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Update 253: Just a few updates to report. Rose To Riches made her debut at Penn National on Tuesday Night. She ran a bit green but should come on a lot with the experience. She is still a great filly to be around in the barn and we are expecting great things with her. Tap Softly ran last night and finished fourth. It was a good spot for her and of course we are disappointed that she did not finish in the money. The good news is that she is fine and will race again. Saar Treaty is steadily making her way back to the races. She seems happy and hopefully this will reflect in her races. JoJo has gone to have a much deserved break for the winter. She takes easily to having a break and loves to be turned out with friends. Tim is currently looking for a race for Marcie Lee. Hopefully something will come around soon. King Congaree should be having another start for the year before he too will have a winter break. What a loveable goof he is. Anyway, no other news to report that I know of.

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Update 252: Loads of new things going on at Tim Woolley racing. Rosey is ready to run. She was meant to run last week but the PA bred race did not fill. She is mentally and physically ready to advance to the races so hopefully will get her chance soon. Saar Treaty continues to progress and is working nicely. Got A Notion won her last race and has come out of it eating well and seems to be just fine. This filly can look like a grump but really she is just a big softy. Tap Softly has grown so much hair that she had to be clipped last weekend. She handled it like a champ and is much better after training with her thick coat off. Lilly has been doing great, I'm not really sure what the next plan is for her. King Congaree will have another go at over a mile to end his year. He has gotten very tall and still has a wonderful personality. What a cool horse. Anyway, I will try to get some information from the trainer to give a more exciting update. I heard that Lynn and Donna were here last weekend. I wish I would have been there, it is such fun to get together with these ladies.

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Update 251: Tim's weekend ended nicely with JoJo winning her race at Laurel on Saturday. She ran a bang up race. Both of last weeks winners have come home and are just fine. Miss MVP has come out of her race unbelievably well and the report is that she was hardly blowing after the race. JoJo is fine and is her usual quiet self around the barn. Wow, what a weekend. This week things are going fine so far. Saar Treaty is back and training well. Tap Softly is toting her rider around the track every morning. King Congaree is training towards his return to the races and is such a goof ball to be around. He is like an eight year old kid in a fifteen year old body. Rose to Riches is still as sweet as ever and does everything we ask like a true lady. She should not be far from the races. I'll try to get another update from the trainer and let you know more of what's going on.

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Update 250: What a nice Friday it has turned out to be. Tim has just called from Monmouth Park to say that Ms MVP won the race. What a trouper she is. She tries hard everytime and we couldn't be more delighted for her owner. Tomorrow is JoJo at Laurel. Lets hope she can have the same results.

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Update 249: Last week was very busy for Tim and the horses. Tap Softly went to Penn National to try running long for the first time. She did not like it. Sometimes when a horse is used to just running their heart out from the get go, it is difficult to get them to save themselves. Tap has come back feeling fine and eating well. We will go back to the drawing board. Sunday Marcie Lee ran at Presque Isle to finish third. Running from the back of the pack is her style but for this race she was left with a little too much room to make up. Triumphant ran yesterday (Monday) at Philadelphia Park. He ran a great race and finished fourth. He was just beaten for a third place finish. Abbey Rules ran for the first time last week as well. She was a little frazzled as two year old fillies can be but she will learn and improve with her next start I am quite sure!!! Rose to Ritches continues to inch her way towards the races. She has steadily improved with each piece of work and mentally seems to be handling things just fine. Anyway, just a quick update until I speak with the trainer.

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Update 248: What a gorgeous Tuesday morning with temps under 60 degrees when the first set went to the track. The horses were feeling fresh and Strike had to have a reminder that he was supposed to be a good influence on his girls. King Congaree came off the track with his tail over his back. What a funny boy he is. Got a Notion was accompanied by Spike and I have to say that she was a bit more solid than he was. Tap Softly was jigging a little on the way home after standing in the gate and then training a mile around the oval. She has come out of her last race in good form. Saar Treaty is back in training after several months of R & R. She looks great. Triumphant ran on Saturday night at Penn National. He finished a good third on a sloppy track. It took him awhile to get moving due to the slop hitting him in the face, but when he started to run he did great. He has come home nickering for his dinner. Anyway, I'm not sure if there are any runners this week. I will have to corner the trainer and find out.

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Update 247: What a beautiful Monday morning. Marcie Lee ran at Presque Isle on Saturday and ran a bang up race. She broke from the gate, ran towards the back of the pack, picked off horses slowly, got stuck behind a wall of traffic, went through a very small hole, and came rolling down the lane to finish a great second place. It seems as though nothing fazes her.
Tim did not make the trip out to Presque Isle. Robbie was riding in Saratoga last week when his horse fell at the last resulting in a broken collar bone. He will be out for awhile. Tim has managed to piece together a few riders to fill in. Strike had to work this morning. The first set he came off the track snorting and blowing so he had to go back to the track for some more work. The second set he was just fine. After jogging two turns with Tap Softly he walked off the track like a gentleman. Anyway, I'm sure there are a few runners later in the week. I will fill you in as soon as I know the details.

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Update 246: The humidity is still around on this Thursday morning. Tap Softly ran a great race last night at Penn National to get the win. She is such a trouper. The only issue was that she would not pee in the spit barn. Plan B was to put blinkers on her which only succeeded in getting her rushing around the stall not understanding her job. In the long run they had to pull a blood and she came home. She looked bright this morning after her late night. This weekend Tim is off to Presque Isle with Lilly. Lilly will be running sometime on Saturday. I hope it is a bit cooler out there. Strike (Spike) continues to improve. He is learned to be a great pony and I hope with a lot of work he will be a suitable replacement for Luke. Luke is enjoying his turn out time in the paddock and will shortly move to the farm where he will give the occasional ride to the kids and eat grass all day. I absolutely love having him around and can't wait to take him to the farm. Anyway, just a quick update today. I will try to corner the trainer and get some new news later...

Update 245: Foggy Friday today. JoJo ran last night at Presque Isle. She did not perform like we had hoped and the report we got was that she was not blowing a bit after the race. Tim is not sure why she did not do well but she will return today and will be checked out thoroughly. I tried out the new pony today. His name is Strike(although I keep calling him Spike). He looks a lot like Luke but is just a bit bigger. Strike and Luke have become fast buddys in the paddock and they have everyone doing a double take. They scratch each others back and seem to enjoy each others company. We are hoping that Luke will teach him a few things. Abbey seems to enjoy him and has taken to the pony with flying colors. Triumphant also enjoyed a bit of company coming home from the track in the fog. With a little work we hope Strike will be rock solid like Luke. He sure has big shoes to fill. I believe the next runner is going to be Tap Softly next week. King Congaree is back and is gallopping. Gelding him has settled him just a bit and hopefully he will return to good form. Ms MVP marched to the track this morning in the fog, and she went like a trouper. She always gives 100 percent. Rose to Riches has had a easier week. Her shins have gotten a little touchy so Tim backed off of her a little this week. She is so happy to do anything you ask. What a joy to work with. Anyway, enough for now.

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Update 244: What a beautiful Friday morning her in Fair Hill. Last night Triumphant ran a bang up race at Penn National. He was in front down the lane and just got nipped at the wire to take second place by a neck. The excitement of the race made the late night at beautiful Penn National a lot better. Carrot man George has reported that this morning he took as many mints as he could and was quite alert. Anyway, that's all for now.

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Update 243: We started out with a little rain on this Thursday morning and now it is just grey out. Well over the weekend Lilly won at Presque Isle. She is a sister to Who's Happy. We have hopes that she will earn Stakes status just like her big sister's. She has come home just fine. Tap Softly is ready to run again. Her last race didn't take a bit of energy out of her. Our Hearthrob is now hand walking in the barn. Recovery from her surgery has worked out perfectly and she is now enjoying some time out of her stall. The time spent out of her stall is very controlled time because she is a very active girl. So far she is cooperating fine with the exception of giving her owner a hard time. Anyway, Tim is off to the races this evening with Triumphant. He is ready to run and hopefully will feel the need to get to the front.

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Update 242: Today is a muggy & buggy Friday morning and we are expecting storms. Last week was a busy week for Tim Woolley Racing. Test the Trust (Rosey) ran on Sunday at Philadelphia Park. She stalked the pace and won quite nicely and was claimed. The claim was unexpected but we are happy that she was fully prepared to run her best. She behaved like a champ... JoJo ran at Philadelphia Park this week on Tuesday. She was upset in the gate and over anticipated the break, hitting her eye on the gate. Her eye is getting better but she looked like she had a good bop. Triumphant has been entered several times with no luck. His races have not been fully supported by others and have not gone. The two year olds are going nicely. Abbey and Rose to Riches have both gone a strong three eighths of a mile and have successfully broken from the gate. Perhaps they will be ready in a month to six weeks. King Congaree shipped back in the other day after having time off for throat surgery and gelding. He seems just fine after his brief hiatus. Anyway, Lilly will be running at Presque Isle this Sunday, wish her luck...

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Update 241: This weekend was a busy time for Tim. Saturday Tap Softly ran a great race at Philadelphia Park to finish 3rd in her first start. She is a quick little girl. Marcie Lee also ran last week at Philadelphia Park and finished second by a neck. She is such a grown up now and did everything right. Both fillies have come out of their races with flying colors. Rose to Riches and Abbey Rules have continued with their gate training and have advanced enough to break out the front on the next trip. There is a new stable pony at Tim Woolley Racing. His name is Strike. He is a paint like Luke and slightly larger. Maybe with loads of practice he can be as good as Luke has been. Hopefully his feet will be better than Luke's feet. Strike is a cross with a thoroughbred so he doesn't have the tiny quarter horse feet. Good Luck!!!

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Update 240: What a gorgeous and cool Monday morning. The horses trained before any of the heat set in and all is well in Woolley world. Last week ending up working out ok with JOJO winning at Philadelphia Park on the turf. She has come home healthy and happy. Lilly did not get in the race that was picked out for her so Tim is formualting another plan for her. The two year olds are training well. Rose to Ritches is a tall, leggy, chestnut filly with loads of personality. She is partnered up with Lizzies Legend, the first homebred for Two Legends Farm. Lizzie is a tough broad. Watch out when you pass her stall, she is very protective of her space, and lets not even talk about her dinner. Mr and Mrs Carlson has finally taken the plunge into Racehorse ownership with their purchase of Ave Ravina. She is a gorgeous filly. Abbey Rules gave Tim a little trouble last week. She apparently was not quite sure of the large group of Michael Matz horses coming at her on the path. I'm sure it won't take her long to get used to the massive sets that come from the Matz barn. She was definately making sure that she was going to be out of the way before anyone could get her!!! Tap Softly is going great and should be running very soon as well. This filly may be small but she is quick. I can't wait to see her get to the races. Anyway, have a good day everyone!!!

