Tim's Update 4

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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