Turf Beat

Riders' Up!

2011-05-28T21:14:00.000-04:00

Today I visited Monmouth Park for the first time. I was excited to see what New Jersey racing had in store, and as it turns out, it was a beautiful day of racing and a great atmosphere! Many fans were in attendance at the popular picnic area, and most of them ventured over to visit the hotdog competition, where countless cooks were pulling out all the stops to see who could fry up the best lunchtime treat. The highlight of the day was watching Addie's Surprise, a first time starter by War Front, win the seventh race. Addie's Surprise is named for a 101 year old woman (an aunt of the owner) who happened to be in attendance! A close second in terms of highlights was meeting the jockey pictured below. He was named on a live mount in the second race, but unfortunately had to take off the mount for being overweight. He visited the picnic area and had a few drinks to console himself. Better luck next time, my friend!

So Long Lexington

2011-05-15T19:59:00.002-04:00

It’s hard to believe the time has come to bid farewell once again. Yes, I will be back for two weeks in July to wrap up my Flying Start affairs, but after this week, in essence, my time here is finished.

I have had a lot of practice with goodbyes since joining Flying Start. In just nine months we have moved camp three times, and within in our three locations we have done many short courses and work placements in which people and places move quickly in and out of our lives. It’s never easy to say good bye to any place or anyone, but I expect it will be especially difficult to say so long to Lexington. Over the past five months I feel that it has become my home.

Perhaps it is the trials and tribulations that have inspired such an attachment. Myself and my fellow Flying Starters have been through a lot in Lexington. We braved and suffered the treacherous cold for far too long, pounded through mentally and physically demanding courses like the farrier school, nutrition class, the steward’s accreditation course, and a variety of work placements. We experienced the challenge of all-night vigils in the foaling barn, and in contrast, early mornings at the racetrack and on the stud farms.

It seems as if for every challenge, however, there was a reward. We got to assist with foalings, experience the rewards of getting mares in foal, and work with some of the best bloodstock in the world. I won’t soon forget the time I spent with Street Cry, Bernardini, Medaglia d’Oro, Ashado, Music Note, and the likes. We also made many new friends along the way. We won’t soon forget all the Darley employees who became our comrades, and all of the wonderful industry professionals and management staff who helped us along the way.

Then there was the Keeneland Spring Meet and the Kentucky Derby. A trip to Nashville. Nights in Downtown Lexington. Life in Lexington has truly been a pleasure.

So the next stop for me will be New Jersey, where I will complete my six week work placement with the TDN. I am so excited for this opportunity and everything the company and the city has to offer. I will be sure to give you all an update from the Jersey Shore, but until then, so long.

Canadians Busy at OBS March

2011-03-17T02:36:00.000-04:00

Canadians were active at the OBS March Sale on March 15-16. Canadian-based trainer Mark Casse lit up the board, signing tickets for six two-year-olds for a total of $1,755,000, making him the sale’s leading buyer by gross over the likes of Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, and Lane’s End Bloodstock.
Casse’s most expensive purchase was hip 329, a $450,000 Medaglia d’Oro – User History (Mr. Prospector) filly. The Sovereign award-winning trainer also picked up:

Hip 463: Malibu Moon – Deputy Cures Blues ($325,000)

Hip 294: Lawyer Ron – Steal the Show ($320,000)

Hip 271: Congrats – Silver Spook ($260,000)

Hip 373: First Samurai – A Touch of Glory ($220,000)

Hip 435: Any Given Saturday – Classic Approval ($180,000)

Also active was the Alberta-based Donver Stable, which went to $310,000 for hip 379, a filly by Tapit out of Barsanti. Donver has campaigned another prominent Tapit filly: Careless Jewel, who won the 2009 Alabama Stakes (G1).

Hip 306, an Indian Charlie filly out of Symphonic Lady, brought $300,000 from Frank Fletcher Racing Operation during the second session. The filly was bred in Ontario by Josham Farms and Yvonne Schwabe.

Stallion Advertising: Then and Now

2011-03-10T02:45:00.000-05:00

Anyone who picks up a thoroughbred trade publication is affected by (and likely aware of) the power of advertising. For media producers, advertising drives revenue and is largely responsible for the survival of a publication. For consumers, advertising influences learning and decision making, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Advertising in thoroughbred trade publications is dominated by stallion ads. For stud farms, it is no longer enough to just advertise stallions; Many farms today put considerable time, effort and resources into producing the most creative and eye-catching ads. Just as much time is put into devising deals to attract mare owners, such as foal shares, boarding deals, and early payment discounts, which are largely pushed through the ads.

While much has changed in the form of advertising, a lot has also remained the same. Below is a stallion ad from 1817 that I photographed at the Kentucky Horse Park museum.

This ad for leading 19th century racehorse and sire Sir Archie displays a creative illustration of the stallion underscored by details such as his location, stud fee and payment terms (including an early payment discount), mare boarding rates, and the stallions credentials (“Sir Archie’s blood, great size...Performance on the Turf, and celebrity as a Foal getter, are sufficient recommendations”).

While most payment details wouldn’t be included in today’s stallion ads, much of this information is still there. Below is an ad from Three Chimneys in Kentucky. Three Chimneys, which has stood Kentucky Derby winners Smarty Jones, Big Brown, Silver Charm, and Seattle Slew as well as leading sires Dynaformer and Rahy, is well-known for its creative advertising and social media presence. When Big Brown’s first foals arrived in January 2010, Three Chimneys used the creative slogan “the Brownies are out of the oven” to promote their young stallion. This ad outlines the stud fee and general payment terms. Photos of the first foals are used to attract breeders.

While we can see that advancements in media and technology have allowed for remodelling of stallion ads, it is also apparent that, like most other aspects of the thoroughbred industry, tradition still holds true with stallion advertising.

The Man

2011-02-28T19:17:00.000-05:00

Check out this excellent tribute to Man O 'War from the Daily Racing Form:

http://www.drf.com/blogs/man-o-wars-funeral-remarkable-final-tribute-majestic-champion

This story, complete with video, audio and photos, describes in detail Man O' War's funeral. While it shows that a horse of his stature is in fact mortal, the story also reiterates the fact that equine athletes can be great heroes, and people should not be afraid to show their love and appreciation for them.

During the time of Man O' War, horses were well utilized, and they were a necessity in American society. Today, those of us in the racing industry are in the unique position of trying to market the Sport of Kings in a society where the horse is no longer put on a pedestal. Racing fans can be criticized for their appreciation of the beauty of the horse. Those who criticize, however, need only read this tribute to realize there is room for a little compassion in our rough and tough industry. It was there during the golden years, so why not now?

