Tim's Updates: 2
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 we are stopping on her. She will not be far away so we will be able to visit her on a regular basis. Her owners love her so she will have a wonderful home. Maybe they will breed her and we will have Grandma babies. That would be great. I will miss seeing her face everyday. She is such a joy. Real Lace is fine after her "race" last week. She is bucking and squealing around the barn causing lots of mayhem. Maybe mayhem is too strong a word. She just feels good. The babies (Paris & Diva) continue to train along slowly and so far they are fine. Mass Romantic I believe will be running her first race for us shortly. She is as lovey as ever but is becoming quite the racehorse. She actually pickes up her hind leg when you are brushing her trying to be mean and kick. She does this in slow motion so you know she is not really being mean. She is my sister Andrea's favorite. What a charmer. Something Wild continues to improve his fitness level. Being that he isn't doing much yet his leg seems fine. Hopefully when we kick it up a notch his leg will be ok. What a flashy boy he is and wonderful to work with in the barn. It's hard to believe that he can be such a tough gallop. He totes Tim around quite easily. They are a good match. Both tiny and compact.
The sales went just fine yesterday. Lots of beautiful babies and lots of buyers. The average was down slightlty from last year. Who knows what today will bring. Some of these babies do not even look like babies. The horse Tim has on the farm "Lucky" and also the horse Paget has on the farm "Wilmer" both have half siblings in the sale (same Mare different Stallion). We had a look at Lucky's little brother. He has the same face as Lucky and is just as big as Lucky is now. He is quite good looking but looks like he needs to be gelded already. We haven't had a look at Wilmer's little brother yet. It is so cool to be able to see siblings. You get a pretty good idea on the sort of baby a mare will throw.
No reports from the farm just yet today. Emily is taking care of the boys and Bubble Gum.
She reported yesterday that everyone is fine and she thinks Wilmer is very cute. It is hard to believe that he is only three years old. We missed a nice paper chase on the weekend in Unionville but there will be more of those later in the month. Buddy will be ready! The breeder of my horse Timmy was here yesterday. She promised to come see "Fabio", he is still the most gorgeous horse out of the mare (MY Friend Kim). There are two other babies out of Kim running right now and hopefully they will do well. I will try to write again later if there is any excitement at all to report.
Later
Update 55: In Timonium this morning all indications are that we will be having a good sale. The right buyers are here looking at babies and most of the consignors are busy. There was quite a show at the Merkel consignment at about 9am. One of the babies was prancing and all he needed was some music to go with it. It was wonderful to watch him strut his stuff. His pace was so rhythmic that everyone was in awe at the performance. My sister Polly always says that something good is going to happen, look for it. I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time this morning. What a performance. The weather could not be any better and as long as no plumbing or electrical emergencies happen today everything should go smoothly. The tents are only temperarary and things can go wrong quickly. Bill Reightler is in a tent by the repository and he always does a great job decorating. He also has a caterer that is wonderful. Everyone enjoys his display. I have not yet determined who will win the prize for the decorations but it will be fun to sort out.
No Fair Hill news just yet, Tim will be coming down to look at babies with a few owners today. I will pin him down and get an update about our babies and put it up as soon as I can.
Later
Update 54: The weather was just a little chilly this morning and the horses have enjoyed their training. Everyone was feeling fresh. Red Aspen had her first breeze since her eye injury. Tim reported that she went an easy half mile. Hopefully all is well with her and just maybe she will get back to run another race before the end of the year. Tim and Robbie took several sets to the gate this morning. The first set was Veiled Endeavor. She is very fit and needed get a gate card. In order for a horse to get a gate card and race they have to be approved by the starter. The horse has to break out of the gate with the bell and run away from there well enough to make the starter happy. If the starter is happy then you get a gate card. This may take several attempts before a horse gets it's card. Veiled Endeavor got her card this morning. Diva and Paris Night went to the gate as well this morning. Both horses have only begun their gate training. They start by walking through and just getting used to having the gate around them. They walk,stand, and then jog out the front. This is practiced several times before they are shut in the gate. Both behaved well and took it all in stride. I heard that my little Mass Romantic galloped well this morning. She should be to the races soon and I can't wait. Meghan came in today to take care of Whippie. Little Whippie has now finished her racing career and we have been so lucky that the owner Meg Ferguson has given her to Meghan (14 year old, in love with Whip and follows Uncle Tim everywhere,works for free and gets herself up early to come to the barn). She is over the moon and now wants to buy Whippie Purple Polos to put on her legs. Tim gave her a little lesson at Fair Hill and said that Whippie jogged and cantered around like a gem. Meghan is so lucky and just can't believe her luck...
Well today at the sales grounds there is a lot of action. Little babies are feeling their oats. The infield looks wonderful now that everyone is here and every consignor seems to be busy. Tomorrow will be another busy day and a lot of buyers will be here. So far all is going well. Being the stable manager for Fasig Tipton is like conducting a chorus. As long as everyone comes in on cue then the sound is wonderful. It can also be a lot like playing dodge ball. You know, the game you played when you were is middle school where people on the other side tried to hit you with a ball. There is a lot of ducking and diving and occasionally you get hit.
So far I'm still in the game....
