Barbaro Updates: 295
updates are now here.
Update 1981: Plans are in place for the confirmed contenders of The Belmont: Trainers of Belmont Contenders Ship, Plan Final Works.
It has been a busy week for FOBs on many fronts. Here is just one example: Donations are pouring in to help rescued horses, excerpt:
Since Monday, the group has received approximately $3,000, said Caldwell's wife, Kathryn, with Indiana Horse Rescue in Frankfort, Ind., which has two horses from Stallings' property in its custody.
The majority of the donations have come from users of the Web site, www.timwoolleyracing.com, a site for a racing stable in Maryland that houses discussion boards that have raised more than $350,000 for horses and horse rescue facilities across the country. Donations, ranging from monetary donations made using the Web site's PayPal option, to horse feed, wormer and salt block, have come in from California to Rhode Island, she said.
Here the relevant thread: URGENT-PS HELP ABUSED INDIANA HORSES.
The winner of the Barbaro painting, auctioned on eBay to benefit the NTRAs Barbaro Memorial Fund is an FOB, John e-mailed me this:
I will always remember Barbaro, who was taken away so young. i have followed his ordeal since he got hurt, i am an animal lover all my life dogs & horses, especially Labrador retreviers. i have sponsored Long Island Labrador retrevier rescue fo the past 7 years, as soon as i get the painting i will have it framed & add it to the Fred Stone print, & the 132nd Churchill Downs 2006 Kentucky Derby photo of Big B leaving the starting gate & crossing finish line, also Breyer's doll, Edgar Prado signed photo & wristband that i have been wearing since April. Barbaro was & always will be an inspiration. when i saw it being painted at CD, i wanted it, very pleased that funds will be going to NTRA.
Update 1980: Slaughtering horses for human consumption is back on at Cavel. The plant is able to continue operations until it is determined whether the state law, recently signed by the Govenor, is constitutional (or something like that). I hope all horsemen take time to understand all the issues with respect to horse slaughter.
Mike Jensen writes about Street Sense's decision to skip the Belmont and talks to Michael Matz: Street Sense to skip Belmont, trainer says, excerpt:
After hearing of the decision by Street Sense's connections, Michael Matz, trainer of Chelokee, said he probably would have a talk with that horse's owners from Centennial Farms. They already had been planning on skipping the Belmont and running Chelokee next in the Northern Dancer Stakes on June 15 at Churchill Downs.
"I guess it's not out of the picture," Matz said of the Belmont. "If they really wanted to do something like that, we could do it."
But Matz said his inclination remained to run Chelokee in the Northern Dancer. If he goes in that, Matz may point Chelokee toward the Barbaro Stakes on July 15 at Delaware Park, with the idea of taking on this year's top 3-year-olds later in the year. He mentioned that there were all sorts of options, including the West Virginia Derby and the Pennsylvania Derby later on, as well as the Haskell and Travers.
"Right now, those horses are sort of on a roll," Matz said of Curlin and Hard Spun, "and they're sort of in a rhythm right now."
Update 1979: The Barbaro painting went for $14,400. A warm morning this morning at Fair Hill. I only had three to ride. First out was Gator Nation. He went to the Tapeta track along with Tim on Mediman. We galloped a mile and a half, with me in front on Gator. He was a little more relaxed today, enjoying his gallop. Second out was Nautical Agent, and she went across the fields with Tim on Nonpariel. We just jogged around the outside of the fields. Nautical Agent will be breezing tomorrow so a nice easy day for her today. It was Nonpariel's second day out since her race at the weekend. Finally I rode Linda's Pistol, galloping him a mile and a half on the Tapeta track. He went nice and easily and relaxed. Tim also took Red Aspen out first thing this morning, her first outing since her excellent win last weekend. He jogged her two miles and was happy with how she went. I saw Better Talk Now out there galloping, he looks to be doing well. All in all, a nice short morning's work.
Its now official, I have left (on a leave of absense) one of my other jobs!
Update 1978: Barbaro painting on eBay at $14,300 with about 15 minutes to go: Barbaro Painting NTRA Charities - Barbaro Memorial Fund
Update 1977: A little over three hours left for bidding on eBay and the Barbaro painting, to benefit the NTRAs Barbaro Memorial Fund, is stuck on $14,200 (no bids in the last 24 hours): Fundraisers.
Steve Haskin notes the decision to take Street Sense out of the Belmont and the reactions of his principle rivals, Steve Asmussen and Larry Jones: Curlin, Hard Spun Take Over Center Stage, excerpt:
Discussing Street Sense's departure, Curlin's trainer Steve Asmussen said on a national teleconference Thursday, "My position might be, be careful what I wish for. I was thinking that he was going to show up, and I'm only finding out now that he's not. I was fully prepared to run against him, as well as Hard Spun. With him being as a good horse as he is I think I'd rather have met him at Belmont Park than anywhere else. But if Carl felt he belonged there he would have showed up. So I have to respect his decision."
###Someone please tell me this isn't true...
I got an email this morning telling me we lost the Beltex horses to a higher bidder..IS this true, my God, what is happening?
Posted by: Harriette Brillianthawk at June 1, 2007 11:45 AM