I hope 21st century greats like Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, and Curlin will be remembered and celebrated with the same enthusiasm and perfection that Man O' War was.

Top Hat

2011-02-24T05:59:00.000-05:00

While working with Darley rehab trainer Johnny Burke at Keeneland last week, I was very fortunate to run into millionaire racing veteran Brass Hat. Now 10 years old, Brass Hat is looking in great condition, and is reportedly doing well with an eye towards a racing campaign this year. After walking out to train on Keeneland's Polytrack, Brass Hat paused and posed for about five minutes while a few bystanders snapped photos. Even with age he still knows who's tops!

Hoofing It Up

2011-02-23T18:36:00.000-05:00

It feels like it's been forever, but I've finally been published again. Check out my guest blog post on Bloodhorse.com about my time as an amateur horseshoer at Old Friends:

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/beyond-the-blinkers/archive/2011/02/23/hoofing-it-up-at-old-friends.aspx

This guest blog is for Beyond the Blinkers, the blog of Blood-Horse staff writer Esther Marr. Beyond the Blinkers features a variety of topics, but has recently focused on Thoroughbred rescue and rehoming. The blog is always a heartwarming and encouraging read for those of us who love Thoroughbred racing.

Thanks to Esther for helping me share my experiences, and I hope you enjoy it!

Memories of Mack

2010-12-12T09:43:00.001-05:00

American racing suffered a great loss on December 10 with the death of Hall of Fame trainer Mack Miller.

Best known as the conditioner of 1993 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Sea Hero, Miller also trained top class runners like Java Gold, Assagai, Hawaii, Halo, Mr. Leader, Tentam, and Fit to Fight. Miller, who was living in retirement in Versailles, Kentucky, suffered a stroke December 5 and passed six days later.

Although Miller had been retired almost ten years before I became involved with Thoroughbreds, I am fortunate to say that I have my own memory of him. While interning with The Blood-Horse earlier this year, I wrote a feature story on the popular horse town of Aiken, South Carolina. Upon learning that I was writing this story, Evan Hammonds (one of my editors) immediately pulled me into his office and suggested I speak with Mack Miller. Miller winter trained in Aiken for many years, and most of his best horses had at one time been stabled at the Aiken Training Track. So I called up the 89-year-old Miller, who spent a good amount of time filling me with information and wonderful stories about his time in Aiken.

While it is not much, this is my memory of Mack. While he finished in racing long before I started, I was fortunate enough to get to speak with him. Our lively conversation will forever serve as a reminder of Mack, and how people from very different generations of the Thoroughbred industry still share common interests and goals.

Ontario-breds Finish 1-2 in Florida Stakes

2010-12-05T05:09:00.000-05:00

Ontario, Canada lit up the board in the Dec. 4 Tropical Turf Handicap (gr. III) at Calder Racecourse, with Ontario-breds Twilight Meteor and Rahy's Attorney taking the top two positions in the $100,000 turf event.

Twilight Meteor led at every call under jockey Luis Saez, holding off a fast-closing Rahy's Attorney by a neck.

Twilight Meteor was bred by Kinghaven Farm in King City, Ontario. The son of Smart Strike - One Over Prime (by With Approval) has raced twiced in Canada, his most significant effort being a placing in the 2007 Breeders' Stakes

Rahy's Attorney has been a Woodbine favourite for several years. Canada's champion turf horse in 2008, Rahy's Attorney has notched victories in nine stakes events, with his most significant win coming in the 2008 Woodbine Mile (gr. I). Rahy's Attorney was bred by his owner, Ellie Boje Farm.

For more race information and a video replay, check out The Blood-Horse

Life Updates

2010-11-16T16:19:00.001-05:00

First of all, let me apologize for my absence over the last few weeks. A lot has been happening in the time since my last post, including but not limited to a major presentation in Ireland, a visit with the world’s greatest racehorse, the move to England, and a heartbreaking loss. Let’s break it down:

Accentuating the Positive

The 12 Flying Start trainees wrapped up our stint in Ireland with a conference where we each gave a speech highlighting a positive industry trend. A lot of work went into these presentations, and overall the event was a success. My topic was racing movies and documentaries, and how they can promote racing to a wide audience. I was a little nervous beforehand, but once I got in front of the audience, I had a great time giving the speech. I look forward to another chance at it later on in America.

Seeing Stars

On one of our final days in Ireland, we received a curious e-mail from Clodagh:

“Please meet in the boardroom tomorrow at 3 p.m. Wear your Flying Start jackets and your jodhpurs.”

Yes, this was very curious indeed. After having gone through the past ten weeks with our every move planned out and scheduled, this mysterious request caused a whirlwind among the trainees. What could possibly be happening? We put all of our little future leader noggins together to make an educated guess, and it turns out we were right: Clodagh had arranged a surprise visit for us to view Sea The Stars at High Highness the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud.

We looked at the horse for less than ten minutes, but it was an incredibly captivating ten minutes. As far as perfection comes, Sea the Stars is about as close as it gets. With his unbeaten 2009 championship season aside, Sea the Stars is a physical masterpiece. He stepped from the barn as if he owned it, and each time he moved past us flicked his tail carelessly in our direction as if to suggest we were wasting his time.

I don’t believe Sea the Stars is as well known or appreciated outside of Ireland as he should be. So for those who don’t know about his historic campaign, Google it. This race should also help get you excited:

“Perfection in equine form; a horse of a lifetime”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f824CU-F3rc

Hello, Newmarket

Our final few days in Ireland were a whirlwind of preparing for our presentations, finishing up in the yards, and packing for the move to England. After arriving home late from the conference, we were up before the sun the next day to catch our flight to England.

Those who have visited Newmarket would likely describe it as a small town, but on our first few days it may as well have been London or Paris. While I enjoyed my time in Ireland, the town of Kildangan did not offer enough to keep me amused, and I’m very pleased to be back in a somewhat urban setting.

While the town is small, our accommodations certainly are not. We have been fortunate enough to score a four-storey palace in the heart of the town. The 12 of us living together has created our own re-enactment of Big Brother. While the guys (six of whom are sharing rooms) struggle to adjust to one another’s sleeping habits, all of us have had to rise to the challenge of sharing a kitchen, sharing food, sharing a shower (not literally...I don’t think), and having a very finite amount of personal space. I’m proud to say there has been no “storming” thus far, and we even collaborated one night to cook a big meal for 12.

The girls have created some drama of our own in the town of Newmarket. To make a long story short, I would simply suggest that all drivers proceed with caution over the next month as the North Americans continue to adjust to driving stick, and on the “wrong” side of the road. While the guys can sometimes tease us for our lack of driving skills, all I have to say is that it is seriously trippy driving into what should be oncoming traffic!