Later
Update 53: Lots of things going on as usual this morning and everything went smoothly. Tim reports that Real Lace is fine after her race the other day. She has returned from Presque Isle eating well and feeling refreshed with a few days off. Tim galloped Two of Wands in behind Quick Quest this morning. Robbie was riding Quick Quest and gave the filly a little scooling on sitting in behind. She is a tough cookie and had no problem.. Quick Quest again seems fine and is entered to run at Philadelphia Park on Saturday. This will probably be his last race for us and he will go to live and be trained by his owner. He has such a great personality and we will miss him a lot. Veiled Endeavor (two year old by Louis Quatorze) galloped nicely with Tim today. She should be to the races shortly. Luke seemed a bit better on his feet. It always takes him a few days to adjust after he has been shod. The most important thing is that he is happy and is still eating well. Luke is a lot like me he lives to eat. One of Micheal Matz's grooms was raking by the alfalfa pile yesterday and asked Tim's mother Janet if it would be ok if he had some. Of course she said yes. He is a lucky boy and has lots of fans. Who's Happy will shortly be going back to the track and hopefully she will continue to give Tim a hard time a continue to run well. Occasionally Tim needs a good workout.
As for the action at the sales grounds in Timonium today, things were a bit hectic this morning. It seems as though everyone decides to ship in at the same time. This causes quite a que at the chute. Everything has worked out and the babies (yearlings) are beautiful. I love seeing the babies coming out into the open world to strut their stuff. The entire infield is filled with huge tents and most of the consignors go out of their way to make it look wonderful. David Wade from the North View Stallion Station and Laurie and Jerry Calhoun from Summer Wind Farm are always a few of my favorites. Dark Hollow farms David Hayden also does a great job. There may be a few more that will try to out do their neighbors but some of them haven't set up everything just yet. Soon a lot of great trainers will be coming to look and the action will be non-stop. Just the way I like it. It doesn't hurt that the weather is going to be gorgeous. All this makes for a great weekend.
Later
Update 52: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You all for the wonderful gift baskets you have sent. It is really unnecessary but greatly appreciated by both horse and human. We are the lucky ones please believe me when I say that. All of you have done so much to help the horses that we care for. We also are very lucky to have the chance to show others that we really do care for these animals. Real Lace has just gotten off the van from Presque Isle. We were very disappointed with the race (not with the horse she did great), we were a bit annoyed at the rider. First the agent called to hustle the ride and of course neglected to tell Tim that his rider would be 3 pounds over weight. She ran right there with the first three horses and when she switched her lead down the lane the jockey quit riding. If you can't outride me down the lane(and this is not hard believe me) then that is a travesty!!! It is not even that hard to fake riding a horse down the lane, say if you are too tired or something else. Anyway, we are both still annoyed at the jockey and hopefully he won't be calling to get another mount anytime soon.... Real Lace is training just fine and is feeling great we can't really explain what he was doing. As we speak we are admiring the basket that was delivered to little Whippie. The card said that it was giving her an A for effort. I can't wait to share it with her. Luke was a little rickety on his feet. He got new shoes yesterday and he is always a bit sore for a few days. he went to the track and just watched a few sets. He seems to know which horses are ours compared to ones that are not. He loves to look around and see the action. A few days from now he will have more spring in his step. Anyway, I'll try to get some more info from Tim to add later.
Thanks Again
Update 51: I cannot be more sorry that there have been no updates in the last few days. Time is getting away with me. It is Wednesday morning at 5:30 am and I am on my way to Baltimore, Maryland trying to get the sales grounds ready for the upcoming yearling sale. We will be selling around 900 horses and I have been swamped. Anyway, we had some great visitors on the weekend. There were four Fans of Barbaro that came to visit and spoil the horses with lots of treats. We can't say thank you enough for all of the special effort that you horse lovers have put out. You all are very special. There was a wonderful basket for Gator Nation which I delivered personally on Sunday after the barn work was finished. Real Lace is off to run at Presque Isle today. The race will go off about 8pm if anyone is interested in watching it. The race came up very tough with Steve Assmussen having several horses that have run beyer numbers in the 90's. We thought we would give her a chance since she is training so well. Hopefully training on the surface will give us an edge with Real Lace the way it did with Who's Happy. Speaking of Who's Happy, she has come out of her race just fine. She is her normal self around the barn, you don't hear a peep from her. We will try to find one more race for her and then she will have the winter off. Now it is time to teach her little sister (chestnut filly by Bowman's Band) how to be ridden. I haven't seen her yet but I hear she is quite nice. Mass Romantic continues to do well and was rearing up yesterday. She must be feeling her oats. Grandma is having a few days off. She seems to have some filling in one of her front legs so we need to figure it out. I am stopping over at the barn to see her before my drive to Baltimore. Red Aspen is training well and seems to be fine. She is still giving the guys a hard time to catch her especially in the evenings. Returning to her past form has been no problem for her. Hopefully we will get her to a few more races before the year is over, if not she has deservs a few months off. Anyway, must go for now. I will give hugs and kisses to the horses before I go. Thank you everyone who visited again and Thank you to Jim for the bag full of apples.
Later
Update 50: All systems go with Who's Happy! Tim said that she is unaffected by the new enviornment and seems to be just fine. I sure hope she runs well or it could be quite a dull ride home for seven hours. Hopefully we will be celebrating! Nautical Agent won yesterday, she must be happy and getting all the love she needs. Real Lace was happily eating her breakfast when I got to the barn this morning. Diva was finished her breakfast already and licking the bottom of the bowl. She is such a happy girl. Nothing seems to bother her at all. Mass Romantic had a great time chewing the broom to bits while I mucked around her. Everytime I turned around I had to take it from her. She has a lot of personality and of course she is gorgeous! Luke went out to the porta pad this morning and seemed happy to be out. I believe he has to work tomorrow and take a few sets to the track. He loves to work and could stand up on the track all morning (of course lots of mints would have to be handy). Something Wild has come back to us after quite awhile off. He had some tendon trouble and hopefully we can get him back to the races. He is a good looking Chesnut with lots of chrome. Right now he is just jogging arount the track and I imagine when Tim returns he will start to gallop. Something Wild has great barn manners and you never really know he is around. Quick Quest walked early this morning and seems no worse for wear after his last race. Paris Night seems to be galloping nicely with her rider Steve. We put her in one of the back stalls where she has a huge window to look out and this makes her happy. Tomorrow is Saturday and we should have a little extra help with Mike (Bubble Gum's owner) joining the crew. Mike and I will be at Delaware Park tonight cheering for Team Woolley.
