Tims Update 6

Posted July 2, 2008

Update 176: What a nice crisp Friday morning. I have just a brief update today from a very short conversation with the trainer. Little Bubble Gum is doing fine and staying sound which is really great news. We are looking forward to getting her to the races. Tim is on his way to the Meadowlands tonight with Vicar's Tune. I'm not sure what sort of race it is but he is a tough bugger and hopefully he will run well. Tim also has Ms. M.V.P. who is a first time started making her debut in the last race at Laurel Park today. She has grown up so much since coming to our barn from the Two Year Old in Training Sale in May. We will get to see a little of what she's made of today. Now that the yearling sale is over hopefully I will get some more updates from Tim Woolley racing.

Later

Update 175: Just had an update from the trainer. Apparently the owner Juanita is as tough as her filly. Juanita went and had a cast put on her foot and found someone to take her to the races. Who's Happy ran great and finished second after some speed got out in front. Tim reports that both horse and owner are fine. What a day!!!

Update 174: At least the rain has given us a break on this Monday morning. I have had just a brief update from Tim. Who's Happy is on the way to Philadelphia Park. Unfortunately, her owner slipped on some wet grass this morning and broke her ankle. These owners are very hands on. Mr. Bennett can always be found leading Happy in the paddock and his wife Juanita helps hot walk and tack up and anything else that is needed. The kids can also be found in the wings waiting to lend a hand. Tim briefly said something about Juanita slipping and something to do with a paint gun? Lets hope the filly runs well. Here at the yearling sale things are a bit rough. All week the mud has caused trouble and now with the sale is not going well. I'm not sure how these horseman can make a living sometimes. Anyway, I spoke with Bill Mailley today. We used to have Rockin Fun for him. He is doing great and won't be far from the races. Other than that I hope Happy runs well.

Later

Update 173: What a rainy Saturday. I thought that perhaps today the weather would be like yesterday in that it would threaten to rain but actually be fairly dry. That is not the case. It is coming down in cats and dogs. Anyway, the horses are generally not bothered by the rain. Tim has had the massage therapist at the barn giving several of our horses some therapy. The horses stand quietly and seem to truely enjoy the hands on approach to treatment. Our Hearthrob breezed again yesterday and is steadily progressing towards the races. It is so nice to follow a horse from start to finish. We may have to give Mike some tranquilizer when she runs but she is one tough cookie. The apple didn't fall far from the tree. Who's Happy is running on Monday on the turf at Philadelphia Park. She has come out of her last race so well that Tim thought she could run back quickly. At least this save both horse and rider trying to keep her in check in the mornings around the track. Running back so quickly means that she doesn't actually have to do much training in between her races. Anyway, down here in Timonium the people stabled in tents in the infield are getting flooded. The horses seem fine so far but the people are a bit grumpy which is to be expected. I have asked my boss to do a sun dance and his report is that it will come on Monday. Lets hope the weather gets better because other recent sales have declined in sales and I expect it won't be any differant for the Maryland Sale. More from Tim later.

Update 172: It is 54 degrees this fine Thursday morning and although the horses enjoy a bit cooler weather, the trainer is fretting about the cold already. Who's Happy, Vicar's Tune, Powdered Donut, and Saar Treaty have all come out of their races bright eyed and content. Vicar's Tune is so confident with himself that he is now trying to nip at people who happen to be standing too close. It is nice to see him so happy. Tim had a runner yesterday at Presque Isle. She was a first time starter going five and a half furlongs. I'm sorry to say that she has an unusual name and I'm not sure of the spelling but her name sounds like Shlatycooloo. Again this is completely mispelled. She is a two year old filly by Cetewayo. She left the gate running and if she hadn't gotten pinched back at the three eights pole, she would have been right there to perhaps win. In the end she finished third. It seems as though Tim will be having some fun with her. ANyway, I will try to give you another update later when I speak with the trainer.

Later

Update 171: These cool mornings have the horses really hopping. It sounds as though it will be a busy weekend for Tim. Vicar's Tune will be running at Laurel Park on the turf and Who's Happy will be running at Philadelphia Park. Sweet Ginger Brown and Triumphant had their owner visiting this morning. Ginger has really been enjoying this cooler weather. Last night at feed time she was jumping around her stall and being very animated about her dinner. Most of the time she is very quiet. Saar Treaty has come back from her race eating everything in sight. I took a few minutes this morning to walk Veiled Reference to the track. She is an active girl and we are trying to make sure she stays as quiet as posible. Paris Night is still being carefully watched by the veterinarian. She has had a blockage since Sunday. We were ok to turn her out in a porta pad this morning to let her eat some grass. She seemed fairly content. If all goes well she will be given her first flake of hay. Hopefully she can return to our barn in the next day or two. Lily breezed her first half mile yesterday and did it easily. She was resting quietly this morning. Anyway, if I get anymore of an update I will let you know.

Later

Update 170: What a gorgeous Monday morning. Tim Woolley Racing had a great weekend beginning with Saar Treaty running a great race at Laurel and then Powdered Donut running a bang up race at Presque Isle. Both fillies are back home and taking a few days of rest. Robbie also rode a winner for Paul Rowland at Kentucky Downs on Saturday. Tim is trying to find a race for Who's Happy and she still gives him quite a workout. Sweet Ginger Brown should be running again within the next week to ten days and I'm sure she will be happy to get going. Ginger gets bored easily and likes to be in the action. Mrs. M.V.P. is coming along nicely and is getting very close to the races. She is eating well and talks for her dinner every night. What a joy to be around. Little Bubble Gum is breezing steadily and is ready to make the move to three eighths of a mile. She is a very forward filly and we need to let her body catch up with her brain. Bubble Gum is very smart and knows just what she wants and wants it all right now. It should be quite interesting getting her to the races. Paris Night (big,gorgeous filly by Louis Quatorze) has had a bit of an impaction all weekend. The veternarian is keeping an eye on her and hopefully she will have some relief soon. Rajasthan came out of last weeks race just fine and will now be turned out for the winter. He should be leaving in the next day or two to have his break. Hopefully we can bring him back next year with a little more luck. Luke spent the weekend without his little Whippie who had to go to a pony club event rally. He made out just fine but was sure happy to see her last night. Whip had a clean round stadium jumping and also a clean round cross country. The only trouble she had was in dressage where she would not pick up on her right lead . Uncle Tim and Meghan have been working on this but it will take a little time. Anyway, both horse and rider had a great weekend and returned to the farm unblemished. Remember, something goods going to happen today, look for it!!!

Later

Update 169: Sorry for the short notice on this one but the trainer just called to report that Saar Treaty won her race at Laurel Park by five lengths. Finally Tim was able to enter her in a race going long for two year old fillies. He did have some concern because Michael Matz and Graham Motion had entries but she managed to win handily. I only just heard late last night that he was going to the races with her today or I would have given you more notice. Congratulations to her connections. We will try to find out if she was Saarland's first winner.

More later if I get another update.

Update 168: Sorry for the brief hiatus blogging. This morning most of the horses got trained before the deluge. We are excited to get much needed rain to help the ground soften a bit.
Rajasthan is off the run at Presque Isle tomorrow. He was his usual active self while I tacked him up this morning. Vicar's Tune will also be running tomorrow at Laurel Park. I had a great time giving him a bath this morning and he is such a love. Hopefully both of these boys will run great tomorrow. Saar Treaty continues to train well while we are trying desperately to get her into a longer race for two year old fillies. Who's Happy is aiming for another race and continues to tote Tim around the track everyday. You would think that with such a workout everyday Tim would be loosing the roll around the middle he has acquired with middle age. We have a new chestnut filly in the barn and her name is DDtaxwhatyouwant otherwise know as Taxi. She is such a sweetheart and is as quiet as a mouse in the barn. She is by the sire Artax and I haven't seen many Artax babies but she is quite pretty and has a lot of Chrome. King Congaree continues to get taller and taller. He is doing great and has kept a great personality while still being a colt. I can't wait to get him to the races. Sweet Ginger Brown is looking to run again. She now has all kinds of toys in her stall to keep her occupied. She gets bored very easily. Veiled Reference is still causing lots of commotion in the barn. She is a happy girl and everyone knows it. Marcy Lee (know as Lily & Who's Happy's little sister) continues to get meaner and meaner. She will reach over the stall door to bite you and you need eyes in the back of your head when your walking away from her. That's OK with us because all good fillies have a mean streak. Tim reports that she covers the ground effortlessly and he is getting excited about her. Powdered Donut is looking for another race. Turf season is getting tough on us now and it continues to get harder to get in. I took a few minutes on Sunday to groom on Mrs. M.V.P. and she is really growing tall. She is looking more like a grown up. Tim and I went to a wonderful event on Friday Night at the Maryland Polo Grounds. We enjoyed our first polo match and also took part in an auction to benefit the Cool Kids Campaign. The Cool Kids Campaign supports children with cancer and their families nation wide. What a great night we had. I sincerely hope they raised lots of money. This is the first polo match that either one of us had seen and it was quite exciting. I'm not sure either one of us would be good at swinging such a large mallet while staying on a horse but it might be fun to try. Anyway, we had a great time and the weather was perfect. I'll try to corner the trainer and get some more barn information for you.

Later

Update 167: This Monday morning was a pretty good one. Who's Happy ran at Philadelphia Park and tried to keep up with the sprinters. She gave it her all down the lane but when she dug in the front runners dug in faster. She came home fine and has suffered no ill affects from her race. Rajashthan seems fine after his third place finish last week. He seems a bit body sore but nothing that can't be managed. Sweet Ginger Brown was a star for her first race and she has come home in great shape. Sprinting will not be her thing but Tim needed to start somewhere. This week should be a pretty quiet one. I think one of the new horses will be running this week but Tim has just entered and it will be a few days before we know. We stayed up last night (anything after 9pm for us is late) to watch some racing from California. What a great bunch of racing. Del Mar has a polytrack surface and I wonder what it is like to train on. It would be interesting to know what kind of soundness problems they are experiencing from the track. People seem to think the polytrack is much safer and I would like to believe it is so but would also like to see the data to support it. Anyway, I will try to corner the trainer to get more accurate information for you.

Later

Update 166: These are some beautiful mornings we are having and both horses and riders are enjoying it. Today is Thursday and Tim has a busy day. Rajasthan is running at Laurel Park and Sweet Ginger Brown will be making her first start at Penn National in the first race. Tim will be going to Penn for the first time starter to make sure she has a good experience. Rajashthan has loads of experience and racing is no big deal to him. Hopefully he will run a bang up race. Ginger has been doing great and it will be great to get an idea of what she can do. You can never be really certain how they will race until they are actually racing. There are some horses that really can go in the morning but put them into a tight spot in racing conditions and they don't fair very well. Who's Happy will be racing on Saturday at Philadelphia Park and she is doing great. Lilly (Happy's little sister) worked a great quarter mile yesterday and Tim is getting excited about her. She is a tough filly who pins her ears when being tacked up and reaches out to bite people as they walk by. She now stands behind a screen for safety.
Paris Night worked three eighths yesterday and did it quite well with Robbie aboard. Veiled Reference looks forward to going to the track everyday. She is a very active girl. Miss M.V.P. is growing taller and I believe Tim reported that she worked her first half with him a few days ago and handled it just fine. Vicar's Tune continues to be his usual lovey and quiet self. What a personality. Anyway, wish Tim luck today at the races and hopefully the horses will run well.