Personal lives aside, we’ve had some great experiences thus far in Newmarket. We arrived to a tour of the mind-blowing Dalham studs and office, and a very pleasant day of racing at the Rowley Mile. On Monday morning we received our first Newmarket lecture from racing reporter James Willoughby. Many of us considered this the best lecture we have had so far on the Flying Start, and an exciting indication of what Newmarket might hold.

And it has certainly lived up to the bar that James set on our first day. We’ve had some great discussions with Olly Tait, Sam Bullard, Barney Curly, Lisa Hancock, James Crowhurst, and Geoff Lane. We have experienced great tours of the vast miles of Newmarket gallops, various trainers’ yards, and an exceptionally nice visit to Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Farm with Johnnie Peter-Hoblyn.

Newmarket has been a blast so far, and it’s a bit sad to think that we’re only here another four weeks. But with so much to look forward to in that time (especially the Tattersalls breeding stock sales), it’s hard to feel sad about time passing!

Breeders’ Cup Blues

In the ensuing days since the Breeders’ Cup, I have on numerous occasions opened my computer to begin a passionate blog entry about this year’s events, but on each occasion I have failed. As a writer, my first impulse is to pour out my emotions in words, but for once I don’t really know what to say.

Zenyatta’s loss was a disappointment, but at the same time, a success in its own right. For the first time, the mighty mare gave it her all, and proved to the world that she has always deserved to be ranked among top company.

This success is darkened by the fact that for the most part, the world doesn’t care. I think I have authority to speak about this, as I’m currently living with young racing enthusiasts from six different countries. Rather than celebrate her accomplishments and the fact that she gave racing in America incredible mainstream exposure, some people would prefer to cut her down, or argue why their own country’s heroes are better.

This frustrates me to no end. Athletes like Zenyatta do a lot for racing both within the industry and mainstream, and when we keep arguing about it, we eventually begin to undermine the accomplishments of the horse. In constantly arguing Zenyatta vs. (insert name here), eventually we just find ourselves bashing great horses for no fair or good reason, no matter what side we fall on. Why can’t we simply appreciate the accomplishments of all the great horses of the world?

Looking Ahead

Over the next few months I will be working on some ideas to improve Turf Beat. I have been spending some time thinking to myself and talking with others about what I want my purpose in the media to be, and what I need to be doing in the meantime to expose myself and put myself in a position for success. I would like for Turf Beat to have a focused identity that both plays to my strengths and offers reader what they want. I am hoping to have a specific plan by January, but in the meantime I will continue to update as much as possible.

Thanks again as always for reading,

Kelsey

It's Been Two Years Since I Said Goodbye

2010-10-25T13:16:00.001-04:00

This weekend marked two years since the passing of a dear friend of mine, Ruth Young. On October 24, 2008, Ruth lost a 21-year battle with liver disease. Ruth, a single mother of an eight-year-old daughter, was 39.

I of course will never forget the moment I heard about Ruth's death, and in the ensuing two years, it has tormented me. People will say everything happens for a reason, but there is no reason why a young woman, so kind, compassionate, and full of life, should be taken from her loved ones way before her time. And there is no reason why a sweet little girl should be left without a mother.

I met Ruth when I was 15; she gave me my first job with Thoroughbreds. I have been thinking about her a lot in the past month leading up this anniversary, because she always believed in me. Hardly a day would pass without Ruth telling me I was going to do great things, and thinking about where I am now, I know I always had her support.

Ruth didn't tell anyone but her boyfriend Jimmy how ill she actually was in the final few months of her life. She didn't want anyone to worry; she was just that type of person. The last time I saw Ruth was in September at the yearling sale at Woodbine. After her death, Jimmy told me Ruth had returned home that night and said to him, "I saw Kelsey today. That will be the last time I see her."

Below is an obituary I wrote for Ruth that ran in The Game, a local Toronto racing newspaper:

Ruth Anne Young

February 8, 1969-October 24, 2008

On October 24, horse racing in Ontario suffered a great loss. Ruth Young, a lifelong horse enthusiast and supporter of horse racing, lost her battle with liver disease at age 39.

Being an eternal optimist, Ruth would want to be remembered for the wonderful things she accomplished in her life. Ruth harboured a boundless belief that things work out the way they should. This belief took her to many places to do great things. Ruth overcame many challenges, including a liver transplant at age 18 and a lymphoma diagnosis three months later.

In 1989 Ruth graduated first in her class from Humber College with honours in Equine Studies and Level One Coaching. That fall Ruth traveled to Singapore to compete at the World Transplant Games, finishing fourth in swimming. She returned to the event two years later in Hungary where she won a silver in track and two bronze medals in swimming.

Ruth had a great interest in and outstanding knowledge of horse conformation and nutrition. After working for a year with Dr. Darryl Bonder, Ruth studied animal sciences part time at the University of Guelph for three years.

Ruth’s love of horses knew no boundaries. After being told she should not be around animals during her illness, Ruth would return home and head straight to the stables. When Ruth broke her wrist in a riding fall, doctors were quick to guess the cause of the injury. Their exasperation with Ruth caused them to further explore the affects of animals on their patients. Their search came up empty, and the restrictions were dropped.

After working at various farms coaching and riding, Ruth started Castleview Farm near Ancaster, Ontario in 1999. A breaking, training and layup facility for thoroughbreds, Castleview was the starting point for many winners, including 2003 Canadian Champion two-year-old filly My Vintage Port. Castleview was also where my special friendship with Ruth began.

As a 15-year-old racing enthusiast, I would do anything the creative mind could conjure just to be around Thoroughbreds. So naturally, when I learned racehorses were being trained at a farm a mere 10 minutes from my home, it was all I talked about until my parents dropped me off at Ruth’s doorstep on October 25, 2003.

In my two years working at Castleview and the time following, I grew to appreciate the special type of person Ruth was. She treated her staff like family. In taking me under her wing Ruth gave me my first job with racehorses; the start to my career with thoroughbreds. For that I know she was always an angel.

When I remember Ruth there are two qualities that stand out: her beautiful smile and her compassionate character. Ruth could talk for hours. She never failed to share stories, advice or simple words of encouragement. In the words of her companion Jimmy McLaren, Ruth “always had that smile on her face.”

Perhaps the only thing Ruth loved more than horses was her daughter Ainsley. Three years old when I began working at Castleview, Ainsley was the epitome of a horse lover in training: bold, determined and impossible to keep clean. I have no doubt that Ainsley will embody and carry on all the wonderful qualities that define her mother.

