Tims Update 5

Posted April 7, 2008

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 (49)

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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!!!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!!

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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.

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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!!!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 breezed by himself on Saturday and is making slow but steady progress. He was ready to eat his dinner last night as always. We also have another new horse in the barn and her name is Powdered Donut. She is a grey filly who is obviously very sweet. I would like to thank her owner Marty for the beautiful flowers he brought me. He obviously knows who's good side to be on. Not a lot exciting to write about this morning. Lucky is now at Fair Hill and doing just fine. Robbie fell off him yesterday but he stood still and let Robbie jump back on. He must have seen something that he thought was very scary. Both horse and rider survived to live another day.

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Update 94: Tim and I thought that we would take just a few minutes to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas this morning. What a beautiful morning to be at the barn with the horses. It was so quiet as the sun came up. The horses seemed a bit confused to start. Horses were turned out and others were walked and we were finished by 11 am. Mike came to help out and we couldn't have had a more relaxing morning. Veiled Reference has come out of her stakes race in good form. Tim has censored me in saying anything about the ride she got from the jockey. She finished a hard fought second. Rockin Fun got a new neon green ball to play with. As I was walking Paris this morning she suddenly began jumping around. I realised that Rocky was throwing his ball about. I got a few good pictures of him playing. He is such a character. Finally the absess has come out of Paris's foot and she is back on a regular training schedule. While I was walking her we had a good chat. She is a tall beautiful bay filly. Luke enjoyed a good hour in the porta pad this morning and seemed to love the nice sun hitting his back. Molly was staring at me as I came into the barn so I stopped to give her a Christmas hug and kiss. She is so quiet we hardly hear a peep from her. As we left this morning all of the horses were quiet and eating their lunch. I gave Kitty a scratch on her bum . This morning I find myself missing Real Lace, Red Aspen and Mass Romantic. Although horses have filled their stalls they are still in my thoughts and heart. I hope they are all well and enjoying their Christmas day. Thank You all for the most beautiful Christmas basket. We will be enjoying it for days to come.

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Update 93: Today was not a bad Wednesday. We had a couple horses work this morning. Molly and Kitty went an easy five eights of a mile together and both did it just fine. Rocky went to the gate and galloped out. So far he is doing everything we ask of him. Luke accompanied Veiled Reference to the gate. She can be a bit nervous but is fine when she has a little company. Tim reports that Luke enjoyed his outing and is moving fine. We have two new horses for the winter to get ready for racing in NY. The gelding is a nice boy who is grey and seems to love to eat. He doesn't miss too many meals. I'm not sure what his pedigree is. The other is a chesnut filly and I believe her name is Sand and Song (don't quote me on that). She seems nice but a little uneasy about things. She will soon learn to relax and enjoy her surroundings at Fair Hill. Tim will be shipping my little boy Lucky from the farm tomorrow to continue his training at Fair Hill. He has been on the farm to let his stifles strengthen and hopefully can now continue with training. We also may need to geld him. His is such a nice boy by the very popular stallion Kafwain. His real name is Yourtheluckyone. It should be quite interesting seeing him get to the races. Anyway, things continue at Fair Hill with business as usual.

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Update 92: What a blustery and cold Monday. Good thing Tim was equipped with his new gear he received in the mail from one of the owners. He stayed toasty most of the morning. Real Lace ran a very game second on Saturday at Philadelphia Park. Unfortunately, she was claimed but this is the nature of the business. We needed to run her where she would be competitive and this was the spot. It is quite different coming into the barn and she is not there looking at us for attention. Tim spoke to the lady who claimed her and she seems quite nice. We will do our best to keep track of her. Red Aspen won a huge race for her current trainer in Florida and it was very exciting for her owners and we were equally as thrilled for Red Aspen to get the big win she has deserved. Moving on with our current horses, Molly and Kitty continue to go through their paces and both continue to do their gate training in fine style. Rockin Fun who continues to be the adolescent boy of the barn that is still more interested in playing than being serious of late. He has now been equipped with blinkers and hopefully will soon wake up. Gator Nation is training well and is Robbie's favorite ride of the day and hopefully should be back at the races in a month. Bubble Gum unfortunately is on stall rest due to a muscle injury shich she must have gotten with too much exuberance in the round pen. She is coping well with a little time off. Several new faces in the barn and we will bring you up to date in the next few days!

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Update 91: Another day without the sun. Today was a pretty easy Tuesday. A couple of horses breezed yesterday and it left Tim with some extra time. Luke went to the track for two sets. Yesterday Luke was said to have had his tail over his back and everyone was laughing at him. It is quite a sight to see a rolly polly paint with it's tail over it's back. Tim had to let him have a little canter just to get his back down. I was so happy to hear that Luke was moving fine and enjoying his work. Real Lace got a clip this morning. She was very brave and looked great when she was finished. She will be racing on Saturday at Philadelphia Park. Robbie is now back from his cruise and I tacked up Gator for him first set. Gator has gotten fresh since his little breeze on Saturday. Veiled Reference went to the track with Luke. She is also quite fresh but with Luke for company she was happy. Everyone survived and Tim said she had a good gallop. Molly was enjoying a day off after a breeze yesterday. With all of the extra time today, Tim got a chance to pull a few manes and clip a few ears. He also clipped some heals out so that they could be dried easier. This keeps the horses from getting cracked heels. This is a lot like a human who gets cracks on their hands and feet in the cold weather. Once a horse gets a cracked heel, it can be a pain to get rid of. Better to prevent it from happening to begin with.

