Breaking News! Nicanor in Race Training!

Okay, I couldn't find any photos of him as a two-year-old, but here are photos of Nicanor as a weanling and yearling (as of May 2007). He's just recently been shipped to Stephens Thoroughbreds in Morriston, Florida where he is beginning to practice 1 1/4 mile gallops. He was scheduled to begin breezing in mid-February, so it'll be interesting to see whether he has any of his full-brother, Barbaro's, talent.

When he shows that he's ready, he'll go into training with Michael Matz.


Barbaro and Nicanor have another full-sibling, a yearling brother.

Precious Kitten and My Girls!

Precious Kitten is a filly born on February 20, 2003, the same year as Violet. She's had a very successful career so far, with 19: 7-8-1. Among her wins was the Gallorette Handicap. She was owned and bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey of Kentucky, and her parents are Catienus out of Kitten's First by Lear Fan. Among her famous relatives, therefore, are Storm Cat, Mr. Prospector, Secretariat, Northern Dancer, and War Admiral.

She is currently listed as #10 of 3 year-olds and up fillies and mares by the 2007 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings.

And on January 12, 2008, Barbaro's parents, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, purchased her from her Ramseys for an undisclosed sum. Of this purchase, the Ramseys said, "We hope that she brings as much pleasure to the Jacksons as she did to us. Selling her was a tough decision and we'll miss running her in the big races this year. We hope she wins a 2008 Eclipse Award for the Jacksons and goes on to an equally successful career as a broodmare. We will be following her closely and hope to see them in the winners circle with her often this year."

Breaking News! Barbaro's Fitting Resting Place

Today Gretchen and Roy Jackson announced that they are commissioning a statue to capture Barbaro's racing spirit, so that they can inter his ashes near this monument at the location of his finest achievement, the 2006 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Breaking News. George Washington Passes

This year's Breeder's Cup had a catastropic event, during the Classic race. In the backstretch, George Washington broke his cannon leg and both his sesamoid bones. He never looked comfortable in the wet, and they think he finally broke through the wet surface to the unforgiving surface below. His breeders were Roy and Gretchen Jackson, Barbaro's parents. His trainer was Aidan O' Brian and his jockey was Mick Kinane. Mick is shown in this photo being consoled, after George Washington was put behind screens and euthanized on the track.

He has sort of a sad, short life. He was only 4 years-old, and he was a top horse from Europe. He had been in last year's Classic, where he finished 6th, and then was retired. But he was discovered to be sterile, so he was put back to racing this year. He didn't win any of his four starts this year. In his career, he won 6 of 14 races, including 4 Group I races. He earned $1,480,050 in his short time here.

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.

My picks for the Kentucky Oaks 2007!

As I've mentioned before, I first fell in love with thoroughbreds in 1973 when I was sitting in my living room with my family, reading a book, and someone nudged me and said, "Who do you think will win the Derby?" I looked up and Secretariat was striding out, looking like Secretariat. I was hooked. Now this is the first year that I share a descendant of Secretariat as part of my family! So, watching this year's Oaks is very exciting! Here are my choices:

1) Rags to Riches; 2) Cotton Blossom; 3) Dreaming of Anna. These are the three filies most closely related to Violet. They are related to her many different ways, but the big selling point is that they all share Blushing Groom! I like Dreaming of Anna because she has a NOLA trainer and a big earning record of $1,225,040 6:4-1-1. She is a 5-1 favorite, but has not run since February and has not won this year! Cotton Blossom has nice associations too with Traffic Court and some Dixie sorts of relatives. Cotton Blossom has a 7:3-2-1 record, $386,780, and has Barbaro's jockey who won the Eclipse Award. Her breeder likes thoroughbreds, but also Paints, Quarter Horses, and Arabs! And then Rags to Riches is the very favorite at 5-2 with a 4:3-0-0 record and $330,000. She's won everything she's been in this year! But I'm not thrilled with her because her trainer has two other horses in the race and the jockey had substance abuse problems in 2002. But, I'm still picking her for first because she looks the most like my beautiful Violet!!! Rags to Riches even has Violet's weird sexy splashy white blaze. She's the one for me!

Nicanor -- Barbaro's Baby Brother

Next week is the Kentucky Derby and another champion will run into the history books. This photo is taken from a really neat link by a gentleman named John who writes his thoughts about various issues facing horses around the world. I encourage you to go to his link which I post below. He is really an engaging thinker and has grown with a true appreciation for the importance of horses. Anyway, he was writing about "catching lightning in a bottle" and whether one could recapture the magic of any particular horse. He was mentioning how everyone has high hopes for Nicanor here, Barbaro's full-brother out of Dynaformer and La Ville Rouge. He talked about a few famous full-siblings in history, mentioning Ridan and Moccasin. You'll remember that Ridan was a famous horse who was beat in a match race in the Travers Stakes by Violet's relative Jaipur. I'll be writing about Moccasin, his champion sister, in a few weeks. He then mentioned Secretariat and his two full-sibling sisters. Secretariat's one sister, Syrian Sea won 2 graded stakes as a 2-year-old and became a great broodmare. Of his other sister, The Bride, his owner Penny Chenery said, "She couldn't beat a fat man running downhill." I got a big kick out of that. Anyway, visit John's site. He has an unusual point of view, a taste for travel, a respect for horses of all types and stripes, and a real perspective on social justice with animals. Namaste!!

http://www.horsesdiary.com

Barbaro passes, January 29, 2007

Co-owner Gretchen Jackson: "Certainly, grief is the price we all pay for love."

Today, Barbaro was euthanized at the New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, after 8 months of intensive treatment for an injury sustained in the 2006 Preakness Stakes. Prayers to his family of owners, riders, caretakers, grooms, veterinarians, fans, companion animals, and equine friends.

Sweet Hailee and Violet are related to this big-hearted champion. Violet shares his family through her Blushing Groom, Nearco, Nasrullah, Man 'O War, and Black Toney lines. Hailee is part of his family through Man 'O War and Black Toney. But we are all part of God's family.

May God care for his darling creation. Barbaro, 2003-2007.