Ruth strongly believed Jesus Christ helped her overcome adversity, and she encouraged faith in those around her. She wanted everyone to be aware of organ donation, the importance of signing a donor card and informing family of one’s wishes. After living for almost 21 years with the gift of another’s donation, Ruth herself is now an organ donor.

Ruth was so fittingly described at her funeral with the following words inspired by William Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one (woman) in (her) time plays many parts. To her colleagues and business associates, Ruth was a devoted and hard working rider, coach, trainer, business owner and mentor. To her family, a loving daughter, mother, sister, niece and companion. To every life she touched, a friend. To Ruth I say thank you. Thank you for making me your colleague, family member and friend. Thanks for the start. I will miss you, my friend

Turf Stars Descend on Woodbine

2010-10-15T17:00:00.001-04:00

For one day each year, the racing world turns its collective eyes to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada to realize the promise of a day of rich, world-class racing.

Year after year, Woodbine delivers.

This special day is Canadian International Day, which this year falls on Saturday, Oct. 16. International Day is the richest day of racing on the Canadian racing calendar, boasting three grade I stakes for total purses of $3.5 million, excluding bonuses. The feature event is the 1 ½ mile Pattison Canadian International, which is preceded by the 1 ¼ mile E.P Taylor Stakes for fillies and mares, and the six furlong Nearctic for sprinters. All three races are on the turf, and are Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series races.

International critics will question the quality of these races, so allow me to take a moment to list some of the past winners, who speak for themselves:

-Bunty Lawless
-Kingarvie
-Bull Page
-Dahlia
-All Along
-Sky Classic
-Singspiel
-Chief Bearhart
-Royal Anthem
-Mutafaweq
-Ballingarry
-Sulamani

-And finally, the great Secretariat, who travelled to Canada to make his final start in the Canadian International. The race was also to a be a homecoming for Secretariat’s Canadian-born trainer and jockey, Lucien Laurin and Ron Turcotte, respectively; However, Turcotte had to sit out the race on a riding suspension, and was replaced by American rider Eddie Maple (who I will crown an honourary Canadian on the merits of his surname; it doesn’t get much more Canadian than that!)

Having lost that battle, these critics will next attack the quality of the local Canadian horses. I will encounter that argument in two ways. First, I will discuss the merits of some of the local entrants:

Nearctic:
Field Commission: Won this race last year.

Grand Adventure: Won the Connaught Cup (gr. IIIT) and King Edward Stakes (gr. IIT) over the Woodbine course earlier this year. I personally think this is the best turf horse at Woodbine.

Signature Red: Won the Highlander Stakes (gr. IIT) over the course earlier this year.

Fatal Bullet: Million-dollar earner, Canadian Horse of the Year, second in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I).

Woodbourne: A shocking third at 52-1 in the Woodbine Mile.

E.P. Taylor:
Mekong Melody: Winner of two stakes events at Woodbine this year, including the Dance Smartly (gr. IIT).

Miss Keller: Won the Canadian Stakes (gr. IIT), third in the Ballston Spa (gr. IIT) at Saratoga after winning the De La Rose at that track. Third in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (gr. IIT). Has three wins and is yet to be out of the money this year.

International:
Simmard: Third last out in the Bowling Green Handicap (gr. II). Won last year’s Chief Bearhart Stakes. Trained by perennial leading Canadian trainer Roger Attfield.

Fifty Proof: Second to Redwood last out in the Northern Dancer (gr. I) in his stakes debut. Off the board just once in eight career starts. Trained by red-hot Woodbine conditioner Ian Black.

I would then argue that while Canada has a small but competitive local contingent, keeping all the prize money at home is not what this weekend is all about. I would be thrilled to see the home team win or hit the board in any of these events, and will be rooting for them to do so, but success for the International players will be what makes them come back. This is evidenced by the fact that Juddmonte Farms is going for its fourth International win with favoured Redwood. Woodbine offers a product that is truly appealing across the globe, and that is competitive races with rich purses over a high quality track at a top class racing facility for horses, horse people, and fans. These races are staged at Woodbine all year long, but are highlighted on International Day. So while we take pride in seeing our local horses keep the pace with top class international fields, the ship-ins must experience some success as well so that they want to come back. And if these owners and trainers can go back to their home countries and spread the word about Woodbine, we have hardly lost.

So wherever you are in the world, sit back, relax, and enjoy a great evening of racing on North America’s best turf course.

The Truth About Kentucky

2010-10-05T17:30:00.000-04:00

I would like to bring to everyone's attention a recent article written by The Blood-Horse news editor Tom LaMarra:

Oh, the Things Brass Hat Could Tell Us

This article, featured on Tom's blog "At Large" on Bloodhorse.com, is a commentary on the current state of the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky. The backdrop of the article is northern Kentucky's Turfway Park, and Tom cleverly uses Turfway stalwart Brass Hat as a "poster boy" for Kentucky racing.

This article is excellent, and in true Tom style, tells it like it is. I worked with Tom for four months earlier this year as an intern at The Blood-Horse, and I can tell you the man knows what he's talking about when it comes to racing, and more importantly, the major issues that are affecting those who work in our industry. Tom boldly targets these issues and publicizes them, and to me, that is the ultimate goal, and duty, of a turf writer: to inform the public about what is really happening with an eye towards implementing change for the better and making good things happen within the industry. This is my ultimate career goal, and I hope someday I can do it as well as Tom can.

France in Photos

2010-10-05T02:14:00.001-04:00

On the weekend of Oct. 2 and 3, I spent a whirlwind two days in Paris, France with my Flying Start classmates. After rising at the crack of dawn to catch a plane to Paris on Saturday morning, we spent the day exploring beautiful Paris, hitting hot spots like the Louvre, the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower. The evening was spent enjoying French nightlife, an atmosphere both relaxing and exciting in one breath.

After catching a few winks of sleep we treked over to Longchamp Racecourse for a spectacular card of racing highlighted by total Workforce domination in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The showcase race barely overshadowed stellar performances earlier on the card by Group 1 winners Gentoo, Gilt Edge Girl, Misty For Me, Wootton Bassett, and Goldikova, the super mare who recorded her 11th Group 1 win (a European record) in the Prix de la Foret (G1). The card was closed with the running of the Prix de l'Opera (G1), which was claimed by the Galileo filly Lily of the Valley.

The atmosphere at Longchamp Oct. 3 was spectacular. The Arc meeting certainly rallied the Breeders' Cup for best individual day of racing I have attended. In fact, I would give Arc day the advantage based on the unprecedented high quality of racing all rolled into one compact card, which was supercharged by a fan-friendly atmosphere that was focused on the horse and the love of the sport. The enthusiasm of those on hand created an electric feel that gave me the feeling that I was in the presence of racing at its finest.