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Update 239: Many things happened this past weekend. Raj was claimed from us and my only hope is that he is taken care of and someone falls in love with him. He will be missed in the barn. Ms MVP ran a great race to just get beat for second place. She finished third and has come out of her race as happy as ever. Yesterday (Monday) JoJo ran a great race at Philadelphia to win by several lengths. What a nice filly to be around. Tim has reported that she seems fine after her efforts. Next will be Lilly who will be running this weekend.

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Update 238: Just a quick update on this Beautiful Tuesday morning. The cool air is such a nice break from the humidity. Well, Triumphant has come out of his race last week with flying colors. He is very impressed with himself. Perhaps the victory is a result of the loads of mints the visitors have been giving him. Lily (Who's Happy little sister) had a strong piece of work this morning and is not far from the races. Sunday morning I was taking a good look at her and she has gotten tall and strong. There should be loads of excitement when she races!!! The new two year olds are all at about the same spot in their training. Today was gate day. Rose to Riches, Abbey Ruler, Lizzie's Legend are all little fillies. The lone gelding is Luck of the Buck. All of these babies are well mannered and ready to go on. Tim has quite a busy weekend. Calcutta Clipper is on his way to Presque Isle to run on Thursday. Calcutta is a big grey gelding that is very serious about his job. He is also very serious about his dinner!!! Rajasthan will be making another trip to Colonial Downs on Friday and perhaps ?? Ms MVP will be running at Colonial on Saturday. The little filly we used to have Tail Tales (we called her Kitty) won at Colonial Downs the other day. I really miss having her in the barn but am so happy that she won. She must be happy. Anyway, hopefully all is well with the outside world.

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Update 237: Today is rainy Thursday. Rosetta (Test the Trust) breezed and is yet another step closer to making it to the races. She went a decent half mile and we will see how her shins come out of the piece of work. Last night Tim went to Penn National with Triumphant. The track was sealed due to the inclement weather but Triumphant would not be denied. He made his way to the front of the pack, only to be passed down the lane, but fought back to "Triumph". We couldn't be any happier for the horse and his owner (David Charlton). Hopefully he has now gotten a taste for the winner's circle.

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Update 236: Monday morning is here and it is cool with very little humidity so far. The weekend was very eventful for Tim. The old bugger (Rajasthan) must have found the turf suitable and decided he would win his race on Saturday. Sunday morning he was very happy with himself and one of the FOB's had dropped him off a huge bag of mints. Ms MVP also ran a very courgeous race. She was running at the front until about the 16th pole and fought it out to finish a great fourth place. I stopped to give her some love yesterday and she was nickering for her breakfast. She has come out of her race in great shape. This morning JoJo was up at Philadelphia Park to run on the turf. She is now on her way home because the race has come off the turf. We have heard that Congaree has had his surgery and has come through with flying colors. I'm sure he will be a good patient and heal quickly. His is so much fun to be around and he is missed in the barn. Anyway, nothing else new right now.

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Update 235: Just a quick update on this warm and sunny Friday. This is not really as much an update as it is just a blog. I was running along the NCR trail in Timonium the other day. Somehow running gives my mind enough clarity to cut through all of the caos and get back to the basics. After about 40 minutes of striving to fix the challenges of being married to someone that trains racehorses for a living, I began to do a short warm-down. My run had been steeped with prayers for guidance and ideas on just how to make sure there is some sort of balance between taking care of these wonderful horses that we have been given to train and also taking time for the other things in life. How do we keep the pressure to a minimum while still feeling like we are making every effort to make sure these animals are fully prepared to race. When I finally quit running I noticed a load noice that had been disturbing my quiet thinking time. When I finally took the time to stop and look up, I noticed a Red Headed Woodpecker and relised that this was the answer I had been praying for. Sometimes, with life and with horses, you need to be like a woodpecker, sooner or later you will peck in the perfect spot!

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Update 234: We had a nice Monday morning to start the week off. The Two-Year-Olds have all settled into the routine now and seem to be enjoying things so far. There are times in life where you have to move on from past dreams and look towards the future. Veiled Reference is being retired and will soon be bred. She continues to have issues with her foot and Sean and Tim think that it is best to move her into the next phase of her life. What a great mom she will make. Our Hearthrob sustained a knee injury in her last race and the decision has been made to retire her as well. She will be a riding horse after several months rehabilitation. Her love of attention and mints has not faded by any means. King Congaree was scoped the other day and he has a breathing issue that needs to be addressed. He will have surgery and a couple of months recovery before he starts back again. Tim considers himself very lucky that these injuries are not life threatening and that each horse will continue with another purpose. Woolley has been in the news a lot lately with the running of the Kentucky Derby and the other Triple Crown races, but just remember that Tim is the Woolley without the cowboy hat.

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Update 233: Just a quick update on this beautiful Monday morning. Bunches of new Two-year-Olds have shipped into the barn. The atmosphere is reminiscent of graduating from middle school and moving to high school. We have Abbey Ruler, Rose to Ritches, Lizzie's Legend, and Luck of the Buck, all taking the next step towards their racing career. All of these babies have been well trained to make the next move. Tim will be getting very busy at Colonial Downs in the next week or so with the abundance of turf horses he has in the barn. Rosetta has been breezing well and Tim has settled on the name "Test the Trust". We'll see if we can get the Jockey Club to agree!

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Update 232: King Congaree ran around the track at Delaware Park yesterday and has come home fine. He is like a teenager trying to play basketball for the first time. What a goof! He does everything we ask of him and I'm sure he will come a long way for the experience of yesterday. Today Tim has Nongoma and Ms MVP racing and hopefully they will run well. The first breeze day at the sales went well yesterday and my hope is that today will run smoothly. Wonder has had a setback and will need a few months off. The decision was made to geld him and he has come through that with flying colors. He is such a nice boy to be around and what a looker. Otherwise I don't know how things are going but if I hear from Tim I will try to keep you in the loop.

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Update 231: The weather sure is great on this Wednesday morning. Today is the first day of the gallop show at Timonium and things are going great. I spoke briefly with Tim last night and have just a few things to report. King Congaree will be running today at Delaware Park against Nicanor. The race is not on the turf which would be preferable but it will be great to see him race. Hopefully I will sneak away and get to watch the race. I know also that Nongoma and Ms MVP are both running at Pimlico in the next day or two and JoJo will be going to Presque Isle to run. Things are really cooking this weekend with the Preakness. I haven't been keeping up with the news but I hope the filly gets to run. Anyway, someone please write to me and let me know how Lacey ran.

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Update 230: Rainy Monday. Tim had a good ending to last week. Rajasthan ran at Atlantic Citdy and finally broke his maiden. He is such an old bugger your never quite sure what his plan is (Raj). Raj took Victor to the front end and ran his usual race to the three eighths pole. I'm not sure what possessed the old horse but he didn't stop there he kept on running. He won the race by about six lengths and has come home like it was just a walk in the park. He seems happy and is eating everything. He is a good eater to say the least. Congaree keeps edging towards the races. The toys in his stall get thrown into the shed row on a regular basis. His ball is on the roof of the stalls where he threw it a couple days ago. I will have to send Tim to retreive it. JoJo will shortly be making her way to Presque Isle. She is still quiet in the barn and saves all of her energy for the racetrack. Saar Treaty is eating well and seems to be unfazed by her recent victory. Ms MVP is really looking great after shedding most of her winter coat. Tim has tried a new feed for her and she seems to really like it. She is not too far from the races. I'm not sure what the next plan is for Triumphant except for trying him in a longer race and letting him try the turf. He is still the happy, attention seeking, cheeky boy that demands love from everyone. Wonder is really looking as flashy as ever and is coming along nicely. He breezed last week from the gate with JoJo and although she got a slight jump on him leaving there (she has run and has a lot more experience), he dug his toes in and quickly caught up to finish nicely. Saturday he had a 5/8ths breeze with Ms. MVP and handled it like a gentleman. We can't wait to get him to the races. Anyway, I will try to keep up on any news!!

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Update 229: Just a quick update on this sunny Monday. Tim and Mike went to Pimlico yesterday with Our Hearthrob. She gave everyone a lot of excitement popping out of the gate and running first and second all the way to the head of the lane. She got boxed in down the lane and finished off the board but what an exciting ride. I was a bit worried about the heat but Tim said she handled it just fine. Mike on the other hand was melting in the heat. Anyway, I'm not sure what is going on in the barn but if I hear of anything I will let you know.

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Update 228: What a gorgeous Friday morning. Great news all around today, Saar Treaty has come out of her phenomenal run yesterday with flying colors. She was a very determined filly and made her way to the front in just enough time. We also had two visitors today that enjoyed a few hours on the track. Mike Rhea came in this morning and we shipped Luke to Fair Hill to take care of him. Tim has just called to say that Mike and Luke had a great morning. Luke behaved perfectly and didn't seem to mind just hanging out. I'm not sure of this weekends runners. If I hear anything I'll let you know.

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Update 227: Not a bad day for Thursday. The sun is trying desperately to shine. Just a quick update. Saar Treaty has come back to us from Florida and is on her way to Pimlico to race today. All I know is that the race goes off about 4pm. Good Luck !!!

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update 226: Well it is Wednesday afternoon and the sun has made an appearance. I need to correct my last blog in that Tim was running Draw the Line at Philadelphia Park not Penn National. Forgive me for this blunder but she ran a great second and was claimed in the process. The owner and trainer were both happy with the outcome. She is a nice filly and we hope she does well for her new owners. No other news at the moment.

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Update 225: Tim had quite a busy weekend. Saturday he went to Charles Town with Veiled Reference. She ran a great race getting some rough racing room to finish third. Tim reported that she was fine this morning when he jogged her up. Sunday Rajasthan ran at Pimlico. He also ran third and has come out of his race like he was at a picnic. The weather was great and two thirds is not too shabby. This morning a few sets went to the track before the rain started. The horses in later sets were lucky enough to stay in the shed row. Tim should be on his way to Penn National tomorrow night with Draw the Line. Who's Happy has been retired and is starting her life as a broodmare. Lilly will have to carry on the family name. Anyway, not sure whatelse is going on but if I hear anything I will let you know.

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Updat 224: Today was a busy Thursday with quite a few workers! Tim reports that Tap Softly breezed with Wonder and both went well. Both of them are progressing nicely. The big, grey colt Congaree also breezed and Tim is very excited to get him to the races. It should not be far away now. Rajasthan may have a run around a point to point this weekend to give him a good work before Atlantic City opens. He is doing well and seems to be quite happy at the moment. Sometimes he can be a persnickity old man (just like his owner), just kidding. Anyway, Veiled Reference continues to feel fresh! She is a very active girl in the mornings and it will be great to get her back to the races. Who's Happy is back in training. So far she seems to be managable. Boudeville seems to be holding his own and I would absolutely love to see him get to the races. What a little speed demon he is. Anyway, that's all for now.

