Smart Strike's Big Year!

Smart Strike, a Canadian stallion out of Mr. Prospector and Classy 'N Sweet by Smarten is a retired 1992 stallion who really had quite a big year in 2007! Two of his children, Curlin and English Channel, really made him proud. Curlin won two Eclipse Awards for 3-year-old male and then Horse of the Year! English Channel won Eclipse Turf Male! And on September 30th, Smart Strike's three kids, C, EC, and Fabulous Strike all proved G1 winners at Belmont. So, with progeny earnings in 2007 alone of $9,122,430, he became #1 General Sire in North America for 2007.

He is the first stallion to produce Champion Turf and Champion Dirt kids in the same year, since the inception of the Eclipse Awards in 1971.

And, of course, his stud fee increased for 2008! His fee in 2007 -- $75,000. His fee in 2008 -- $150,000! Way to go, boy! Well done! More carrots for you, sweet thing!

In his own racing career, he won 6 of 8 starts, but took a thrashing from Cigar in his last start. He then was preparing for the Breeders' Cup, but suffered a fracture and retired early. My girls are related to this good boy through Nasrullah, Count Fleet, Turn-To, Princequillo, and Discovery among others!

The photo is from his stallion page. You can learn more about him at the following links:
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/stallion.aspx?stallion_no=1365869
or
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/breeding-news/2007/October/15/Smart-Strike-joins-six-figure-stud-fee-club.aspx
or
http://www.ntra.com/blog.aspx?blogid=9&year=2008&month=1&day=23
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Strike

Breaking News! War Pass and Cool Coal Man have big weekend!

Here are photos of War Pass and Cool Coal Man taken this past weekend as they won their races. Both horses are owned by Robert LePenta and trained by Nick Zito, so the whole family is very happy. War Pass earned his 5th win in 5 starts in his 3 year-old debut in a $60,000 allowance race in Gulfstream Park. He is the 2007 Eclipse Award winning 2-year-old colt Champion and a top contender for the Kentucky Derby this spring. He won the Breeder's Cup Juvenile last October. So far, he's earned $1,433,400 for his dad. He won his spring debut by 7 1/2 lengths!

His trainer said, "He broke like a rocket." His parents are Cherokee Run and Vue by Mr. Prospector, so he is closely related to Violet, especially on her dad's side. Dame Francesca is War Pass's grandma, and Cherokee Run's dad is Runaway Groom! He also has Nasrullah, War Admiral and Count Fleet.

Cool Coal Man is also a contender for the Kentucky Derby and here you see him edging to a win in the $350,000 G2 Fountain of Youth race shortly after his brother, War Pass, won his allowance race.

Both horses are fabulous, truly fabulous. So, no wonder their dad said, "Right now, you'd have to say we're over the moon!" He is excited about his boys!

Wee Nip and My Girls!

Wee Nip was a 1945 thoroughbred filly by War Admiral and Bourbonette by Teddy. She even had a splash of The Tetrarch on her dam's side! She raced a bit, running 16 times for a final record of 1-2-4 and earning $4,850. But she is known especially for her babies. She had 8 foals, 6 fillies and 2 colts, the latter out of Hill Prince and Bimelech.

In my own Violet's tree, she was bred to the amazing, Belmont-winning One Count to produce Three Fingers. I can hardly believe that Violet's pedigree includes a double whammy of grandsires -- War Admiral and Count Fleet!!! Pow! Two Triple Crown winning champions!

You would think I could find a photo of Wee Nip, but I wasn't able to. So here is a photo taken in late September 2007 by Vikki of my own beautiful Vi!

Three Fingers and My Girls!

Three Fingers was a 1960 filly who was a successful racer. Her final record was 28: 5-2-3 with earnings of $19,725. Her breeder was James P. Headley and she ultimately had 12 foals, 7 colts and 5 fillies. She was the dam of 3 stakeswinners, and 1 additional stakes-placing foal out of these 12 -- an impressive record. Her sires were Beau Gar (2), Tumiga (4), Native Charger, Troon Road, Jacinto, Third Martini, Water Prince and Warfare.