Go Team Woolley!!!
Update 49: Just had a call from Tim. Happy went around the track at Preque Isle. Just a little leg stretcher before tomorrow. Shipping for seven hours did not seem to affect her in any way.
Tim reports that it is a beautiful area and that the track is nice and tidy and clean. I stopped around the barn at Fair Hill for about two hours this morning just to get things going while Tim is away. All was running smoothly and the first two sets went to the track without a hitch. Fernando said that Grandma tried to buck him off this morning. They did not part ways and both horse and rider seemed quite content upon their return to the barn. Two of Wands was the second set and she can be quite a live wire to tack up. Beth entered Wanda's stall armed for battle (with polos) and in the end after much biting and kicking Beth was victorious! She just loves to give everyone a hard time . Wanda is like me in the morning, she jumps out of bed ready to go! When we are ready to go most people haven't had their first cup of coffee. I wonder if she is worn out by 9pm like I am. She is a tough cookie! Anyway, she left the barn with Fernando and I have gotten no terrible reports and can only assume everything is going smoothly. Luke grazed his way to the porta pad this morning. He loves to cause the babies at Michael Matz's barn trouble when they walk by on the path. At least they get used to a colorful pony! Before leaving the barn I took a few minutes to muck Red Aspen's stall and take her bandages off. She kept herself busy playing with my rake and broom while I was busy cleaning. Everyone that walked by her was laughing at the broom sticking out of her mouth. At the very least she was happy and I managed to get her stall done without incident. Last evening I called Meghan to see how her day went and she was at Fair Hill feeding Whip carrots. Meghan is Whips special friend and it was nice to know that she was getting some extra lovin. Whip Smart walked and grazed this morning and seems to be coming back from her race. Andrea hasn't called with anyother updates lately, hopefully her morning is fine.
See Ya!
Update 48: Another gorgeous morning at Fair Hill. Little Whippie seems fine this morning after her race yesterday. It was a very tough race for her and she tried her hardest. We still love her. Things were a little hectic this morning with Tim leaving for Presque Isle. The help was 45 minutes late and it was Beth's day off so it was a bit rough for a few hours. Everything got done and all of the horses are fine. Robbie Walsh has had a practice run on Red Aspen (Tim is the only one who gallops her). She behaved nicely,he should have no problem. Who's Happy along with Tim and Jeff Bennett (Owner) took off for Presque Isle about noon. Hopefully everyone ships well (Tim & Jeff included). Happy will have a gallop over the track tomorrow and will run on Friday. She is used to the Tapeta surface so maybe that will help her in this Stakes race. Raging Rapids (her older, very talented sister) is also running. The pair make for a good race anyway.
Later
Update 47: Brilliant morning at Double Trouble. I just love the cool,crisp mornings. Everything in the barn went smoothly. Whip Smart got off to the races at Philadelphia Park. I went into her stall and gave her a pat and a kiss and sent her on her way. Hopefully she will try hard, run well and be safe. I'm almost crying thinking about her she tries so hard. What a girl. Good thing I'm not a trainer. It brings to my mind her friend Nautical Agent (both fillies spent last winter with me) ,I hope she is getting lots of love and is happy. Years ago I got attached to one of the horses I galloped named House at Dawn. When he was sold I got out bid and he was sent to Mountaineer Park in West Virginia. When he broke down and needed several months in a stall I offered to pay to ship him to Maryland and keep him forever. The owner would not give him to me. I have since been in touch with the dealer that sold him and he told me that he sells 500 horses a year and can't remember this particular one. I miss him and hope that he found someone to love him as much as I did. I will never forget him and miss him all the time even after all these years. Unfortunately for me I can't seem to take care of these animals and not get attached. We are given these animals for a short time and while they are here I plan to see to it that they get all the love they can stand. Tim will take care of the training. George brought a carrot delivery this morning. He also must have taken mercy on Tim and bought him a new watering can. The last time George was here we saw him checking out our taped together watering can. Well now we have a new one. At times he has also bought Tim new brooms for the shedroe among other things. We are so lucky to have him in our lives. The horses love him and he spoils them all. Preperations are in the works for the Presque Isle trip. Unfortunately Real Lace's race did not go. Who's Happy will be the only horse going. It should be a good trip out to Erie and seeing the new track will be great.
Down on the farm - We rode little Bubble Gum (Our Hearthrob) again last night. She is doing so well that we may start to pick it up a bit. Timmy was spooking at shadows but little Bubble Gum was a rock. Soon it will be time for my little bird to fly from the nest. I can't wait to see her at Fair Hill. This must be what it is like when you have children. I want her to go away and do well with all that she has learned with me but I also worry about her. She isn't going far so at least I can keep an eye on her. She will be a star I'm sure!