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Update 223: Tim has just called from Philadelphia Park where Draw the Line ran a great race and finished second. She behaved like a queen in the paddock and was given a brilliant ride by Billy Hollick. Both trainer and owner seem happy with her efforts. Robbie had two winners in Camden this weekend. He is currently on top of the steeplechase jockey standings. It looks as though he is going to have quite an exciting season. Tim will be off to the races again tomorrow with Nongoma. Hopefully she will do as well as Draw the Line. Sky Heat and Triumphant have both come out of their races last week with flying colors. Rajasthan may be running in a flat race this weekend at the Marlboro Races. No word on who the jockey is yet. Should be quite a bit of fun to see him run. Anyway, that's all for now.

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Update 222: Spoke with Tim a short while ago. Triumphant is fine. The good news is that he broke from the gate well and will come a long way with his experience. His nerves got the better of him a few times but he did stand in the gate well. He did manage to beat a couple horses accross the wire. I'm sure he will have grown up some for this race and the next one should be interesting. Thankfully Tim had a jockey aboard that did not loose his cool with Triumphant's nervousness. Billy gave him a great ride and trip for the first go. Many jockey's would have been too afraid to give him a good ride, but Billy gave him a good experience. For that we are very grateful. We will get them next time!!!

LTR

Update 221: Although it is very chilly on this Tuesday morning, the sun is now out and there is no wind. I'm not sure how things went in the barn this morning but thought I would give you a quick update. Triumphant is on his way to Philadelphia Park to make his maiden voyage. I hope that he shows some promise today. He sure looks the part of a racehorse and it would be absolutely great to see him run well for his owner's. Anyway, if I hear anything else from Tim I will let you know.

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Update 220: Just a quick update on this rainy Wednesday morning. Saar Treaty won a really nice race yesterday in Florida. The race came off the grass, was run on a messy track and she still won. We couldn't be more happy for her owner and the trainer Tim Hills. On another note, Tim took a Triumphant and another filly to breeze at Delaware Park yesterday to give them some more experience. Both horses did well and seemed to be fine this morning. It is always good to give them as much experience as you can before they go to the races. Anyway, if I get anymore updates from Tim I'll let you know.

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Update 219: Quite a bit warmer on this Friday morning and Tim has shed his ski pants. Tomorrow he may even have to take off the long johns. Sky Heat ran fourth a few days ago at Charles Town. She has come home fine and seems no worse for wear. Bubble Gum (Our Hearthrob) will be making her debut next week at Penn National. She has been training great and hopefully she is fully prepared to start her racing career. Truimphant is not far from the races, some time towards the end of the month Tim has a race picked for him. He is still happy and as loveable as ever. Whenever I see King Congaree he seems to have grown taller. He is such a goof but is doing everything Tim asks of him. Tim is actually thinking about what to name Rosa now so all of your suggestions should help him. She is ready to start breezing and is looking for a partner to breeze with. Wonder was jumping around his stall this morning, the horses seem to sense that spring is in the air. Tap Softly was curiously watching all of the commotion in the barn this morning. I kept waiting for her to jump around bucking and kicking but she never did. Watching the action seemed to make her happy enough. Anyway, if I hear anything else I'll let you know.

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Update 218: A much better day weather wise this Wednesday morning. Virtually no wind and sunny. The horses seem to enjoy a bit more sun on their backs. Sky Heat is doing well and looking to race in the next week or two. She is such a quiet little girl that you can forget she is there. Ms MVP seems to be right back is the swing of things and galloping nicely. Awesome Wonder (Wonder) who is a nice colt by Three Wonders, is so flashy with his four white socks that he catches everyones attention. Boudeville is in light training at the moment with a few of his past injuries coming back to haunt him. He never misses a meal and becomes a monster with a white eye at feed time. Truimphant has come out ot the breeze on Saturday with flying colors. David Charlton was here to watch him go.
I'm not sure what the plan is for Triumphant but he can't be far from the races.

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Update 216: What a sunny Tuesday we have today. Sunday Tim and Marty went to see Donut who has now moved to a nearby farm. She was out in the porta pad and happy as a clam. The incision in her side is slowly filling in while continuing to drain out any infection that may still be in there. She has certainly come a long way. Thank all of you for your prayers for Donut. Things at the barn continue to go forward as usual. King Congaree is breezing nicely and is behaving like a gentleman. I took Luke to the track on Saturday and he truely enjoyed it. He loves to work. Truimphant has grown tall and should be going to the races in a very short while. Our Hearthrob worked again on Saturday and may have just a few more breezes before she makes her debut. She worked a great half with Triumphant and at the head of the lane when it looked as though Triumphant would draw away, Tim encouraged her and she dug in and came back strongly. Ms MVP is back with us and training everyday. She is such a lovey girl. Tim has yet to pick a name for Rosa yet. She is doing great and the owners wife hopes she can make it to the races sometime this year. JoJo seems as calm as ever in the barn. She is a quiet girl and not often do you hear a peep out of her. Anyway, that's about all I know, If I should get an update from Tim I'll let you know.

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Update 215: Yesterday (Thursday) Tim took a trip to New Bolten to see Donut. Her caregiver (Brooke) has been spoiling her with loads of carrotts and apples. She looks great. The hole in her side is decreasing and most of the adema from the operation is gone. Her eyes looked bright and she was eating everything. It is such a relief to know that the infection is out of her body. What a tough filly to fight it for so long. Tim has reported that Ms MVP came back today after her short winter break. It's great to have her back. Nothing running this weekend but I believe next Wednesday Tim will be racing. We'll see how the weather cooperates.

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Update 214: What a beautiful Monday. I don't have any news from the barn but I do have just a little news about Donut. I spoke with the vet and he said that they removed about 5 inches of rib and were able to get all of the infection out. Her temperature has come down to normal and she is bright and eating. This was on Friday so I hope that she has continued to do well. Tim should be back within the next two days and maybe we can find out some more information. Until then, hope Nicanor came out of his race ok.

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Update 213: The snow and rain of yesterday have given way to an icey yet sunny Thursday. Not really a lot to report on. Who's Happy went to New Bolten to check out her airway and she is fine. She went home to take a break for the winter. The docters from New Bolten also came out to scan the abscess in Donut's Lung and it has not diminished. The vets and the owner are thinking about what can be done next but as Tim is away in Scotland for a week, I don't know what the outcome of these discussions were. I hope that whatever is done, it helps her get over this infection. The horses at the farm are stumbling around carefully on a nice layer of ice. Hopefully the sun will warm the ground up enough to get rid of this hazzard. Anyway, if I should hear any news from the barn, I will let you know.

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Update 212: What a sunny Friday. I managed to go to the local pub to watch Sky Heat win the first race at Laurel today. Reports from Mike say that she has come out of it fine and was not claimed so she will be coming home to us. Donut and Luke are enjoying the afternoon out in the paddock at Fair Hill. The sun should work wonders for Donut. Tomorrow there will be more clipping. I'm not sure which two are about to lose their hair, but they will probably feel much better for it. Tim reports that Our Hearthrob is moving well and still is pointed towards the races. No other news for now.

Later

Update 211: Yet another crisp and sunny Wednesday morning. Reports are that Donut continues to kick up her heels much to everyone's delight. It is great to see her feeling well. Her temperature is still holding at 101 and she is eating like a horse! JoJo and King Congaree are back in full training. King Congaree blends in well with the snow we have on the ground. A new grey fireball has come in named Tap Softly. She is really a firecracker and almost as white as Congaree. Sky Heat is in on Friday at Laurel and we hope she will improve on her previous effort. Anyway, no other news from the trainer today.

Later

Update 210: Monday has given way to much warmer temperatures, given the frigid weather of the weekend. Coming back from a short weekend in Florida didn't seem too bad being that it was 34 degrees out. Saar Treaty ran a great race on Sunday. Boy it is tough in Florida. Tim Hills spoke with Tim and was very happy with her efforts and hopes to find her a nice allowance race to run in. Mike left me a birthday message on Saturday saying that Powdered Donut was quite fresh walking in the barn. She was almost being naughty which everyone enjoyed seeing. Hopefully she is getting the better of her lung infection. Most of the weekend Tim spent inside the barn shed row, but with the warmer weather on Sunday he was able to take several sets to the track. The on again off again snow of today should not have any real affect on the track tomorrow unless the temperatures drop drastically tonight. Anyway, I don't believe Tim has anything to run this week. Just the usual training going on, but it anything interesting happens, I'll let you know.

Later

Update 209: What a frigid Thursday. Just a quick update from Tim. Nongoma ran a great race at Penn National the other day finishing a good third. She has come home no worse for wear. Hopefully she will gain some confidence and we can continue to improve her form. Our Hearthrob got a tattoo yesterday. Unfortunately for the owner she got a generic tattoo and not a heart with Mike written in it. She took it like a woman. The dentist Mark was in this morning looking at King Congaree and Veiled Reference. Both made it through their visit with flying colors. We need some help from our friends out there. Rosetta does not have a proper name and the time has come for us to register a name with the Jockey Club. She is by a stallion named Trust N Luck out of a mare named My Testarossa. Please submit any names that you think might work for her. She is a cute chestnut with a lot of spunk. See what you can come up with.

Later
Penny

Update 208: Today is a bright and crispy Wednesday. Last night I was in charge of Donut's medication (which I report she took like a woman) and I spent a few minutes to give her a pep talk. Please bear with me as I share with you some of my thoughts. On my desk at work there is a fortune cookie that says, It is not in your character to give up. This could not be more accurate in my case. My character is to give everything when things are important to me. My fiery personality has gotten me into some trouble at times. I will not give up even when the belief is that I have tried everything. Keep searching for another answer. In the past year and a half, I have learned some important life lessons. Sometimes the decision to give up is made for you and there is nothing you can do. There comes a point when it is necessary to let go. There is something about horses that cuts through all of crap of life and goes directly to the heart like a dagger. Horses for me are like a band-aid on my soul at the most needed times. We have given Donut all of the medication she can have and now this is my choice. I will go to see her everyday and love on her and give her hugs and kisses. The pep talks and her time with Luke will continue. There are a few things in my life that the time has finally come to let go of, but Donut is not one of them.