In Violet's family she has the Third Martini baby, Three Martinis. Three Martinis was Three Fingers' most successful foal. He earned $195,501 before serving as the father of Violet's broodmare sire, Two's A Plenty.

Sweet Three Fingers is rich in Blue Hens. Just within her most immediate generations, she has Ace Card, Furlough, Sweetheart, and Mahubah. And, of course, there is the spectacular good fortune of having Count Fleet and War Admiral as your grandpas, with Count Fleet producing your Belmont-stakes winning dad, One Count through 1952 Kentucky broodmare of the year, Ace Card and then War Admiral producing your mom through a Teddy kid! Pretty smashing little family tree!

Wining Effort and My Girls!

Violet's dam was a 1997 racehorse named Wining Effort who had a dosage index of 5 and career earnings of $10,672! Her own parents are Two's A Plenty and Right Effort by Rajab. Her dad earned $282,183 and Rajab earned $75,600, and his own dad, Jaipur earned over $618,000! So, Violet is well-connected to racehorses on her mama's side.

In fact, if you look at her pedigree, you'd be super impressed. Wining Effort has Dark Star, the only horse to beat the 1953 Kentucky Derby winner, Native Dancer. And she has One Count, the Belmont Stakes winning kid and grandkid of Count Fleet and Reigh Count. And she has War Admiral, and the double whammy Count Fleet, War Admiral kid cross to create Three Fingers!. And she's got a dash of Jaipur, the horse who beat Ridan in one of the most amazing match races ever. And Wining Effort has a splash of Stymie, lucky girl!

So, my sweet, dancing, flirty, girly, smart Violet is rich in dam history!

Lamb Chop (1963) and My Girls!

My girls are related to Lamb Chop, the 1960 Claiborne Farms filly who earned the 1963 Champion 3-year-old filly award and ended up in the Aiken Race Track Hall of Fame. She had a 23: 12-5-4 record and won the Coaching Club American Oaks, Monmouth Oaks, Spinster Stakes, Firenze Handicap, Gazelle Handicap, Santa Suzanna Stakes, Jersey Belle Stakes, Comely Stakes, and La Centinela Stakes.

Her parents were Bold Ruler and Sheepsfoot by Count Fleet. So, she is very closely related to my horses, especially Violet. Some of their immediate relatives are Nasrullah, Discovery, Count Fleet, Sir Gallahad, and Blue Larkspur.

Unfortunately, Lamb Chop broke her leg in the 1964 Strub Stakes, in a field of 13 horses. She was euthanized and buried in the Santa Anita infield. She was a brave, strong, competitive Claiborne filly!

Kelso

Kelso is so famous that it's hard to know where to begin. So, let's just jump in! He raced for 8 years! Whoo! That's because he was a naughty boy from an undistinguished family, so they gelded him at 2. Boy, didn't they feel bad once he turned out to be an amazing racer! He was foaled at Claiborne Farms, but belonged to Mrs. Allaire du Pont of Woodstock Farm in Maryland. When his career was over it stood at: 63: 39(31), 12(10), 2(1), and he had earned almost $2 million. He won everywhere, all the time, even carrying shocking weight disadvantages.

As Eddie Arcaro once said, "He can beat anything at any distance. So, here are some of his spectacular achievements. He won the Jockey Gold Cup race 5 times! He was voted #4 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. He earned the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award 5 times! He earned 5 division championships, earning 3 year-old colt of the year, and champion older horse for another 4 years! He set or equaled 8 track records and set 3 American standards. His 5 Eclipse Horse of the Year awards have never been rivalled and they earned him the #3 Top moments in Racing History. He was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1967, and the Aiken Training Track Hall of Fame in 1977. He was so beloved, especially in 1963 the year I was thinking about being born, that he received fan mail at his own mailbox at his home at Woodstock Farm.

He passed away on October 16, 1983 at the age of 26 at his home in Maryland and BloodHorse said of him in an obituary: "Kelso demonstrated the durability of class. No horse in our time was so good, so long. His was mature greatness." I guess he was -- 8 years! He earned a rest.