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Update 165: Tim has reported that he had a great Thursday morning. Our Hearthrob sped away from the gate yesterday and today she worked an eighth of a mile is a blistering thirteen. She is doing great and has become quite a solid little girl. Lilly (sister of Who's Happy) worked again this morning and Tim says that she takes after her big sister in more than one way. All of the babies out of Enraged have been tough cookies and Lilly is no differant. That's OK with us because the first two fillies are both stakes winners and hopefully Lilly will follow them down that path. Robbie just rode a winner in Saratoga for Jonathon Sheppard. It must be quite exciting to ride and win a race in beautiful Saratoga. Veiled Reference went to the track for the first time yesterday and she is doing great. The trainer and I have miscommunicated about when Happy is running. She is running on PA day at the races but it is actually next Saturday not this Saturday. Happy is doing great and hopefully it will be a good day for both the owners and the trainer.

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Update 164: What great weather we have been having! This morning was cool and the horses seemed to be enjoying some fresh air. Vicar's Tune ran at Laurel on Saturday and finished second by a neck. He just got nipped at the wire but ran a bang up race. What a cool horse. Gator Nation has returned from Colonial Downs and is as happy as ever. Simon Hobson took very good care of him in Virginia. Gator now lives in the end stall and loves to check out what's going on outside the barn. Beth (takes care of horses on other side of barn for Tim) tried to get Tim to move him to her side but Tim wouldn't budge. I stopped briefly this morning to give Gator a hug and he is just such a personality. Who's Happy should be running this weekend at Pennsylvania day at the races (Philadelphia Park). She is doing great. Her little sister had her first piece of work on Saturday going an eighth and seems to have the same temperment her sisters have. Sweet Ginger Brown has somehow figured out how to rip her stall matt. They are so thick I'm not sure what she did to rip it but we have now given her several toys to play with. Ginger doesn't look like a baby anymore. She has grown very tall and seems to have loads of confidence. She will race soon and I hope her confidence carrys over! Mrs. MVP continues to train well and seems to be settling in here just fine. What a pretty girl she is. Veiled Reference is still causing loads of trouble at feed time. She sure loves to eat. I stopped this morning to give Rajasthan a pat and a hug but he really wanted to play. He is all boy and knows how to show you. I stepped accross the isle to a more willing participant (Gator). Paris Night is training well and Robbie loves her. She is as gorgeous as ever. We have several new horses in the barn now and I will try to get the trainer to spend a little time putting a few stats together that I can share with you. Luke continues to enjoy his days living at the farm with Timmy and Whip. He may ship in to school a few babies for a day or two.

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Update 163: What a great race Saar Treaty ran yesterday. She is such a trouper! After being shuffled to the back she made a great run down the lane to finish fourth. This was no small task which the two huge eyes she has this morning proved. The vet is treating her eyes and she will be just fine. We couldn't be happier with her efforts. Robbie will be riding this morning at Woolley Racing. Today is a light day with only three to go to the track. I believe the horses will have a couple of FOB's visiting today and I'm sure they will be more than happy for the extra love and treats. The rain has given way to a cool morning here is Saratoga. Tim has come up for the day and is over at the track visiting a friend who gallops for Bill Mott. This afternoon will be filled with looking at yearlings. Not a bad day!!!

Later

Update 162: Update from Saratoga

A light rain is now falling in Saratoga after a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning. While I was in the park looking at the beautiful flowers and listening to the birds I began to think about the yearlings being sold next week. Running along the tree lined street I wondered where they would end up. Who would buy them and where they would race? All of these babies are well bred and have been selected to sell in the main sale at Saratoga. Would their lives be long and happy ones? How will these babies take to being trained and learning about the racing game? I stopped by Walnut Green yesterday to pet a beautiful gray colt. He was standing so politely watching and waiting for his turn to be shown to a prospective buyer. He must have been used to loads of attention because when I stopped to stroke his face and talk to him he just soaked it all in. He seems to trust humans so it is a good start. As I look out the repository window I can see him out again. Having no idea what hip number he is I do not know what his breeding is but he seems to be very popular. Will he like training and stay sound enough to get to the races? Will he run fast or long and have confidence and dig in when being tested? What direction will his life go? This is just the beginning for these babies and hopefully they will give their owner's a lot of exciting racing days and hopefully when their racing days are over their owner's will return the favor by giving them a place to live and all the love they need for the rest of their days! Who knows what direction life takes horses and humans?

P.S. - If I hear from Tim later I'll try to put an update from this morning at Fair Hill!

Update 161: Today was not bad for a Friday. Rose Campbell has come out of her effort at Penn National the other night just fine. Showing little interest in keeping up with the pack, she will probably go home to be a riding horse. She is very lucky that her owner loves her to bits.
King Congaree and Sweet Ginger Brown breezed this morning. Skipping around the track for five eighths of a mile, both horses seem to be rapidly approaching the races. Sweet Ginger Brown seems to love the Tapeta surface and may make the trip to Presque Isle in a week or so to run. Vicar's Tune is coming around after his last trip to Colonial Downs and may run again next week at Colonial or Laurel. Our Hearthrob and Paris Night are now training partners and went a mile and a half at a leisurely pace this morning. They have both come back from lay offs and seem eager to train. Saar Treaty will be running at Colonial Downs tommorrow on the turf. Hopefully she will like the track and not be bothered by the ship to Virginia. She is a confident filly and not much seems to bother her. Real Lace has been under saddle for a few days with Tim in the saddle. He has decided that she needs a little more RNR and has sent her to a local farm. She has come back to her old self being very vocal at feed time. It is wonderful having her back. Hopefully with a bit more time off she will return to win a few more races. Robbie rode at Saratoga yesterday and finished third beaten by just half a length. What a beautiful racetrack to skip around. I'm sure it is dreadful to get nipped at the wire but the scenery couldn't be better. Tim is checking to see when the next video will be ready. I remain congnizant of the fact that you can not rush an artist but remain hopeful that it will be finished soon.

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Update 160: What a nice Monday. Why are jockey's called Pin heads? Just check out the ride Gator Nation got yesterday at Colonial Downs for the answer. How does a jockey get his horse boxed in on the 7 to 5 favorite with only five horses in the race? Anyway, Gator is fine and finished second with no racing room. Powdered Donut and Saar Treaty breezed together on Saturday and both fillies should be running this week with some luck. Veiled Reference is now going under tack in the shed row and seems to be enjoying herself. Rajasthan and Vicar both had it easy last week after their efforts at Colonial Downs in 100 degree weather. Both are fine and have recovered nicely. Rose Campbell is running tomorrow night at Penn National. I hope we see some excitement. The best news is that Real Lace came back to us. We will be trying to get her back to the races and she seems to remember where she is. Last night at feed time she was yelling for her food. That's a good sign. I made sure to give her the biggest hug she has had in a long time. Thank you all for the response to the video and the next one is currently on the cutting room floor. With a little more coaching and some cue cards Uncle Tim may get it right yet. As for Meg and Whip, they both were stars. The first class Meghan and Whip did caused a little trouble at the in and out jump. Whip ran out slightly after rushing the second jump a bit. They did not get to do the jump off. Uncle Tim talked Meghan into doing a second class and everything went great. No faults and no refusals. They have both had enough and did not push it doing the jump off. Next week they will have another go.

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Update 159:
Live and Online NOW!!!!

Mooney Myth Productions Presents....

"Working With The Woolleys" Volume 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9S-ltO1P2o

Update 158: After a busy weekend Tim is beginning to recover. Who's Happy made the trip to Presque Isle and won very nicely. She came back and looked no worse for the trip. Vicar's Tune ran a great race at Colonial Downs. He was in against a couple of tough horses and just got nosed out for third place. He tries so hard. Upon his return he had a sore eye but no ulcer in it. Treating it for a couple of days really helped and he is fine this morning but still a bit tired. Rajasthan also ran a great race. He was battling it out down the lane when a horse flew by in the last few strides to win it. He did well for getting second. I stopped by to see him on Sunday and he was relaxed in his stall but was a bit grumpy! I wen't into his stall and gently held his halter while I gave him a smooch. I was sure to watch when I turned by back because as I said He was very grumpy.. We have tried to enter Saar Treaty in a long race on the turf at Colonial and the race did not go. Another race was picked out going five and a half but when Tim called about it there had been only two entries. I'm sure the race won't go! We will keep looking. Rose Campbell has returned to the track after her race and she seems fine. Truimphant has not missed a meal since his gelding and continues to demand all of the attention in the barn. Paris Night is training nicely after her break. She now lives in a corner stall and enjoys spending the day looking out of her huge window. Sweet Ginger Brown and King Congaree continue their quest towards the races and both are doing great. We did however take the mat away from Ginger that was in the front of her stall because she was keeping her neighbors up at night playing with it. We found the mat inside her stall in a heep. Mrs MVP was on the track this morning and she looks like she is filling out a bit. She is such a sweet girl and has done everything we've asked of her. Binkley is back to bounding on his friend who is not at all amused. The are such a treat to watch. Anyway, not a lot of racing going on this week. We have a new video of Woolley racing done by Mooney Myth Productions. As soon as we figure out how to put it up you all must watch it . It is a hoot!!

Check back later

Update 157: Tim has had a couple of busy days so far and it continues through the weekend. This morning (Thursday) he is on the way to Presque Isle to run Who's Happy. Last night he was at Penn National running Rose Campbell. She was making her first start. After getting left at the gate (I'm sure she was dumbfounded), it was too hard for her to catch up. She behaved nicely and should improve in leaps and bounds for her next race. She was fine this morning, lounging in her stall eating her breakfast. Gator Nation ran a great race on Tuesday. He ran in an allowance race at Colonial Downs. He was beaten about a length for second and just nipped for third after being very rambuctious in the paddock. Tim cooled him out and he is just fine and is enjoying his time in Virginia. Tim will be headed back to Colonial for the weekend with both Rajasthan and Vicar's Tune running. This morning I stopped by the barn briefly and people were buzzing in every direction. I stopped briefly to give Triumphant a big hug and he is such a love. King Congaree and Sweet Ginger Brown breezed this morning a great half mile. The report is that both of them handled it nicely. Mrs. MVP also breezed a quarter mile and really stretches her little legs to breeze. Anyway, I'll try to keep you informed if I hear of any other news.

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Update 156: We have had a beautiful morning today (Tuesday).. What a nice weekend that began with the visit of the Fans of Barbaro. It is so nice to meet the people who are looking out for the unwanted horses. All of you have really done so much to help and it is great when you come to visit. Yesterday of course started out with rain and Powdered Donut was scratched from her turf race (it came off the turf) at Philadelphia. Tim will have to look for something else for her. Donut is doing great! Today Gator is running at Colonial so Tim is on his way to Virginia this morning. I hope he runs well and all reports are that he is enjoying life down there and doing great. Tommorrow Tim will be going to Penn National and again this weekend he will go back to Colonial Downs for a couple more runners. This is a very busy week for Woolley racing and hopefully all will go well. We gelded Triumphant yesterday and I am happy to report that at
dinner time the only thing he was interested in was why he did not get fed first. It is sometimes hard to geld a horse but I do realise that he will have a better life for it. Anyway, we have picked out a show for little Whip. Next Wednesday at the local Fair is a class that perhaps she could do quite easily. I think Uncle Tim is more excited than anyone. We'll let you know how it goes.

