.

Midas Terms is also on the mend and has exceeded all expectations thus far and is not that far away from a return to the racetrack.

Coax Liberty is another that has had her training hampered by wet racetracks. While we are cautious in our approach to training her in general, the muddy tracks have been a real hindrance.

Mustang Island, Outta Jail and Southern Access have maintained status quo.

Rochelle Rochelle has been retired from racing and we are actively seeking a new home and 2nd career for her.

Malibu Murmur has trained well since her win a few weeks back. We are weighing a few options for her including allowance races or a potential shot at getting some black type.

Pennypennypenny and Pleasantly Miranda are both doing well and are awaiting a good track over which they can safely breeze. 

Angry Dragon and Red Baroness have been booked to leading freshman sire Frost Giant for the upcoming breeding season. 

                                            Angry Dragon in the paddock at Monmouth Park

Quick Note

Charlessimonracing.com is back online and fully updated.

2013? So far so good

We are off to a fast start in 2013 as both of our runners have been easy winners in career best fashion. Last night at Penn National, Malibu Murmur overcame a flat footed start which caused her to be much further off of the pace than usual to score an impressive allowance race victory. On Thursday night Southern Access ran away from maidens in her first try around two turns registering her first victory by over 8 lengths. While I don't expect to remain undefeated the entire year hopefully these results forebode a great year for Charles Simon Racing and our owners.

Small Town Talk returned to racetrack training last week after a short break following his 4th place finish in the Fall High Weight at Aqueduct. He didn't seem to lose too much fitness and we are shooting for a mid to late February return to the races for him. While he didn't run poorly in the sprint we are most likely going to go back to two turn races for him.

Lyle's Angel is back in full training and is doing great. She is showing no ill effects from surgery and is scheduled to begin galloping this week. A return to the races in March is what we are shooting for.

Made to Love Her ran really well when coming in 3rd in the Willa on the Move stakes at Laurel on December 15th. That was her 1st race back off of a 8 month layoff and her first foray against older fillies and mares. She has trained well since and is scheduled to return to Laurel on Saturday to race in the 6 furlong $125000 What a Summer stakes. Josean Ramriez who rode Malibu Murmur in her win last night will ride Made to Love Her.

Mustang Island is in light training and will be given some time off for the winter. We are pointing him to come back to the races on the turf at Atlantic City.

All Peace N Quiet is getting some R & R at Gum Tree farm and is doing well after being injured while breaking her maiden a few weeks back.

Tango Master had his 3rd published work on Saturday at Westampton going in 51.10 under Angel Castillo, Jr. He finished up well and will work another 1/2 this coming week.

Bourbon County went in 49 flat at Westampton on Saturday. He did it the right way, was under no pressure from the rider and came out of it in good order. He will work another 1/2 on Friday or Saturday.

Ski Bum is ready for his debut but the maiden race scheduled at Penn didn't fill. We will search for an extra race for his 1st start.

Rochelle Rochelle was entered to run last week but the races were cancelled due to poor weather conditions. We are looking to run her in a 4000 nw 6 months race going two turns soon.

Coax Liberty has done well though her training has been hampered by the weather more than most of the others as she doesn't train on off tracks.

Frostys Whirl dumped his rider on the way to the racetrack on Saturday before posting a 50 workout. He has trained nicely on the track despite his often boorish behavior off
of it. We are thinking that he will be ready to roll in February.

Frosty Merry Eri is far better mannered than our other Frost Giant 3 year old. She also worked on Saturday getting 1/2 mile in 51.2 at Westampton. We are going to do some gate work with her this week and she will work one more 1/2 mile next weekend.

Latent Charm underwent surgery to remove a chip from her knee a few weeks back at NJ Equine Clinic. The operation went well and she should recover fully and be back to the races late spring/early summer.

Midas Terms is going to resume jogging later this week.

Oklahoma Den worked in 50.30 on Saturday at Westampton. This was his second good work in a row and we will look to stretch his works out a bit before finding a spot to run him.

Pennypennypenny missed a little time over the holidays due to minor sickness. She is back on track and will pop out of the starting gate on Wednesday.

Outta Jail still hasn't been able to get her surgical procedure completed due to some unrelated health issues. We are hoping to get this done this week as she is feeling much better.