My girls are related to him most immediately through the following shared relatives: Count Fleet, Hyperion, Mahmoud, Prince Palatine, Man o' War, Whisk Broom, Black Toney. You can read more about this absolute champion at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelso_(horse)
or
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=96

Vikki's Take on My Red Girl!

My friend, Vikki, came to visit the stable in September. I had just given my girl a bath on this blazing hot day and let her out in the pasture.

So, she did what she always does when there are cameras -- she vogued! She cantered around the pasture in her nameplate sale halter, snorting, gallivanting, and putting on her imitation of Nasrullah, Secretariat, Swing On, Rags to Riches, and Count Fleet. You can just see her royalty rippling along her! What a sweet beautiful girl. I love this photo and appreciate Vikki's talent! Thank you!

Kentucky 2007: Claiborne's Seeking the Gold!

Here are some photos of Seeking the Gold, the grand old stallion of Claiborne Farms. His 2007 stud fee was $125,000! He earned $2,307,000 on the track and in 15 starts had 8 wins and 6 places! His dad and mom were Mr. Prospector and Con Game by Buckpasser. One of his children is Jazil whose mom is Better than Honour, the same mom as Rags to Riches who also won the Belmont!

Anyway, Seeking the Gold has had 17 foal crops and 899 foals. Fifteen of his crops are of racing age, and 839 of his children are of racing age. He currently has 63 2 year-olds, 49 yearlings, and 11 weanlings. His yearlings and weanlings sell in the hundreds of thousands of dollars! The tour guide told us a story that because Seeking the Gold has been around the block, he tends to take a long time in the breeding shed. He will often take up to 45 minutes to get "in the mood" as compared to a few fierce seconds. He can cause quite a little traffic jam of mares waiting to be bred. When Barbie and I went home, Tom verified this story, telling about how he had to wait one day outside in the cold with a mare while Seeking the Gold took his sweet old time! Hey, you can't rush making priceless gems!! You take your time, stud!

My girls are related to him in numerous ways, including Case Ace, Nasrullah, Count Fleet, War Admiral, Traffic Court, Sir Gallahad, Blue Larkspur, and Teddy. You can read more about this beautiful elder statesman at the following links, including seeing footage of him in some of his races!
http://www.claibornefarm.com/stallions/seeking-the-gold.shtml
or
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/stallion.aspx?stallion_no=1043178
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeking_The_Gold
or
http://www.equineline.com/extendedcontent/tt_content.cfm?StallionRef=1043178&rtype=stats
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4RSGq-JfMgc
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BlGlhukSBTk
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wj47oeisobQ
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=35pA7AI2Rhk
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e8Ki-sx3kTo

Kentucky 2007: Claiborne's Eddington!

So, on the morning Barbie, Gummy and I visited Claiborne, we were in a group of nice ladies -- one lady who married into a Paris, Kentucky family and who had seen Secretariat at Claiborne Farms as a child and who was now bringing a friend for the tour, and two other ladies from Great Britain. We delighted in the lady's story about how territorial and powerful Secretariat was and we enjoyed the Breeding Shed.

Then our tour guide brought us to the Stallion Barn and showed us such important stalls! Bold Ruler and Round Table were born the same day and then as they stood at stud, they shared the same barn. We saw Secretariat's stall which Eddington now calls home. And then our tour guide brought out Eddington himself!! He strolled out all sweet and kind and beautiful and then when he was stood outside, it was like he had hit his mark on a stage. He got all puffy and posey and macho and sexy. He just preened like a peacock, looking all alert and powerful and vigilant. He was Stud Macho!!! You can see it in these photos! No wonder his 2007 breeding fee was $20,000! He is on his dad's Top 10 Runners by Lifetime earnings list in 9th place right behind Grindstone and Unbridled's Song.

