Breaking News! Big Weekend on the Derby Trail!

This weekend was a big one for this year's Derby Trail. Many key races were run to sort out the talents of the top three year-olds contending for spots in the Derby and Oaks. Friesan Fire, Larry Jones' horse, sweeped the Fair Grounds schedule by winning handily the Grade II, $600,000 Louisiana Derby by 7 1/4 lengths. He had won the Lecomte on January 10th and Risen Star on February 7th. He remains an obvious favorite for the Derby. Rachel Alexandra went wire to wire in the Grade II, $400,000 Fair Ground Oaks in a sloppy track, never letting anyone even get close. Pioneerof the Nile won the San Felipe, continuing his train of wins. But the BIG news is that Old Fashioned took his first loss from a 56-1 longshot purchased for $25,000 on the last day of the September Keeneland sale. Win Willy came from 13 lengths behind to just pass Old Fashioned in the Rebel Stakes, turning his 2 out of 3 record into 3 out of 4, and turning Old Fashioned's record from 4 out of 4 wins to a 5:4,1,0 record! This was Win Willy's stakes debut. What makes me super happy for him is that he's Monarchos' kid, a stallion who won the 2001 Kentucky Derby and who I met at Claiborne Farms. Plus, Win Willy is related to Violet through a Blushing Groom connection. In the photo, you see Danny Johnston's Associated Press shot of Win Willy taking the Rebel Stakes.

In a last bit of news, the four yearo-old Macho Again won the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap. Macho Again is also related to Violet via a Blushing Groom connection, and MA also has Shenanigans' kid, Icecapade. You remember Shenanigans as Ruffian's dam.

More updates as the jewel races get closer!

Indian Blessing and My Girls!

Indian Blessing, a 2-year-old filly born on April 9, 2005, is undefeated and considered one of the top fillies of her day. In her first start at Saratoga, she won by 5 1/2 lengths and was pulling away. She also won two Grade 1 stakes, the Frizette and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She's an undefeated little wonder! She is owned by Hal and Patti Earnhardt who also owned and bred her sire.

My girls are related to her many ways, but primarily through the usual wonderful connections: Blushing Groom, Princequillo, Nasrullah, and Bimelech. She also has some pretty special relatives in her own pedigree, including Round Table, Northern Dancer, Nijinsky, Mr. Prospector, and Shenanigans. I hope she continues to have a strong, good life and wins at 3. And then I hope she lives in royal glory as a broodmare and herdmate in Kentucky!
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/breederscup07/news/story?id=3082681

Breaking News! Broodmare sets World Record Auction Price

The Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale is underway, beginning November 5th and running through the 19th. On the very first day, sales are up by 30% over last year, with intense international interest. 194 horses sold on the first day, for an average of $526,186, and a median of $272,500. 28 horses sold for $1 million or more. The first day brought $109,064,000. Can you imagine what the total sale will bring?! And this sale comes on the heels of the Fasig-Tipton Sale which ended Sunday. It too ended up 30% over last year's sales.

But a world record was set for a 5 year-old mare, Playful Act, who was in a bidding war between Coolmore Stud and the ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Darley Stud. She sold for $10.5 million!!! The mare was held by Hill 'N Dale Bloodstock and she had recently aborted a Kingmambo foal. I once went to Hill 'N Dale to see a live cover in their famous breeding shed! Tom Hall kindly took Carla and me to this big event!

Playful Act's parents are Sadlers Wells and Magnificient Style. Sadlers Wells' dad is Northern Dancer, the Kentucky Derby winner from 1964. And MS' dad is Silver Hawk. She has lots of Native Dancer in her pedigree, and she even has Shenanigans, Ruffian's mom. So, you know, she's a very good girl!

My girls are related to her lots of ways, but some of them are through Nearco, Bold Reason, Nasrullah, Turn-To, and Pocahontas. I hope that beautiful Playful Act becomes a big fat Blue Hen who produces nothing but her beatiful self as a living gift through the ages!!

Kentucky 2007: Reviewer's Grave

Here is the grave of the fabulous Reviewer by Bold Ruler. His final race record was 13: 9-3-1, a very strong career! He suffered three fractures in his right rear cannon bone, and came back twice to race, but was retired after the third fracture.

In his first year at stud, he sired the lovely strong bold Ruffian from the 1963 filly Shenanigans by Native Dancer.

And so now here is the sad tale of this family. Ruffian was an unbeaten filly who always ran ahead of the pack. She just trounced her competition! But she died in 1975, after fracturing her leg in a match against Foolish Pleasure. She thrashed coming out of anesthesia, making her situation worse, so she was euthanized. She is buried by the infield flagpole at Belmont Park. Her mother, Shenanigans, was elected Broodmare of the Year in that very sad year.

Two years later, in 1977, Ruffian's parents passed in similar circumstances. Reviewer injured himself and broke his leg in a pasture accident and then injured himself anew when he thrashed coming out of anesthesia. Shenanigans was euthanized on May 21, 1977 after she thrashed and broke two legs as she awoke from anesthesia for abdominal surgery.

Some say that Ruffian, though speedy, fierce, brave, and determined, was built like glass and genetically coded to thrash and hurt herself. Both Bold Ruler and Reviewer had fractures while racing. But I don't see it that way. Racing is hard work and hard on all thoroughbred bodies. And thoroughbreds are bred with lion hearts, champion hearts, determined fighting hearts. They are prone to thrash when downed. They are prone to fight for their footing. I think it's just a sad story.