Pleasantly Miranda had her first recorded work since the late Summer yesterday going 3 furlongs in 39 seconds. She moved well, looked good afterwards and will continue on a steady work schedule.

Angry Dragon and Red Baroness were both retired last fall and will be bred to NY based stallion Frost Giant this spring.

It's December already

As the calender turns to December we are now officially in the homestretch of 2012. It has been an interesting year filled with the typical ups and downs of thoroughbred racing. We have made some new friends both equine and human and also said good bye to a number of others. The new year will usher in some changes at Charles Simon Racing, quite a few improvements that help make our owners horse racing experience even better. There will be an official announcement after the holiday season concludes.

Small Town Talk tried sprinting in the Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct on Thanksgiving day. At the break the horse directly to his inside stumbled into him causing Small Town Talk to grab his right front shoe off. After trailing down the backside he had a hard time making up any ground on the leaders who were setting blistering fractions on a speed favoring surface. He wound up 4th ahead of Kings Bishop winner Willy Beamin. We will be looking to stretch him back out around two turns on the inner track later this Winter.

Coax Liberty worked at Penn National this morning. She went an easy three furlongs in 37 and change, galloping out nicely. She will work again next week and we are looking forward to getting her back to the races in 2013.

Pennypennypenny also worked this morning at Penn National. This was her 1st half mile work and she went in 51.00. She will work another half next week, perhaps out of the starting gate.

Mustang Island is being pointed to a bottom level claiming race going 5 furlongs at Penn National on December 12.

Made to Love Her worked really well on Thursday going 102.20 out of the gate. The Willa on the Move stakes at Laurel on December 15th or the Raging Fever stakes at Aqueduct on December 16th are possibilities for her 1st start back off of the layoff.

Oklahoma Den is dealing with some stifle issues and we are going to send him to Penn to train on the bigger track. It isn't a serious problem but the track at the farm is too deep and the turns are too tight for him.

All Peace N Quiet finally broke through and ran the type of race that we thought she was capable of, winning on the 13th by 12 lengths. Unfortunately she came out of the race with an injury that will keep her sidelined for a few months.

Outta Jail is heading back to the clinic to have another surgical procedure this week. Frustrating but with her issue not many other options.

Ski Bum worked in 106 this morning at Penn National. He went the first 1/2 in 50 and change but loafed a bit after his workmate who was only going 1/2 pulled up. We are targeting a maiden 10000 race on the 22nd for his debut.

Southern Access trains good, runs bad. Back in next Tuesday night in a maiden 5000k race.

I Can See Russia is having issues with her respiratory health and immune system. We are considering sending her to GumTree Farm to recover completely before racing her.

Rochelle Rochelle had a little tune up race on Friday night going 5 1/2 furlongs. She will be entered back for December 11th going two turns provided she trains well.

Pleasantly Miranda has been jogging but is ready to turn back around and start galloping once again. She has really filled out and doesn't look like a 2 year old any longer.

Midas Terms got the ok from the vet to start hand walking and will soon be turned out in a small paddock.

Goonsquad worked in 38.0 this morning at Westampton. That was her first work since June and we are hoping to keep her on a regular work schedule in hopes of getting her back to the races.

Bourbon County had a little foot bruise this week but is back on track and should work again this coming week.

Latent Charm's race didnt fill and she remains in a holding pattern as we try to find the proper race for her.

Frosty's Whirl is training forwardly and should start serious works soon.

Frosty Merry Eri has really turned the corner in her training and will also soon have a published work.

Malibu Murmur worked an easy 1/2 mile in 50 at Penn National. We are searching for a two turn NW2 race for her.

Lyle's Angel is back at the barn and is walking under tack but will be returning to full training soon.

Winding down 2012

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only a little more than a week away. For the most part we are settled into our winter quarters of Westampton Training Center and Penn National racetrack. This morning the temperatures in South Jersey were in the mid 60's though perhaps that may be fool's gold as the lows tonight are supposed to be down into the 30's and with that the last vestiges of Summer will seem to have been extinguished.

Small Town Talk worked in his usual pokey 103 this morning at Westampton though considering the track was pretty slow today that might be a better move than usual for him. He is scheduled to run in the Swatara Stakes next Wednesday at Penn National. The Swatara is a $100000 race going 1 1/16th on the main track and Pedro Cotto is scheduled to ride.

