Derby and Oaks Preparations!

Yesterday was a really nifty day. I went to Ann Arbor for my yearly cardiac checkup, went home and voted in the Ohio primaries, slogged around in the icy snow, had dinner with a friend and watched the Academy Award winning film No Country for Old Men AND I received a slew of HorseWatch emails alerting me to activity by some of my favorite fillies and colts! They were all being registered as formal contenders for the $2 million Kentucky Derby and the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks -- their names were pouring in El Gato Malo, Pyro, War Pass, Cool Coal Man, Proud Spell, Indian Blessing, Golden Dawn, Country Star and others!

So, here is my first official Derby and Oaks 2008 postings for you! In this photo, you see one of the colts, El Gato Malo by El Corredor and One Bad Cat by Mountain Cat (out of Storm Cat). This photo was taken when he was a young boy by his syndication owners West Point Thoroughbreds. The other photo is of my sweet little unbeaten Eclipse two-year-old filly Indian Blessing by Indian Charlie and Shameful by Flying Chevron. The photo was taken by the talented Terence Dulay last year at the Breeders Cup, the site of IB's bigger wins!

This weekend is filled with important trial races, including the Louisiana Derby and Oaks. In the Lousiana Oaks, Proud Spell will try for the third time to beat Indian Blessing -- they have finished 1/2 their past two times together. It's going to be a big day of racing.

Anyway, if you want to start tracking your Derby and Oaks contenders and picking your favorites then please go to the official homepage links below:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/
and
http://www.kentuckyoaks.com/2008/

Breaking News! Perfect Girl at Fairgrounds!

Hal and Patti Earnhard's homegrown baby girl, Indian Blessing, just won the $200,000 1 1/6 mile Grade 1 Silverbulletday Stakes Race at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. She won by a length with Garrett Gomez aboard and dominated for most of the way, running confidently by a 90-1 longshot, Miss Missile, for awhile until that gal ran out of steam! This was her longest distance yet!

She is now 5 for 5! Ai-yee!

In this photo, you see her after winning the Breeder's Cup Fillies (Grade 1) last Fall.

In January, she won the Eclipse Award for Champion 2 year-old filly, and has won her 5 races at 5 different race tracks, and taken 4 stakes races among them. This is a macho, yet girly girl!

Her parents are Indian Charlie and Shameful.

She was such a favorite that she only paid $3,40, $2.21, and $2.10. And the final standings were her, Proud Spell and Highest Class. Proud Spell was also a favorite, so the Exacta for those two fabulous girls only paid $7.80!

Rock 'n Roll in New Orleans today!