Later
Update 46: What a special weekend. The weather could not have been better. Saturday was our typical breeze day. Lots of action. Grandma and Two of Wands breezed nicely together. So far Grandma seems to be doing great, her legs look fine and she is of course eating everything. Real Lace had an exceptional breeze. I only say this because Tim was slightly animated about her work (he rarely gets animated about much). She is ready for her Stake race at Presque Isle at the end of the week. Who's Happy breezed well but is not the same kind of work horse that Real Lace is. She is quiet about her breezes. All is well with her and hopefully the Stakes race at Presque Isle will go for her. That should be quite a trip. Whip Smart will be running on the turf at Philadelphia Park tomorrow. Sunday was a little frantic. Quick Quest was running at Delaware Park. We have no excuses for him. He is training great and eating well and seems to be happy. He did not perform. As unbelievable as it is I have no idea what to do for him. Soundness is not an issue and neither is attitude. He is quite cheeky in the mornings and is eating great. Oh well, I will sit it on the back burner to simmer for awhile and see what comes to me. It would be great if we could at least get Quick to break his Maiden. Anyway, hopefully Tim will call in with an exciting update and I will let you all know!
Later
Update 45: Not a bad Friday. All the little bees were buzzing at Double Trouble. Quick Quest was wild this morning according to Robbie Walsh. Hopefully he will run well on Sunday! Last night when Tim was feeding a lady and her son stopped by. They had been out hiking and hoped that they could come in to see the horses. Tim gave the little boy carrots and the horses were in heaven. Mass Romantic was so lovey to him. He kept wondering why she was pawing. "More carrots" Tim said. Hopefully they enjoyed their visit. Tim has a lot of breezers tomorrow so hopefully we won't get too much rain. The tapeta track will be fine but sometimes the sealed main track can cause a few problems. The sound of horses galloping on it gives all of the horses a reason to be stupid. I'm sure it will all work out. Can't wait for the weekend hope the weather is as nice as it has been all week. We are still planning to send a couple of horses to Presque Isle next week. Alex will be there so that should be fun.
Will write an update after all of the action tomorrow!
Update 44: What a beautiful Thursday. Red Aspen went to the main track to jog this morning. It was very exciting at least for me. Tim was not as excited but managed to keep control of her while she was jumping around. She is in good spirits. Little Whippie had to give Diva a lead around the deer fields today. Whip is nearly as afraid of the deer as Diva is. Both managed to get back to the barn safely. Who's Happy and Real Lace are aiming at a couple of Stakes races next week at Presque Isle. Both seem to be doing well. Grandma as very spritely today putting in several big bucks and nearly unseating her rider in the process. I think that she is deceiving to most when you first look at her. Her size does not keep her from being agile when she wants to be. We hope that Robbie Walsh will be back from Ireland today and that he will be back riding for us tomorrow. The horses love him and he can be a lot of fun to ride out with. It's all about having fun both for humans and horses! Paget and I are trying to find a horse from an inquiry on the Alex Brown website. The horses name is Influent. He made nearly a million dollars in his racing life. We put out a lot of feelers yesterday and hopefully we will be able to locate this horse. If I can figure out a way to make a database where people could put in information about retired Thoroughbreds, I would love to do it. I cannot be the only one interested in what these horses do after they go to the races. I'm sure Alex can help me figure this one out. Anyway, hopefully we will be able to find Influent and it will be a wonderful story about his life. We hope so!
Later
Update 43: After a rainy Tuesday it has been a gorgeous Wednesday. The horses even seemed to appreciate and enjoy the nice weather. Busy morning today with visiting owners. Sean and Dennis Massey came to see their two horses. Mass Romantic and a new filly by Louis Quatorze. The Masseys seemed to enjoy a few hours just hanging around the barn watching all of the action. What a beautiful day for it. Andrea McNeeley also came to the barn this morning to see her horses train. She got to watch Real Lace and Red Aspen. Both fillies went great and could not be happier. Quick Quest blew out a solid three eights of a mile. He will be running at Delaware Park this Sunday. Hopefully he will get a piece of the action.
Down on the farm - We rode little Bubble Gum last night. She was trying out her new set of shoes. Of course she went well . She is getting stronger. So far she has been a little trouper and very brave. Timmy will look at things and spook but nothing seems to bother the filly. I can't wait until she gets to go to Fair Hill and go to the track. It is so exciting to bring a young horse along and see it go off to school. This will be exciting!
Later
Update 42: On this brutally hot & muggy Monday I was not in the Aisle of Woolley but did have a report from the trainer. Red Aspen was under tack for the first day since her eye injury. Tim reports that she is moving well and ready to get back to business. Quick Quest galloped this morning. He did not draw in the race last Saturday but we hope he will draw into the race this Saturday. Whip Smart also had her first trip back to the track after jogging yesterday. Meghan was here yesterday to walk her and the rider also said that she came out of her last racing moving well. Both Who's Happy and Mass Romantic came out of Saturdays works in good form. Last night when we fed dinner Mass Romantic was digging for her food. That's a good sign. Tim and I went to see the movie "First Saturday in May" on Friday evening at the Newark Film Festival. If you haven't gotten to see it make a plan because it was really worth it. The Hennegan Brothers documentary was wonderful. It really gives you great insight on the roller coaster ride of training. Of course I was crying my eyes out on the Barbaro part but it was like reading a good book that you couldn't put down. I can see why it finished 2nd in the Tribeca film festival for audience favorite. Hopefully someday we will get to experience the thrill of having something run in the Kentucky Derby. It's all about the dream!