So, Eddington was born on March 25, 2001 and his career record is 17: 6-3-6. He earned $1,216,760 on the track, and in 2004 took first in the Calder Derby, 2nd in the Pegasus Handicap, and 3rd in the Wood Memorial, Travers Stakes, Preakness Stakes, and Gotham Stakes. In 2005, he earned 1st in the Pimlico Special and Gulfstream Handicap, and 3rd in the Donn Handicap and Oaklawn Handicap. He was retired on 6/29/05 to stud duty at Claiborne after a soft tissue injury.

He has a dubious achievement as well -- his jockey, Jerry Bailey, is under a cloud. He rode Eddington at a furious pace in the Belmont Stakes and it is unclear whether he was purposefully trying to "use up" Eddington in order to rattle Smarty Jones and spoil his chance for the Triple Crown. We'll never know, but certainly Smarty Jones just blazed in that race, trying to beat the early speed of Eddington and Rock Hard Ten.

And talk about small world among thoroughbreds!! When he ran in the Belmont Stakes, he was beaten by Birdstone who won and whose grandpa is Unbridled!

Anyway, Eddington's dad is Unbridled and so he is related to Mr. Prospector, Buckpasser, and Dr. Fager. Through his mom, Fashion Star, he is related to Danzig and Secretariat. He even has, get this, a Blue Nola filly in his family tree! And, yes, of course, he is related to my girls, through many connections, but here are a few: Wild Risk, Wild Violet, Wood Violet, Count Fleet, Better Self, Bimelech, Princequillo, Nasrullah, Case Ace and Turn-To.

He is a beautiful stallion. I feel blessed to have seen him stand with pride and power.

Kentucky 2007: Count Fleet's Stoner Creek Stud Farm!

When I visited Kentucky this past August, Tom took us for a drive through the Paris countryside to see different horse farms, and pastures filled with mares and foals, and fields filled with big beautiful yellowing tobacco leaves. As part of this beautiful afternoon drive, we passed Stoner Creek Stud Farm where Count Fleet lived and is now buried. This fabulous farm was once owned by John D. Hertz and his wife Fannie, but now has become a standardbred breeding operation of international fame.



You wouldn't believe how huge it is. We just drove and drove and drove along this Scottish stone wall and then took a left and drove and drove and drove until we came to these gates. It's an enormous gorgeaus facility. Someday I'd like to take a tour and visit Count Fleet to share a few words. You can read more about this farm at the following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoner_Creek_Stud

Mom's Command and My Girls!

This year, 2007, three horses were inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga -- Silver Charm, Swoon's Son, and Mom's Command! Mom's Command comes from a very unusual family in New Hampshire. She was bred and born to Peter Fuller (now 84) and his wife, Joan Beth Fuller. They are of Runnymede Farm and had 8 children, the 5th, Abigail, at the age of 26, rode Mom's Command to the Filly Triple Crown in 1985 -- the Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes, and the Coaching Club American Oaks! She led all the way in each of those three races, and Abby seemed to know what the girl could do!

The induction was on August 6th, but Mom's Command had been euthanized earlier that year and is now cremated and buried at her Runnymede. Her dad, Peter, said, "I'm thrilled to have her elected to the Hall of Fame. I think she deserves it. I think the fact that my daughter rode her is one of those things that is just marvellous!" He is the only gentleman to breed and train both the horse and jockey!!

My girls are related to this sweet filly many ways, including through the wonderful, big-hearted obvious: Nasrullah, Count Fleet, Mahmoud, Prince Rose, and Discovery. Tsin-Tsin to sweet girls everywhere!

You can read more about Mom's Command at the following links:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/NEWS/707010349/-1/TOWN0203
or
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=425

Miesque and My Girls!

Miesque was a 1984 filly who is owned by a Greek shipping tycoon, Stavros Niarchos. She won championships in every country she ran in. Her final record was 16: 12, 3, 1, and all of her races except one were Group 1 stakes races. She won 10 Grade 1 races!!! In France, she earned the Champion Juvenile award as a 2-year-old, and when she was shipped to the U.S., she won the Breeder's Cup at Hollywood Park, and then turned around and won it a second time the next year at Churchill Downs, at her last race! In the first Breeders' Cup, she was in a field of 14, and the second 12! She was the first race horse ever to win two Breeders' Cups back to back. When she was 3, she ended her racing year with 5 championship awards!!! She earned Champion 3-year-old filly in France and England, Champion Miler in France and England, and Champion U.S. grass mare. When she was 4, she won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf horse, as well as France's Champion Miler and Champion Older mare. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, and inducted into the French Hall of Fame. She was voted #82 of the Top 100 Race Horse of the 20th century!