Made to Love Her also worked this morning going four furlongs in 49.40 at Penn National under jockey Erica-Micklos. We moved up her work a day because of the expected rain coming tonight and she finished up well enough to stretch her next work out another furlong probably on Sunday. There are a number of possibilities for her 1st race back off of the layoff including an allowance race or several stakes in New York or Maryland.

Oklahoma Den only went three furlongs this morning as he was struggling with the deep ground. He went in  38.10 and appears to want a tighter surface than the one offered at Westampton this morning.

Bourbon County was just stretching his legs a bit, shaking off the cobwebs that may have developed since his last work in August. He has matured quite a bit since summer and we are anxious to get him rolling once again.

All Peace N Quiet has been installed as the 9/5 morning line choice in Tuesdays 8th race at Penn National. We are all hoping that the fifteenth try is the charm in her quest to finally shed that professional maiden title. Manny Chaves has the riding assignment from post position number six in a field of eight.

Southern Access is also entered to run tomorrow night at Penn National in the 2nd race. That race is  a maiden event for $12500 going 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt. After several futile attempts to get her on the turf this fall we have finally succumbed to the inevitable call of the winter months and placed her back into a dirt race. She has trained well despite the time off and hopefully will run well in this spot where she may be overlooked due to her inactivity and poor recent form in her last few starts this spring. 

Pleasantly Miranda, Frosty's Whirl, Frosty Merry Eri and Goonsquad are all training well as they work their way towards the races.

Mustang Island is stuck on the proverbial island in the middle of nowhere as a turf only horses in the Northeastern past of the countries increasingly dirt only world.

Coax Liberty relocated to Penn National to get a bit more serious in her training on the road back to the races. She had an easy work last week and will soon be back on the work tab as she acclimates to the surface at Penn.

I Can See Russia steadily chugs along toward her debut. She worked in 106 in company with older filly Rochelle Rochelle on Saturday though the time seems extraordinarily slow they worked faster than 5 others at the distance with the days fastest time of 25 workers being 102.20. She doesn't have sprinters speed but does have some quality and will be better going two turns as she grows into her frame.

Latent Charm worked the same day in 104 though the clockers didn't publish the work for whatever reason.

We are looking for a spot to run Malibu Murmur and there are several at Penn, Parx and Laurel towards the end of the month. She has done well recently and should improve off of her disappointing comeback race at the Meadowlands.

Moonstruck Cowboy ran 4th last Friday night at Penn and was claimed out of the race.  I'm not sure what the jockey was thinking of when engaging in a three way speed duel with a horse who stalks and could have had a seemingly perfect trip but that is Jevon Crumleys problem to deal with now.

Pennypennypenny is at Penn and she continues to train forwardly for her much awaited debut.

Ski Bum continues to keep his speed in check while working though he did manage to get approval from the starting gate last week. He is relentless and should make his debut sometime in December in the 1st step on the road to the North Dakota Derby.

Getting sorted out after Sandy

We survived hurricane Sandy relatively unscathed especially compared to many others in the area. While the training center in Westampton and Penn National escaped without much damage, Monmouth Park wasn't as fortunate. The last weekends race card at the Meadowlands was scrapped and Monmouth Park's backside suffered some damage and flooding and the racetrack was deemed unsafe for training without a significant overhaul which at this point in the season seemed pointless. We are in the process of moving our remaining horses out of Monmouth to Westampton and Penn. That process has been hampered by the conditions in Northern New Jersey and the shore area including a lack of power and gasoline and the fact that everyone is wanting to leave at the same time which has put additional strain on the shipping companies. We should have everyone settled in by the weekend when we can go back to focusing solely on finding winning spots for the horses.

Small Town Talk ran very well last Friday when finishing 2nd to grade 1 winner Hymn Book in the Frank "Pancho" Martin stakes at Belmont Park. The race which featured three other graded winners including Monmouth Cup winner Rule was run over a sloppy track on a rainy, gray day. Pedro Cotto rated Small Town Talk in 3rd behind a solid pace and moved to briefly take the lead turning for home before being passed by Hymn Book in the stretch while finishing a clear 2nd, 12 1/4 lengths ahead of Rule who was third. He continues to improve with each start and we are planning to run next in the $100000 Swatara Stakes at Penn National on Thanksgiving eve.