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Update 155: Loads of workers on this Friday morning. Who's Happy and Vicar's Tune breezed together. Tim has resorted to Robbie riding Who's Happy to give his back a bit of a break. She may be traveling to Presque Isle soon to run. Saar Treaty and Rose Campbell worked 5/8ths this morning with Jesus Braccho riding Rose Campbell. Both fillies breezed well and both should with some luck be running in the next week. Powdered Donut may be running on Monday at Philadelphia Park and both Vicar's Tune and Rajasthan should be running at Colonial Downs. Sounds as though Tim is going to be very busy. Triumphant is training well and is quite the personality. He lets everyone know he is there when they come in the barn, just in case they might go right by him without noticing how gorgeous he is. Sweet Ginger Brown worked yesterday with King Congaree. They worked a good half mile and continue to march towards the races. Ginger has gotten tall now and doesn't look like a baby anymore. Our Hearthrob is now back in training and jogging around the track. She loves the action and I'm sure is glad to be out of the barn. Our Diva went home yesterday for a well deserved break. Anyway, as I said lots of action today and it sounds like there will be quite a lot of action for the next week. Hopefully all will go well and horses will be happy.

later

Update 154: What a busy week at pony camp. Being the nervous Aunt Penny I have been trying to see little Whip and Meghan as much as I can. The first day Meghan and Whip had a dressage lesson (neither one had ever done that before) , both girls handled it well. Little girls were going every direction on little ponies that were fresh, believe me I was a little bit scared. Whip would not stand still but Meg kept her walking and both did just great. The next program was out in a huge field for stadium jumping. As I sat and watched these youngsters going around on big horses, I truely believed that standing at the bottom of the ring in the direction of the way home would be a great idea. The jump that looked like a gate was the only real thing concerning me. Little Whip took off at the first jump (with flowers) cleared it easily came up to the second jump (the gate) and both Whip and Meghan were not sure if they were going over it. Whip stopped and Meghan kept her composure, doing a small circle and headed back towards the jump. Over Whip went, down a slight hill (toward home) and kindly made a right hand turn and cleared jump three. Next was a jump with a big green roll top, Whip never blinked and sailed right over the roll tops. Jump five was a flashy looking yellow oxer jump with flags flying off the top, and again both horse and rider never turned a hair. Now going towards the other end of the ring was jump six being a small cross rail, Whip jumped easily and then off to jump seven which went up a slow hill to jump eight (which was the biggest jump) and you really had to keep your horse going to the end. Up and over the eighth both Whip and Meghan were all smiles. It could not have gone better. Meghan and Uncle Tim have been practicing on the farm but you never can be quite sure when horse and rider are away from their normal enviroment. The first day of pony camp was over with and I now was more comfortable after seeing Whip fit right into the crowd. Uncle Tim was on hand yesterday for the braiding demonstration. He of course prompted Meghan to ask which side the mane should be braided on. She has braided many manes for uncle Tim but the instructor was teaching braiding on the wrong side. He also noticed that a camper was leading his horse on the wrong side and prompted Meghan to politely correct this problem . Maybe Uncle Tim should be banned from pony club, although you might as well teach kids the proper way to begin with. Bad Habits can be easily corrected in the beginning but can be a bugger to break if allowed to continue. I know this from personal experience believe me.

As far as the barn at Fair Hill goes, I have had very little time to see Tim lately being that I did the night shift at pony camp last night. I will try to catch up with him later and give some more updates on the horses.

Later

Update 153: What a beautiful Wednesday. Going to be quiet on the racing front for this week but the two year olds are progressing very well. Saar Treaty should be back in the entries in a couple of weeks after a short break. King Congaree and Sweet Ginger Brown are both breezing well and are now up to a half mile piece of work. Both of these seem happy with everything so far. Triumphant is a slower maturing colt who is still doing eighths. He is the first horse you see as you enter the barn and he loves his new stall. He gets in on all of the action. So far he is not studdish and hopefully he will stay that way. Rossetta (Tim's baby formerly know as Rosie but we already have a Rosie) is progressing nicely under Robbie and she responds well to his patience and quiet demeanor. They get along great and she has been jogging nicely around the barn. Lilly (Who's Happy little sister) just gallopping and doing early gate work. She is a lot like her sister and is very laid back. Veiled Refernce is enjoying being back at Fair Hill. She has rounded out a bit and looks great. Miss VIP (Grand Slam filly) has been going to the gate with Lilly. She has a lot more experience at the gate than Lilly and is a good influence. Rose Campbell is eating like a horse so to speak and seems to be happy as a clam. Little Binkley (barn cat) is none too happy with Tim at the moment. He needs to get wormer everyday and lets just say he doesn't take it like a woman. He'll be a better man for it when he's finished. Anyway, that's all for now. I'll try to keep you informed about any new happenings in a few days.

Later

Posted by Alex at 11:32 PM | Comments (206)

Tims Update 5

Posted April 7, 2008

Update 152: What a busy weekend. Our Diva ran a better race but is still running a bit green. Sometimes it can take a few races for everything to kick in. She has come home fine. Rajasthan also ran a good race and just got swallowed up at the end. The race was just a little bit too far for him. This is the problem with a turf horse. Getting the horse in at the optimal distance and keeping it on the turf can be quite a challenge. He would do better at a mile but if Tim can't find a mile race he will have to run a tad further. He went right to his dinner at feed time and seems to be fine. The stars aligned for Gator Nation yesterday. Early in the morning Tim called me to say he was in his stall tossing his head and playing. He ran a great race and seemed to do it quite easily. Unfortunately the owner now thinks he is bad luck and did not come to see him win. Anyway, it is always nice to win a race. I'm so happy for him. Should be quiet on the racing front this week. I'll let you know if anything exciting happens.

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Update 151: Tim and Robbie were very busy this Friday morning. Loads of workers. King Congaree worked a really nice three eighths of a mile with Sweet Ginger Brown. Both seemed to handle this work just fine. They are good company for one another. Who's Happy had a jog around the track and is moving great after her last race. Saar Treaty had an easy half mile this morning for her first piece of work since racing. Rose Campbell had her owner here this morning watching her work. She has come a long way and hopefully isn't far off racing. She eats everything we can throw at her and seems to be mentally standing up very well. Rajasthan will be leaving about 4am tomorrow making his trip to Colonial. He will race tomorrow in the 6th race. Gator Nation is in at Colonial on Sunday and should run well as long as it stays on the turf. Our Diva is also running this weekend but at Philadelphia Park. Mike Rago has been promoted to assistant and will be in charge of Diva on Sunday. She is a good girl and Mike should have no trouble with her. Tim will be going to Colonial early tomorrow morning and will stay through Sunday and Gator's race. Meghan and I will be shipping little Whip to an indoor this evening in preperation for pony club camp. This is the first time I have driven the trailer so wish me luck.

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Update 150: Just had a report from Tim and Who's Happy is just fine. Right now there seems to be no reason for her running poorly. She did not mind the heat and is barely thirsty. Tim will have the vet scope her to make sure she doesn't have anything going on in her lungs. Apparently Powdered Donut will be running tonight. Colonial Downs is on the grass today so maybe we'll have some luck after all.

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Update 149: Vicar's Tune ran a great race at Colonial Downs and has come back a little tired but no worse for the race. He is such a quiet boy. Powdered Donut shipped to Colonial yesterday but they have had so much rain that it has come off the turf. She will not run and will ship back up here to us. Tim is on his way this morning (Monday) to Philadelphia Park with Who's Happy. She is running in an Allowance race today and Tim says that it has come up pretty tough. Hopefully she will have improved fitness wise after her last race and will have a good race. When I stopped by the barn earlier today Triumphant was flat out in his stall taking a nap. He has it rough. Our Diva was coming back from the track and boy has she gotten tall. Rajasthan continues to train well and hopefully will be running at Colonial on the turf this week. Loads of stuff going on this week. With a bit of luck we will have some action.

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Update 148: What a beautiful Wednesday. Stopped by the barn this morning to find things buzzing. Who's Happy was jumping around her stall enjoying the cool air. Vicar's Tune had trained and was already standing in his ice boots eating his hay. Should be exciting to see him run at Colonial on Friday. Tim likes him a lot. Little Rosa was staring out the window waiting for me to come give her some attention, and Luke was looking out his window to see what action was going on. Little Saar was bright eyed ready to train. Good luck to whomever rides her this morning she looks a bit fiesty. Last night little Whippie jumped the big course like a champ. I think she has even amazed Tim with her jumping abilities. After the jumping session Timmy and Whippie took a little walk cross country. Good thing Whippie is brave because Timmy needed to have some help getting through the creek. Anyway, everyone returned back to the barn safely. Tim and I stopped to feed and of course Triumphant was very excited to see us. He loves to eat. His sister is almost as rambuctious at feed time and neither one wants to be last being fed. She is a nice Smoke Glacken filly (Sweet Ginger Brown) and so far is up to breezing three eighths of a mile and doing it nicely. The new little Grand Slam filly that we got from the two year old sale is such a quiet little girl. She waits patiently for her food and gives just a little whinnie when you go her way. Powdered Donut is eating everything in sight and should be ready to run on Monday. King Congaree seems to grow taller everytime I see him. He is all boy and loves attention. He breezes with Sweet Ginger Brown and seems to be moving along nicely. Rajasthan continues to be his cheeky self. You need to really be careful petting him now because he looks lovey but will try to bite. I'm not sure where his next race will be but hopefully it will be soon.

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Update 147: Not such a bad weekend. Tim went to Colonial Downs to saddle Gator Nation. He behaved much better in the paddock. Racing on the rail he ran into traffic and just could not get free enough to get to the front. He was not beaten by far at all. He cooled out fine and has settled into his stall at Colonial where he will remain for the meet. Vicar's Tune will be going to Colonial on Friday, thankfully they used the race. Powdered Donut should be running at Colonial on Monday if everything goes as planned. She has come out of her race fine and eating great so we may give her another go. Everyone is ticking along and enjoying a bit cooler weather on this beautiful Monday morning. We had no breezers today, everything just trained. Luke gave a little pony ride yesterday. He enjoyed a short walk around the barn and picks grass the entire time. He received a beautiful basket on Saturday filled with carrotts and apples. I'm sure he has enjoyed most of the basket already. Thank you all for your thoughts on Luke. He will remain at Fair Hill for a short while and at some point will go to the farm. Curlin ran a great race yesterday. What a machine. Tim is currently searching for another race for Our Diva. We will try to get her in on the grass. She is training well and most of the time you don't hear a peep out of her. Veiled Reference is now walking in the shed row. She is staying calm and seems to be enjoying a little play time. Baby Rosa has adapted well. As long as she has something to eat she seems to be happy. Saar Treaty is going back to the track after a short break. She is a light filly and needed a little extra time after her race. Mentally she is fine and ready to go again. Who's Happy continues to gallop nicely. For the time being she and Tim have come to an agreement on how to gallop. She is being very cooperative. This is wonderful because then she is not being too hard on her body. She is one tough mama!!! As we hear it her mother is now in foal to Not For Love (leading MD sire). What a baby that could be. Anyway, nothing more for now. Thank you KLB for the wonderful baskets that arrived on Saturday. You are great!!

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Update 146: Just a little warm on this Friday and lots of things going on in the barn. Rosemary came to give Vicar's Tune and Who's Happy each a massage which I might say both horses enjoyed immensely. The horses love her and she is great! The blacksmith came early to work on Rajasthan's delicate feet. He needs a bit of extra care in the foot department. There is an old saying "no foot, no horse". My opinion only really matters to me but I happen to agree with who ever came up with this . Anyway, Rajasthan is fine and better with a new pair of shoes. Yesterday both Rose Campbell and Our Diva both had great works. Rose Campell is about a month from running now. We now have in the barn Who's Happy's little sister. She is by the stallion Bowman's Band and looks a lot like the mare's other babies. Hopefully she will be able to run like her siblings. Tim moved Veiled Refernce and his little baby Rosa to Fair Hill today. Veiled Refernce was great but Rosa is a hot headed Red Head. Reports were that it looked like a roping competition. Anyway, everyone is happily in their new homes . Luke is still at Fair Hill for now but is only walking to the track on occasion. Gator Nation will be running on Sunday at Colonial Downs on their beautiful turf course. Wish him luck.