When she retired, she became an awesome broodmare. Her children are very famous. Her last foal was a 2005 colt out of A.P. Indy by Seattle Slew by Weekend Surprise by Secretariat. This 2005 foal is being trained to race at Newmarket, England! But her first baby, her first bombshell smashing success as a mom is pictured above, Kingmambo, a major stakeswinner who is now retired to stud at Lane's End Farm...and he is so special that his 2007 stud fee is listed as "private." If you have to ask, you can't afford to breed to her baby!

Of course, my girls are related to sweet little, regular-running, championship earning, good mama Miesque. They share many connections, including Nearctic, Princequillo, Hyperion, Mahmoud, Equipoise, Nasrullah, and Count Fleet.

This good mare has races named after her at Hollywood Park and in France! You can read more about her at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miesque

or

http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/miesque.htm

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=341

Count Fleet's Triple Crown Romp!

Here's a photo of my sweet girl, trotting neatly across her pasture, and a photo of her relative, Count Fleet! He was born on March 24, 1940, at Stoner Creek Stud Farm in Paris, Kentucky and his owner and breeder was Mrs. Fannie Hertz, the wife of John D. Hertz of Hertz rental car. He lived until he was 33, passing away on December 3, 1973. He lived long enough to see Secretariat join his Triple Crown Club, after a 25 year lapse! Count Fleet's jockey, Johnny Longden, is the only person to train and ride Kentucky Derby winners, Count Fleet (1943) and Majestic Prince (1969). Like The Fleet, Mr. Longden was long-lived; he passed away at 96!

Anyway! The following link is the actual story I'd like you to connect with today! Someone went to great trouble to put together a fantastic video of Count Fleet handily winning his Triple Crown. It's a delightful, amazing video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoUMUrUO9rE

A Seabiscuit Dedication at Ridgewood Ranch!

On June 23rd this year, a very happy event occurred at Seabiscuit's family home at Ridgewood Ranch. A statue was unveiled and dedicated to him. Former Vice President Walter Mondale and his wife were at the dedication, along with benefactors, many of the Howard family, and descendants of Seabiscuit's trainer and jockeys. It was a small private ceremony to celebrate this great horse. Mrs. Mondale is an official for the National Trust for Historical Preservation, and among the kind things for this famous American and his family, she said, "They were an amazing team, this horse and these three men. They worked miracles and in the depths of the Depression that seemed to go on and on, they gave people something to feel good about." Chris and Anita Lowe, benefactors of this event, think he's amazing, and Chris said, "There have been countless famous racehorses throughout the ages from all over the world. But few if any have captured the imagination and inspired an entire nation as Seabiscuit." Ridgewood Ranch is an endangered national treasure, so it was an important, special movement this summer to get his statue unveiled and recognized!



One of his descendants, a 2005 Quarter Horse, also related to Count Fleet and War Admiral, attended the event briefly! His name is adorable, Dashing Lil' Biscuit. So not surprisingly, he also has Dash for Cash as his grandpa on his sire side!



You can read more about this special event and tribute at the following links:
http://www.seabiscuitheritage.org/index.html
or
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/559700677IPoKQk

Leroy Neiman -- the last in his Secretariat Series!

Here's a final painting of powerful Secretariat, portrayed by Leroy Neiman. Just a splash of color and a remembrance to that beautiful day in 1973 when he just ran and ran and ran his own private Belmont Stakes to win by 31 lengths! Not since Count Fleet's win by 25 lengths had there been such an awesome ginormous Belmont Victory!!