                                                                Small Town Talk

Midas Terms had two tough trips in both his October races finishing 2nd and 3rd in order. He came out of the last race with a minor injury which will sideline him for the remainder of the year but he should come back 100 percent next year.

Made to Love Her worked really well last week going 49.1 under a strong hold at Westampton. That was only her 2nd work coming off of the layoff and she is training quite forwardly for her return to the races. Right now we are planing on a tuneup in an allowance race prior to moving back into stakes competition with her. She has relocated to Penn National to continue her training on a larger track.

                                                         Made to Love Her galloping

Pennypennypenny shipped out to Penn National this morning and will begin more serious training as she works toward her debut.

Coax Liberty is training well at Westampton. We have been slowly picking up the intensity of her training and she is responding well and while we still mix in some swimming she is close to a timed work as long as the weather cooperates.

                                                                       Coax Liberty

Bourbon County is now at Westampton while still in light training awaiting maturation of his knees. He has grown so much over the last few months and is very impressive looking.

All Peace N Quiet ran a decent 2nd last week at Penn National. She made a nice move to get into contention around the final turn but a shipper dropping down in company from Delaware park had gotten the jump on her and she just couldn't make up the ground in time. I won't hold the fact that she has single handily depressed my winning percentage for the year against her as we will try her back soon in a similar spot.

Latent Charm was a little headstrong and set too strong of a pace and paid the price for it as she tired in the stretch in her first try against winners. We are regrouping with her and going to work on getting her to relax and listen to the rider though cutting back in distance is not out of the question either.

Angry Dragon was sent to the farm on Wednesday and may be retired soon.

Candy Lass has been sent to Gumtree Farm and may be retired from racing.

Frosty Merry Eri has been training well at the farm and is close to a timed workout.

Frostys Whirl is relocating to Westampton and will also have a workout soon though the hurricane has caused him to miss most of this weeks training at Monmouth.

Goonsquad is also close to an official workout at Westampton. She hasn't run since this summer at Monmouth.

I Can See Russia is developing quickly though she can still remind you of the fact that she is a two year old on occasion. She is scheduled to work out of the gate this week and we are hoping to make her initial start in November.

                                                                   I Can See Russia

Moonstruck Cowboy ran a very good race in his last start, just missing at the 16000 nw2 level. We are looking to run him back next week at Penn in a similar spot.

Oklahoma Den ran greenly in his first start last week at the Meadowlands. He broke a touch slow and then was cut off going into the first turn which left him last a few lengths behind the next to last horse. he made a nice move on the 2nd turn and made up quite a bit of ground to finish 6th. We are looking at running him back in a NY bred race at Aqueduct soon.

Pleasantly Miranda is going to start tack walking next week as we ease her back into the training routine.

                                                Pleasantly Miranda and Hank last Spring

Rochelle Rochelle worked 1/2 mile in 51 last week and is scheduled to work again tomorrow. She should be ready to run by the end of the month.

Sweetjudyblue Eyes was turned out at Gumtree Farm for a brief freshening.

Ski Bum has 3 official works and is scheduled to work again this weekend as he inches closer to his debut.

Verveitup has been retired from racing and is being retrained as a show horse.

Southern Access was supposed to run at the Meadowlands on one of the cancelled days so we are looking for an alternate spot for her as she is ready to roll.

Malibu Murmur was also scheduled for a possible race this weekend at the Meadowlands and another spot has to be found for her as well. 

Fall in full swing

The weather has cooled off, the leaves are changing, Monmouth Park's meet is over and the Breeders Cup preps have been run. It is officially Fall. We are hoping to get a bunch of the turf runners in one or two last races on the turf before the grass courses are shut down. This weekend we are entering 5 horses at the Meadowlands all-turf meet and keeping our fingers crossed that the races go, we get in and we don't get too much rain since there is no main track to get moved to.

Small Town Talk skipped the Hoosier race and is now being pointed to an overnight stakes at Belmont next Friday. He worked at Monmouth this past Saturday going 116.40 and will work this weekend prior to the race.

Malibu Murmur is ready to run after her last work at Monmouth this past Saturday getting 4 furlongs in 48.20. She will be entered for Saturday's races in either a 25000 nw2 race or a nw1x allowance race both obviously on the grass. Pablo Fragoso will be riding.