More later when I hear from Tim

Update 207: Today is a pretty good Tuesday. Who's Happy and Sky Heat both returned from Philadelphia Park in good shape. Happy may get a break we're not sure but we think that she did not care for the hard racetrack. Tim had hoped to turn around Sky Heat and improve upon her race record but he's not sure how to make that happen. We will continue to try a few more things. Powdered Donut was turned out with Luke this morning in the big paddock. Tim said that there were legs flying but in the end Luke had his way and he and Powdered Donut were fast friends. Hopefully Donut will continue to improve. The veterinarians have decided to change her antibiotic in hopes of getting the infection in her lungs under control. So far nothing is working that great! She was happy this morning and tossing her head. Lets hope the new plan works. Tim is on his way to Penn National with Nongoma as we speak. I have not heard what the race looks like but wish her luck!!

Later

Update 206: All I can say about this Monday morning is at least the sun is out. Tim is currently on the backside of Philadelphia Park freezing his rear off. Sky Heat and Who's Happy are running today. The only saving grace is that Tim says they are both in great spots and hopefully they will run well to make it all worth it. I have heard no other update from the barn this morning. Hopefully all went well.

Later

Update 205: Although a bit of a cold wind blows today at least the sun is out. Tim had quite a surprise yesterday when Sean Massey stopped in to see his Veiled Reference. Normally Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow before we see Sean. It was a very pleasant visit and we are always happy to see Sean. Another return to the barn is Hlatikulu (JoJo). She is a little filly by Cetawayo who ran for Tim a couple times last year and showed some real promise. It's great to have her back. Boodeville who is a five year old gelding by Malibu Moon continues to be a grump at feed time. He is really quite a joy to be around and only thinks he's mean when food is near. He did cause me a bit of trouble last week when his hair needed to come off and the tranquilizer did not take effect. The second dose did him in and I was able to make him look presentable. Anyway, of course all of the horses turned another year older on January 1st. Here's to a great year for Double Trouble Stables.

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Update 204: Quite a rainy and cold Wednesday. I believe all of the horses stayed in the barn to train this morning. It is well into the afternoon and we are still getting loads of rain. Anyway, just a quick update. Luke had work to do yesterday and took Who's Happy to the track. He loves to work and especially likes the fillies. Luke jogged around for about half a mile and then cantered for another half mile before releasing Happy who was having a normal gallop. She is so tough but Luke doesn't mind. Ah, if only his feet were better. He will get a few days off now for his hard work. The race did not go for Who's Happy on Friday and Tim reports that they brought it back for Sunday but they so far only have three entries. Hopefully something will go for her. Powdered Donut is still recovering with her temperature going up and down unexpectedly. She seems quiet but happy and hopefully she will come through this trauma. Horses are really so delicate. If I hear of anymore news from Tim I will write again.

Later

Update 203: Just a quick update to clear up a little misunderstanding. Who's Happy has not been bred. She is not yet finished racing. When I was writing about Who's Happy and Lilly and the older sister Raging Rapids, the mare (Enraged) is an awfully nice mare. Hopefully we will have Happy around for awhile yet. King Congaree was his usual boisterous self while I tried to give him a clip this weekend. He has so much hair that I could not finish it and will have to do the second half one day this week. Tim and I had dinner with Mike and his dad last week where upon we watched the latest video of Our Hearthrob breezing. Oh please Tim can you get her to the races!!! There is a stakes race in Florida for Saar Treaty in the middle of January, we will have to see if she makes it into the race (based on earnings). Tim will be flying down with the owner if she gets in to watch her run. We hear that she is doing great!!! I'm sure she much prefers the 82 degree weather. I stopped briefly this morning to give a few hugs and kisses. Triumphant was giving me his look so I stopped to see him. What a ham! Anyway, Donut continues to improve and hopefully she is not the upswing.

Later

Update 202: Thanks to all of you for a wonderful 2008 and we are looking forward to an even better 2009. I do apologize for all of the junk mail that appears on the sight, it does get the better of me. Linda, to answer your question, on race day the horse is fed a breakfast as normal. All of the horses eat breakfast at about 5:30 a.m. everyday so we keep that as normal as possible. Their dinner feed is given upon returning from the races no matter what time of night it is and the only feed they actually miss will be the lunch feed. Just a quick update on the horses. Lilly will be making her debut on Sunday at Philadelphia Park. She is of course the sister to Who's Happy so we are excited for her. She is as tough as her sisters and we hope she can run like them (both are stakes horses). Who's Happy after running last week has now passed the $300,000 mark. What a nice broodmare the owner's have. I believe she was bred to Not For Love this year so I can't wait to see this baby. Truimphant is surely making his way to the races. He looks so much like a racehorse now. His personality is really shining through and he seems very happy within himself. Our Hearthrob (bubble gum) is progressing nicely and the owner has now got a brand new set of silks for her. The excitement continues. There will be a few horses returning very shortly. King Congaree will be coming back. Tim went to see him the other day and says that he has grown even more and is so white now. Veiled Reference is coming back to us and her foot seems to be healed enough to stand training. It will be great to have her back in the barn. Anyway, hope the holidays were great for everyone. P.S. - Powdered Donut has progressed enough now to be turned out in a small porta pad now. She is doing great! Thanks for the prayers.

Later

Update 201: Tim has just called and Who's Happy ran a great fourth. She came flying at the end and it was a photo finish for third. He also said that she has come out of it fine with now problems.

Later

Update 200: Just a quick update on this grey Thursday morning. Donut came back to us from New Bolten last night. She is taking medicine every 6 hours. I am happy to report that although she has lost a little weight, she is bright eyed. Tim and I stopped by at about 10 last night to check on her. Temperature wise she is holding steady at 100 degrees. It's so good to have her back. Truimphant was giving me a sorry look this morning as if I could possibly walk by without giving him a pat. What a ham!!! He is breezing well but I have not heard what the plan is for him just yet. Binkley is doing his part to keep the mouse population under control. Never underestimate the power of a good cat!!! Tim will have a busy next week with both Who's Happy and Lilly slated to run. Glancing over the calender for next week there are at least two other days he's running but I can't report where or with whom. I'll try to corner him and get some info out of him.

Later

Update 199: What a rainy Thursday. The last time I spoke with Tim he was madly trying to get horses breezed because of the impending rain. The steady rain can only mean that he has been wet all morning. Days like today make it easier to sit in an office . Powdered Donut has taken a turn for the worse and is at New Bolten with Pneumonia. Keep your finger's crossed for her. Who's Happy has come out of her race just fine and I believe there is a race at the end of December for her. There are several new babies in the barn that Tim and Robbie are working with. This time of year the turf horses go home and babies come in. Bubble Gum and Triumphant continue to do well and make their way towards the races. Luke is still at Fair Hill and will probably have a busy schedule with Who's Happy for the next couple of weeks. He seems to be enjoying his time there and doesn't seem to be missing the farm at all. Anyway, after freezing our rears off ( I only wish that was actually posible) at the December Mixed Sale at Timonium, the weather has at least given us a break in temperatures. Sunday was such a cold and windy day that the horses were difficult and hands were freezing. I'm not sure how all of the Consignors, Owners, Buyers, and Help made it through the bitter cold. Sales results were just a little bit down from last year . We had expected it to be. Anyway, nothing else currently to report. Hope all of you are well.

Later

Update 198: Quite a blustery Sunday morning. Tim is on his way to Philadelphia Park with Who's Happy. She should be running at about 3 pm. The good thing about Happy is that nothing bothers her. Not the wind, or the cold are issues for her. She is one tough cookie. I can't say the same for Tim and Mike. They will both be suffering. Powdered Donut is doing great and recovering from her high temperature. She is beginning to eat more and is happier. What a relief it is, so much can happen to a horse in a very short amount of time. Our Hearthrob is remaining sound and hopefully will make her way to the races early next year. Triumphant continues on the right track. He breezed last week from the gate and Tim says that he did it well. We have heard from Tim Hills who has Saar Treaty in Florida and she is doing just great. He will work her next week and find a race! How exciting. I'm quite sure she is enjoying the sunshine in Florida. Luke went to the track yesterday with Happy and he loves all of the action. What a great pony. He will be hard to replace.

Later

Update 197: Today is a bit of a dreary Monday but at least the temperature is above 40degrees. Lilly got a reprieve on her Maiden voyage to the races. Thankfully the owners were not keen to run her on an off track. Vicar's Tune did not run well on the dirt and will be going home for a break. He has jogged up fine and is sound and happy. One of the new girls (Denali) ran on Saturday at Laurel Park and finished a great second. She broke from the gate and went straight to the front only to be nabbed in the last few strides of the race. What a game filly! Bubble Gum breezed on Sunday with Triumphant and she has come out of it in great shape. I gave her a clip and she looks much taller! Onward to the races with her, how exciting. Powdered Donut is still clinging to a temperature but both Tim and Chuck are determined to keep a watchful eye on her. Luke shipped back to Fair Hill this morning to give Tim some help with Who's Happy and Sky Heat. Sky Heat is a filly owned by Matt Haney and she can be a hot tomale. (Did I spell that right?) Anyway, Luke is just the man for the job. I'm glad he's back!

Later

Update 196: What a beautiful Saturday Morning. I have to apologize for the lack of updates lately. The junk mail on this site becomes overwelming at times. Anyway, just a few things are in the works lately. Mrs. MVP has gone home for a much deserved break for the rest of the year. She has shown lots of heart in every race . Saar Treaty continues to train and will be leaving today to go to Florida. She is doing great and she needs to run on the turf . All of her hair is off and she was none too happy to have it clipped. Timothy Hills who is a friend of ours will be taking care of Saar for us. He is a great trainer and we couldn't be any happier with the arrangements. Ah, if only we could go to Florida with our PA breds. I'm not sure the owners would go for that one. Sweet Ginger Brown left yesterday for Turfway Park where is will be able to run on the artificial surface. The dirt is just not her cup of tea. Hopefully she will run well. We have been having some trouble getting Who's Happy in another race. The person writing the races seems to only be writing short races and Happy needs to go long. She was meant to run tomorrow( or Monday) at Philadelphia Park but I believe Tim said he didn't think the race would go. The owners want to take her home for a break. She would probably be happy with that! Vicar's Tune is running on the dirt at Philadelphia Park today. His owner wanted to try him on the dirt before giving him the winter off. He is still such a joy to be around and tortures me everynight while I'm trying to water off. What a gem. Powdered Donut went to New Bolten to have Dr. Dean Richardson work on some rough stuff in her ankles. She is recovering at Fair Hill but seems to be having a hard time with a high temperature. Tim and Dr. Chuck are keeping a close eye on her. Lilly is running for the first time tomorrow at Philadelphia Park. It should be quite interesting seeing her run but I hope we don't get the wet weather they are calling for. I really don't like running a baby on a rough track the first time out. I am probably more bothered than Lilly, nothing seems to bother her. Well, we shipped Lucky in to Fair Hill a couple days ago to see if he could be a pony. This is the little horse that was left at the sales grounds that I ended up taking home. He is so lovey but has a major stifle issue for which we have tried everything. We thought we had found him a good home but when the people demanded the jockey club papers (?) he suddenly ended up back with us. I was afraid he would end up somewhere I wouldn't like so we brought him home. Lucky was a very good companion to several horses and wasn't bad at standing. He actually stood by the gate and then watched a horse break from the gate, with the bell, and he stayed calm the whole time. Tim assures me that he never knew what the gate was for. Maybe he was right. Anyway, Who's Happy enjoyed her company to the track and back. Luke also went to Fair Hill and Meghan took him to the track several times. What a rock solid pony. He enjoyed his day out. I better stop gabbing now.