Later
Update 41: Typical Saturday morning at Double Trouble. Lots of workers to get finished before the heat really set in. Grandma and Two of Wands galloped together first set and other that the two of them setting each other off at the far gap things went well. Everybody survived that set. Mass Romantic had another zip around the rail. She looked great later in the morning when I jogged her up for Tim. Who's Happy toated Tim around for a seven eighths of a mile ride. It is so effortless for her. Meghan and I sat on the tower clocking and when Tim went down the backside his feet were on the dashboard. She finished well. When we jogged her up for Tim, I had Meghan come and look at just how clean her legs were. Luke went to the track today with Chesapeake City Slew. Slew was breezing 3/8ths of a mile. Luke skipped right along the Tapeta track and was playing the whole way down the backside. Slew dug in with Tim and had a great piece of work. Luke felt so good that we decided to take him out with the last set. We have a new filly in the barn who has not seen the track yet. Luke jogged around with her for a mile and then stood at the gap waiting for her to come back after a second mile around. A little less starch in Luke that trip! When everything was done I had to go over to Gray(Michael Matz assistant) to voice a complaint. I had noticed that his hay delivery (bright green western alfalfa) was delivered and placed just out of Luke's reach. OMG! Do they know what it's like to be on a diet and have the desert tray go right by you. We all had a good chuckle at Luke and he assured me that anytime they rake up by him he gets an extra treat. Thank God!
Later
Update 40: This morning was a busy Friday for Tim and with everyone being organized in the barn things went smoothly. The equine dentist stopped by today to check teeth. This is an important part of a horse's health. The dentist uses a rasp to file away any sharp edges that might have formed in the mouth. When he is done everything is smooth again and the horse's are much more comfortable eating. After Mark (dentist) spent a few hours in the barn everyone was happy. Matt Haney (owns Gator Nation & Slew) stopped by today. Gator is glad to be back at the farm for some RNR. Grandma galloped today with her new companion Two of Wands. They are a good pair and seem to tolerate each other. It will be interesting to see these two work together because they are both tough fillies. Neither one is a pushover. They should be quite competitive and help each other learn about racing. Real Lace trained like a professional today and is moving and eating well. After she trains she gets an extra scoop of feed for breakfast which she digs right into. I stood in the barn isle this morning watching Red Aspen play with the lip on her feed tub. She likes to flip it up for some reason. Apparently it took everyone a few hours to catch her this morning in her stall. This is normal behavior for her and we are glad to see she is returning to her old self. The only time she is readily caught is when Carrot man George is near. That's no surprise! Tomarrow is Saturday which is always a great day in the barn. We have extra help with Mike (owns Bubble Gum) and Meghan. Mike and Meghan both clock horses in their breezes for Tim. It is very important to know how fast a horse went in a breeze so you can tell the fitness level. The time and how the horse physically did the piece of work are both indications of fitness. The worst thing is to hit the wrong button on the watch accidentally and then have to tell Tim that you missed his time. Tim has a very good clock in his head but has to know exactly what they went in down to the last tenth of a second. This is why we have more than one clocker. We figure we have safety in numbers!
Later
Update 39: Just a little muggy on this Thursday morning. Little "Whippy" as Meghan calls her ran a great race last night at Penn National. It was a much tougher race than the previous she ran and really she did well to get fourth. She just got swallowed up a little in the lane. This morning she was in her stall resting but seemed happy to munch away on her hay. Red Aspen was causing a stir first thing (this is not unusual for her). She is a morning bird and likes to get out of her stall early. Grandma calmly stood in her stall waiting to go to the track. Everyone seemed to be in first gear for most of the morning. Maybe it's just getting to the end of the week and brains are getting foggy. Fortunately for Tim the horses keep him on his toes!
Who's Happy gave Tim another workout around the track. Both horse and rider came back to the barn relaxed and happy. Quick Quest is training nicely and causes his rider to pay attention for most of the ride. No falling asleep on him! Chesapeake City Slew is training nicely and he is such a pretty boy. We hope we can get him to the races. Gator Nation has gone back to the farm today to have a much deserved break. He will have a little time off.
Tim has just called and we're off to ride little Bubble Gum tonight. She is doing great and I can't wait until she goes to Fair Hill and gets to act like a big girl. Nothing seems to upset her and she is going great. She stands like a statue when she gets a bath and should anyday now be getting her first set of shoes.
Later
Update 38: Another beautiful Wednesday at Fair Hill. The weather couldn't be any more perfect for training. Tim just called in with a little report from the barn. Gator Nation has been scratched from Laurel today. He is not 100% sound and we want to take no chances until we figure out why. The two of us were at the barn until 7:30 last night watching him jog up and we just need to make sure he is ok. Gator is not unhappy and I had a hard time holding him while trying to get him to jog for Tim. Carrot man George was by today for some more horse therapy. He said that he could not get to Red Aspen first because Real Lace would not let him pass by without some attention. Obviously they love George. He agreed with me that Red Aspen's eye is looking much better. Chesapeake City Slew went great in company with one of our new arrivals (Paris Night). Tim reports that both went well. I am also happy to report that the handle has been fixed on our water source making our lives much easier. Whip Smart will shortly be on her way to the races (Penn National - 2nd race) with Tim by her side. Hopefully she will have her running shoes on!
Later
P.S. - I took Luke to the porta pad myself this morning and he actually tried to double barrel me as I was walking away. Of course he did'nt mean to connect. He is so cheeky!
Update 37: It is a beautiful Tuesday morning here at Fair Hill. The air is nice and cool so far and the horses are enjoying it. Early this morning there was a report that Luke marched right out to the porta pad with lots of spunk. After going cross country yesterday with Pistol I was a bit worried about his feet but apparently he was fine. While I was talking to Beth in the isle this morning Red Aspen stuck her head out to visit with me. Beth said that her hind feet were rarely on the ground this morning while they walked her in the barn. It's great to hear that she is feeling so fresh. I gave her a kiss on the nose and took a close look at her eye which seems to be fine. Grandma was sleeping again in her stall. She was standing but her lower lip was hanging down (this I took as a signal that she was in a deep sleep). We had a good laugh at how lady like she looked. Anyway, like they "say pretty is as pretty does!" She is a racehorse that's all that matters. Whip Smart looked bright coming back to the barn this morning and hopefully she will run well tomorrow. Our Diva (Real Lace's little sister) got her first set of shoes on this morning and she stood like a trooper. As I was leaving the barn I took a few minutes to love on Mass Romantic. She was nuzzling my hand looking for treats, what a good girl she is. I hope she trained well today.