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Update 145: Last nights storms have given way to much less humidity this morning. What a scary sight all that lightning. Everyone is safe and now enjoying cooler weather. Powdered Donut won last night and she did it quite easily. She took awhile in the spit barn (where blood and urine are tested, I'm not quite sure why it's called the spit barn) but she is fine and happy this morning. Gator Nation continues to be upbeat and happy in the mornings and should be ready for a trip to Colonial Downs. Saar has come out of her race just fine and is eating everything in sight. Who's Happy is just fine and will probably start at Philadelphia Park the next time. The babies are all doing well and we continue on the road to the races.

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Update 144: This heat has wilted both horses and people alike this weekend. Thankfully we have been able to train early to avoid the worst. This morning (Sunday) was a quiet morning with horses getting baths and walking. Only one horse to train today and that was Powdered Donut who will be running on Tuesday at Penn National. Good news about Tailtails. She won her race last night. Leaving her at Penn National was hard to do but she was fit and ready and just waiting to be in the right spot. Hopefully she has come out of it well. Several visitors at the barn this morning. Donna and Lyn were feeding loads of carrots and mints. The horses do enjoy the extra pampering they receive. Saar Treaty is a hit with all but she is starting to demand all of the attention. Of course the greys are always a hit. King Congaree and Sweet Ginger Brown are both grey and have loads of personality. Rose Campbell was also quite anxious to get her treats this morning. Rajasthan worries me a little because he can get a bit aggressive. He behaved but I kept a close eye on him. Gator Nation as always was a lovey boy this morning and certainly knows when there are treats around. The new little filly we have (Grand Slam) is not quite sure what a mint is but I'm sure she'll catch on quickly. Veiled Reference will be shipping back to Fair Hill in the next week. She is ready to start hand walking. We are not quite sure yet but may be shipping Luke to the farm as well. Tim's little filly Rosa may come to Fair HIll if he can fit her in. This morning I was standing in the shed row watching a nice Chestnut walk and I realised it was Triumphant. He is really growing. Anyway, as I hear it there will no break from the heat tomorrow as it is headed to 97 degrees.
The fans will work overtime in the next few days in an effort to keep the horses cooler.

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Update 143: Just a bit wet on this Wednesday morning. Tim is on his way to New York with Rajashtan. The race is off the turf but the owner wants to run anyway so that is the plan. Saar Treaty shipped home from the races yesterday and dug right in to her dinner. This morning she was resting quietly in her stall. Our Diva was quite active walking in the shed row. She has come out of her race a little wiser and a lot fitter. Sweet Ginger Brown continues to breeze and is up to working three eighths of a mile. She is doing great so far. Triumphant is such a cutie. We all agree that if he ever goes off his grain it won't be good. He loves to eat. Things are a bit quiet in the barn. Robbie's wife is having their second child today so he is with her. I know that next week Colonial Downs opens for racing. They have a great turf course and we will have loads of runners. Gator Nation will go to Colonial as will Rajasthan at some point. It is quite a long ship but the turf is worth the trip. Powdered Donut will also be making the trek to Colonial. She will be ready to run and hopefully will like it in Virginia. We have not decided just yet but may make the trip to Belmont this weekend. Maybe this is our chance to see a triple crown winner in action. Fair Hill also has Icabod Crane in the race who is trained by Graham Motion. Could be quite an exciting race. Who knows what will happen? It's all about the dream!!!

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Update 142: Correction: Saar Treaty will be running tommorrow at Delaware not Wednesday!

Update 141: What a beautiful Monday. Who's Happy and Our Diva both came out of their races just fine. Diva rested quite a bit yesterday. She was so quiet before the race and really did not know what was happening. In the paddock she was saddled with no problem and acted like a professional. Victor came back and said that they got a few strides jump on her out of the gate and she could never catch up. She will come a long way for this race. Who's Happy just got a little tired running for the first time after her break. She looked like a million dollars in paddock before the race. Little Saar Treaty will be running at Delaware Park I believe on Wednesday. It should be very exciting to see this little girl run. She is one tough cookie. Gator Nation is being quite contrary in his stall. Yesterday a few of us just stood outside to pet him and he was not too happy that we did not bring treats. We should know better.

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Update 140: It's a gorgeous Friday morning today. Tim has a very busy day today. Two horses will be running tonight at Penn National. Who's Happy and Our Diva are both racing tonight. Hopefully both will run well. Unfortunately Kitty will be going with them to stay up at Penn National. The owners said she is not paying her way so she needs to go somewhere cheaper. We do understand but it is hard to let these animals go.I will miss Kitty she has been one of my favorites. Tim did have a call from Molly's owner yesterday thanking him for suggesting that she go to Penn National. She ran second on the turf. It is nice to know that some people do appreciate the imput a trainer has to give. Vicar's Tune worked this morning. He is such a calm boy and just stands quietly while being tacked up. Gator Nation ran third yesterday at Pimlico. Tim said it was quite a trick to get him saddled and he had everyone scrambling in the paddock. Thankfully he ran well and hit the board. Sweet Ginger Brown had to be moved out of her currant stall into a differant one due to her turning on the water spicket sometime in the night. The shedrow got a little wet! She must have been bored. Saar Treaty had a good work yesterday and she is moving forward as well as she can be. Hopefully we will have a good blog to write tomorrow after the trip to Penn.

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Update 139: Stopped in the barn this morning. Kitty is quite cheeky after her race. She has come out of it well and hopefully will get a better trip for her next race. The jockey was carried wide by a bolting horse and Kitty lost some ground. Who's Happy had a little piece of work yesterday. She went a half mile with Tim and did it quite nicely. Hopefully her race will have enough horses entered to make it a go. Powdered Donut is ready to run and Tim is looking for a race for her. Saar Treaty went to the Fair Hill races on Saturday to paddock school. She behaved like a champ and should be running on Friday at Delaware Park with any luck. Rajasthan is recovering from a foot issue caused by a blacksmith putting a nail in the wrong spot. He is mean as ever and you really have to be careful while tacking him up and gives Tim a hard time every morning. Rose Campbell has had her first breeze again after a short break and she is happy. She is too competitive in company so she trains and breezes by herself for now. Eventually we will give her some company but at this stage she is trying too hard. Sweet Ginger Brown was nipping at me as I was putting her water buckets in this morning. I gave her a big hug and kiss which she enjoyed while Triumphant was staring at me this morning as if he could not believe he had to wait for his breakfast. He loves to eat! I took the new Grand Slam filly to the porta pad this morning to have a little turn out time. She was quite fresh and after jogging around for awhile she came in and was ready to relax. Vicar is so quiet that you hardly know he is there. He rests a lot which is a good thing. Gator Nation should be running again shortly. He was quite active this morning in his stall. Anyway, now that I'm back from the sales I will be able to give a few more updates.

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Update 138: After a couple of nice days we were due to have rain again. Molly ran last night and really ran her heart out. She finished third and came out of the race just fine. We have left her with a trainer at Penn National that we trust (Quick Quest is with him). She will be taken care of. It looks as though Rajasthan will not be able to run tomorrow. Pimlico will not risk their turf course before Saturday with all of this rain. ANyway, we will see. Not sure what else is going on in the barn this morning. I will try for another update once I speak wtih Tim.

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Update 137: After several days of rain it is sure nice to see the sun. Saturday with the rain everyone was in the shed row with thier horses. Sunday we had a few workers. Powdered Donut is breezing well and seems to be very happy doing it. She may be given a start at the Fair Hill races if the turf is suitable. Vicar's Tune has breezed with Rajasthan and can hold his own with the vetran. Rajasthan has already proven that he can run and it is always nice to give a younger horse some experience with an older vetran. Who's Happy continues to breeze and should be ready to run in a Stakes race at the end of the month. Saar Treaty is progressing nicely and continues to get meaner as we speak. She is a love but definately doesn't want to be messed with. Sailing Home (Molly) is entered to run at Penn National on Thursday and Rajasthan is entered to run on Friday at Pimlico. Should make for a busy week. Both Sweet Ginger Brown and Truimphant are now so comfortable in the barn that they have naps after they come in out of the porta pads. I mean they both are flat out. It is nice that they rest and relax. Robbie rode a winner this weekend in Tennessee for Mr. Sheppard. I'm not sure where his next ride will be but it is nice he is having some success. ANyway, if I get an update later from the trainer I will let you know.

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Update 136: We are having such a great week with the weather. Rajasthan is back training after his race and is cheeky as ever. Trying to pet him at feed time can be quite a task. He has a lot of personality and hopefully will have a great racing season with us. Bubble Gum is now being turned out for several hours each day and so far seems to be behaving herself. She loves to play around. Saar Treaty does everything we ask of her very easily. She is not at all intimidated by her neighbor Happy who gives her mean looks. Speaking of Who's Happy, she continues to tote everyone around and should be running by the end of the month. Powdered Donut seems to be past a few stiff muscle problems and in going great. King Congaree came to us and seemed a bit unsure but now when you walk in his stall you better watch out. He is all boy! His training is going fine. Sweet Ginger Brown loves to eat and every night makes loads of noise until she is fed. She is a demanding girl but a loveable one. She is very early on with her training but seems to be happy and enjoying it so far. Truimphant is a quiet little chestnut boy. He waits patiently for his dinner and you never hear a peep out of him. Rose Campbell seems to remember us and has jumped right back into action. She is carrying good weight and is very relaxed. Gator Nation is of course his usual quiet self and we are looking for another race for him. Kitty is also going to have another start with us. I hope she shows something more this race. I really like her but she will go to another trainer shortly if she does not perform for us better. I had a chat with her last night to tell her to pick it up a bit, hopefully she was listening. I know that especially after the Derby that this blog sounds all good. Sometimes in racing things happen unexpectedly. I don't personally know the people involved I can only speak with my own experience. This life is a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs as is any business. We love these animals and do the very best we can for them. I have always told Tim "If you have done absolutely everything you can for this horse then fine, if not try again." Try your best to get their best out of them. Keep them happy and healthy and always look for little signs that might be a red flag. With this being how I feel, unexpected things have happened. Like I said, it is a roller coaster ride.

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Update 135: What a beautiful Thursday we have had. Rajasthan finished third in his first start of the year and appears to be no worse for it. He ran a little too freely and tired but has certainly come out of it in good shape. Congaree and Triumphant (two colts) gallop together and are progressing nicely. These two babies are both quite striking on the track. We were hoping to run Molly (Sailing Home) at Atlantic City on the turf but she did not draw in, so we are looking elsewhere for a performance on the grass! Hopefully this will move her up a bit. Rose Campbell has now returned after a months break looking more developed and ready to train. Sweet Ginger Brown and Powdered Donut who keep each other company on the track both continue to move forward with their training. These two fillies are both grays and the only thing that makes them look differant are the blinkers that Donut trains in. These blinkers keep certain horses a bit more focused. Who's Happy will be toting Tim around the track tomorrow for another piece of work. Saar Treaty and Donut should be working on Saturday weather permitting.
Robbie had a good weekend riding a winner and two seconds at the Steeplechase meet in North Carolina and is back riding again this weekend in Virginia. Tim attributes Robbie's success to riding out with him all winter! Who can tell?