Southern Access will also be making her 1st start since the Spring (hopefully!) on Saturday in a maiden 25000 race going 5 furlongs at the Meadowlands. She has trained really well and being by City Zip should take to the grass.

Latent Charm tuned up for a possible start at the Meadowlands going 49.20 at Penn Nat'l on Saturday morning. We are looking at trying her in an allowance race Saturday at the Meadowlands to see how she handles the turf. If she doesn't run this weekend there is a potential race for her October 18th at Penn Nat'l on the dirt in an allowance race.

All Peace N Quiet is going to be entered for Saturdays races at Penn Nat'l in search of her maiden win. We are dropping in class and switching back to the dirt and keeping our fingers crossed that the race goes.

Angry Dragon came out of her last race a little banged up and hasn't bounced back quite as well as hoped. Right now there are no solid plans for her until we can get her 100% again.

Candy Lass has had zero luck at the entry box lately, either not getting in races or having them rained off the turf when she does actually draw in. She worked well on Saturday at Monmouth before she dropped her rider and returned home to the barn on her own. We are entering her for Fridays Meadowlands card in a maiden 20000 race going 1 mile on the grass. Edit-She is in the 2nd race on Friday at the Meadowlands.

Bourbon County has been training in a steady holding pattern for quite some time as we wait for his knees to close enough to start breezing again. He has grown up and is starting to really fill out.

                                                                 Bourbon County

Coax Liberty has been in light training with some swimming mixed in and we are going to start to pick up the pace with her.

Frosty Merry Eri started jogging this week. She has been doing double duty in the pool to try to get some of the weight off of her without putting too much stress on her. Her sire, 1st year stallion Frost Giant has been hot lately.

Frostys Whirl is back in light training after having had his shins pinfired.

Goonsquad is at Westampton doing some swimming as she works towards making it back to the races. She was pretty much the worst swimmer that we have had but has improved quite a bit.

I Can See Russia had her 2nd official work last Saturday going 3 furlongs in 39.20 at Penn Nat'l on Saturday. She is a nice filly who can go much faster but we are trying to ease her into speed work and maintain the good groundwork done by Larry Ensor who happens to be her breeder and owner. She has done very well in the gate and will work again on Friday or Saturday.

                                                                  I Can See Russia

Lyle's Angel is progressing nicely while recovering from knee surgery. She is being turned out in a paddock and soon will start back under tack.

Made to Love Her has settled into a nice training pattern at Westampton where we can train her with no one else on the track. She is a little bit excitable and because she is recovering from injury we want to get as much training into her as we can without her acting up.

                                                     Made to Love Her loves training

Moonstruck Cowboy is ready to roll and unfortunately what happens far too often these days we can't get him into a race. We will be entering him tomorrow at Penn and hoping for the best.

Mustang Island is in the 6th race on Friday at the Meadowlands. The race is a 7500 claiming race going 5 furlongs on the grass. Pedro Cotto rides from post 2 in a field of 10.

Midas Terms ran a good 2nd Saturday night at Penn Nat'l. He will be running back in a similar spot in a few weeks.

Oklahoma Den worked really well on Saturday at Monmouth. He went 5 furlongs in 102.40 from the gate finishing up really well. We are looking for him to make his 1st start on October 20th at the Meadowlands on the turf.

                                                          Oklahoma Den at Monmouth

Outta Jail is back in training after a minor setback. We will be looking for a maiden race for her sometime in November at Penn National

Pennypennypenny is training well at Westampton. She will breeze next week and we are hoping that she makes it to the races before the end of the year.

                                                                 Pennypennypenny


Pleasantly Miranda is still growing and we aren't pushing her as she matures. She has talent though as a big growing horse she will probably do better at longer distances and possibly on the grass.

Rochelle Rochelle is training at a little farm near Penn National where Susan is riding her on trails and up and down the hills in the fields. She is going to ship to the track on Friday to breeze and go right back to the farm where she seems to enjoy life more than at the racetrack. Hoping to get her back to the races sometime in November.

 Ski Bum had his first official work on Saturday at Penn. He didn't go fast but he made it around without incident and will come back and work a little faster this week.

Sweetjudyblue Eyes worked an easy 1/2 mile last week and has been doing some swimming in addition to regular trackwork. We are looking for a PA bred allowance race for her in the coming weeks.