Later
Update 36: Our labor day weekend starting off on a little bit of a rough note. First the main water faucet on our side of the barn was in use when the handle decided to part ways with the pipe. We immediately had to shut the water off to get it to stop running. Grae (works for Michael Matz as assistant/plumbers aide) came to at least rig it so that water was not shooting out everywhere. The real plumbers would not be out until Tuesday. On top of the water situation, the coil burned out in the dryer so there was no way of drying much needed laundry through the morning. Anyway, at least the weather was hard to beat this weekend!
Trying to train horses with these added annoyances can sometimes just be part of daily barn life. On top of it all Tim's main rider Robbie is on vacation in Ireland for two weeks! Tim was very much in need of a stress ball by the time Saturday was over with. Throughout it all we breezed Mass Romantic and Quick Quest. Mass Romantic zipped around the Tapeta track in good form and Quick Quest had a maintenance breeze for this Saturday (race at Philadelphia).
On Sunday the horses had several visitors to make them happy. Lyn and Donna (FOBs) stopped by to spoil them with mints and carrots. Carrot man George was also here on Sunday and brought more towels for the horses and also more carrots. They all know him especially Red Aspen and she just adores him. Red Aspen has no trouble with her eye and can spot George coming down the shed row. All were happy when they left. This morning (Monday) Luke went cross country with another horse from our barn. He was very happy to be working and caused me quite a lot of trouble trying to buck. Tim was having just as much trouble trying to restrain Who's Happy during a routine gallop even with all her equipment. Real Lace doesn't pull as hard as Happy but you have to sit extra tight in the saddle on the return home.
Whip Smart who is entered for Wednesday at Penn National never seems fazed by anything and Tim says that even your grandmother could ride her!
Off to ride Bubble Gum this evening with Timmy!
Later
Update 35: Friday morning (by this day I'm worn out) and I woke to an S.O.S. call from Tim.
Much of the help decided to take the morning off without telling anyone. So I went to the barn to fill in. Everyone calls me "Juanita" when I do this. Off I went to Fair Hill to do as many stalls as possible before 8:20. Everything went well, and everyone remained calm. After Andrea gave me a hug for rescuing her, we got down to work. Tim rode Real Lace first thing and she galloped well, unfortunately there was a loose horse on the track and it got her upset for the ride home. Tim was worried that she would tie up (muscles get tight and makes walking uncomfortable). We kept a close eye on her before and after her bath and she was fine. Next set was Tim on Who's Happy. She is so quiet around the barn. Butter of course would not melt in her mouth but she has a lot of equipment on to gallop. Tim is a very strong rider and I know that if there is a lot of equipment the horse is strong. They both came back calm and happy so everything must have been ok. As "Juanita" mucked away, Andrea got the next set ready. Gator Nation went out with Tim and Whip Smart went out with her rider. Whip Smart is so cute. Her ears curl up at the end like a little elf and when she looks straight at you she is irresistable. I am so lucky. The new report on Red Aspen is that she is back. "Juanita" mucked around her while she was loose in her stall and it is sure great to have her back. Time was running short for me so the last thing I did was to get Mass Romantic and Quick Quest ready for their training. Mass Romantic stood like a lady waiting for her rider and Quick Quest was his usual roudy self. He doesn't like to wait. Everything revolves around him and he is sure to let you know if he is unhappy. Before I left I called in my replacement Meghan. She was only too happy to be needed this morning. She was just in time to walk Whip Smart after her gallop. Both were of course as happy as clams!
Off To Work!
Update 34: Tim just rang with a little more of an update. Red Aspen will be shipping back to us this afternoon after being on the owner's farm recovering from an eye injury. It will be awesome to have her terrorizing people in the barn again.. He has also decided against running Who's Happy tonight at Penn National. Now that we can see just who made it into the race, it has come up too tough for her first time on the turf. We will have other opportunities to run her in easier company. She is a young filly and we want her to be around for a long time.
Later
Update 33: Just another Thursday morning at Double Trouble. When I walked into the barn this morning it was like a beehive. Little worker bees going every direction trying to get riders out of the barn on horses. Everything was buzzing. Who's Happy was being walked and was behaving like a lady. Quick Quest was trying to bite the groom as she got him ready for Tim to ride. He loves to torture his groom! Mass Romantic was standing like a statue while being tacked up. I went in and checked her bridle and talked to her for a few minutes before sending her on her way. Real Lace was happy to see me coming with another scoop of grain. She dug right into her feed tub. Luke was already out enjoying the sun in the porta pad and Gator Nation was calmly eating out of his hay net. Grandma was asleep as I walked past so I left her alone. All is well and hopefully Tim will call in a more detailed report about the training later.