Without further ado, here are some photos from my unforgettable weekend in France

The Louvre

The Champs Elysees

Beautiful sitting spot in Paris

The Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower from afar

Eiffel Tower from beneath

Super mare Goldikova returns victorious in the Prix de la Foret

Cape Blanco parading before the Arc

Godolphin's Cavalryman

The Arc finish line

Workforce enjoys Arc glory

A Little Bird Told Me...

2010-09-25T07:27:00.000-04:00

For followers of this blog (thank you, thank you, thank you!), you may also like to check out my Twitter page. I am posting more regular updates there, and jumping over here when I have time.

http://twitter.com/kelseynriley

While Tweeting is the topic, a quick word on social media: In a nutshell, I think it's awesome. For my university thesis I studied the effects of social media in marketing horse racing, but today I find it incredibly useful to maintain my contacts from all over the world. Right now, its most important use for me is staying in contact with my friends and family back home. With a simple upload of photos, status updates, or a tweet, I can share what I'm doing with hundreds of people.

Thank you Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, YouTube, Picasa, etc. etc. etc...

One Month Down

2010-09-19T12:10:00.003-04:00

It’s hard to believe I’ve been in Ireland for a month, but at the same time I have the feeling I’ve been here all my life. I have made some incredible friends and learned so much in such a short amount of time. Every day is a fairytale that I get to spend with people who are much like me, all with the desire to learn and help one another along. What more could one want?

Being just one month into two years, I have so much time ahead on Darley Flying Start, and I feel like I’ve already accomplished so much. Talks with people like Joe Osborne, Olly Tait, Jimmy Hyland, Charles Spiller, and veterinarians from UCD have helped me grow academically and intellectually. Visits’ to the Curragh, Leopardstown, Laytown, and various studs have opened my eyes to worlds that before only existed in dreams. Nights at Cross Keys, Cunninghams, and Tiger Lillies have been just plain fun!

I have learned a lot from my course mates, and I feel that I bring a lot to the group. I have already been able to put to use so much of what I learned in Canada, particularly from my days at Schonberg Farm.

Here are some of the interesting things we have done so far:

• Racing at the Curragh (Futurity Stakes, Moyglare Stud Stakes, National Stakes and Irish St. Leger)
• Racing at Leopardstown in the Kildangan Suite for the Irish Champion and Matron Stakes
• Beach racing at Laytown
• Courses at the Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE)
• Very interesting anatomy and physiology lectures, including musculoskeletal anatomy and equine reproduction
• Working with regally-bred yearlings in the Kildangan yards
• Vet rounds and rotations in the stallion yard
• Visiting Sheikh Mohammed’s various other Irish studs
• Pedigree discussions with Charles Spiller, who has been the brainchild of Darley pedigrees for 27 years
• Spending the afternoon in Dublin on our first weekend in Ireland
• Horse production assignments that have helped me learn a lot about horse selection and valuation.

And what to expect in the coming weeks:

• Attending the Goffs Orby sales with an agent
• Meeting John Ferguson
• Continuing anatomy and physiology courses at UCD
• Visiting Coolmore Stud and trainer John Oxx’s yard
• Spending a day in Galway as a tourist
• Weekend trip to France for the Arc
• And in just over a month, moving on to Newmarket. Hard to believe!

Canadian Goldmine, This Weekend at Woodbine

2010-09-17T02:59:00.002-04:00

To anyone doubting the quality of Canadian racing, I ask you to please turn your attention to this weekend’s race cards at Woodbine.

On September 18 and 19, Woodbine will play host to five graded stakes, headlined by the $1 million Woodbine Mile (G1).

On Saturday, the two-year-olds will take the spotlight in the $200,000 Natalma Stakes (G3) for fillies, and the $250,000 Summer Stakes (G3), open to males and females. The next day, older females will face off in the Canadian (G2); turf-routers will take the stage in the $750,000 Northern Dancer (G1), and the program will wrap up with the Woodbine Mile (G1), which has drawn some of the best milers from Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

This weekend’s stakes program is worth $2.5 million excluding state-bred and Breeders’ Cup bonuses, which tack on another $590,000. All five stakes will be contested over Woodbine’s elite E.P. Taylor turf course, which I constantly contend is the best grass course in North America.

This year’s Mile weekend program has attracted star runners from Canada, the U.S., and Europe, including Grade 1 winners Marsh Side, Victor’s Cry, and Court Vision. World-renowned trainers like Neil Drysdale, Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, Eoin Harty, Rick Dutrow, and Dermot Weld, all of whom have become regular Woodbine shippers, will go for pieces of the purse pie.

While I would love to give you some tips for this weekend’s stakes, my handicapping skills are admittedly abysmal. For more on the dimensions of each of these races, I give you to my Blood-Horse buddies Jason Shandler and Jack Shinar:

Natalma and Summer Stakes

Canadian Stakes

Northern Dancer

Woodbine Mile

Woodbine was also the feature of this week's That Handicapping Show on Bloodhorse.com. For the picks of Blood-Horse writers Jason Shandler and Tom LaMarra as well as Tim Holland, click here.
As for personal preference, I will be most looking forward to the Northern Dancer Stakes this weekend. The Northern Dancer is part of Woodbine’s excellent summer turf route program, which each year brings back the top older runners in Canada, as well as some regular ship ins, like Marsh Side. These are the types of runners (distance on the turf) least desired at stud in North America, which is fine by the racing fan in me, because that means we get to watch them do battle year after year rather than head to the breeding shed; the true definition of competitive sport. Stalwarts of this program that will compete Sunday include Marsh Side, Windward Islands, and Spice Route.

As a quick aside, I would ask you to take a glance at the purses of the undercard races this weekend at Woodbine. We have maiden races for almost $70,000, allowances races for over $70,000, and some claiming events worth almost double their tag. Almost anyone can host a few expensive stakes, but this is the type of purse structure that keeps horsemen going day in and day out. These high purses contribute to attracting the leading runners from around the world, who come to Woodbine with their connections and inject more money into our industry. All of this creates a cyclical effect that results in high quality Canadian racing year after year.

For full entries, visit Equibase.com. For more information about Woodbine, visit WoodbineEntertainment.com

Irish National Stud

2010-09-16T16:30:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Irish National Stud. In addition to being a stalwart at the top of the Irish (and global) Thoroughbred industry, the National Stud is a tourism hallmark in Ireland. I was surprised (and thoroughly impressed) to learn that the National Stud accomodates over 140,000 tourists per year.