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Update 90: What a busy Saturday. Tim called in for the backup (Juanita/aka Penny) about 8am. Lots of horses breezing and Tim had to leave early to go racing with Two of Wands. Joe breezed Gator Nation and easy three eighths of a mile and said that he loved him. His feet were on the dash so to speak the first eight and then he breezed nicely the last quarter. As I was trying to put poultice on his legs it was like trying to plaster a moving target. He kept moving and I ended up with more poultice on me than on Gator. We got the job done and moved to the next horse. Diva was nice and calm and easy to groom off this morning. She was being her usual lovey self. Next I groomed off Not A Fling. This filly is another of Joe's favorites that he would love to ride everyday. She breezed this morning and went well. I went to the back stalls to brush one of the new fillies and Kitty was looking at me. I took a few minutes to give her some love which she took willingly. She has a lot of potential and also has a hot Tale of the Cat attitude. She really does what she wants when she wants and only if she wants to. That's ok as long as we can get her to the races. She is one of my many favorites. Veiled Reference was the last one I knocked off . She also had a breeze this morning and needed poultice to cool out her legs. She was not at all tired and seemed quite bright. Tim said that she was well in herself and very fresh going to the track. I managed to get the poultice where it belonged and left her stall with all of my limbs. Jorge needed some help to get Real Lace ready for her piece of work so I held her head and gave her a little talk and lots of love. She breezed fine and both she and Tim were happy upon their return to the barn. As I walked down the shed row Rocky was busy crushing his ball up against his screen. Sometimes you wonder just what is going on in his mind. Molly had a breeze this morning. What a sweatheart. She is progressing nicely and seems happy. Wanda ran a good race today at Laurel. She broke well and ran very well to the top of the lane. We have suspected for some time that she has a breathing issue that we need to look at more closely. Tim reported in that she behaved well and saddled nicely and went with the pony without a problem. She did everything right and hopefully we can build on this experience. I believe we have a couple of Fans of Barbaro (Lyn and Donna) coming tomorrow. It is such a joy to see these ladies. The horses love the extra attention. We really look forward to their visits.

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Update 89: This Thursday morning started out chilly but now it is bright and sunny. All of the horses were able to go to the track today and seemed quite happy to do so. The blacksmith was here and put the final touches on Two of Wands before she races on Saturday. She seems fine and Saturday should be a good test to see what type of race horse she wants to be. She has the right attitude here at home. Molly continues to train well. She has a lot of personality and loves attention. Veiled Reference is anxious these days to get her food and this is a good sign. Real Lace and her sister Diva both continue to do well. Diva is improving quickly and shows us a lot of promise. Kitty has also showed us that she wants to run and it will be great to get her to the races and see what she can do. She is very sleek and shiny after her clip a few weeks ago. Rocky continues to throw his ball next door into Gator Nation's stall. He is becoming quite the man and at least at this point is pleasant and managable. We have been bestowed a new homeless kitten named Binkley. It turns out that the person who most seemed to ignore this new kitty (Tim) has now become a great fan. He follows Tim everywhere and loves his new life as a barn cat. It is so great to be back from Timonium. I stopped last night to give a huge hug to Luke who I always miss when I'm away. He of course was unaffected by my absence and only seemed to want his grain. Hopefully the weather this weekend will be good and he will get to work.

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Update 88: What a cold and windy Tuesday. Just a couple of sets braved the elements and went to the Tapeta track which was in perfect shape even after the little rain and the cold we have had lately. Most of the horses were restricted to the shed row in this weather. There is nothing of great interest to report this morning. The horses are all quite stirred up with the wind outside. Tim had a little excitement when he went to the Vets office and Mike Rea was visiting. They had a good chat. Yesterday Tim spent another cold day at Timonium trying to bid on a few babies. He got out bid and came home empty handed. All was not lost as he was able to see a few clients and beat the bushes so to speak. Two of Wands is scheduled to run at Laurel Park on Saturday. This will be here first start and hopefully it will be very exciting. Sunday will be the Stallion show at Northview Stallion Station. I love to go see the big boys and have a look at the new stallions they have. Of course I will miss Waquoit who we lost this year. What an amazing old boy he was. Of course Two Punch is very fresh when the crowd is near and seems to love the attention. Not For Love is always a gorgeous one to look at and Domestic Dispute is turning out to be quite popular. He stamps his babies and they always have lots of chrome. Anyway, the horses are all fine. No sickness in the barn and everyone is eating up as expected.

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Update 87: I must apoligize for my tardiness of late in updating the website. Traveling to Timonium for the December sale has been driving me mad. Not that I wasn't already mad before it started. Anyway, Tim has called in some new excitement for all of you. Yesterday (Friday) we had a few workers. Kitty (Tail Tales) and Molly (Sailing Home) went a strong half mile on the Tapeta track. Both are fine this morning,happy, and ate everything for dinner. Tim is starting to fine tune them a bit now. We also had a few Fans of Barbaro stop by. It is so nice that out of this tragedy has come a new love and a better understanding of these wonderful animals we take care of everyday. This morning Wanda (Two of Wands) had her last breeze from the gate before she runs next week. Not A Fling also worked from the gate and both fillies went nicely. Rocky (Rock N Fun) had his first easy three eights work for us. His usual training partner Bubble Gum is not breezing yet so he had to go it alone. He was fine. Paris Night has been training in the shed row for a couple of days. She had an abscess pop out of her foot. Tim reports that she is sound this morning. Real Lace is doing fine and is very strong in the mornings. We had a race picked for her on Monday but it did not go. Luke is bored without a pilot these days but is well in himself playing around the porta pad. The only sad bit of information to report is that Tim's rider Robbie has now gone on a weeks vacation to the Caribbean and left Tim here in the freezing temperatures to gallop. Tim starts dreading this cold in about August and isn't truely content until about May. I know it is cold but I like to just pretend that it is warm outside. I like to pretent that my hands and feet are fine. There is not pretending with Tim around. He reminds all of us quite regularly just how cold winter can be.