A lovely video of our Triple Crown Winners

We have had 11 Triple Crown winners in our American history:
Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew(1977), and Affirmed (1978). These Youtube Videos are truly lovely, sweet, sentimental, goofy documentaries about these 11 champions!


And here are two photos of War Admiral and Count Fleet, the two triple crown winners coursing through Violet's veins!!! Aiyay!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nprhskem-is
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lA238PqUCco

Azeri and My Girls!

In 2002, Azeri earned the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award, the first filly since Lady's Secret. She also earned the Champion older female in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Her trainer, Laura de Seroux, was the first woman to train a Horse of the Year winner. The award ceremony that year included Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Chris Cooper, as they were promoting Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit. So, describing Azeri's grace on the track, Laura de Seroux accepted the award, saying "This is Azeri's Oscar." She said that her filly had all 3 elements of a champion -- class, brilliance and consistency. Laura de Seroux said, "Horse of the Year should be there all year. You did not elect her by default, but by the purest criteria." She was a heavy winner of the Eclipse of the Year Award, earning 189 of 228 votes, and all 227 votes for those who voted for Older female. That year, she had won 10 out of 11 starts and earned $2,227,740. For her entire racing career, she started 24: 17-4-0 for total earnings of $4,079,820. She's owned by the son of her breeder. Her breeder passed before ever seeing her run, so she is especially beloved by the son now. She retired and is boarded at Hill 'N Dale Farms where she was barren to Storm Cat in 2006, but delivered her first colt foal to A.P. Indy on February 14, 2007 -- Valentine's Day!!!! She's to be bred to Storm Cat again this year! Of course, my proud girls are related to her. They share many relatives including the following: Case Ace, Nasrullah, Teddy, Man o' War, Whisk Broom, Count Fleet, Bull Dog, Blue Larkspur, Bull Lea, War Relic, Hyperion, War Admiral, Traffic Court, and Bubbling Over! You can read more about this important filly at the following links:

http://www.drf.com/eclipse/2002/winners/winners.html

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azeri_(horse)

Ace Card and my Violet!

Violet is related to the Kentucky Broodmare of the Year and Gazelle Stakes winner, Ace Card. Ace Card has a great pedigree since her grandsires are Man 'O War and Teddy. For Violet, Ace Card is bred to Count Fleet (Triple Crown winner) to produce One Count(Belmont Stakes winner) who is bred to a filly by War Admiral! Completely cool. In this photo, you see one of Ace Card's boyfriends, the handsome Count Fleet. You can read more about this broodmare of the year at the following links:

http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/Graves/cem/GraveMattersFaraway.html
or
http://www.tbheritage.com/HistoricDams/AmBroodmareofYear.html
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazelle_Handicap
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Count

Violet's cousin, Curlin, wins 2007 Preakness Stakes!

This past Saturday was the Preakness Stakes held at Pimlico. And what an exciting day! Street Sense was strong the entire race, as was Hard Spun, but in the last strides, the very last stride in fact, Curlin won by a whisker of a nose. Curlin has had 5 starts, 4 wins, and a third in his career. His trainer flew him home to Kentucky on Sunday and said of him, "He definitely knows he ran." Curlin was a bit tuckered out after winning. Street Sense's trainer said, "These 3 horses ran their guts out the last 2 races." He doesn't think that Street Sense will go to the Belmont now, but reflected on the loss by saying, "Winning isn't everything in this game. You don't want anybody to get beat, but there's got to be a winner." Violet is related to Curlin multiple ways, including the following: Case Ace, Nasrullah, Count Fleet, Nearctic, Blue Larkspur, Princequillo, Turn-To, Discovery, Whisk Broom, Sir Gallahad, and Bull Dog. On Preakness day, Michael Matz' horse won the Barbaro Stakes, a race which was originally the Sir Barton Stakes, but renamed to honor Barbaro. Michael Matz was Barbaro's trainer, and the Jackson's handed him the award, so it was a bittersweet moment. The day was marred though, immediately after that race, by a horse who broke his ankle, punctured his flesh, and had to be euthanized in The Dixie Stakes. Mending Fences perished that day, much like Barbaro from last year.