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Update 134: We have had such beautiful weather the last few days and this Friday morning was no exception. Gator Nation seems fine after his run at Atlantic City a few nights ago. He was bumped quite badly coming out of the gate and made a very wide run around the turn but still managed to run fourth. Several of our horses breezed this morning. Molly (Sailing Home) and Powdered Donut worked together and both went well. Marty(Donut's owner) brought lots of donuts for all of the help to enjoy. Saar Treaty went her second three eighths of a mile and she is progressing very nicely. Triumphant and Sweet Ginger Brown (both babies) are happy galloping a strong mile and a half everyday. They handle it well and seem to enjoy their training thus far. Rajasthan is making his first run for us tomorrow at Pimlico. It is so exciting to get him to the races and I can't wait to see him run. He is a tough bugger. We also had several other visitors this morning. Carrot man George was by spoiling the horses with mints and loads of love. All of them want his attention. Jim Course (photographer) was by the barn and hopefully Tim made some arrangements to get some new pictures for the web site (I will let you know. ) Luke shipped back to the barn today from the farm. The babies need some schooling with the pony so he must work. Good thing he loves it. The only other thing to report is that Binkley was madly running up and down the shed row today playing with Simon who normally just beats Binkley up. Binkley must feel very brave today. Hopefully all of you will have a wonderful weekend. Hard to believe the first Saturday in May is almost upon us.

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Update 133: Just a little bit cloudy for a Monday. At least it is nice and cool for the horses. Saturday had some great works at the track. Who's Happy breezed well and was a bit confused to start from a differant pole than usual. This made her quite managable. Gator Nation also had a good work and will be running at Atlantic City on Wednesday night. Tim told me that Rajasthan had a great work. Unfortunately, he did not get in to run this week. He is doing great and we can't wait to run him. Saar Treaty had her first three eighths mile work and she handled it like a professional. She is all business. Maybe she will get to run in a two year old race at the end of May. Tail Tails is fine after beating one horse at Delaware Park yesterday. She did everything well and broke just fine, just got out run. She hardly blew after the race and ate all of her dinner last night. We will have to try something else with her. Anyway, I think that is all of the news for now.

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Update 132: Today was a gorgeous Friday. The horses seem to be enjoying the warm weather. The first baths of the season are a bit troublesome but now that the horses are shedding out their winter coats both the grooms and the horses are enjoying a bit of water. Rajasthan did not get into the races for this weekend at Aqueduct. Hopefully next week we will try again with more success. Tail Tails will be running on Sunday at Delaware Park. She is such a lovey girl, I really hope she does well on Sunday. Our Diva is really looking the part of a racehorse. She has grown so much and is now a tall, fit looking filly. She shouldn't be long from the races now. Who's Happy continues to try to intimidate Saar Treaty who is in the neighboring stall. Saar takes it all in stride and doesn't seem to mind the mean looks she gets from Happy. King Congaree and Sweet Ginger Brown are now training together. They are both babies and have a tendancy to spook each other. Boys can be so goofy unlike the little Smoke Glacken filly we have who is more than sensible. All of the babies are doing just fine and do normal baby things. They will soon learn and will be more confident as time goes on. Luke's time at the farm is soon to be over. He is needed to school the babies a little bit. Vieled Reference is doing just fine at the farm and is now into the new routine. She always has a buddy in with her and she loves to play around in her stall. She normally has a few moments of playfullness every morning and then she settles right down again. She is a joy. Anyway, should be some breezers to write about tomorrow.

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Update 131: What a beautiful Tuesday morning. The day started out a bit crisp but now it is sunny and wonderful outside. Who's Happy is just fine after her five eighths work on Saturday. Tim managed to breeze her fairly easily and it was just a maintanance piece of work. Powdered Donut also worked and went in company with another horse for a good half mile work. Lucky has been back for a few weeks now and he gallops with a new friend. We have a Smoke Glaken two year old named Sweet Ginger Brown. He is a lovely boy and he and Lucky are a good match. Our Diva continues to improve and will break for a gate card this week. Every racehorse needs to be OK'd so to speak and given a gate card to keep with their jockey club papers. Diva should get this easily as she is all business on the track. Tail Tails is doing fine and Tim is trying to find another race for her. She still demands loads of attention and we are all happy to give it to her. King Congaree (tall,lanky, grey) is a hit with the ladies. He is such a big softy and it isn't hard to give him lots of attention. What a joy to be around. I'm not sure how he is to ride but I'll ask the trainer. I am also glad to report that the poison ivy has settled down a bit after a week of steroids. Hopefully we have learned to stay away!!!

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Update 130: Tim has just called in a Friday update. Robbie and Tim breezed a few horses this morning due to the impending weather. Rajasthan and Gator Nation worked a strong half mile together this morning. Much like humans, horses for the most part enjoy working out with company. Both horses handled it well and covered the Tapeta nicely. Tim was aboard Our Diva and she breezed a half mile on the main track. She is stepping up the pace a bit and seems to be handling her works just fine. So far we have seen no more shin trouble this go around. Saar Treaty worked another quarter mile today. This time she was motoring around the track. She breezes by herself because we have no other two year old that is as forward as she is. Her work was on the main track and Tim reports that she is ready to go three eighths next time. Who's Happy and Powdered Donut will both be breezing tomorrow as long as the weather has not been too awful. We are anticipating both of these fillies to work well and we will definately update everyone on their progress. Tim had to leave Robbie in charge for the last set today. Tim looks as though he has gone several rounds with Mike Tyson. Poison Ivy bites him in the rear every time he does yard work and believe me when I say it is not pretty.

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Update 129: Just a quick Wednesday morning update. Yesterday was Bubble Gum's real birthday. Tim and Meghan arrived at the barn to find Mike feeding her birthday mints and carrots. Mike and Meghan quickly proceeded to sing her happy birthday. She seemed a little confused about all of the excitement but was happy to take the treats. Luke is still enjoying his stay at the farm with Whippie and Rosa. It took me a half hour to get him to come in the other night. What a macho man!!! Things are progressing normally at Fair Hill. Horses training, horses eating, horses happy. If the trainer gives me anymore particulars later on today I will give you another update.

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Update 128: Dreary Monday today but everything is calm after a busy weekend. We ended up scratching Gator on Sunday due to the track conditions. We are sitting on Turf season and would have liked to get a run into him on a good track. He will be ready for Atlantic City. Tail Tails ran on another bad track at Laurel. She broke slowly and ran up to the pack, running third to the head of the lane and then fizzled. She used up so much catching up to the field and then just ran out of gas. She has come home just fine and will live to race another day. Rockin Fun has gone to Delaware Park to see if it will perk him up a bit. Saturday was another hectic day with lots of breezers and owners. Powdered Donut had a great breeze and had no tie up issues afterward. It looks as though she is moving forward now with her training. Rajasthan had a strong seven eighths of a mile work and is not far from this years turf debut. Saar Treaty stepped up easily to a quarter mile piece of work and handled it like a pro. She is definately the apple of her owner's eye and for good reason!!! There was a small calamity during Our Diva's scheduled breeze. Tim was riding Diva and Jesus Bracho was riding a horse for another trainer, with a furlong out to breeze Jesus broke a stirrup iron and had to pull up. Thankfully the trainer was on the track with another horse so they switched saddles and got back to the work. Sometimes it's amazing that you can count so much on just one small piece of leather. Luke is enjoying his brief vacation on the farm with the girls. Timmy gets to come in to his stall and Luke will go out with the honeys. Everyone is happy. Robbie was away on Saturday at a steeplechase meet. He did hit the deck but got up and limped home. He was quite fine this morning.

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Posted by Alex at 5:46 PM | Comments (106)

Tim's Update 4

Posted January 10, 2008

Update 127: Just a quick update for this wonderful Thursday morning. Molly has made a full recovery from her race the other day. She has come out of it great and couldn't look any better. We are not sure what our next move will be with her. Gator Nation has continued to train well and we tried to enter in a grass race for this Saturday but he didn't get in. We'll try again. Tail Tails is entered to run on the turf at Laurel on Friday and of course we are slated to get rain so it may be on the dirt. Either way, she is happy and training great! Rockin Fun continues his quest towards the races and so far does everything we ask of him. Who's Happy continues to tote Tim around the track, direction doesn't seem to matter as our new trick of galloping the wrong way only worked for a short while. She is strong. Rajasthan loves going accross the fields and so far has not skipped a beat. Our Diva has a strong personality and so far has managed to keep her teeth to herself behind her screen. Thank Goodness!!
Powdered Donut has turned the corner in the tight muscle department. She likes her new diet and we now can continue to push towards the races. I promise to shortly have the babies updated on this website. Tonight is tax night (OMG), at least it will be over with. I don't know if any of you have seen the commercial of these two guys talking with big guys(taxes) hanging off their shoulders(all relating to the idea of a weight being on your shoulders). That is exactly how I feel about Tim's taxes. Wish us luck!!!

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P.S. - Veiled Reference is for now on the farm with me and doing just fine. She loves all of her new buddies and has really filled out looking much stronger. She will have a great vacation.

Update 126: Today was quite a nice Friday morning. Maybe the weather has finally taken a turn to the warmer side. Anyway, Who's Happy had another breeze this morning with Tim. She is still very strong but Tim manages her well. She is totally business when on the race track. Saar Treaty also had another eighth breeze today and she is so forward that she could easily do a quarter mile but we are trying to go slowly to avoid any major problems. You can always get a horse on it's toes but is isn't always easy to reverse the process. She is such a forward filly that we will have to be careful with her brain. Bubble Gum returned from the hospital today. She is fine and just needs a little time off. Just like with people, sometimes you have to go at training several times before your body decides to cooperate. Such is the case with Bubble Gum. Mentally she is just fine but her body needs to do some catching up. Mike took off work to accompany his baby in the horse van and I'm sure they both took advantage of some one-on-one time. Our Diva also had a work today and Tim was quite happy with her. She has become quite the grown up. We have had to put her behind a screen and not just a webbing due to her reaching out and biting unsuspecting passers by. This works out better for everyone. Carrot man George was by the barn today and said the Gator came at him with ears pinned to get a mint. It is amazing how all of these animals know exactly who he is. I snuck in the barn at lunch time and Molly was flat out having a good snooze. It is so good for the horses to be able to relax and rest. Luke had to go to the farm today. Lucky was so fresh that he absolutely needed to come back to Fair Hill and as we have no more stalls we decided to take Luke to give him some turn out time. The girls at the farm will all be in love and I can't say that I blame them.

Later

Update 125: This morning it was 48 degrees at 6am. What a nice Wednesday. The vet was by this morning to take the bandage off of Two of Wands leg that is stitched and it all looks good so far. Infection is a real worry but everything is progressing nicely. Robbie has reported that Molly is quite happy with herself these days and we are looking for a race for her. I stopped briefly yesterday to pet Gator and he was quite cheeky and trying to bite me. I also had to lecture him on chewing off his bandages. I'm not sure he understands the importance of the wraps. This is so unusual for him and I'm glad to see he is feeling strong. Kitty continues to train well and has come out of her race in leaps and bounds. Bubble Gum is off to New Bolton Center today for her nuclear scan. She will come back tomorrow and hopefully we will get some more insight into her lameness. She was actually slapping at me last night at feed time because I wasn't moving quickly enough. Diva is certainly growing and continues to show potential. Rajasthan is moving well and has worked easily so far for us. He is eating great and loves to go to the track. Rocky is doing everything right and is holding up well to his training. He still loves to torture me as I'm trying to get to his feed tub at night. The babies have now gone to the track with Luke and they all seem pretty settled into the routine. Luke as always enjoys working.