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Update 86: According to Tim it was a frigid Saturday morning at Fair Hill. The horses seem to prefer this weather more than the humans. The Tapeta track is perfect in the cold. Sailing Home (Molly) and Tale Tails (Kitty) breezed together for a half mile and both seemed to do it well. Paris Night stepped up to her first easy half mile work. She handled it like a professional. Robbie took Rocky (Rock N Fun) to the Tapeta for what is called a two minute lick. This basically means that if the horse was going a whole mile than it would do so in two minutes. It works out to be fifteen seconds a furlong. When you have a rider with a good clock in their head they can hit fifteen seconds a furlong quite easily. Rocky went a two minute lick for three eigths of a mile. He came back to the barn happy as a clam and calm as anything. Both rider and horse were great. After a great effort in her last race Veiled Reference went back to the track this morning and has come out of her race eating well and happy with herself. Tim is very happy with her progress. Bubble Gum went to the Tapeta and goes around there like she has been doing it all her life. It is so exciting watching her go on with her training. She has a great attitude.

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Update 85: I'm sitting at work on Monday morning going over in my mind the happenings at Double Trouble this weekend and my thought was to share with all of you. We had a very busy weekend. Saturday was a big breeze day. Molly and Wanda worked and they had a nice half mile work. Diva and Kitty went together and worked another easy three eigths of a mile. Diva is turning into a monster in that her body is becoming a machine. She is a big girl to begin with but now she is getting very muscular and doesn't look at all like a baby. Her mental state is a tough one. Luke was lucky and got to go to the gate on Saturday with Veiled Reference. I quickly reminded him not to do too much. He was a happy camper. Veiled Reference ran yesterday at Charles Town against the boys and Kicked butt. She won easily and came back happy with herself. That was a nice win. Along with the high of winning at Charles Town there is a bit of sad news. Mass Romantic was claimed on Saturday. I gave her a talk on Saturday morning and told her to take care of herself. Several times she got kisses as I passed by, she is such a love. Mike took her to the races and she was giving him back rubs in the receiving barn. I will really miss her. Meghan and I were feeding dinner on Saturday night and it was so quiet without her there pawing for attention and her dinner. There is always in this business the reminder that we only have these animals for a short while. My goal is to give them as much love as they can get while the're here. I'll leave the training up to Tim.

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Update 84: Quite a windy Friday morning here at Fair Hill. Even Luke was snorting and bucking his way around the porta pad. We better get him to the track a few sets tomorrow. Real Lace is fine after her effort yesterday. She had no interest in running on the messy track at Laurel. I don't really blame her. She has come back fine and I am happy with that. We have quite a busy weekend planned. Mass Romantic will be running at Laurel tomorrow in the tenth race and Veiled Reference will be running at Charles Town on Sunday. We have tried to get Veiled Reference in with the girls but she only got in with the boys. She needs a race over the track to set her up for a Stakes race later in the month. Almost everyone else in the barn will be breezing tomorrow before Tim goes to the races. We should have a lot of action to report.

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Update 83: All is well on a very foggy Wednesday morning. Real Lace seems ready to race tomorrow. Veiled Reference may scratch for Friday but I hear from carrot man George that Mass Romantic may be racing at Laurel on Saturday. This has not yet been confirmed with the trainer. I went in this morning to give little Bubble Gum a new hair cut. Tim gave her some tranquilizer and off I went. Giving a horse a clip can be a lot like a youngster going to the barber for the first time. They are unsure of what is going on and are convinced that it is painful. Clipping a horse is not painful. The sound of the clippers is the worst of it. Most of her hair is a lot shorter but clipping her back legs got a little hairy so to speak. She was very ticklish and kept shaking her skin everytime I put the clippers against her. She may look a little rough but as Paget always says, "What's the differance between a good clip and a bad one?" Five Days!

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Update 82: This Tuesday morning started out with a little rain but now it has turned bright and sunny. Tim is on his way to New Jersey to look at a few weanlings for his owners and stopped to give me a short update. Veiled Reference went to the track first set and galloped around very relaxed.. She may be running later in the week. Real Lace is feeling her oats and is a happy camper as usual. Emily stopped by to say that Molly(Sailing Home) went to the track and galloped nicely on her own. She goes around with her head down just behaving like a lady. Bubble Gum and Rocky continue their training as the babies in the barn. I was surprised to see that last night when I fed Bubble Gum is getting very aggressive in her stall at feed time. I reminded her who took care of her for the last year of her life and she agreed to let me give her a huge hug around the neck. I left her stall intact and without a bite mark. Wanda (Two of Wands) continues to progress and Tim is starting to look for a race for her. She has done everything right and it will be nice to see her get to the races. Gator Nation arrived back here yesterday. When I was watering off last night I took some extra time to go in and love on him a little. He is such a gem. The barn seems a bit quiet with Michael Matz's horses shipping to Florida. I wonder who will be moving in. Paris Night and Kitty (Tale Tails) went to the track together today. They are both very serious about their training. Both behaved and everyone came back to the barn safely. There is a great article on Alex Brown's website about Michael Dickinson retiring from training. Check in out if you have time.www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=racing/07/11/13/RACING_Dickinson.html.