More Later

Later

Update 184: It is quite warm here on this Friday. How nice it is to have sixty five degree weather after just a few cold days. Tim has called in a short update. He has a new filly owned by Matt Haney called Sky Heat that has just arrived at the barn. I know one thing, she likes to eat. She is a pretty bay with a big white stripe on her face and is quite personable. Little Bubble Gum has gotten a new set of glue on shoes that seem to be working out well for her. Hopefully she will get to the races this year. Triumphant has been breezing well with a little filly we have named Bebe McQ. They are a good match. Bebe McQ is a Louis Quatorze filly just like Paris Night. She is a little shy but with time I have no doubt she will come around.

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Update 183: Well it is Thursday and it is still drab outside. Yesterday the two fillies were to run on the turf at Laurel Park but there was not any turf racing. Ms MVP finished a well earned third place while Sweet Ginger Brown finished last. The perfect place for Ginger is proving to be elusive. Tim believes that she will be a better filly on the turf but he has been unable to get her in on the turf. This assumption is made based on the fact that she breezes much better on the Tapeta surface than on the dirt track. Both fillies have come back just fine. I had a brief conversation with Tim this morning and I believe that there will be no racing for Tim Woolley Racing unless there is an extra race written. I stopped briefly by the barn last night to visit with the horses. Vicar's Tune came to the front of his stall and got some extra love. He is such a sweet boy. Saar Treaty pinned her ears at me and was not happy to wait for her dinner. She was hungry. Maybe I should have started at her end? Who's Happy seemed cheerful and I know Tim is trying to get her in somewhere. Truimphant is always exhuberant to see anyone as long as food is involved. Clever Binkley spent the hour while I was feeding staying just out of Bella's (my cocker spaniel) reach. He though it was great to torture her. She was intently staring at Binkley and he was being very sly keeping an eye on her. More Later !

Update 182: I spoke with Tim a moment ago and he seemed happy with Powdered Donuts performance this afternoon. She finished fourth in her first attemp to go long. She has been sprinting so it was no surprise to see her fighting to get to the front. All reports from the back side say that she has recovered just fine. Luckily the rain has held back in NJ. Forward we go to the races tomorrow.

Update 181: Just a quick update for this grey Monday morning. It is nice that the cold is holding off just a few more days. Tim will have a busy week. Powdered Donut will be running on Tuesday at the Meadowlands and Ms MVP and Sweet Ginger Brown will both be running in the same race on Wednesday at Laurel Park. Saar Treaty conitinues to recover from her race and is doing great. Tim is currently looking for another spot for Who's Happy. Bubble Gum worked another three eighths last week and is steadily progressing towards the races. Vicar's Tune ran his race last week but did not end up hitting the board. Apparently he does not like a yielding turf but he has returned sound and eating well. He may possibly have one more start before the end of the season. Who knows what Triumphant was doing in his stall last night, he completely distroyed his water buckets. Maybe bordom set in?

More later

Update 180: What a great Sunday. Tim and Mike went to Belmont Park with Saar Treaty to run in a tough Stakes race. Saar ran her butt off and finished second. Both the trainer and the owner couldn't have been happier have spoken to Tim and she has come out of the race just fine. On Thursday Tim and Mike went with Timely Tradition to Laurel Park where he won. Who's Happy of course did not run this weekend. Neither race on Saturday or Sunday went for her. I'm not sure yet who will be running this week but if I get an update I'll let you know,.

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Update 179: It is a little airish on this Wednesday morning. Beth was trying to leg up Tim this morning and had to give a chuckle at the difficulty getting him in the saddle. It seems that the trainer looses all of his jump when the weather gets cold. Ms MVP and Saar Treaty breezed together yesterday and this morning Ms MVP was quite active while walking in the shed row! She obviously came out of her piece of work just fine. Sweet Ginger Brown skipped by me and gave out a little squeal. The cool air has all of the horses feeling great. Who's Happy was to run on Saturday but her race did not go. There may be a race on Sunday but I have not had an update from the trainer on that one. Anyway, this is just a quick update with what little info I have. Keep warm!!

Later

Update 178: Well it is Sunday evening and Tim has recovered from his marathon racing yesterday. First JoJo raced at Laurel Park and she ran a great fourth place. THen it was of to the Meadowlands with Powdered Donut. She was in a tough Stakes race and fininshed beating one horse. She ran her little eyeballs out. I jogged her up for Tim this morning and she gave out a big squeal! Thank goodness her spirits are still good. This morning at the barn both fillies seemed no worse for racing. Who's Happy breezed with Tim aboard yesterday and she jogged up fine for the trainer this morning, although the trainer has a few sore muscles from trying to hold her. Vicar was his usual lovey self and I took some extra time to give him some love knowing that he will soon leave us to have a break. Saar Treaty was happily eating her hay this morning and gave me a little warning to stay away from her hay net. This is a good sign! She's one tough cookie. We have put several blankets on Ginger tonight being that the temperatures are dropping and she has been clipped. In other news, little Whippie went on a paper chase today with Meghan. They have been gone all day and I have not yet heard how they made out. What a beautiful day to be out riding.

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Update 177: Thought I would take a few minutes on this beautiful Friday morning to fill the few of you that still read this website in on some happenings this weekend. Tim will be very busy on Saturday. JoJo (Hlatikulu) will be running at Laurel Park on the turf and Powdered Donut is in at the Meadowlands. Donut is in a tough stakes race but she is a tough filly and she has been doing great. I stopped by the barn briefly yesterday to give Sweet Ginger Brown a full body clip. She has grown so much hair and I'm sure she will be more comfortable with some of it off. She stood like a trouper!!! Later in the morning she decided to take her frustrations out on Mike and gave him a huge bite on the rear! He survived long enough to get bopped in the lip by Tim's little baby Rosy! Mike had a tough morning (not to mention his wet feet caused by hosing Who's Happy). Anyway, Tim is trying to get Saar Treaty back into another race. Longer races for two year old fillies on the turf seem to be hard to come by. Vicar has come out of his last race with flying colors. I'm not sure when he will run next. Who's Happy is still recovering from her last effort and will probably breeze at the end of next week. The Fair Hill International three day event is going on this weekend. One of our former racehorses was there last year and I hope he will be competing again this year. His name is Buckingham Place. Anyway, everyone have a great day and enjoy the weather.

Later

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

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

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

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

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

Later

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

Later

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

Later

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

More later if I get another update.

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

Later

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

Later

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

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

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

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

Later

Update 162: Update from Saratoga

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

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

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

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

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Update 159:
Live and Online NOW!!!!

Mooney Myth Productions Presents....

"Working With The Woolleys" Volume 1

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

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

Check back later

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

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

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

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

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

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

Later

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Update 95: Happy New Year to all of our fans out there and a happy birthday to all of our horses. What a cold and windy Wednesday morning but Tim is holding up well. On Saturday morning Kitty and Molly breezed a strong half mile breaking from the starting gate. Both are doing great and should be to the races shortly. At dinner time last night both ladies seemed just fine and ready to eat. Paris Night also breezed on Saturday. This was her first breeze back after having a few problems with an abcess in her foot. She is fine now and enjoyed going an easy quarter mile. Veiled Reference is fine and she is bobbing her head for her food. She has really grown up in the last few months. Yesterday after a little hike with my running dog Zeke, we had to bring Luke in after he was jumping and speeding around the porta pad. He is sure enjoying this cooler weather. Rockin Fun breezed by himself on Saturday and is making slow but steady progress. He was ready to eat his dinner last night as always. We also have another new horse in the barn and her name is Powdered Donut. She is a grey filly who is obviously very sweet. I would like to thank her owner Marty for the beautiful flowers he brought me. He obviously knows who's good side to be on. Not a lot exciting to write about this morning. Lucky is now at Fair Hill and doing just fine. Robbie fell off him yesterday but he stood still and let Robbie jump back on. He must have seen something that he thought was very scary. Both horse and rider survived to live another day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Later

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

Later

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

Later

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

Later

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

Later

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

Next Time

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

Later

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

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

Later

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

More Later

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

Later

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

Later

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

Later

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

later
Penny

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

Have a great day!

Update 20: Tim just called to say Real Lace had won. He didn't give any details but was very happy as well that she was not claimed. I'm so happy for her! She tries very hard. Now, we just have to wait for Whip to run. It would just be too awesome if she would win. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Later

Update 19: Just a little humid this morning. Things in the barn were a little stressed this morning. Once the horses get off to the races things should calm down. Mike took off from his regular job (taxes for Dupont) to go to the races with Tim. Tack boxes were being packed and fans were being loaded. Hopefully they have remembered everything. Tim packed the racing boxes himself so I'm sure it's all there. Michelle came in to get on 3 or 4 today. She rode a winner yesterday at Laurel Park for Bruce Jackson (another trainer here at Fair Hill). Apparently there was a group of people cheering her on at the local pub Wesley's. Tim bought a new bit (a happy mouth) for Who's Happy. She tried it out today and seemed to like it. Both She and Tim looked relaxed when they got back to the barn. Robbie galloped Quick Quest and reports that he is feeling just fine. I have heard no update on Grandma but as I was leaving the barn I saw Michelle's arms flung around her neck. It seems that she has already made another friend. Anyway, both runners are late in the day, if I happen to be near a computer I will try to update you. We do have a couple of FOB's visiting the barn tomorrow so we are looking forward to it. Hopefully they will have a great morning. Meaghan will also be here to walk Whip Smart and to Ride Luke. Could be a great weekend! I Hope So!

Later

Update 18: Down on the farm! Well we are off tonight to Double Trouble Too. This is the little farm where we keep a few lay up horses and also a couple of young horses that need time off. Tim wants to ride Little Mikey tonight. Mikey (Our Heartthrob) is owned by my running partner Mike who comes on the weekends to help Tim. Mike used to own Mikey's mother (Runnin Numbers). She raced and earned over $100,000. When one of her babies went to the sale, Mike ended up buying her. She is a little firecracker! When she shipped in to us she was very sick and ended up at New Bolton Center. She would nicker at Barbaro in the intensive care unit. She has good taste! Anyway, Tim is breaking her (or she is breaking him), and she is going great! Nothing seems to bother her!
She loves her boyfriend Timmy M'boy and lives out with him most of the time. It can be so exciting to see a horse start from scratch and eventually get to the races. I hope she can run like her mother.