See Ya
Update 32: Tuesday 8/28
I walked in the barn this morning with Grandma staring at me. What a lovely animal she is. I stopped and gave her a huge hug and a kiss on her cheek. Just looking at these horses gives me a sense of peace. What is it about horses that can reach where nothing else can? Then I walked to the back of the barn to see Luke in the Porta Pad rolling and getting good and dirty. He loves to get dirty and is very hard to clean with all of his white. It is very good for the horses backs when they get down and roll. Most of the time they will shake afterwards which loosens their muscles. Mass Romantic was out at the track with Tim and upon her return seemed happy. Gator Nation was causing a stir in the barn by being fresh. He is such a funny boy. Whip Smart continues to be in good form after winning her last race and hopefully it won't be long before she is in the winner's circle again. I believe Who's Happy is going to run on Thursday at Penn National on the turf. It seems like a tough race because it is for horses that are three years old and up. There are some tough horses in there that have run against Red Aspen. Happy is in top form and is well in herself so we feel we need to give her a shot.
Who knows? Anything can happen.
Down on the farm: Off to ride Little Bubble Gum tonight. Timmy M'Boy went out with her last night to canter and jog. He was brilliant. I purchased him from a friend when he was a yearling and he has been with me ever since. When I worked for Dr. Fisher at Fair Hill I rode his mother and his Aunt and Tim (Woolley) used to ride his grandmother. Just looking at him brings me such joy. Timmy has spent a lot of time giving other horses a lead even when he was in training he would do this. Bubble Gum was of course as cooperative as ever following Timmy around like a little trouper!
Later
Update 31: Busy morning today as Michelle has now gone to Delaware Park to ride for a larger trainer, therefore Tim had to get on a few more horses. Both Who's Happy and Real Lace seem like they are doing well. Quick Quest whipped around on the track and caused a bit of trouble but everyone survived. Robbie rode Whip Smart and gave Our Diva (Real Lace's sister) a lead around the fields. Diva is struggling a little with the hills but it is good for babies and even some older horses to do these workouts. She is very athletic and will get the hang of it quickly. Grandma had her first gallop this morning after her vacation. She went to the track with Two of Wands. Both fillies seemed to enjoy each others company. Luke enjoyed another lazy day in the porta pad. He enjoys being outside as long as it's not too hot.
Later
Update 30: After a stormy night here in Saratoga morning is here and it seems to be a lot cooler than yesterday. We have heard from the home front already and it seems that the horses are a bit on edge. The storm must have them all upset. Whip Smart who Michelle said was bucking on the track yesterday, was quite fresh while grazing this morning. It is great to hear that Whip is feeling so good. She is such a cutie and most of the time very quiet. Real Lace was also a handful. She is a handful most of the time but more so today. As I sit in the quiet morning of Saratoga I find myself wondering about the horses. On the occasion when we are away from the barn it is like being away from family. We spend so much time with these animals that we really do miss them. We hope that they are all happy and have no doubts that they are being loved on while we are gone. It's been a great stay here but I'll be glad to head back home to be with the horses.
Later
Update 29: We heard from Andrea and Michelle early this morning. Everything in the barn was fine so we could enjoy our day at the Travers here at Saratoga. The day has been very hot but the racing was even hotter. Seeing Graham Motion having a nice win with a seven year old vetran was awesome. Sue (works for Graham) was sick before the race with worry that her favorite horse would be claimed. She even had her friend Jayne Lornie carrying her emergency herbal remedy in case the worst happened. We are all happy he stayed in Graham's barn.
Local horse Hard Spun who I saw in person for the first time (he is huge) put in a very game win with reinstated Mario Pino aboard. The win was nice for all of Hard Spun's connections! The best part of the day was of course Calvin Borel on Street Sense steeling the thunder from Grasshopper. He just got up to beat Grasshopper by about a neck. Calvin rode the second place fininsher in his two previous races and he is certainly a horse to watch in later races. It's a good thing Calvin knew both horses because he gave the all of us a little scare at the eight pole when Street Sense looked as though he would have trouble passing the other horse. A lot of personality shows in Calvin and the crowd loves him as Calvin tries to give all the credit to Street Sense! We stook a few feet from Janine Edwards today and she looked as beautiful as ever interviewing lots of winning connections today.
Later
Update 28: Although the track was shrouded by fog this morning, which made the horses very alert, we had a very busy morning breezing. Gator Nation breezed five eigths nicely. Michelle reported that Mass Romantic breezed a half mile and went very well. Michelle thought she was moving great. Who's Happy also breezed a half mile and the official clocker (Meghan) said that she looked smooth doing it. Robbie Walsh galloped Quick Quest and reported that he was well in himself. All in all a good morning. No major problems to figure out and no unhappy horses. Tim is off on a road trip tomorrow to Saratoga for the Travers where he can dream of someday having a runner there himself. Hopefully he will be able to call in a few exciting updates.
Cheers
Update 27: Well as I suspected Bubble Gum was a good girl. She went up to the grass ring and galloped around by herself, switching her leads on cue like a seasoned vetran. After she trained she got a soapy bath and a good rinse. Her boyfriend Timmy M'Boy stood by the gate waiting for her return. The barn cat Queenie came up to the ring with us and sat in the grass watching the entire process. She is such a character. If Bubble Gum keeps progressing like this she will be on her way to races before we know it. I thought this article www.sidelinesnews.com/1909/HIngate.html was a great idea. Skip three quarters of the way down to the class called Back From the track Hack. What a great idea for ex racehorses. Paget and I will keep it in mind for next year with our Thoroughbreds
Update 26: Lots of exciting things going on in the barn this morning. Grandma had a stiff 3 mile jog around the hills. Matt Haney (Owner of Chesapeake City Slew and Gator Nation) came in to watch Slew train. He went well. Luke had a quiet morning in the round pen and seemed to enjoy the fresh grass. Dr. Kenney one of the best, if not the best Accupunture/Chiropractor Equine Veterinarians in the country stopped by to check on Two of Wands. She was in such good shape that he did not have to do any work on her at all so we had him look at Who's Happy. She did need some adjusting but all in all is in good shape. Rosemary Crowley (massage therapist) was here as well and very excited to watch Dr. Kenney work. It is always great to have several opinions on the wellness of your horse. Sometimes when you are riding or looking at a horse everyday you can miss things that would be obvious to someone who has fresh eyes. We count on every bit of information to help the horses perform at their best. Gina O'Callahan (another rider at Fair Hill & another of my running partners) won an ARCA race at Charles Town last night. Michelle our other excercise rider was fourth. Everyone is fine this morning and no worse for the wear!