Update 81: Today is a cold,wet Monday. All of the horses seem fine after this weekends events. Saturday was quite a big breeze day. Veiled Reference and Not A Fling worked great together on the Tapeta track. Veiled Reference was in front at the end but Not A Fling hung in there. She did great. Two of Wands breezed with one of Edwin Merryman's nice fillies. They stayed together and worked very fast on the Tapeta. It seemed as though the Tapeta surface was riding fast on Saturday. Wanda went to the track with Luke and she behaved just fine. She must have been ponied a lot when she was at the sales. Luke loved his trip to the track but could only jog. His feet were a bit ouchy. He stepped out going back to the barn and Wanda had a hard time keeping up. Who's Happy ran a great race on Saturday. Tim said that Victor was able to rate her a bit better down the backside. She finished second and shipped home to the farm for a break. We hope that Gator Nation will be joining us back at Fair Hill in the next few days. Rocky and Bubble Gum went to the track together and both did well. Molly's owners were here to love on her on Saturday. She is easy to love on and enjoys the attention. We also had a few Fans of Barbaro visit on Sunday. It is so nice to have visitors to love on the horses. They all really do love it when they have visitors. Anyway, I will write later if Tim calls in an update. I know that Real Lace will be running this week and maybe also Veiled Reference.

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Update 80: We had a quiet Friday today. The weather is holding out but we are expecting to get some rain tonight. Who's Happy had an easy training day and will be running tomorrow. After the race she will ship home for a well deserved break. This also will give Tim some time to workout and get stronger for her next year. Emily called me with an update that Molly was a brilliant ride again today. She seems quite at home with Molly. They are a good pair. Not A Fling went with Molly and enjoys having a friend to train with. Yesterday's breezers seemed fine this morning. Everyone ate their dinners and seemed happy. Luke doesn't know it yet but I have been asked to school Two of Wands tomorrow with him. He absolutely loves his job and it will be nice to get out on him again. She is a little fiesty but I'm sure no match for the rock solid pony we have. Luke used to pony two year old colts at the sales so he is not afraid of much. As long as he isn't going to get kicked he is happy to go with anything. Anyway, tomorrow should be a lot of fun. Robbie Walsh is fine and will be race riding again this Saturday. He is such a happy person and smiles the mornings away. He seems to love the horses and they love him. Gator Nation especially like Robbie and the two are quite a pair. Robbie is always patting and loving on him. Gator should be back in the next few days. It will be great to have him back.

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Update 79: Not too bad for a chilly Thursday. Real Lace worked a little bit this morning. She is doing great and will be racing next week. Paris Night and Diva had another steady three eigths work today. Tim reports that both went well. Those were the only workers today. Veiled Reference and Two of Wands both had maintanence gallops today. Two of Wands is growing so much hair she will soon need a hair cut. For racehorses it is healthier to get some of the hair off so that they cool out faster after they workout. Two of Wands can be quite fiesty so she should be quite a challenge to clip. Sometimes you have to say yes to drugs! This might be the only way we get her done! Emily came in this morning to ride Molly. She will be riding in a flat race soon and needed some extra time in the saddle. She just loved Molly and told me what a great ride she was. It made me miss galloping a little (maybe not so much in the cold). We also had a visit from carrot man George. All of the horses act like children starved for attention when he comes. They get so excited it is hard to quiet them down. It seems so funny to me how well they know George . I hope that he gets as much joy out of visiting as the horses do. What a great thing.

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Update 78: Quite a cool and breezy Monday today. Lots of sets to the gate and all at various stages. Molly's (Sailing Home) owners George and Susan were here to see her go to the gate. She did just fine. Real Lace galloped this morning and is very strong and happy. She is ready to run again. Two of Wands is very sharp. She had an acupucturist visit her a few days ago and she is doing great. Who's Happy will be running on Saturday at Philadelphia Park and unfortunately it is on the dirt. We were really hoping to get her on the grass before she has off for the winter. She likes the dirt so it is ok. The grass race for Friday did not fill. Happy is doing great and still giving Tim loads of trouble to gallop. She eats every bit of her dinner and as far as we can tell is ready for Saturday. The only other news is that Tim is not looking forward to the cold weather. Several months ago he started worrying about the cold and now it is here. He looks like a little dough boy dressed up in all of his equipment to stay warm. At least until now the weather has been good. Hopefully it won't be a bad winter.

Later

Update 77: Just had a report from Tim. Lots of gate training today. Veiled Reference and Not A Fling went up to just stand and back out. Both of these fillies are nervous so it was just a quiet day for them at the gate. The younger girls went up to gallop out. Paris Night has a new partner in Kitty (Tale Tails) and Diva now goes out with Molly (Sailing Home). Both of these sets galloped out the front . All riders stayed with their partners and everyone was happy. Bubble Gum went up for a visit to the gate with her new partner Rocky (Rock Slide colt). This was only her second visit so she just walked through and generally just got used to the big, green monster. Bubble Gum and Rocky handled it just fine. We also had a visit from the dentist this morning. The babies start to shed caps this time of year for their three year old teeth to come through so a visit from the dentist was in order. That pretty much covered it for the morning.