Later

Update 17: The horses had a fairly quiet morning today. Meghan came in to take Luke to the track with Two of Wands. Luke jogged with her one mile and then waited at the gap while she jogged another mile on her own. Everything went great! Grandma went undertack after being at the all you could eat buffet for 2 months. Michelle her rider said that she should get paid twice as much to ride her! It's good to see her back. Whip Smart and Real Lace will both be running on Friday. Whip Smart is in the first race at Penn National and Real Lace is in the third race at Laurel. Should be quite a feat for the trainer to try to make it to both races. Our Diva (Real Lace's little sister) also went under tack for the first time here at Fair Hill. She is a good sized two year old that has all the right parts. We also had the Massage Therapist (Rosemary Crowley) here to work on Gator Nation and Who's Happy. The trainer reports that the horses are looked after better than he is. We would actually have to get him to slow down long enough to have a massage. That would be a trick in itself!

More Later

Update 16: How much better does it get? To train in such a beautiful place and to have such nice weather is such a blessing. We are so lucky. We were at the barn last night until 9:30 with a great blacksmith. Sonny Brodhas came to look at Two of Wands to make sure her feet looked good. He has some really great suggestions. Having a great blacksmith is just one more piece of the puzzle. Tim and I picked his brain like vulchers! He answered all of our questions and tried to explain things in terms we could understand. He also said that he only wished he was as good as some people think he is. To us he was pretty incredible. Here is a person who has taken a lifetime to study his art and he does his very best to shoe a horse without interfering with the horses natural motion. What a humble person. It will be an interesting thing to see if this helps her. She can be a bit tight behind and now hopefully we can keep her more comfortable. Fortunately for him (and unfortunately for me) he does not live in the area. He drove down from Saratoga just to look at a few of Tim's horses. I could have asked him questions all night although I'm sure my brain could not have retained all of the information.
I stopped by the barn this morning to visit the horses. Michelle had just returned from the track on Gator Nation. He put in a huge leap on the way home and then just put his head down and walked the rest of the way like a gentleman. Tim was getting off of Whip Smart. What a nice ride. She is a gem. We are so excited because Grandma is shipping back up to us today after a short lay up at Equivine. She is the big grey filly by Smoke Glacken. What a character she is. I know Meghan will be excited to see her, uncle Tim hasn't told her yet that she's coming in. Also shipping in with Grandma is Real Lace's little sister. I have not seen her yet but carrot man George says that she is absolutely gorgeous. Mass Romantic was tacked up waiting to go out . What an exciting morning at Double Trouble. I will update you some more when Tim calls me!

Later

Update 15: Beautiful cool morning today with little humidity. Tim reports that he saw a heron landing in the pond as he rode by. Quick Quest has come out of his race fine. We had him scoped after the race and he has a little infection which can be cleared up easily. This time of year with the heat and humidity infections can come up quickly. There are greater numbers of eye infections as well this time of year. Of course we are disappointed with the way some of our horses are running lately but this is the roller coaster ride of being a trainer. Red Aspen winning was such a high spot and then to have her come out of the race with an eye injury was devastating. Trainers are readily humbled! Tim had a great time looking at babies at the Saratoga Sale but we were outbid on both of the babies we were most interested in. At least Saratoga is a great place to be. What a beautiful place to watch really nice horses train and race. Saturday I stopped by Fair Hill to watch some of the horses train. Who's Happy toted Robbie Walsh around the track. She was quite a handful. Tim reports today that he galloped her a strong mile and a half with a german martingale. Anyway, its fun to watch the ladies give these guys such a hard time. Michelle took out Nautical Agent and Fortuna to the track and reported that both were moving well.

More Later

Update 14: What a gorgeous and crisp morning at Fair Hill. All of the horses were fresh but Two of Wands was especially fresh. She was throwing her head up and rearing around the barn with Tim. He did manage to stay on her and they eventually headed to the track. All went well. Meghan came in to braid a few manes for Uncle Tim and she also clocked Mass Romantic in another 3/8ths work. Mass Romantic did great! Real Lace also breezed (5/8ths) with Tim. She relaxed while galloping around and when it was time to break off it was all business. She did a handy piece of work. I took a few minutes to groom her off and she was quite happy with herself. Well, Tim was fairly relaxed this morning. Once he got Quick Quest off to the races he finished the morning with no stress. Hopefully he won't hit much traffic on the drive up. Mike(my running partner of many years who helps us on the weekends) went up in the van with Quick. I'm sure carrot man George will be there as well. George is 80+ years old and visits us every week to bring carrots and feed the horses mints. All of the horses know who he is but especially Red Aspen. She goes crazy when she sees him coming in the barn.
All of the horse know that they will get extra special attention when he comes. He very rarely misses a race. Anyway, we hope to see Quick Quest run a really great race today. He feels great and looks good and I believe he is for the most part happy. Now we just need some luck.

Another blog later!

Update 13: Just spoke with Tim, he is stuck on the New Jersey Turnpike in loads of traffic. Tim's owners have narrowed their pick to 4 or 5 out of the 30 they had origionally picked out to buy in the Saratoga New York Bred Sale. If the bidding goes well hopefully they will get a baby or two. Anyway, things in the barn were quiet this morning. Tomorrow will be a bit busier. Quick Quest is running at Philadelphia Park. We will see if the additon of blinkers helps him concentrate more on his job. Have you ever really tried hard to do something right and the harder you tried the worse it got? Well, this is what I feel like happens to Quick. He tries overly hard and gets caught up in all the excitement. He's like a little firecracker. Too bad a horse can't do yoga! I came into the barn this morning when Nautical Agent was returning from the track. She was very calm and seemed happy. Who's Happy was her usual quiet self. She is such a calm horse in the barn but when she goes to the track it is all action! She is moving great and eating well. I am sorry to read that Better Talk Now is out of the Sword Dancer. Better Talk Now out of Sword Dancer . What a neat old horse. It is always great to watch him run.

Update 12: Sorry for the late update today. Tim left last night for Saratoga. He will be looking at about 30 horses that his owners have picked out. Hopefully they will find something that will work. We looked through the sales book to mark the Stallion Averages and the Stud Fees. Just a few of them had sold in prior sales. All of this information is looked at before you even physically inspect the babies.
I stopped at the barn this morning to check on things. Andrea and Michelle had everything under control. The horses all seemed to be happy and everyone was calm. Fortuna had no problem finishing her dinner I fed her last night. When she goes off her feed we will know there is a problem. Robbie Walsh had arrived early for his first set, unfortunately Quick Quest was napping. We left him to rest for awhile and decided to tack up Real Lace. She is such a fiery red head. Anyway, everyone survived. If you haven't checked out the Ad on Alex's Website that will run soon in the thoroughbred times, check it out! (Messages section). This is a great ad!!!

Later

Update 11: No luck at the races today. Fortuna seemed to run great for a half mile but then gave in. She has come out of it fine and is headed back to Fair Hill. Back to the drawing boards with her.

Update 10: Just had a call from Tim. He and Mike are on their way to Delaware Park for the 3rd race. The officials have decided to let the races go. Anyway, of course he said ( and we all know) it was extremely hot today. Kitty and Two of Wands worked an easy 3/8ths of the Tapeta track this morning. They both went well. Two of Wands is of course very forward from being in the two year old in training sale. Robbie Walsh rode Real Lace this morning and thinks that she is moving great. Michelle is our new rider (since we lost Alex). She is a member of the Amateur Riders Club of America and won a race at Colonial Downs last Friday. She has been at Fair Hill for several years working for Mike McCarthy and we are happy to have her galloping for us. Anyway, she took Gator accross the fields and both rider and horse seemed happy upon their return to the barn. Mass Romantic (my sister Andrea's favorite) galloped nicely today with Tim. She is a sweet filly by the very popular stallion Not For Love. He has definately stamped her with his good looks and we hope to have a lot of luck racing her. Hopefully all will go well at the races today.

Will Update you after the races

Update 9: OK the weather this morning was not good. The horses were truely relishing their soapy baths! Gator Nation was back jogging around the fields today. He is in good form and was terrorizing his groom as she mucked his stall. It's great to see him so cheeky when he is really a very shy kind of guy. Real Lace went to the Tapeta track with Tim to gallop one and a half miles. She is a great ride and can get quite excited coming home. This morning she was pretty quiet, I think the heat helped with that. Kitty (Tale Tails) galloped today with a shodow roll and blinkers to get her more focused on training. There are several types of blinkers: full cup, french cup, and cheater blinkers. She has at the moment only got cheater blinkers on. Luke had a lazy day in the porta pad. He enjoys his work but every once in a while we have to give him a day off. Delaware Park may cancel the races tomarrow due to the heat. We won't know until 4pm. Fortuna may not get to run.

Another Update Later

Update 8: Not such a bad morning weather wise. We had some rain in the night and the main track was a bit sloppy. The Tapeta track was fine. Meghan took Luke to the track this morning with another Two Year Old (Kitty) . All the girls love Luke and she went nicely. Whip Smart also went back to the track this morning and the excercise rider reports that she is moving great after her 2nd place finish last week. Tim decided it was best to take Quick Quest back to the gate with his blinkers on. In order to get approved to start with his blinkers he will have to break from the gate with his blinkers on for a gate card. He should have no problem doing this.
Fortuna is in this Wednesday at Delaware Park in race 3. Hopefully we can get to the winnner's circle.

Another Update Later

Update 7: It was a cooler morning this morning and the horses appreciated the slight break in the weather. Meghan came in to ride Luke this morning. He escorted one of the Two Year Olds (Two of Wands) to the race track. She was fine but it is always a good idea to make sure they are use to a pony before they get to the races. Luke is very colorful as most of you know by his picture and if they are ok with Luke then almost no other color pony will scare them. This sounds like a funny thing but to some racehorses a paint horse can be scary. Nautical Agent trained today. She was very happy to go to the track and seemed to enjoy herself. Fortuna also trained today. She had an easy gallop and hopefully will get into a race on Wednesday at Delaware Park. She is a beautiful gray filly and loves to eat. We have to feed her first most days to keep her happy.

Update 6: Just heard from Tim. Very hot and humid morning for the horses and they were enjoying their soapy baths. Mass Romanic worked her first 3/8ths with us this morning and she went nicely. Robby Walsh took Nautical Agent to the track this morning and she did her usual high stepping all the way home. Tim is trying something new with Quick Quest. This morning he had blinkers on for the first time. This hopefully will help him focus and concentrate a little bit more. This little horse can run he just needs to figure things out. Some horses get it all together very quickly and some need time. He does continue to improve and hopefully we can get him to win a race soon. Quick is a great horse to be around and has tons of personality.