Tim is off now to Double Trouble Too to ride "Bubble Gum" aka Mikey. Lets hope all goes as well as expected. She is very confident and I don't expect any problems.
Another Blog Later
Update 25: Another great morning at Fair Hill. Meghan came in to check on Whip Smart who had and easy go around the field today. Tim tried the new happy mouth bit( a snaffle with a rubber coating) on her. She seemed to like it. Meghan also reported that she didn't think Grandma had lost any weight just yet. She loves her anyway! Michelle rode Mass Romantic first set and galloped her on the Tapeta track. She went great. Real Lace went back to the track for the first time after her win, Tim jogged her and said she was moving fine. The next set we had to put Luke to work. He went accross the fields with Our Diva (Real Lace's sister). Tim was quite surprised when he was so fresh that he was jumping in the air. His feet love the soft turf. Victor Molina stopped by early this morning with the most wonderful danishes I have ever seen. They were wonderful (I may have to run an extra mile today on my lunch break to work it off), anyway it was worth it. Thanks to Victor and Whip Smart winning at Penn we all got to indulge ourselves. Carrot man George stopped by to see his horses today. Real Lace was very vocal when he was in the barn. The horses seem to know that he will give them loads of treats and they all try to get his attention in whatever manner they can. We also had another visitor today, Rosemary Homeister Jr. She stopped by on her way to Presque Isle where she will be riding for the meet. She has won a lot of races and hopefully we can get her to win a few for us.
Another update later
Update 24: We tried to dodge the showers this morning and take two sets to the Tapeta track, but we ended up getting soaked through. The rest of the sets stayed in the barn. Grandma walked quietly after getting all of her steam out around the shed. She is such a racehorse. Who's Happy took advantage of wet slippery reigns and toated me around the Tapeta. She is doing great! Jesus Bracho is doing fine after spending the night in the hospital. He took a spill on the Tapeta track yesterday. No runners in the next few days....... hopefully the rain will end and we can get out of the barn soon!
Down on the Farm: Well little Mikey and Timmy are in the barn today. After being soaked most of the night I thought they would enjoy being inside eating hay all day. If it is not raining tonight, Tim will get on Mikey. She is such a fiesty little girl. I spent a few minutes chasing her around her stall this morning. I was only trying to dry her off. Sometimes when a horse gets wet in this humid weather, it can cause skin problems. She thought we were playing some sort of game and kept making circles around her stall. Anyway, we eventually got the job done. Timmy took only a few minutes to dive into the big pile of hay he got. Lucky (the only colt we have) and his friend Wilmer (Smart Darlins) were also in the barn. All of these horses were entered/not sold/left behind or something of the sort out of a local sale. Tim calls the barn the discount store. Paget and I are always looking for horses that we can make into riding horses. Some ex racehorses can go on to do wonderful things. We are so lucky to have a place that backs right up to Fair Hill. We always have plenty of room to ride. Mikey and Lucky should be going into Fair Hill soon. Lucky has been there before but his stifles needed more time. Mikey has never been to Fair Hill. She should go on very easily, she is very smart and really wants to move forward. I think the only problem we will have with her is getting her to take her time and enjoy life. That's the fun of training a baby. If you can get them to enjoy what they are doing you're much further ahead!
More Later
Update 23: After a very rainy night (although the Tapeta track was great) Grandma and Two of Wands went accross the fields. The rain had worked wonders on the dry ground. Grandma was envious at all the grass that was off limits to her since she is on a diet. Both fillies seemed to enjoy themselves and I'm sure they welcomed a break from going to the track. Tim rode both Gator Nation and Quick Quest. Quick was his usual rambunctious self. Fortuna and Nautical Agent both left our stable on Saturday headed to Finger Lakes. As I put them on the van I gave them both a kiss and wished them good luck. We only hope for these two that they stay happy and healthy and do well at the races for thier owner. It is hard to see some horses go. I will miss Nautical Agent, she spent last winter with me at the farm. She has been such a joy to be around. Both horses are entered tomarrow at Finger Lakes so we will be watching. Tim reports that he is on his way to Equivine Farm to see Red Aspen. Her eye continues to improve.
Later
Update 22: Quiet Sunday morning for both the horses and the help. Several had down time in the round pens. Mass Romantic and Who's Happy had both breezed on Saturday and seemed to come out of it fine. The two runners had another easy day walking and grazing. Andrea had everything under control when Tim stopped in to see how things were going. It was a rare treat for the trainer to have a two hour lie in on a Sunday morning! Will be meeting Alex for dinner tonight. We can't wait to hear about his excitment at Penn National.
Cheers
CONGRATULATIONS Tim, on Real Lace's and Whip Smart's WINS!!!! Real Lace is my favorite Woolley-horse and I was very glad to see her win a race! Are there any more pictures anywhere of her? Maybe the winner's photo?...
Please, give her an extra carrot for her excellent effort, for me :) I would come visit her and give her a carrot (or a bag!) myself if I was closer - but I am in texas...
Posted by: katarina villanueva at August 19, 2007 8:20 PM