Later

Update 124: What a brilliant Monday morning.. After the Friday night we had at the races it is refreshing to see the sun today. We need to report that Two of Wands is fine after being scratched at the gate on Friday night. The neighboring horse at the gate flipped and was stuck under the gate. Wanda standing in the stall next door took the brunt of the thrashing.The state veterinarian had no choice but to scratch Wanda due to the gash in her pastern. Tim and Mike came home and Chuck the Vet stitched her up at 1 in the morning. I stopped briefly on Sunday morning to see her and she was standing in her stall looking happy. Thank God nothing worse happened. She will recover and race again. I'm not sure about the horse that flipped but I do hope it is ok. Saturday was another big breeze day with Gator Nation going a strong three quarters of a mile. Rajahstan also had a great work. Our Diva worked for half a mile and is as naughty as ever and Saar Treaty did another little eighth of a mile. All of these workers made for a quiet Sunday. This morning Tim took Luke to the track with a few babies.
He loves his job and the babies don't mind having some steady company. We can now report that Binkley has fully recovered from his surgery and is climbing around the barn effortlessly.
I believe Tim said that Molly may be running this week and I think that is the only runner so far.
Hopefully our racing luck will improve.

Later

Update 123: Just a little wet on this Wednesday. Saturday ended up being a very busy day with breezers and owners. Rajahstan and Rose Campbell breezed together for five eighths of a mile. He is an older horse with lots of experience and had no problem leading Rose around the track. We had the pleasure of meeting his owner for the first time and he seemed to enjoy his day at Fair Hill. Rose Campell's owner was also here and always takes the time to hot walk his filly. Molly's owners were also here to watch her train. Bill Mailley came to see his new gelding who has come out of his operation with no troubles. Sunday we had Donna and Lyn here and they brought many lovely goodies for the help. The horses know just who they are and that treats and love are not far behind. Robbie returned to Fair Hill unscathed after his point to point ride. The first turf races are now in the book for early April and we will
be ready with Rajahstan and Gator Nation. Saar Treaty is doing very well and is such a forward filly for a baby. Two of Wands will be running this Friday at Charles Town. She has been training well and I hope we get some of the action. We heard through the grape vine that Who's Happy got an award for being Philadelphia Park's three year old filly of the year. Unfortunately we heard after the awards dinner. Someone forgot to call both the owners and the trainer but we couldn't be happier with her accomplishments. This year she is doing great and we look forward to getting her back to the races happy and healthy.

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Update 122: What a nice Friday today, by the end of it we should have reached almost sixty degrees. Molly has now returned from Delaware Park where we sent her in the hopes it would spark some aggressive behaviour. She certainly seems to have been beneficial according to Robbie who reports that she is very fresh. Both Our Diva and Who's Happy breezed this morning and everyone returned to the barn in tact. Rocky was a great leader for the babies. The group went to the track and Rocky seemed to enjoy being the big boy on campus. Rose Campbell and Saar Treaty had a quiet day around the fields. Training cross country is a great option for us here at Fair Hill. It is nice to give the older horses a break from the track or take babies out to build stronger hind-ends. Rose Campbell will be breezing tomorrow. Gator Nation had a great work today going for seven eighths of a mile. He will be ready for the first turf races of the year. Bubble Gum has had a slight set-back with an undiagnosed lameness behind and will be going to have a nuclear scan some time next week. The scan will show us where the hot spots are and just how severe. She is in good spirits and jumping around her stall but just needs to have some time off. Binkley continues to entertain all of us in the barn. What a great addition to our stable. Down on the farm Meghan has been riding little Whip. The two girls are such a great match. The nights are a bit longer so Uncle Tim can take some time to give her lessons. Tomorrow should be a great day and Robbie is off to ride in a point-to point in Virginia. I will try to give you all an interesting update!

Later

Update 121: Not such a bad Wednesday today. Gator Nation and Rajasthan had an easygoing morning across the fields. Both are turf horses and seem to enjoy going cross country. Our Diva and Rose Campbell broke out of the gate this morning and both fillies were all business. Who's Happy continues to tote Tim around the track in the mornings, she is definately a lot stronger for being another year older. Kitty was a companion for Saar Treaty today. Kitty has really grown up since her race last week. She is eating everything and seems very happy with herself. We do need to report that Rocky went back to the track today after joining the gelding club. He has remained bright eyed through the ordeal and seems to enjoy spitting his anitbiotics all over me (small thing compared to what we did to him). Administering the drugs using a dose syringe seems to be the answer as he would not eat it in his food. We were hoping to run Molly this Saturday but it doesn't look like the race is going to be run. We'll have to wait and see. Real Lace is entered at Penn National tonight and I hope she runs well and is safely.

Later

Update 120: Quite calm for us today on a Saturday which is unusual to say the least. Good thing the workers got it done yesterday as the weather today is not good. Kitty ran a bang up race last night. Tim said she was absolutely covered in mud and ran through it anyway. This morning in the barn I stopped to give her some love and she seemed just fine. Later in the morning she had her head in the corner resting. Who's Happy did have her first three eighths coming off her winter break. Tim managed to keep her going steady and the work was a good one. Powdered Donut just had a gallop this morning and she was happy to go to the track. She will be breezing on Monday and her owner will be here to see her go. Bubble Gum and Saar Treaty went to the gate this morning and both fillies seem unfazed by all of action. Bubble Gum managed later in the morning to get herself cast in her stall. We were able to get her off the wall in short order and she is fine. This can be very scary for horses because they are stuck and they can't get up so to speak. All in all a quiet morning. The horses seemed to enjoy a relaxing day as much as we did. Two of Wands was on the also eligible for last night but did not draw in. We will wait for the race to come back and keep her happy until then. Luke also had the day off after a week of ponying. He will work for a set or two again tomorrow. Molly has shuttled to Delaware Park where we on occasion send young horses to have a change of atmosphere. This gets them used to all of the action and sometimes can perk them up. The report is that Molly is fine and they just love her.

Later

Update 119: Due to the impending rain Saturday Tim decided to move breezes forward to today. Tail Tails walked early this morning and will be leaving for Charlestown this morning. The race will go off around 7:15 pm. She was bubbling around the barn and hopefully will have a great first experience tonight. Who's Happy had a delicate gallop with Tim aboard. The two have decided to tolerate each other and get the job done. Tim reports that she is still very strong but managable with draw-reins. Powdered Donut also trained this morning and had a happy gallop as we like to call it. This is when the rider lets the horse pick the pace their happy with (as long as that's not breezing). She came back to the barn and seemed happy as a clam. Two of Wands went to the gate briefly this morning and enjoyed a pleasant gallop for a mile and a half. Our Diva and Seventeen Love breezed (not together)three eighths. Robbie reported that Diva went perfectly but this could not be confirmed by the official clocker (Mike-Owner of Bubble Gum) due to the thick fog. Rose Campbell and Rockin Fun breezed together for half a mile and had a very captivating work. Tim was aboard Rosie and Robbie took the helm on Rocky. They are a good pair and had a great work. Gator Nation worked a brilliant five eighths of a mile and continues his quest for fitness. He seems happy and is eating well. Rajahstan and Paris Night took on a half mile breeze and both worked meticulously. These two creatures have a tendency to be very serious and all about work. They handled the schedule without getting frazzled which is a good thing. Last but not least I heard from Mike that Saar and Bubble Gum worked a flawless eighth. Owners do have a tendancy to look at their horses through rose colored glasses. I have to admit that I am guilty of this as well and I wouldn't have it anyother way.

Later

Update 118: We will just call this morning wet Wednesday. Luke and I have been working this week with a few of Jose's horses trying to school them with a pony. Until this morning all has gone well but when the cold rain and wind started to come down this morning both Luke and I were reconsidering. I gave a brief mention to Tim as we passed in the barn about the color of the sky and needless to say both Tim and Robbie got soaked. Tim was on Who's Happy and Robbie was riding Rocky. Neither horse looked particularly bothered by the rain but both riders did not look happy. The next set was Robbie on Diva and Tim on Rose Campbell. As we passed on the path everyone was happy being that the rain had briefly given up. Bubble Gum had her ears pricked as she was headed towards the track. Luke was making his way quickly back to the barn and I can only assume the riders made it to the track in the wind because nothing came storming back to the barn. Now the sun is out and although it is a bit breezy the weather has definately improved. Kitty and Two of Wands are both entered to run at the end of the week. I am excited for both of these girls. Kitty will be running for the first time and I can't wait. Wanda showed a lot of promise her last race and I'm sure she has only improved. Gator Nation continues to train and seems to be enjoying life at this time. Paris Night has gone to the track to gallop and seems fine. She is not far from the races now. She is a tall, leggy Louis Quatorze filly and quite a beauty to look at and covers the ground nicely. Alex Brown is in Washington Lobbying against horse slaughter and I can't wait to hear how everything has gone. Everyone involved have worked tirelessly to resolve this important issue and I thank them for taking their personal time to make this happen. We will try to let you know how things went.

Later

Update 117: Today is quite bright and sunny which makes this monday morning a bit nicer. Saturday was a busy work day. Bubble Gum and Saar had their first little breeze and we have it all on tape. If I weren't a ludite you could view it on this website. You will just have to believe me when I say the girls did great. Both recovered fine with no problems. Gator Nation breezed well and is progressing nicely towards his first race of the year. As I left the barn this morning he was tacked up and waiting for his rider. Rose Campbell and Powdered Donut worked together on Saturday and they wen't fine. The addition of a tongue tie on Rose Campbell helped Robbie hold her steady with Donut. Rocky continues to look the part of a racehorse and is such a gorgeous Rock Slide colt. I don't know what the other Rock Slide's look like but Rocky sure is nice. Diva is such a calm cool girl in the barn but when she is on the track she is all business. If I get more of an update from the trainer I will update later.

later

Update 116: What a gorgeous Friday morning. Diva and Seventeen Love trained together this morning and both will be breezing tomorrow. Gator Nation and Rajahstan also galloped today in preparation for tommorrows work day. Little Bubble Gum (who is not so little anymore) and Saar Treaty will be having their first eighth of a mile breeze for us as well. Sounds like we are in for a very busy day tomorrow with horses and owners. Tim had draw-reins on Who's Happy in an effort to harness her aggressive manor. She is a very strong filly and we are trying to get ahold of her early so to speak. Tim managed to get her to stay relaxed and take it easy. Luke's hackamore (bitless bridle) has been called into action due to an abcess in the mouth of Rose Campbell. Robby (or course) was the test pilot as it is not common practice to gallop racehorses in a bitless bridle. Surprisingly she responded well. This will give her mouth a chance to mend. Powdered Donut made her way around the oval today without incident and will also be breezing tomorrow. Due to the shortage of stalls at Fair Hill Lucky has been deligated to Double Trouble Too for a short while. Tim assures me that he will be riding him on a regular basis and that his training will continue. It is good to have him back.

Later

Updte 115: Hopefully most of the horses have gone to the track before the rain set in on this Tuesday morning. Training in a cold rain is never a lot of fun for horse or rider. Molly was quietly resting in her stall this morning. She had eaten all of her dinner and most of her breakfast before 9am. Two of Wands had a great breeze this morning for five eighths of a mile and should hit the races in a couple of weeks. We will need to schedule an appointment for an accupuncture as her muscles can sometimes get as tight as cello strings. Little Mikey and Saar Treaty went to the track together this morning and enjoyed each others company. Lucky was happy enough to jog around the track today after spending several days in the barn. He seems to be past the crutial stage of his gelding and from now on his recovery should be a piece of cake (I know, easy for me to say). Gator Nation has gotten very cheeky of late. His performance outside rarely shows the racehorse within. He went to the track with Rajahstan this morning and couldn't be any happier with himself. We will keep pursuing the goal that seems just beyond our reach with Gator. He is such a joy. I just don't know if I can explain properly how I feel when I'm around these animals but I'll try. Sometimes you feel as though nothing else is around. It's just you and the horse. For instance, on occasion when you are very lucky, gallopping a horse can be very surreal. Just you and the horse, up to the trees and down to the ground in sync and relaxed in one continuous circle. You feel and listen to the horse and he/she feels and listens to you. You are one being for just a brief moment in time before it is gone. Like running on a sunny, quiet, snowy morning listening to James Blunt. Awesome!! That's how I feel when I'm around all of these animals no matter what their level of ability. They are all important to me.