Cheers!

Update 5: Scenes from Saratoga. Just a quick update on my dinner with Barclay Tagg and Robin Smullen last night. Yesterday they won a race with a first time starter "Rebounded".
The owners had dinner with us and could not have been happier with their horse. They were so excited that he handled himself like a professional. Robounded even picked grass and had a roll after the race. Robin reports in that Funny Cide is doing well as a pony but still has to be let down just a little more. He got quite excited on the turf course yesterday. She is so happy that Funny got to stay with them as a pony. No Biz Like Show Biz was resting in his stall when I visited. What a gorgeous animal.

Will update Double Trouble as soon as the boss calls.

Later

Update 4: Just got an update from Tim. Who's Happy went to the track for the first time after finishing 2nd in her stakes race last weekend. She is very happy and seems to be fine after a tough race. Robbie Walsh rode Two of Wands (Two Punch filly) who went around the fields. She was in good form after breezing 3/8ths of a mile a few days ago. She's moving great and has quite the attitude. Whip has come out of her race last night just fine and her little friend Meghan was in the barn this morning to hot walk her. The two of them enjoy each others company. Just going to Alex's new website now to check it out.

Scenes from Saratoga,

Sitting here at Saratoga enjoying the weather and the nice horses. Most of the horses are now on the grounds for the Fasig Tipton Selected Sale. There are some beautiful babies.
Blue Horse Charities: bluehorsecharities.org will be here to set up a booth to hopefully get some more support for the horses that are rescued. Check out thier website to find out more about this organization.

Another update later

Update 3: Tim reported in late last night saying that little Whip was 2nd by a nose. She ran a great race. The pace was very slow the first half mile (52 seconds) and it was a sprint for the last half a mile. Hopefully she will come out of it ok and we will give you an update in a few hours.

Update 2: Tim and I would like to thank Alex for all of his hard work in the past years. Not only with this website but also in the barn riding our horses. We have enjoyed reading his posts as quite often we are so busy that we don't know what is going on. Alex has done a wonderful job keeping everyone up to date and informed on important issues. We hope that we can continue to get blogs on our website from Alex. We will miss him in the barn!
Now to the barn news. Yet another hot and steamy morning today. The horses were enjoying nice baths after their morning workouts. Nautical Agent has come back from Colonial Downs and seems to be fine. We have been taking her accross the fields which she enjoys very much. Tim and I have both watched her jog for soundness and we can pick out nothing that might be bothering her. This says a lot because I am very picky about how the horses are moving. Non Pariel also went accross the fields and was quite happy today. Kitty went to the track today, no doubt missing Alex as her usual rider. Tim managed to keep her happy and she is doing great. Red Aspen's eye continues to improve but the issue is still not resolved. We are still treating the eye several times a day and hopefully it will continue to move forward.
Tim is on his way to Penn National with Whip Smart for the first race. She is such a sweet filly and we hope that she is in the winner's circle tonight. We also at Double Trouble have had to say goodbye to Amanda who spends her summer vacations from University in Scotland to work for Tim. She is invaluable and hopefully she will return next year.

Thanks Again Alex
Later

Update 1: After more than fourteen months covering Barbaro, horseracing issues, horse welfare issues as well as goings on at Tim's barn, it is time to return Tim's site to Tim. I have created a new site: alexbrownracing.com that will continue to cover all the issues we have been covering here, as well as my journey across America. I am also planning to write a book about these experiences. Tim will continue to update us on his horses here, I will reference those updates on alexbrownracing.com

I want to thank Tim for being a wonderful host, together I think we have all made a difference. I hope we can continue to do so.

Update 2251: Del Mar's synthetic track is playing slower than many horsemen are used to and its causing some adjustments to trainers' approaches: Adjusting to Polytrack, excerpt:

Bob Baffert, who trains for Zayat, said the synthetic track may lead him to buy a different sort of yearling or 2-year-old than those with the speed-influenced bloodlines that have become so dominant in California racing.

"I know if I buy a fast-looking horse and I put him on dirt, he'll be a fast horse," he said. "Now, you need a turf-influenced pedigree. I've got some horses that it will move way up. The jury is still out on this."

Ray Paulick looks at an industry without leadership: Commentary: Scandalous.

Update 2250: Godolphin won its second Group 1 race this year in the Sussex Stakes at Glorous Goodwood: Ramonti Claims Group I Double in Sussex Stakes. They followed that up with a nice Group 2 2yo winner: Rio de La Plata Rolls to Vintage Victory.

Update 2249: Victor Molina was by the barn this morning, bringing donuts. Red Aspen's left eye continues to progress. Quick Quest, who showed early speed and then faded and was a little fractious in the paddock, seems to have come out of his race yesterday in good order. Real Lace galloped nicely this morning, Amanda rode Luke and escorted the girls (Kitty and the Two Punch 2yo filly) to the gate. Amanda is now heading back to Scotland. All in all a decent morning at the barn.

Update 2248: Steve Haskin goes down memory lane: Steve Haskin's Saratoga Memories: The Doc and the Storm.

Rags to Riches arrived at Saratoga yesterday along with her barn mate Octave: Rags to Riches Heads To Saratoga, excerpt:

We will miss her here but hopefully she will return to us next month after Saratoga's racemeet ends. She definitely left her mark here, as she bit me leaving a large bruise on my leg this morning while she was on the track. She had to make sure we knew who was in charge one last time before she shipped out!

Update 2247: Its Glorious Goodwood and Asiatic Boy, who was tremendous on the dirt in Dubai, switches back to turf in the Sussex Stakes: Asiatic Boy invades England in Sussex return.

Lawyer Ron's Whitney time, which appeared to quick to be accurate, is deemed accurate: Lawyer Ron's Whitney Time Deemed Accurate.

Update 2246: Curlin had his final prep for the Haskell this morning: Curlin gears up for Haskell, excerpt:

Looking a picture of health, as strong and robust as he did for all three Triple Crown races, Curlin breezed an easy half-mile in 49.56 seconds under exercise rider Carmen Rosas, posting fractions of 13 seconds for an eighth of a mile and 25.52 for a quarter before galloping out five furlongs in 1:03.97. The move had trainer Steve Asmussen in good spirits as Curlin cooled out back at the barn with assistant trainer Scott Blasi on the lead shank.

"He looked great, and the work was very good," said Asmussen. "He did it just about the way we drew it up. Carmen is amazing when it comes to that sort of thing."

Update 2245: News from Double Trouble. Red Aspen's eye is doing much better this morning. We will have to keep a very close eye on it but it has improved since yesterday.We are optimistic that it will heal completely and she will have no problems with it. She was also trying to bite other horses over her webbing this morning. This is her normal behavior so we think that she is feeling fine. Quick Quest is running in the 5th race at Delaware Park today and he was very chipper while walking in the barn this morning. He is getting a better post position for this race than the last race and hopefully the turf will be to his liking. Whip Smart hopefully will be running on Friday. She went nicely today. Robbie Walsh who is one of our regular excercise riders rode his first race this weekend after having a terrible accident in the Spring. He won the race and we are very happy to see him back in the saddle.

Update 2244: Steve Haskin writes: Steve Haskin's BC Countdown: A Sense of Saratoga, excerpt:

The one person who virtually lives with Street Sense is Paul Rutherford, who is the colt's hotwalker in the morning and a lawyer in the afternoon. For Saratoga, he has taken a six-week vacation to be with the horse.

"When we were walking to the detention barn, people were shouting, 'Thanks for bringing him,'" he said while grazing the horse following his Monday morning jog. "As we walked on the horse path to the paddock, they were shouting, 'That's Street Sense. That's Street Sense. Go, big guy.' It was the most amazing thing. I'm getting chills talking about it. It's just so cool being with him."

I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Paul Rutherford before the Preakness. He is a Fan of Barbaro.

Update 2243: Street Sense appears in good order after his win on sunday. As is usual he trained the next day, yesterday, which is a very unusual move: Street Sense on track for Travers, excerpt:

"He was happy to go to the track this morning, but not all that excited about it," said trainer Carl Nafzger. "This race really took that edge off, which he needed because he was really too sharp for me. I don't know if I could have held him another week if I had to. And it's always good to get that first one out of the way."

Other horses seem to have come out of their weekend races well. NoBiz worked on the turf yesterday, with a planned debut run scheduled on monday on the turf.

The Haskell which is run on sunday, like the Jim Dandy another prep for the Travis, is shaping up to be a short but solid field: Haskell still looks like a good show, excerpt:

Even without the Derby winner, the Haskell is shaping up as a very solid race with six strong contenders topped by the Preakness winner Curlin. The Haskell will be Curlin's first race since his loss by a head to the filly Rags to Riches in the Belmont Stakes.

He will face Derby runner-up Hard Spun; Dwyer winner Any Given Saturday; the unbeaten Cable Boy; Xchanger, who won the Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park last time out; and Imawildandcrazyguy.

Update 2242: Jose Santos, Funny Cide's Derby winning jockey, has also now retired: Santos Retires; Has Five Fractures in Spine.

Update 2241: Rags to Riches is back in training and the Alabama Stakes remains a possibility: Rags to Riches OK; Returns to Training, excerpt:

"She'll resume training and we'll go from there," Pletcher said outside his Saratoga barn after receiving the news from Dr. Paul Thorpe, the attending veterinarian for the filly's owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. "Like I said all along, I knew there was nothing dramatically wrong the filly. Obviously, we are going to take every precaution we could, and we have."

Update 2240: Just a quick update on the horses that ran this weekend. Who's Happy dug right into her feed tub after her race on Saturday and seems to be just fine after finishing 2nd. Red Aspen has come out of her race with a little ulcer on her eye. We will have the veterinarian look at it a little more closely this morning. She has eaten up and is very bright in her stall this morning. Quick Quest is entered to run tomorrow at Delaware. The race is on the turf and hopefully we will stay on the turf.

More Later!

Update 2239: This appears to be a great way to support Laminitis Research: Secretariat, Barbaro prints to benefit laminitis research, excerpt:

"The New Bolton Center is making some exciting headway in its laminitis research, and its efforts should be widely supported throughout the equine community," Chenery said. "These horses have given so much of themselves, and we owe it to them to find a cure for this disease."

"Roy and I are so honored to have this opportunity to give back to the New Bolton Center," Gretchen Jackson said. "Jaime's incredible portraits of Secretariat and Barbaro capture the noble spirits that made them both such endearing champions."

For those interested in learning a little more about speed figures this article, debating the time of Lawyer Ron's Whitney Handicap, sheds some light: A track-record Whitney -- or was it?, excerpt:

On the Beyer Speed Figure scale, Ginger Punch earned a raw figure of 114. In her two previous starts, she had earned Beyers of 104 and 103 and this appeared to be a roughly similar performance, deserving of a variant of around -10 that would have given her a final Beyer of 104. But Lawyer Ron's raw figure in the Whitney was an astronomical 138, and applying a variant of -10 again would give him an implausible figure of 128, a level reached only by Ghostzapper in the last decade.