The Flying Start tour began with a visit to the stallion yard, where we saw Art Connoisseur, Indian Haven, Jeremy, Verglas, and last but definitely not least, Invincible Spirit. Already a champion sire, Invincible Spirit certainly looked the part. He is an incredibly powerful and well-balanced horse, with no apparent flaw to my learning eye.

Invincible Spirit at Irish National Stud

We then headed off to see some mares and foals, but not before detouring through some beautiful woodlands complete with lakes, waterfalls, and stone huts:

After viewing some broodmares and foals, we got a great surprise: the entire Flying Start class was allowed to go into the paddock with Vintage Crop, the 1993 Melbourne Cup winner who now resides at the National Stud. This was a great treat, especially for our three Australian trainees. Vintage Crop was an absolute sweetheart, and between that and the beautiful shining sun, I'm sure we all would have been content to stay with him all day.

Nick, Leah, and Lindsay with Vintage Crop

Australian trainees Adrian, Nick, and Michael with Vintage Crop

Yours truly with Vintage Crop

Spoiling the Champ

After a stop by the National Stud museum, we were kindly treated to tea and desserts by the staff.

My visit to the Irish National Stud was very memorable, and I was very impressed by what the Stud is doing to promote horses and racing to the public. I hope to return again soon, and for everyone traveling to Ireland, it is a must see.

Fun in the Sun at the Beach

2010-09-13T19:33:00.001-04:00

Last week, I was fortunate to attend the once-yearly race meeting held in Laytown, Ireland. While the Emerald Isle is well equipped with exciting race meetings and festivals, Laytown is unique for one reason: the races are held on the beach.

Laytown racing emerged 140 years ago when it was held in conjunction with a rowing competition. Today, the races are organized when the tide is low, allowing a wide expanse of sandy beach to be converted to a makeshift racecourse. I, along with the rest of the Flying Starters, quickly learned that the Laytown meeting is a popular social event for Irish racing enthusiasts.

When we arrived at Laytown, we were met by a jovial atmosphere that included a large crowd, numerous food and beverage tents, and Irish music. When the rain cleared after the second race we were allowed to walk right on to the beach, and it was certainly something spectacular.

While the boys preferred to stay close to the action, us girls walked as far as could toward the water. We enjoyed taking photos and collecting Irish seashells. When a rainbow appeared in the sky above, we knew for sure we had struck gold.

The highlight of the day was watching a race trackside at the furlong pole. The compact sand made for a hoof-rattling surface, and I felt excitement race through my body as the horses charged past, close enough to reach out and touch.

I think it’s safe to say that a great day was had by all. My day at Laytown was certainly a day I’ll cherish for a long time. Check out these photos to understand why:

Beautiful Curragh

2010-09-01T08:13:00.000-04:00

Driving from Kildangan Stud into County Kildare, there comes a point where the tall brush bordering the side roads recedes, offering a spectacular view of the Irish countryside. Nestled within the beautiful scenery is the Curragh Racecourse, the premier Thoroughbred track of Ireland.

Well accustomed to neat oval tracks in bustling cities, I was not prepared for my first glimpse of the Curragh. Spreading farther than the eye can see, the Curragh consists of numerous racing paths and training surfaces, from turf to synthetic and woodchip. In the distance, herds of sheep can be seen grazing lush Emerald pastures.

The Darley Flying Start students have now been fortunate enough to visit the Curragh on three occasions: once to watch training and twice for racing. Most recently, we were treated to a great card of racing on August 29, featuring the Group I Moyglare Stud Stakes. Misty For Me, a Coolmore-owned daughter of Galileo, won the feature race with favourites Memory and Laughing Lashes in her wake. Misty For Me put herself amongst the leaders for next year’s classics with the win.

On the undercard, another daughter of Galileo caught our attention. Lush Lashes, a Jim Bolger-trained three time group I winner, was making her first start in more than a year in the Dance Design Stakes. Unfortunately she could only manage fourth behind the Danehill Dancer filly Obama Rule. With that winner in mind I suggested that my American friends back Barack in the sixth race. The American president angle proved empty, with Barack finishing up the field. We were also pleased to see Astrophysical Jet, a daughter of Darley stallion Dubawi, win the Group 3 Goffs Flying Five Stakes.

Here are some photos from my visits to the Curragh:

The Flying Starters take in morning training at the Curragh

Beautiful paddock area

View from the stands

A large set heads to the gallops

Another training shot

The Home Team

2010-09-01T07:07:00.002-04:00

During my travels to America and Ireland, it has become apparent that many people are unaware of the major influence of Canadian bloodlines on the Thoroughbred breed. Everyone knows about Northern Dancer, but many are surprised to hear that other influential Thoroughbreds like Smart Strike and Awesome Again were born, bred, raised, raced, or all of the above, in Canada.

I have decided to compile a list of some of the most influential Canadian-bred Thoroughbreds that would be recognized worldwide. If I have overlooked anyone significant please let me know. Thanks, and enjoy.

Awesome Again
Briartic
Chief Bearhart
Dance Smartly
Deputy Minister
Fanfreluche
Glorious Song
La Lorgnette
Langfuhr
L’Enjoleur
La Voyageuse
Medaille D’Or
Nearctic
Nijinsky
Northern Dancer
Runaway Groom
Saint Ballado
Silver Deputy
Sky Classic
Smart Strike
Sunny’s Halo
The Minstrel
Victoria Park
Victory Gallop
Victoriana
Vice Regent
With Approval

New Ontario-bred Grade I Winner

2010-08-30T02:59:00.000-04:00

El Brujo, a 4-year-old son of Candy Ride, added his name to a growing list of prominent Canadian-bred racehorses when he won the grade I Pat O'Brien Handicap at Del Mar in California on August 28.

Bred in Ontario, Canada by the prominent Windways Farm, El Brujo is out of the Devil's Bag mare Enchanted Spell.

Click here to read about El Brujo's win, and to watch a replay of the race.

Off to a Flying Start

2010-08-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

Prior to my arrival in Ireland, I was offered two general pieces of useful knowledge by countless friends, family, and casual bystanders:

1. It’s always raining.

2. It’s very green.

So naturally, when my plane arrived at 7 a.m. on August 16 to bright beams of sunshine, I was cautiously optimistic. Throughout my first week in the Emerald Isle I have found that the previous statement is in fact true (it has rained every day), but the amazing experiences I have already had the wonderful people I have already met far outshine the dreary clouds that often hover overhead.

Last week was my first week on the Darley Flying Start programme. If it was any indication of the two years that lie ahead, I think we’re in for the experience of a lifetime.