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Update 114: Gorgeous weather we are having on this monday morning. Molly (Sailing Home) just ran and she is improving in leaps and bounds. She broke very sharply from the gate and ran at the front of the pack until just the last furlong. By all rights she was due to get tired at the end. We decided to run her back in short order for several reasons. The last race at Penn National took nothing out of her. Tim told me that she was hardly blowing after her last race. She returned to us happy and eating everything in sight. Today's race was more her style and we felt the need to give her another opportunity to race well. I am so happy for her today. This is where the fun begins for a trainer. You can start to see what you've got and figure out the best case scenario for each individual. We all hope for a Stakes horse, some of us end up with steady claimers. As long as we feel like we can get each horse to live up to their potential (what ever it may be) while remaining sound and happy, we can ask for no more! It can be a little disheartening for owners but we will give her every chance to be all that she can be!!!

Later

Update 113: Today is a beautiful Sunday morning and a few of our horses had to train. Tim took Molly to the track to keep her limber for the race tomorrow. All is a go with her and hopefully with this being a longer race we will see a bit more of her. Lyn was here giving her some positive vibes and of course several carrotts. Two of Wands went to the Tapeta today. She was very happy to go out and was tossing her head the entire way home. She is a very active girl. Tim asked me to clock Robbie while he was riding Rocky. Rocky was scheduled to do 7/8ths of a mile at a two minute lick (15 seconds per furlong).. Robbie and Rocky did well and finished in 1:42. Who's Happy got a quick hair do and I did managed to stay away from her hind legs as she has been know to kick. All went well and we got the job done. Paris Night's owners were also here to pamper her a bit. Today is bright and sunny and a great day to visit. Meghan is currently on Lucky jogging him in the barn. He is still a bit stiff from being gelded but his spirits are fine. A group from Unionville shipped into the barn this morning and just had to know who's pony had his head stuck out the window. Luke is such an attraction. Rajahstan was giving Tim a hard time when being tacked up trying to grap ahold of Tim's jacket. He has a lot of personality and is a bit cheeky. I am eagerly anticipating his racing campaign for Double Trouble.

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Update 112: On this Wednesday morning with my initial decent from the house I found it to be quite airish. Good thing I know how to bundle up. The horses love this sort of weather. We have had to move Bubble Gum from her usual stall. She is getting fresh and when any type of action is happening outside she goes crazy. Lucky is now in the front stall and Bubble Gum in the annex with the other girls. Tim reports that she is much happier there. Lucky is making abundant strides in gelding recovery. It will soon all be a distant memory for him. While Veiled Reference is causing us some confusion with a slight foot problem her spirits are elevated. As I walked by this morning she was shaking her head at me seeking a little attention. What a good girl. Two of Wands is training well and should soon be entered to run again. When feeding her a night you have to be very mindful of where her hind end is. She can be quite fiesty. Molly seems unfazed by her trip to the races and has a healthy glow to her coat. We can only go up from here!!! Rose Campbell is doing great but causing a bit of trouble in the mouth department. She has a tough one. Tim has had to borrow Timmy M'Boy's bit (English Gag). Lets hope it works, her owner says no pressure but get her to win a stake. If we could grant that wish it would be awesome. Powdered Donut continues on her quest for fitness. Undoubtably she will be a fabulous racehorse. We can always hope!! In the mean time she is a great joy to be around. Saar Treaty continues to storm the webbing at feed time. She loves to eat. Confidence is not a problem for Saar she is quite the racehorse and quite grown up. Gator Nation continues to be a solid campaigner. I caught him completely sprawled out at lunch time enjoying a nap. I love to see the horses resting. No more reports on Diva rearing up with Robbie. He sits tight and has no trouble with her but she does get some height. Luke continues to survey his kingdom and looks forward to the spring when time will afford a bit more action for him.

Later
Penny

Update 111: What a warm Monday morning. All of the horses were suffering a bit. Molly has come out of her race just fine. Hopefully she has gotten good experience and when we stretch her out she will be much happier. She is eating and seems just fine. I went to the barn this morning briefly and Rocky was taking a nap. He did a piece of work on Saturday and continues to go down the long road to the races. What a joy to be around, he is always happy and ready to play. Lucky has taken quite a liking to our new filly Saar Treaty. Tim says that he is now the best ride of the day but he is quite smitten. Today was the second day in a row that he tried to seek attention from Saar so Tim reported in at lunch time to say he is now a gelding. I gave him a pat when I went over for my afternoon run. Now his life can begin to include training partners and friends that he could not be with before. Who's Happy is back and seems to remember where she is. She definately remembered George (carrot man) and promptly started nickering at him when he was here on Friday. It can be amazing what these animals remember. George stopped by the office Friday and seems keen to drive to Kentucky just to see Red Aspen. He voiced concern that she would not remember him and I quickly assured him that she would. Powdered Donut and Rose Campbell breezed together on Saturday and both fillies have recovered quickly. Rose's owner's were here Saturday and brought two dozen donuts. They also helped hot walk Rose, they truely enjoy the baby they've raised. Robbie just returned from the track on Paris Night. She is such a gorgeous filly and should not be far from the races. Not much more to report. I don't believe there is anything running this week but I'm sure Tim will let me know sooner or later.

Later
Penny

Update 110: There is not much to report this wet Wednesday morning. The Tapeta was closed due to the ice so the horses remained in the barn. Bubble Gum had her accupuncture this morning and she had to have just a little adjusting. It will be interesting to see how she responds to her treatment. Training, especially this time of year, can have many obstacles. Like our skiing trip, it can be hard to tear your eyes away from the drop off on the left even though we need to keep looking down the hill to the end. We are most successful when we block out the barriers and focus on the finish line. So, here's to seeing the end and not the drop off on the left, focusing on the opportunities rather than the risks and seeing the finish line and not the hurdles! This way we will make it to the end safely.

Later

Update 109: Just a quick update on this Tuesday. Who's Happy returned to us fat and hairy today after a little vacation.. She looks great. Saar Treaty has gotten over her belly ache that she had yesterday and seemed fine this morning. Rajahstan went to the Tapeta track for the first time today and handled it like an old pro. Gator Nation breezed with Paris Night this morning. They went a good half mile and both horses handled it just fine. This was Gator's first proper breeze back after a short break. Diva is back with us and has grown bigger and stronger for her time off. Tim reports that she certainly gets some height when rearing up. Thankfully Robbie was riding her and had no problem staying on her. More tomorrow!!

Later

Update 108: Lets just call today Frigid Monday. We have been so lucky with the weather that this kind of cold (-2 at 4am this morning) was but a distant memory until this morning. Thank goodness Tim knows how to dress for it with lots of layers. It can be very difficult to hold the reins with frozen hands while being careful not to give the horses any mixed signals. The first set can be a bit dodgy but after that the hands get used to it. Last night at feed time the horses were a bit jumpy with the high winds. Everyone had eaten lunch and they were all ready for their dinners. Molly is really looking the part of a race horse and hopefully she will be running in a Pennsylvania Bred race this week. Rockin Fun continues to progress in his training and is still a joy to be around for a colt. Gator Nation was having a roll first thing this morning and was ready to go out. He has so much personality you just have to laugh. The new little baby Saar Treaty had a bit of a belly ache this morning. The sudden change in the weather can sometimes do that to the horses. She was fine at lunch time when Tim checked in on her. Bubble Gum is fine but to Tim she seems a bit tight behind. Last week the massage therapist checked her out and this week she will have some accupuncture to make her more comfortable. It is so important to keep those hind end muscles loose and ready for action. Veiled Reference has been eating well and wanted loads of attention at feed time last night and I was happy to give it to her. Powdered Donut had worked well with Tim on the weekend. She was also anxious for her dinner last night and had eaten everything by this morning. Luke had Sunday off after going out with Paris Night and Molly on Saturday. Tim said that he marched right to the track. He is solid as a rock even when he is a bit fresh. Both girls enjoyed his company of course. Rose Campbell is really coming around now. She seems to be more confident with her surroundings and enjoys being talked to and hugged on. Last night she was looking for more hay to eat and that's a good thing. Lucky has not missed a meal yet and is training up a storm. I am so happy for him and we hope he actually gets to the races. Anyway, tomorrow should be better, as long as there is not wind everything will be fine.

Later

Update 107: What a beautiful Friday in February. We have had some record highs and are taking advantage working horses. Rockin Fun and Powdered Donut had a good work this morning. Both horses were eager to work and went an easy half mile. Two of Wands had a nice work and is getting closer to returning to the races. Saar Treaty and Lucky are a year apart in age but at the same level of training. Lucky is a good boy but Saar Treaty is definately the aggressive one on the track. She tolerates no nonsense from Lucky. Now that the ground has thawed a bit we have been able to take Gator Nation accross the fields for a change of pace. Gator has a new partner Rajahstan. He is a turf horse and enjoys training in the fields with Gator. Luke is enjoying this weather and is now bucking around the porta pad. He has gotten quite bored with no one to take him to the track. Rose Campbell is training well and went right to her feed tub last night. She can be a fussy eater so it is great to see her dig in. Looks like it will be a great weekend weather wise. Hopefully you will all have a great one.

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Update 106: This (Tuesday) morning the weather is quite warm. By six in the morning the temperature was already 60 degrees. It can be very difficult to keep the horses healthy and not coughing during such drastic changes in temperature. At least this past weekend the sun was out for the February Mixed Sale at Timonium and although it is our smallest sale of the year the numbers ended slightly higher than last year. There were no little babies this year and although I like seeing the babies I always feel for the new mom's trying to keep their babies calm. Tim reports that all of the horses are doing well at Fair Hill. Two of Wands and Gator have both had easy works since their return from vacation. Paris and Molly on the other hand have some strong workouts and Molly is ready to run. This filly is a half sister the the filly we had last year Nautical Agent and we are anxious to see her race. Rockin Fun has been paired with Powdered Donut to gallop in the mornings and they seem to enjoy each others company. Our Diva has now returned from the farm to continue her training and Not A Fling has gone for a rest. All of the riders in the barn are enjoying the new baby we received. Her name is Saar Treaty and she is reported to be one of the best rides in the barn. Tim says that she is very forward and eager to please. Lucky continues to be very anxious for his dinner at night and he thinks he should be fed first. Bubble Gum is galloping well and continues to be one of Tim's best rides of the day. He also said this about Lucky. Tim must be really enjoying these babies. Hopefully Robbie is lucky enough to get to ride them on occassion. Robbie also rides one of my favorite fillies Kitty who is now having a slight gate issue. She is quite a fire cracker and she is fit and ready to run. We will continue to be patient with her and give her the confidence she needs to break from the gate. Robbie is very calm with her and I have no doubt that she will work through her issue. I have a fortune cookie that years ago I taped to my computer at work that reads "It is not your character to give up". Kitty doesn't know it but this could not be more true in my case. Sometimes I don't know when to quit but I believe in her and I won't give up until she gets to the races.