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Update 76: What a beautiful Monday morning. This weekend was pretty busy. Saturday Paris Night and Diva had a little three eigths work. Tim was on Diva and Kelly was on Paris. Some riders have a very good clock in their head but Saturday was very windy and this can cause a little confusion in the time. Fortunately it was only to be an easy work and that's what they did. Both handled it well and Paris was all business. Diva is learning but isn't quite as intense as Paris. They are a good match. Who's Happy had a great work and Tim said that she feels like she is getting even stronger in herself. Tim was happy with her work. Happy came back and cooled out just fine. Real Lace is absolutely enjoying this cool weather. She had to be tied yesterday for a little while because she was rearing up and bucking around her stall. Molly is now reaching over her webbing as far as she can to get attention. She is a nice filly. I will write later with anything more Tim has to add that may have happened today.

Later

Update 75: We had a busy and cool Friday morning. Several sets breezed today as Robbie will be going to another jump race tomorrow. The first set was Real Lace and Who's Happy. Neither of these fillies mind the dark and that's a good thing. We are so ready for the clocks to change this weekend. It will be nicer when it is a bit lighter in the mornings. Tim jogged Who's Happy and tomorrow she will be breezing. Veiled Reference and Not A Fling had a maintanance breeze together. They went a half mile on the Tapeta surface. Kitty (Tale Tails) and Molly (Sailing Home) breezed their first quarter together after they both have had some time off. They are a great pair. Everyone handled their breezes well and hopefully will eat up tonight at dinner time. Luke was the escort for Bubble Gum again today. He loves to go up and see all of the action. Mike (Bubble Gum's owner) was filming her like Steven Spielberg. Tim reports that she was great and the best ride of the day.
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Update 74: What a nice Thursday morning to be in the barn and with the horses. The weather this morning was cool and sunny. Veiled Reference galloped today with Not A Fling (Not for love filly). They are a good pair and seem to get along well. The second set to go to the track was Paris Night and Our Diva. Our Diva looks so much like her older sister and is beginning to act like her as well. She is beginning to look around less and concentrate on her training. It is all very serious for Paris so she probably is happy that Diva is paying more attention. Luke had a good morning. He escorted little Bubble Gum to the track. She is such a star and so far has not put a foot wrong. Real Lace went to the Tapeta and continues to train well. Molly, who travels very well along the Tapeta track, trained with Kitty (Tale Tails). Kitty is so funny because her mane is wild and bushes out everywhere. She is just adorable. Today these ladies went cross country up the hills a few times. We are lucky to be able to give our horses the option to go out accross the fields. What a great way to keep these animals happy. Most of the horses truely enjoy going out into the fields. It also helps to build up their hind ends going up the hills. Down on the farm Tim got up on his new baby (Rosa). She is not affraid and walked up and down the shed row. Her mouth is not quite developed just yet but that will come with time. Timmy M'Boy jogged and cantered around the ring with little Whippie. Whippie had a lot more energy that Timmy. Uncle Tim also took Meghan up to the jumping ring and let them go over a few cross rails. Everyone survived to ride another day.

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Update 73: Quite a chilly Monday morning but all is well at Double Trouble. The horses don't seem to mind a cool weather as much as we do. Who's Happy continues to train well as we will be pointing her to one more race before she has off for the winter. Real Lace is enjoying a few easy days and has come out of her most recent race in fine shape. She is tossing her head and demanding attention like usual. With several days of rain last week that impaired training for a few days, Tim decided to take several horses out yesterday. The track was for the most part quiet and it was an enjoyable morning. We had a visit from a couple of Fans of Barbaro who continue to stop by to pamper the horses. Hopefully the people enjoyed their visit as much as the horses did. I continue to be a little stunned after the loss of George Washington this weekend. All of those in this business can feel the sadness and loss knowing that on any given day this tragedy could happen to us. We are so unbelievably lucky to have these animals in our lives for even a short time. It is our hope that we can reach the greatest potential of every horse in our barn while keeping them safe at the same time. Sometimes the unexpected can happen and when it does it is life changing.

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Update 72: What a rainy Friday. It looks as though we will be getting quite a bit more rain. We are lucky to have the Tapeta surface to train on. The Monmouth Park track looks to be a wash out but the Tapeta track was riding great this morning. Hopefully the rain will give way and we can enjoy taking a few horses to the track tomorrow. Just maybe Luke will have to go out with some of the young horses. Tim had scheduled a work on Two of Wands this morning with another trainer from Fair Hill. This trainer had told Tim that an ex jockey would be breezing his horse. Imagine Tim's surprise when he found out he would be working beside Jean Cruguet (former rider of Seattle Slew). What a unique experience to get to ride with such a great rider. Everything went well and Wanda worked comfortably with the other horse. Needless to say that Jean Cruguet was not on another Seattle Slew this morning.

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Update 71: Everyone managed to dodge the rain drops this morning. At least it was not a cold rain. Tim took a couple of sets to the gate and everyone is progressing nicely. I went into the barn this morning and Real Lace was looking at me so I gave her a huge hug and kiss. She is such a lovey girl. She has come out of her race just fine. Who's Happy went accross the fields again in an attempt to keep her under control until her next race. She does enjoy going cross country. Mass Romantic is training nicely and dug right into her dinner last night. Molly is now residing in Red Aspen's stall. She has some big shoes to fill. Luke was diving at me to get to his grain last night. I think he is feeling his oats just lately. It might be time to go in for a few days and give him some excercise. His feet are feeling fine just now and he is anxious to go out. He was in the porta pad yesterday when a horse got loose and came running back from the track. He knows his job and would have been glad to help out if he was only out of the porta pad. We always know when something is loose because Luke starts to act up even before we can see it. What a champ he is and we are so lucky to have him. Last night I managed to dodge snapping jaws as I hooked up the water hose. Between Two of Wands and Diva it can be quite a feat to win this game. They both think they are hot stuff. Our Diva looks a lot like Real Lace but is a little bigger in every way. She seems to be smart and willing, not quite as sweet as Real Lace, maybe just a bit sassier (is that a word)? None the less she is built well and plays the part of a tough cookie. Two of Wands (Wanda) continues to improve. She loves to give the guys a hard time but is my sister's favorite. She is really a lovey girl but sometimes she just doesn't want to be messed with. Just like a woman sometimes she just wants to be left alone!