On the morning of August 15, the 12 trainees from the United States, Ireland, England, Australia, South Africa, and Canada (myself) all arrived at Kildangan Stud in good order, albeit Kate was short a bag when one of her suitcases decided it wasn’t quite ready to leave America (the luggage was quickly retained and immediately reunited with its owner). After settling in to our various new homes, we met up for a beautiful lunch at Kildangan House, where we were lucky enough to meet some of the personnel of Darley Ireland.

After spending the first few days sorting out administrative needs like computers, bank accounts, clothing, and bikes, we were treated to a stallion show and farm tour of Kildangan as well as three of Sheikh Mohammed’s other local properties: Ragusa, Old Connell, and Blackhall Studs. Here we saw mares, foals and yearlings with royal pedigrees, with yearlings by Street Cry, Invincible Spirit, and Pivotal among the lots, as well as mares that are sisters to Elusive Quality, Dubawi, Mozart, Goldikova, and Shamardal. The Americans were especially pleased to meet Bedazzle, the dam of Street Sense, and we were all intrigued by a gorgeous Street Cry colt out of a daughter of the great Miesque.

Our local tours were followed up by a Saturday of racing at The Curragh. For many of us, including myself, it was our first trip to the historic Irish track. Thankfully, we have our Irish representatives Barry and Michael to help us along, and they certainly have been helpful. After spending the day learning to read the Irish form and studying the horses in the paddock, we watched Pathfork roll to victory in the Futurity Stakes, a race historically known for turning out champions and top runners like New Approach and Giant’s Causeway. I’m pleased to say I picked another winner on the day: the Coolmore charge Meow, an American-bred daughter of Storm Cat.

The week was wrapped up with a trip to Dublin on Sunday, and I’m convinced the day could not have been better. For the first time since our arrival, the rain managed to stay in check all day, and we explored breathtaking cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and perfectly manicured parks beneath the beaming sun.

Our first week is over with a few minor observations on my part: first, it feels like we’ve been here far longer than a week, for two reasons:

1. The 12 of us seem to get along so well that it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time, and...

2. Kildangan has been made to feel like our home, and the wonderful people here have treated us like one of them since our arrival.

With much of the dirty work over, our coursework looks to pick up in the near future. I think we’re all eager to get started with the amazing learning and growing experiences that lie ahead.

Paths to Victory

2010-08-23T03:11:00.001-04:00

On August 21, I had the pleasure of watching two particularly thrilling races on two continents. On my first trip to the Curragh racecourse in Ireland, I was treated to an exciting Futurity Stakes win by Pathfork, who has been labelled one of the early favourites for next year's 2000 Guineas. The American-bred son of Distorted Humor - Visions of Clarity (Sadler's Wells) remained unbeaten in two career starts with the Futurity win.

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/mrs-john-harrington-curragh-curragh-pathfork-perfect-after-futurity-stakes-triumph/758414/latest/

Later that night, some of my Darley Flying Start classmates and I stayed up to watch the Arlington Million from Chicago. We were treated to an exciting finish by Debussy, who edged our reining American turf champion Gio Ponti with a late kick up the rail. It seemed rather fitting that after our first week with Darley Flying Start that we should witness this win by a horse who was bred by Darley and is now owned by Princess Haya, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/58503/debussy-catches-gio-in-arlington-million (Props to my buddy Jason Shandler for this one)

Canada-Bound Euros

2010-08-23T03:00:00.001-04:00

The connections of Darley Prix Jean Romanet (gr. I) top two finishers Stacelita and Antara have both indicated that stops in Canada could be on the radar for their fillies after the August 22 contest at Deauville in France. Both fillies are reported by the Racing Post as being considered for the October 16 E.P. Taylor (gr. I) at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The E.P. Taylor, a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" series race, will be contested at 1 1/4 miles on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf course.

Read more about Stacelita and Antara HERE.

Places to Go

2010-08-13T09:06:00.002-04:00

For those interested, here is my itinerary for the next two years:

http://darleyflyingstart.com/pdf/10_Syllabus_calendar.pdf

Sweet Flying Dreams

2010-08-13T08:44:00.001-04:00

Thinking back over the last few years, and of what is coming next, it’s hard not to feel emotional. I remember clearly Christmas Day in 2005, flipping through the Canadian Thoroughbred magazine and landing on a story about Carolyn Costigan, a young Canadian who was enrolled in the Darley Flying Start programme. My interest immediately piqued, I jumped online to learn more. That’s where the dream began.

Now, I’m just days away from beginning my own Flying Start journey. In the five years that have elapsed since that Christmas Day, I’ve met many of my goals in my quest to becoming a Thoroughbred industry leader. I’ve worked with broodmares and in foaling units, with yearlings doing sales prep, breaking, and training, at the racetrack as a groom and hotwalker, as an office assistant and an editorial intern. All of these were wonderful accomplishments, and important stepping stones along the path to Flying Start, which was the most important target.

Like in any journey, there have been important people to help me along the way. There are a few special ones I’d like to point out:

My parents: My parents ingrained in me many valuable principles from a young age. Three things in particular I have always known are to work hard, have proper manners, and most importantly, to always go after your dream. I think once my parents realized it was inevitable that I would have a career with Thoroughbreds, they pushed me to reach the very top; mediocrity was never an option. For that I will be forever grateful.

My parents are also the type of people that did everything to help me succeed. They gave up their days off to take me to the races to see my favourite horses, including nationwide treks to Kentucky, New York, and California. They ensured that I met the most influential people in the business at a young age, whether that meant bullying our way into paddocks or sneaking onto backstretches. They made me realize that it takes more than just a name to succeed. It takes heart and resilience and a little faith, and today I’m realizing the results of all of those things.

Lauri Kenny: The day I started working at Schonberg Farm (July 4, 2005), I believe was also the day Lauri took me in as another daughter. Over the last five years I have been closer to Lauri than anyone else, and there are times I swear we are telepathically connected. We basically finish one another’s sentences, and it still amazes me how Lauri always seems to know what’s best for me. He can tell me something I hate hearing at the time, but it won’t take me long to realize he knew what he was doing. Lauri understands me better than anyone else does, he is unconditionally there for me, and I don’t know what I would ever do without him.

Liz Pathak: I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and when I met Liz in September 2008, I knew this was good news. Liz had just returned to Ontario fresh from Flying Start, and I was never more eager to meet someone than when I met up with Liz to inspect yearlings at Woodbine. From the day we met Liz began helping me with my flying start quest, and I believe having her as a reference had a great impact on my being selected for the programme.

So here I go, on to the next great chapter of my life. I cannot imagine the wonderful happenings the next two years will hold, but I can promise to cherish each one and do myself and those who believe in me proud. I hope you will follow my journey, every step along the way.