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Update 105: With all of the media coverage this Tuesday morning I have spent the morning reminiscing about the brilliant life and tragic loss of Barbaro. The announcement came earlier this morning that his place of rest would be at Churchill. What a wonderful place. There have been a lot of great things that have come out of his unfortunate death. He has helped bring so much needed awareness to important issues. We are thankful for the Fan's of Barbaro and all of the people who have given money for the rescue of our friends and to the research for laminitis. The developement of aritificial surfaces, like the Tapeta track at Fair Hill, gives horsemen another tool to keep their horses sound and out of harms way. Every bit of help we can get to keep these animals safe we will gladly take. Hopefully the horse industry as a whole will continue to develope new ways to further enrich the lives of these wonderful beasts. Barbaro touched a lot of people in every walk of life if only for a brief moment in time. He is not easily forgotten!!!

Later
Update 104: What a busy weekend we had. Saturday was a great work day for the horses. All of the horses breezed well and Tim has condition books on hand searching for races to fit Kitty and Molly. Veiled Refernce is in good form and seemed to enjoy her little breeze. Paris and Rocky breezed together with Paris having a schooling breeze learning to come from behind. Both horses handled everything just fine. Saturday evening when we were feeding dinner Lucky was very anxious to get his food. If he ever goes off his grain we will definately worry. Sunday we had a visit from Lyn and Donna and a few other Fans of Barabaro. Jim Coarse our photographer was here as well. Meg Ferguson came to watch Two of Wands train and Meghan got the chance to meet her and thank her for Whip Smart. Meghan knows she was very lucky to get such a wonderful gift. All horses have come out of their breezes fine and seemed eager to train today. The horse identifier paid us a visit as well this morning. All racehorses have to be properly identified and tatooed before they can start racing. Our visit was brief however because the identifier forgot her camera. Better luck next time!

Update 103: Today is fridig Friday. All horses are going well and getting ready for another work day tomorrow. They are all finding partners that match up to ability and fitness level. Powdered Donut and Rosie, Rocky and Paris, Kitty and Molly all workout together. Robbie and Tim weigh much the same (I can not disclose how much or Tim would kill me) and are evenly matched when breezing horses together. Gator Nation is feeling good after having a little break. Perhaps he is feeling a little too good because he dropped Robbie. Both horse and rider made out fine and everyone returned to the barn safely.

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Update 102: Yesterday was a busy morning with the dentist visiting. Bubble Gum was a champ and stood like a lady for him. Apparently she likes the dentist more than the blacksmith. She is one tough cookie when the blacksmith tries to put hind shoes on. Even with a little medicine to make her mellow she was giving him a hard time. I hope this tough nature oozes over into her racing. Runnin Numbers her mother was a tough lady and she seems to be following in her footsteps which will be fine if she can run like her mom!!!
Not much sun on this Thursday morning at Fair Hill but at least we aren't getting any snow just yet. Tim reports that the horses are training well. I was in the barn briefly this morning and as I walked by Kitty she was tossing her head with excitement. Even though my time was limited I could not help myself and had to stop to give her a huge hug and kiss. What must the help think? I rush in and out and the only work I do is to love on the horses! I passed Molly in the shed row and asked her how her day was going. She seemed fine. What a life!!! Anyway, Tim now reports that Lucky is his best ride of the day. He travels around the track like a professional. We miss him on the farm but I hope he can get to the races. We now have a new baby in the barn for Gator Nation's owner. She is very pretty and just loves attention. Sar Treaty is her name and she is no doubt in the best place for love and affection and hopefully the best place to get her to the races with loads of success. Bubble Gum has been her companion to the track for the last two days and she takes everything in stride. Another new horse in the barn is named Seventeen Love (of course a Not For Love filly). Seventeen Love will be with us to get fit for her debut at Belmont. Rocky galloped well this morning and was taken to the gate to stand. It is always a good thing to get a horse to relax in the gate and just give them a chance to chill out. Rocky had no problems doing either and was quite relaxed. Real Lace ran yesterday and I hope that she is happy and ok. I think about her everytime I go into the barn and she is not looking at me from the first stall. Sometimes change is hard.

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Update 101: Tuesday morning is giving us a slight repreive from the frigid air that followed us from Utah. We are getting back into the swing of things. Several of our horses worked on Saturday. Molly (Sailing Home), Kitty (Tailtails), and Rocky (Rockin Fun) all had a half mile work. Everyone handled things well and have come out of the works nicely. Paris Night had a delayed work due to a slight impaction which to a horse can be quite dangerous. She recovered well enough to have a work on Monday. Lucky is doing great and gets to gallop with two fillies Rosie and Powdered Donut. He is not studdish at all but does like to show off a bit. The girls give him a run for his money. Wanda(Two of Wands) has returned to galloping after having a short break. She is definately keeping Robbie fit for his upcoming Steeplechase season. Binkley is quite happy now that we have returned and enjoys following Tim on his morning rounds. Luke is in good form and has of course not lost any weight while we were away.

On another note, hopefully everyone got to watch the episode of Extreme Makeover on Sunday Night about Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Center. It was great to see Mike Rea riding again. What a wonderful service they provide for people and I am so thankful that they got a makeover. The house is wonderful and the barn and riding facility are great. I know lots of people will enjoy this place. These wonderful animals have a way of reaching into the soul where nothing else can. What a great thing!

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Update 100: Today was a bright and sunny Friday which was quite a switch from the snow we returned in last night. It was gorgeous in Utah but we are so happy to be back with the horses. Needless to say that Tim will be keeping his day job!!! The horses seemed none the worse with us not being here. Under the watchful eye of Robbie and the grooms everyone appears to be fine. Rocky has gotten strong and competitve and must really love this cold weather. This morning I stopped in the barn to see everyone and Kitty was in her stall jumping up and down. She stopped whriling around long enough for me to give her a pat. Molly continues to be in great form as does Two of Wands. Binkley was very happy to see Tim and enjoyed his breakfast and a little attention. Luke has had new shoes while we were away and hopefully I'll be able to get him to the track a few times this weekend. He is steady as a rock and loves to go with the youngsters. I'm not sure what will be happening this weekend but I'm sure there will be some excitement to report on.

Later

Update 99: We had a sunny Thursday morning today. Tomorrow Tim and I are going on our once a year skiing vacation with a group from Fair Hill so many of our horses worked. It can be very difficult to leave our horses with anyone but we feel confident with Robbie and our help. Kitty worked a sharp five eighth's and is very close to the races. Last night when I fed her dinner I gave her a big kiss and told her to be careful while we're away. Paris Night and Rocky worked a half mile in company and he is all the man. The new grey filly Powdered Donut did her first quarter mile for us and so far is doing everything right. Molly (Sailing Home) breezed a steady five eighth's of a mile. She must be feeling spunky because last night at feed time she reached out to grab me for some affection as I walked by. I was happy to oblige with a stroke and my typical reponse to her which is "Hey Molly how's it goin." Heart Struck the new Lion Hearted filly we have is still familiarizing herself with her surroundings but seems to enjoy it here. Lucky (who definately was lucky when he came our way) has a new friend to gallop with. He and Rose Campbell seem to enjoy each others company and both went around like professionals. Tim did report however that Lucky was a bit naughty for the blacksmith. Everyone survived and he got new shoes on. Shaun Massey was here this morning to watch his Veiled Reference gallop. I'm not quite sure what the next move for her will be but I'm quite sure Tim and Shaun have a plan.

Later

Posted by Alex at 6:49 PM | Comments (100)

Tim's Updates 3

Posted October 10, 2007

Update 98: We had a lot of workers on Saturday. Sailing Home (Molly) did what we call a two minute lick. Breezing speed is faster than fifteen seconds a furlong. A two minute lick is fifteen seconds a furlong. Seven furlongs can be quite a workout doing a two minute lick but Molly handled it just fine. Paris now being recovered from her abcess worked three furlongs and handled the Tapeta quite well. Both Sand and Song and Winaway breezed together for three eighths of a mile. These two horses have run and are just beginning to gear up for their 2008 season. The two new girls Powdered Donut and Rose Campbell went their first eighths and both were very impressed with themselves. None the less all of these wonders seemed just fine this morning (Monday) after the Saturday works. With all of the warm weather we are having the two colts in our barn Rocky and Lucky are strutting their stuff. The fillies think it is springtime and they are in love. At least Rocky is a gorgeous creature. Lucky is a lot like Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber. He is cute in his own way and we love him all the same.

Later

Update 97: At least this morning (Friday) was not windy yet it was still a bit cold. As I left the barn earlier Luke was standing in the porta pad sleeping in the sunlight. Tomorrow will be a big breeze day. Paris, Rocky, Sand and Song, and a few others will all work on the Tapeta track. Binkly the new barn cat is doing his part in keeping the rodent population at bay. He has learned quickly and sure enjoys being a barn cat. Real Lace will be running tomorrow and looks to be in a good spot. Hopefully she will run well and be safe. Powdered Donut is quite the Hudini. Strict attention must be paid to leaving her cross tie up without the webbing to hold her in. She nips right under the cross tie. What possesses a horse to crouch down and go under a cross tie I will never know. We all had a good laugh as she meandered to the hay pile like this behavior was normal. Anyway, we will update tomorrow after the works to keep you all up to speed.

Later

Update 96: It is cold this Thursday morning and the wind chill ins -5 degrees. The people seem to be bothered by this weather more than the horses. The Tapeta track is riding great and we are so lucky to have this to train on in the winter. The main dirt track would be like training on a beach. This is also the time of year when we take stock in the past year and look forward to the coming year at the same time. We have had several brushes with reality this past year. A few of our horses have gone on to be riding horses. Real Lace and Mass Romantic were claimed and Red Aspen went to Florida and ran two really great races. All in all we have been very lucky and had no life threatening injuries. We take great care to pay attention to what might cause harm to these animals but accidents can happen. We realize that we are fortunate to have made it through the year without major harm. Sometimes losing one of our horses can be like giving up a family pet. I miss them when they are gone and their personalities are never forgotten. Looking forward to the coming year we have a lot of youngsters with promise. Kitty and Molly are very close to racing and both are very interesting individuals. Paris and Rocky are really progressing well, and of course the new babies like Lucky and Bubble Gum are really learning and enjoying things so far. Veiled Reference has showed a lot of promise and Not A Fling ran a great race and finished third last week. Two of Wands showed promise in her first start and I can't wait to see her figure it all out! She is a tough cookie. Powdered Donut and a Lion Hearted filly have just come in and seem eager to train and learn. Luke is still with us and talks to me every night for his dinner. What more could I want? Red Aspen will be coming back from Florida to start the next phase of her life (being a mom). I can't wait to see her and give her a mint or two for her efforts. Who's Happy will be back after her winter break and she should be tough to beat. We look forward to this year with hopeful anticipation and encourage all of you to enjoy it with us.

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Update 95: Happy New Year to all of our fans out there and a happy birthday to all of our horses. What a cold and windy Wednesday morning but Tim is holding up well. On Saturday morning Kitty and Molly breezed a strong half mile breaking from the starting gate. Both are doing great and should be to the races shortly. At dinner time last night both ladies seemed just fine and ready to eat. Paris Night also breezed on Saturday. This was her first breeze back after having a few problems with an abcess in her foot. She is fine now and enjoyed going an easy quarter mile. Veiled Reference is fine and she is bobbing her head for her food. She has really grown up in the last few months. Yesterday after a little hike with my running dog Zeke, we had to bring Luke in after he was jumping and speeding around the porta pad. He is sure enjoying this cooler weather. Rockin Fun