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Update 70: Just had an exciting report from Tim. Bubble Gum went to the main track today for the very first time. He reported that she was very brave by herself. The only thing she spooked at was the tower and the tower causes a lot of trouble for young horses. It's so great that she is such a great ride. Tim says that she's the best ride of the day. Real Lace is just fine after her race yesterday. She will have a few days of rest now. Companions Paris Night and Kitty galloped well again today. They both continue to improve with their learning. Diva had a new friend today. We have a new Not For Love filly in the barn and she went with Diva. They get along just fine and seem to tolerate each other well. Molly trained with Two of Wands (Wanda) today. It is great to be able to have these horses go out in sets. Horses are herd animals and like to have friends to train with. I know that it is always easier for me to run with a friend than to run by myself. I think lots of times it must be the same for the horses.
Down on the farm: Paget and I rode this morning. The three year old she bought (Wilmer) is going nicely. He is really taking to his new like off the track. He is now jumping over small jumps and looks the part of a show horse. Tim's new baby (Rosa) has had the tack on for several days and will quickly progress to having a rider on her back. She has a little spunk and a great personality. I really look forward to Tim getting up on her. Meghan continues to love on Whip. She seems to enjoy ring work and now trots over poles very easily. Meg is having loads of fun. By the way, she looks great in purple!

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Update 69: Real Lace just ran second. She ran a great race and justed got nipped at the end. She didn't get claimed and as long as she comes back fine we will be very happy.

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Update 68: What a foggy Monday morning. For the first few hours of training it was hard to see even a sixteenth of a mile in front of you. Once the fog burned off it turned into a great morning. Not too hot nor too chilly. Our excercise rider Robbie Walsh rode two winners at the weekend. One being the Virginia Gold Cup on a horse for Jack Fisher. What a great weekend for him. Bubble Gum went out with her new partner Our Diva. Both enjoyed a gallop up the hills out the back. Kitty and Paris Night went to the main track to gallop together. Both were happy. Veiled Reference made it back to the track today after her race. She has come out of it well and seems to be happy. We heard from the farm in Chesapeake City today. Gator Nation is doing well and will be returning to us the beginning of November. It will be awesome to have him back. No reports on Luke today. I'm sure he is fine or Tim would have told me. Tim,Mike and Real Lace and probably Carrot Man George are at Philadelphia Park waiting for the 7th race. It should go off around 3pm if you are near a TV or computer. Philadelphia Park does have a live feed for the races if you need to watch it on a computer. www.philapark.com.

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Update 67: Quite an easy Sunday morning. Real Lace and Who's Happy were the only horses to train this morning. Real Lace is in tomorrow at Philadelphia Park. Hopefully with Victor Molina aboard she will run a great race. Tim galloped Who's Happy today the right direction and he says that he didn't make out very well. She is very strong and he is quite worried that she will not rate in her races if he doesn't get it under control. I'm sure he will figure something out. Yesterday Two of Wands worked a good half mile by herself and last night at feed time she was shaking her head for her dinner. So far she is doing well. Paris Night and Diva also worked yesterday. They went a quarter mile. Kelly rode Paris and she was all business. Tim was aboard Diva and she was looking around being easily distracted. It is early yet in her training and I'm sure she will get more focused as time goes on. She is still growing and has filled out even more since she has come here. I had to give Mass Romantic a giant hug as I was leaving the barn after feeding last night. Everyone was eating but as I walked by she stuck her head out and demanded some attention. I was happy to give her some love and she seemed happy with that. We also said goodbye to Red Aspen yesterday. Since she came back from her eye injury she has not been sound. Tim has tried all means to keep her happy but in the end the owners decided they would try to keep her sound on the farm. Perhaps if they can't keep her sound they will start to look for a stallion to breed her to. It is so hard to say goodbye to all of our horses but especially this filly. She was a wonderful horse to train and always gave us a thrill everytime she ran. I held onto her neck and gave her huge hugs and kisses several times yesterday morning. You never know what will happen when they leave you. We only wish all of the best of life for her. But as I said to Tim "You never know, the next Red Aspen may be standing in the corner stall".

Next Time

Update 66: It was warm this morning. The track isn't opening until 6:30 and it is still quite dark when the first set goes to the track. Tim went out first set on Mass Romantic. She does not seem to mind the dark, I'm sure she can see better that Tim can. Real Lace was second set and by then it was plenty light enough. Both fillies trained fine and Real Lace is still on schedule to run on Monday. Kitty (Tail Tales) galloped with Paris Night this morning and both seemed to go just fine. Sailing Home (Molly) went to the Tapeta track for the first time this morning. She did have the company of Two of Wands. Molly seemed to handle the track great. Bubble Gum and Diva went accross the fields together and Tim reports that Robbie is starting to really like Bubble Gum.. When I stopped by the barn this morning Bubble Gum was bucking and kicking around the porta pad. She seems to have settled in nicely. Tim took Who's Happy to the track this morning at 10:30. He galloped her the wrong way (clockwise) in an attempt to get her to relax and go easy. Here in America everyone gallops counter clockwise. When jogging back before you gallop it is customary to jog clockwise and on the outside fence. When you gallop you turn around and gallop counter clockwise (hopefully not on the inside rail unless you are breezing). Often horses are more managable if you gallop the wrong way and for safety sake Fair Hill does allow this after 10:30. Everything went fine and she returned to the barn happy as a clam. (I'm not sure where that saying came from but she was happy)! Should be a few breezers tomorrow. I'll fill you in on all the action after the mornings work.