Update 2238: More on Street Sense's win: Street Sense Just Fine in Jim Dandy, excerpt:

"We learned a lot from this trip," Nafzger said. "We laid a little bit closer today. That was our plan. They got him in a trap and kept him there, but he got out and he responded. I was concerned, you're always concerned until you get out. You don't know how much that can take out of your horse. Once he got out, he came on with his run.

"It was a good, solid prep to get him ready for the Travers. I know C P West will probably be back and probably a couple of others and Curlin, too. It's going to be a tough race. You should see a horse with more timing, more rhythm and more fitness than he had today. He has a race over the track now; that should be an advantage."

Update 2237: Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense returned to the winners circle at Saratoga today in the Jim Dandy. More to follow.

Update 2236: I spent the morning with Mid Atlantic Horse Rescue, interviewing Bev and Ginny for my book. As I left I ran into an FOB and family, I think they were looking at a horse which would be very cool, each horse moved on makes room for another save.

Hawty Creek ran this afternoon at Philadelphia Park. The race came off the turf and speed was holding which did not suite her running style. She finished 6th and appeared fine after the race.

While I have been talking with Tim and Penny about transitioning this site back to them and opening up alexbrownracing.com for FOBs, this transition has not yet taken place. We are still here. The discussion board has however changed names.

Update 2235: Some great racing yesterday with Redaspen's win, Who's Happy's second, Diabolical's win in the Vanderbilt (Diabolical Turns Up Heat in Vanderbilt Win) and a track record set in the Whitney Handicap (Lawyer Ron Romps in Whitney, Sets Track Mark). Today Hawty Creek is off to Philadelphia Park and Street Sense returns in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga. Lets hope its another great day for racing.

Update 2234: I spoke with Victor Molina last night, he was very happy with his win on Redaspen. It was his first win since his month's suspension. He said he got pinched back going into the first turn and was further back than he would have liked. Knowing his horse however he did not panic and when she finally did make her move she was exceptional. Victor knows Redaspen better than anyone and it shows. Victor was also very grateful for all the support he had received, not only from Tim and his owners (he was also second on Who's Happy) but from Fair Hill in general where he was able to come out and continue riding and keep fit. As we know, he is very remorseful about his action, this episode is now behind him and I am thrilled Redaspen got him back in the winners' circle.

Update 2233: I just spoke to Tim. He was very excited. As far as Redaspen's race, it was very nerve wracking. He could not sight her going down the backside. She then made a run up the rail and exploded. She won handily. Awesome. She is cooling out well.

Update 2232: YES, Redaspen won another stakes race. More when I have spoken to Tim.

Update 2231: Congratulations to tongue-wagging Diabolical for a nice sprint win in the Venderbilt. He always looked comfortable. Ricky his exercise rider was confident, he had been training well and it showed this afternoon!

Update 2230: Just spoke to Tim, he was happy with Happy! Victor gave her a nice ground saving ride. When Raging Rapids drew off at the 3/8ths pole Happy hung in there. It looked like she was fading and could be caught for second, but she kicked in and only got beat a couple of lengths in the end. She is now cooling out and all appears well.

Update 2229: Who's Happy was second in her second start in a stakes race this afternoon. More once I have spoken with Tim.

Update 2228: Dylan Thomas got the job done with ease: DYNAMITE DYLAN FAR TOO GOOD .

Update 2227: In all of the excitement with the racing at Philadelphia Park and Saratoga, we forgot to mention the King George at Ascot: DYLAN CAN DELIVER.

Update 2226: My last day at Fair Hill ... really. As I came to the barn there was plenty of activity as Who's Happy was being prepared to leave for Philadelphia Park, her owner was in the barn getting ready to ship her. She runs in an early race, Redaspen in a late race so Redaspen is shipping up later.

I only had two to ride, Mass Romantic and Kitty. Mass Romantic went to the Tapeta track and galloped a mile and a quarter. She went nicely, and for sure my last time on the Tapeta track at Fair Hill! Tim was jogging Real Lace on the dirt. Kitty went across the fields along with her usual partner, the 2yo Two Punch filly and Tim. We had a nice jog around. Finally I took care of Linda's Precious Partner in Linda's absense. She is on her way to Colonial Downs with Pistol.

Lots of excitement today for our horses at Philadelphia Park, we also have racing from Saratoga on ABC, from 4 - 6 pm. Jeannine Edwards sent this short preview:

We have the 4 live races, all graded stakes. We will run a feature on brass hat, and also include several interviews. We are also showing the first of 5 veterinary features with dr. richardson that we shot at new bolton last month (this one pertains to condylar fractures because that's what brass hat had in '05). Finally we will run an update on rags to riches.

And finally from Today at Saratoga.

Update 2225: Some great racing today. Saratoga offers three grade ones and a grade two. These races will be televised and Fair Hill is represented by Diabolical in the Vanderbilt. Today at Saratoga provides some interesting trivia for these races.

Philadelphia Park offers a strong stakes program as part of its "Day at the Races" program. We have both Who's Happy and Redaspen running.

Tomorrow sees the likely return of Street Sense in the Jim Dandy, a Travers prep race: Street Sense Returns to Action in Jim Dandy. Street Sense faces an intriguing challenger in Tiz Wonderful, who was the early Derby favorite before getting sidelined.

Update 2224: Nautical Agent was fourth tonight at Colonial Downs. She was well off the pace, appeared to get stopped as she was making a run, and then had to be redirected to the outside for her final run. She was beaten a length and a half for second. Its storming here at Fair Hill.

Update 2223: Rags to Riches is now back at Belmont Park after a two day stay at New Bolton: Rags to Riches Returns to Belmont, excerpt:

The results of the exam will be reviewed by Dr. Paul Thorpe, the attending veterinarian for owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, said Pletcher, adding that "Dr. Thorpe will be flying in from Ireland (July 28) to go over the results with us. If everything checks out, well she could still make the Alabama."

Update 2222: A fun article on Funny Cide's new role: A Day at the Spa: July 27, Pony Cide, excerpt:

We keep an eye on Funny Cide while he's on the track. There are spurts of the old racehorse fire -- fiercely pinned ears when a stablemate gets too close, a bow-necked snorting moment when Tagg moves him into a canter down near the first turn. For the most part, however, Funny Cide has adjusted to his new life. He even accepts goodwilled pats on the nose before ferrying his stablemate off the surface.

Update 2221: A warm morning this morning at Fair Hill. I had three to ride, two for Tim and one for Linda. First out was Real Lace, her first outing since her last race. She was to jog two miles on the dirt track. She went nicely and appeared no worse for her most recent race. Tim was on Who's Happy, on the Tapeta track jogging / hacking around. She is running tomorrow at Philadelphia Park in a stake. Next out was Mass Romantic, she went to the Tapeta track, and she galloped a mile and a quarter. Very nicely. Tim came out with Whip Smart, Amanda was on Luke supervising the training. Whip Smart did a little work. Finally I rode Linda's Precious Partner. She breezed a half mile on the Tapeta track, likely my last breeze at Fair Hill. She went nicely, 2 13s and 2 12s.

Nautical Agent is running this afternoon at Colonial Downs, so lets hope she puts in another good effort. Her last effort at Colonial Downs appeared better. Redaspen is also running tomorrow, she will be favorite for her stakes race. A big weekend for Tim, and nothing to do with my imminent departure!

Media blitz week continues.

Update 2220: TeresaNY provides an update on Saratoga after day two: Today at Saratoga, excerpt:

It is a Saratoga tradition that at about a minute to post before the first race, Tom Durkin, the track announcer, coaches us to announce the beginning of the meet. He reminded all of us that this is the 139th season of racing at Saratoga (the oldest meet in the country, though not uninterrupted--racing began in 1863), and got even the most cynical in the crowd to join him in announcing, "And they're off at Saratoga!" as the starting gate opened for the first race.

The Whitney Handicap, to be run tomorrow afternoon and on ESPNs two hour coverage, is a full field as older horses attempt to fill the void established by the retirement of Invasor: Full Whitney field will vie for divisional supremacy and With Invasor Out, the Whitney's Anyone's Race.

Update 2219: The answer to the quiz, update 2217: Nigel is Congressman Whitfield's (very cute) dog. Terri C was first with a correct answer and the $100 goes to New Life Equine Rescue in Maryland.

Update 2218: Street Sense completed an easy half mile work at Saratoga this morning in preparation for his likely comeback race this weekend, the Jim Dandy: Street Sense Works at Saratoga, excerpt:

"All we wanted to do this morning was to let him feel the track and he came on across it well," said trainer Carl Nafzger. "He's a nice quiet horse; I already know how fast he can go, I didn't need to find out if he has speed."

"He went good," said Borel. "It's what we wanted, to see how he would handle the track, and he went across it like a bear. He's just blossomed; he was a lot more forward with me this morning. He's just an awesome horse."

Update 2217: I had a very interesting meeting in DC, interesting for me anyway. The meeting was with Congressman Whitfield and also in the meeting were Chris Heyde (SAPL), Nancy Perry (HSUS), James Robertson (Congressman Whitfield's legislative aid) and Nigel. The meeting's value was in putting faces to names and getting a better understanding of the workings of Congress and the Senate. As I talked a little about Fans of Barbaro I could tell they were very impressed with what everyone here has achieved as a group. It was cool! Anyway, I am sure the meeting will help build closer relations with groups important to the horse anti-slaughter movement. $100 to the equine welfare charity of choice for anyone who correctly identifies Nigel's role in the meeting.

Update 2216: Saratoga is loaded with stakes races each day (Subtle Aly Wins Tight One in Schuylerville), the first major stake is the Whitney Handicap, to be run on saturday and covered by ESPN: Flashy Bull succeeds Invasor for McLaughlin in Whitney, excerpt:

McLaughlin said Flashy Bull benefited from a 5 ½-month freshening that followed an off-the-board finish in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) last August.

"He's just a bigger, stronger, better four-year-old than he was a three-year-old," McLaughlin said. "We’ve always liked him, obviously to take him to the Kentucky Derby, but we're seeing the real Flashy Bull this year and it's a lot of fun. He's run very well and kind of surprised us last time beating a strong group in the Stephen Foster the way he did it. He opened three or four [lengths] turning for home. The jock [Robby Albarado] might have moved a little bit early, but we got the money, so we don't complain."

Media blitz week is yielding results already: J-S LETTER: Slaughter of horses needs to end.

There will be no update from Fair Hill this morning, I am off to Washington DC for the morning.