Later

Updte 65: In case you haven't already heard, Extreme Makeover show is here in Port Deposit building a new barn and house for the Freedom Hill Therapeutic Riding Center. This is the group who helps many people in our area with disabilities ride horses. Mike Rea who trained here at Fair Hill and was badly hurt goes here to get his horse fix. They work wonders for people who have little else to look forward to. Volunteers are streaming in and they are working around the clock. They are also building a new indoor riding arena which will be great. The show will air sometime in January. What a great project. Check out the Freedom Hills website
www.freedomhills.org.
Later

Update 64: What a foggy Thursday morning. Luke went accross the fields today with Bubble Gum to give her some company. He loves to go cross country and Tim reports that he was moving well. He has been known to whip around occasionally at the deer. He and Tim managed not to part ways and Bubble Gum was a star. Who's Happy went to the track today. She may have one more race (hopefully on the turf) before she is put away for the winter. Tim said that she is moving well and very happy with herself. Real Lace trained today and then later in the morning had a beauty treatment. She got her mane pulled. Most horses get used to this and it doesn't bother them. Her hair comes out very easily and she looks a little less like a wild woman now. She may be running on Monday at Philadelphia Park in a race for Pennsylvania breds. Hopefully she will get a better ride this trip. She is bouncing around the barn like her usual self and is moving just fine. We also had a visit from Shaun and Dennis Massey today. They own Mass Romantic and Veiled Reference. Veiled Reference has come out of her race unscathed and although a little tired seems just fine. We look forward to some great racing from her. Down on the farm Uncle Tim has been helping Meghan with little Whippie. The other day she threw in a huge buck and we thought Meghan was off. Her long legs rapped around Whip and after a few seconds up on Whips neck Meghan recovered her seat and continued her lesson. Apparently she used to do this on the track occasionally. What a pair these two are. Yesterday she behaved like a lady around the ring and Meg even had her going over a little crossrail. Much to Uncle Tim's dismay Meghan as already accumulated quite a collection on purple supplies. Purple Polos, Purple Hay Net, Purple Comb, Purble Brush and a few other miscellaneous items. Oh to be a young girl with your very first horse again. They ended the lesson with a few hugs and carrots and everyone was happy. They are quite the pair. Tim's recent yearling purchase known as (Rosa) has had a saddle on for the second time today. She doesn't seem to mind it yet and hopefully she will be easy to break. Timmy M'Boy hasn't quite made friends with her yet. I think he misses Bubble Gum, they were together a long time.

Later

Update 63: What a beautiful Wednesday. Tim has just called in with an update. Veiled Reference finished second this afternoon. She behaved perfectly with Oliver Castillo in the irons. She should come on a lot for this race although Tim says that at the moment she seems a bit bewildered. All of the schooling with Luke payed off as she was perfect with the pony. Two of Wands(Wanda) had an exciting morning. She broke with all of the power for the first time from the gate. Everything went great and she handled it like a pro. Our Diva and Paris Night also went to the gate. They stood behind the gate for a long time to take in all of the normal commotion. Both ladies handled everything fine before galloping out the front. Mass Romantic continues to train well. She has come out of her race just fine and seems very happy. Bubble Gum bravely jogged in the fields by herself today with Kelly aboard. All went well as expected. So far not much seems to bother her. Red Aspen continues to train well and torture everyone who tries to catch her in the stall. She loves this game.

More Later

Update 62: Just had an update from Tim. Bubble Gum, Sailing Home, and Tale Tails galloped together today in the fields. Everyone enjoyed themselves and everyone survived without incident. Sometimes taking green horses out where there are lots of deer can be scary. It all worked out fine. Something Wild went to the Tapeta track to gallop today and seems to enjoy the new surface. Robbie Walsh was in the irons. Robbie had a fall on the weekend and is sore but fine. We had a visit from the Massage Therapist Rosemary today. She came to do Real Lace. Both horse and person enjoyed the visit and all is well. Real Lace has had a lot of massages and really does enjoy them. She can get quite sore in the shoulders and this really helps her relax those muscles. Two of Wands galloped in behind Mass Romantic today. She doesn't seem to mind and seems to like having a target to run at. Veiled Reference does indeed run tomorrow at Laurel Park in the first race. Hopefully she has been schooled well enough and will enjoy her day at the races.

Later

Update 61: Lots of action this weekend. Paris's owners were here to see her breeze a little on Saturday. She went great and seems to be happy. Two of Wands (Wanda) breezed a really handy half mile with one of Michael Matz's. They went well together and seemed to be a great match. Who's Happy ran a respectable race on Friday night. Tim said that she grabbed the bit down the backside and toted Victor to the front. She did hold out for second. This is not her racing style but she has been getting very strong with Tim in the morning as well. Victor took a lot of abuse from the crowd according to Tim but he did everything he could to slow her down and keep her calm. Tim is very strong and in the mornings he has been barely able to hold her so I know that she is tough. Last night she dove into her food so we gave her an extra scoop. She has recovered nicely. I believe she will be getting a break for the winter now. Tim has planned to take Luke to the track today with Veiled Reference. She will be making her first start on Wednesday. We will practice putting the racing girths on her and try to get her used to these before she goes to the races so that it doesn't seem strange to her when it happens.These girths are different than the ones we use every morning and they take some getting used to. I'm sure she will be fine but it is always better to try them before you get there. Red Aspen continues to train well and her eye seems to not cause her any trouble. More later if I get a report from the trainer.

Later

Update 60: A bit of a breezy Friday today. The horses sure are feeling the cool air. Tim and Who's Happy are on their way to the races today. She will be running for the first time on the grass (as long as there is no more rain). One way or the other she will run on the turf or on the dirt. There are two tough horses in the race but we will see how Happy measures up. Hopefully she will have a good trip with Victor Molina on board. The race goes off tonight at about 10:20. I'm not sure I'll be up at that hour. Bubble Gum has been such a trooper at Fair Hill. Nothing seems to bother her and hopefully we can get her up to the track this weekend with Luke. I can't wait to get her up to the track. Reports are that Luke is feeling much better on his feet and jumping and kicking around the porta pad scaring Michael Matz's horses. All of his riders hope that we can soon take Luke to the track so that he will stop causing so much mayhem. I truely believe that he is quite sure of the trouble he is causing. Diva and Paris continue to train well together and are progressing nicely. Mass Romantic has recovered from her efforts at Delaware Park a few days ago. All in all things are going smoothly and hopefully we can have a great weekend. We will be off to the Maryland Million races tomorrow. Lots of exciting racing to watch.

Later

Update 59 : Heavy rains in the night gave way to less humidity this morning. It was quite enjoyable in the barn. Coming back into the barn today was Kitty (Tail Tales- two year old Tale of the cat filly). She is a wild looking thing. I quite like her. She jogged on the track this morning and seems happy to be back. Paris and Our Diva went to the gate to continue their gate schooling. Both are progressing nicely. Real Lace went up to the track first set at 6:30.
She doesn't particularly like it that early because it is still dark. She sees lots of shadows to spook at. Both horse and rider survived. All in all things went well and we continue to look for Who's Happy to run at the Meadowlands on Friday Night. We don't know yet the entries haven't been posted just yet. Meghan came to the barn to take care of little Whippie. She grazed her for a half hour and is anxious to get riding. Hopefully we can get to this in the next couple of days. Timmy M'Boy is not quite sure about his new girlfriend (Tim's purchase at Timonium "Pumpkin") . I think he is missing Bubble Gum. He and Bubble Gum have been together for nearly a year and these horses really do get used to their buddies. I'm sure he will grow to love his new friend.

later
Penny

Posted by Alex at 8:08 PM | Comments (188)

Tim's Updates: 2

Posted August 19, 2007

Update 58: Yesterday (Monday) Mass Romantic ran a very respectable race after a long lay off. She has come out of it fine and acted like a perfect lady. One horse in the race kept flipping and that was a little unsettling. This sometimes happens when horses are so nervous. We did also watch Hawty Creek win at Philadelphia Park. That's great for all of her connections.
Two of Wands galloped in behind Something Wild this morning. Robbie rode Something Wild and seems to get along with him just fine. We have another new horse in the barn. Her barn name is Mollie (Sailing Home is her registered name). She is a half sister of Nautical Agent. Now we have another member of the family to train. She is bay and is a very strong looking filly. Mollie has gone to the track a few times now and has settled in nicely. Well, she is here. Bubble Gum made her way to Fair Hill last night. Mike took lots of footage on his camera of the occasion. Tim says that she jogged around the shed row like a little trooper. I knew she would.
Who's Happy is back training and aimed at a start at the Meadowlands of Friday night. This will be her first start on the turf. Other than hoping the weather cools off a bit, everything is going great.

Later

Update 57: What a relaxing Sunday morning. It is great to be back I have missed the horses. Grandma is still in the barn and I got to walk her this morning. She was a little fresh but after ten minutes of spunk she settled into being a nice companion. We chatted as we walked and I gave her a few pats and a huge hug before putting her back in her stall. I will miss her when she goes. Mass Romantic is racing tomorrow. Yesterday when I walked in the barn she was standing in her ice boots. The look on her face was like gosh get these things off me I've had enough. She is such a pretty girl. Real Lace was pulling lots of faces this morning. She is also training today. She is eating everything in sight and when Lyn showed up with carrots she was ready for those too. Something Wild was bouncing off the walls this morning. It all started when Red Aspen decided she was going to dump her water bucket and cause a lot of noise. The horses thought this was something great that was going on and everyone got going. Lots of rearing and sqealing was to be heard and I think Red Aspen knew she was causing trouble. Tim breezed Red Aspen and easy five eighths on the Tapeta track. I went up to clock her and when she breezes she is so smooth that she hardly looks like she's going that fast. She went great and came back as though it was just a stroll in the park. Well, off to the farm to turn out Tim's new baby he bought at the yearling sale. She is a pretty chestnut with white socks. She is very calm and should be no trouble to break. Bubble Gum will be coming to Fair Hill this week and the baby is my new project. Lets hope she likes it here.

Later

Update 56: Tim has made an early call this morning to let me know what is going on at the barn. It is business as usual. Grandma will be going home to her owners. Her legs do not look good and before anything happens to her