Big Weekend for Canadian Sires

2010-08-09T17:24:00.000-04:00

While interning at The Blood-Horse earlier this year, I wrote this feature on the improving market for Canadian sires. This weekend, the status of that market was confirmed, as three young sires with Canadian connections made headlines.

The most notable development was the rise of first year sire Old Forester to the top of the North American freshman sire list after his daughters Tree Pose and Shadowsinthenight finished 1-2 in the August 8 Nandi Stakes at Woodbine. The son of Forestry, who stood in 2010 at T.C. Westmeath Stud in Ontario for a $4,000 fee, now has four winners from 10 runners with earnings of $349,678. That puts him atop Congrats (2010 stud fee $4,500) and Bluegrass Cat ($25,000) on the freshman sire list.

The previous day, Sam-Son Farm stallion Strut the Stage earned his first winner as a sire when Born to Boogie won in his initial start at Woodbine. Strut the Stage, a grade II winner and multiple stakes winner, stands at Sam-Son’s Milton, Ontario farm. The son of Theatrical’s 2010 fee was $2,500.

Finally, Added Edge, a son of Smart Strike who stands in Iowa, earned his first winner when his daughter Ginger Added scored at Prairie Meadows on August 7. Added Edge was not bred or based in Canada and does not stand there. He was, however, Canada’s champion 2-year-old of 2002.

Camera Shy

2010-08-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to gather the courage for a few months now to start video blogging (vlogging?). My source of inspiration is Rick Mercer, a Canadian television personality who enjoys reporting on trends and politics in this country. His show each week features a rant, such as the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBQvjNvCmng

Can I pull it off? Do you see a "Riley Report" in my future?

Wando Wanders Home

2010-08-03T22:22:00.000-04:00

While I’ve let Turf Beat go quiet recently as I prepare for Darley Flying Start, I couldn’t go without mentioning the homecoming of Wando.

On July 17, Wando returned to Schonberg Farm from Lane’s End in Versailles, Kentucky, where he stood his first five seasons at stud. For those who don’t know Wando (you’ve obviously had your head buried in the sand…er, Polytrack? but nonetheless…) he is owned and bred by Gus Schickedanz, and is the last winner of the Canadian Triple Crown, a hat trick he achieved in 2003 for trainer Mike Keogh.

For me, there is no other horse (or human), like Wando. I won’t go through the tiresome story about how as a 15-year-old fan I gained the friendship of Wando’s human connections and went on to work for both Schickedanz and Keogh. That’s not the real story here. The real story is the feeling I experience each and every time I see Wando.

It’s not something that words can do justice, and it can only be really understood by someone who has felt the same thing. It’s the lump in my throat as I take in his spectacular aura, and the butterflies that flutter about in my stomach when I touch him. As I let my fingers caress his coppery coat, I sometimes have to fight back tears as I attempt to understand how such a fantastic animal can be so serene and loving. Something in me jumps to life when I see my Wando. I can recall once being particularly sad and visiting him. While nothing made any more sense, everything somehow seemed to be ok.

Just last week while spending the night at the farm, I wandered to the stallion barn to visit Wando. I found him snoozing near the door. Slipping inside, I wrapped my arms around his withers and pressed my cheek against his neck, staying this way for at least 10 minutes. Wando didn’t so much as twitch a muscle.

It’s hard for me to write about my horse without gushing and ranting on, so I’ll wrap this up. I just want to say, I’m glad Wando is home, and I hope I get to spend many more special moments with him.

Mainstream Mayhem

2010-07-07T09:27:00.001-04:00

In the Thoroughbred industry, the media has a key role to play in bridging the gap between newsmakers and fans. It is a journalist’s duty to report the facts so as to keep audiences well informed. With well-informed audiences, we will maintain interest and grow fans, which spawn industry participants and people that inject money into our sport.

Informing of fans is largely achieved through trade publications, but when the opportunity arises to promote the industry and the sport in the mainstream media, it is the journalist’s duty to take full advantage of that opportunity.

With the 151^st running of the Queen’s Plate on July 4, we had the perfect chance. The presence of Queen Elizabeth II for the first time since 1997 seemed to provide Woodbine a much needed revival, bringing fans out in throngs. These fans wagered the second largest daily amount in Woodbine history. The grandstand, apron, and paddock areas on July 4 were much more crowded that this blogger has ever seen in eight years of attending races at the Toronto track.

The Queen offered a bridge between racing circles and the general public, an opportunity that should have been seized by sports writers to publicize the hell out of horse racing. While there were some solid articles written for mainstream publications, it was the following article that caught my attention, and must be addressed:

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bill_lankhof/2010/07/04/14608091.html

Bill Lankhof is a columnist for Sun Media. In a column, a certain amount of opinion and ridicule is acceptable (although spelling and grammatical errors are never acceptable). This article, however, appeared in numerous local newspapers around Ontario as the only post race coverage of the Queen’s Plate. This is not a news article.

The focus from the lead is on attendance issues at Woodbine, and when the focus finally turns to where it belongs (on Big Red Mike), Lankhof delves into a discussion of the gelding’s attitude and antics, most of which occurred before his win in the Plate Trial Stakes three weeks ago (Big Red Mike was considerably well behaved on Plate day). No where in his story does Lankhof mention that Big Red Mike has never been off the board in six starts, including two stakes wins, and that he is an incredibly gutsy gelding who campaigns for wonderful, hardworking connections who all more than deserved this win.

It is obvious that racing is facing issues regarding track attendance, and I am in full support of exploiting and dissecting those issues; it is the only way to reach a resolution. But I also believe there is a time and a place, such as within industry circles and trade publications. When we have the opportunity to promote our sport and product in the mainstream media (a chance that is increasingly rare), it is vital that we report the aspects of our sport that will interest the public. And there are plenty of opportunities for this. Racing has no shortage of colourful personalities, human or equine, with charming stories that will generate interest. If we are interested in seeing our industry survive, one of the most basic ways to do so is to create fans. Because without fans there are no bettors or industry participants, and without these people, there is no money. You do the math.

More Carolyn

2010-07-02T16:55:00.000-04:00

So you may have noticed I'm writing a lot about Carolyn Costigan this week. Yes, I'm a journalist and I'm supposed to be unbiased, but what can I say, I think she's awesome! Earlier this week, I posted part of an interview I did with Carolyn where we discussed the future of racing and social media. Below is the part of the interview where she talks about her experience with horses, Roan Inish, and her training techniques. Enjoy!

KNR: Can you tell me a little more about the training you did with Roan Inish leading up to the Oaks? A lot of people were concerned that she only had one seven furlong prep this year leading up to this race, but you didn’t seem concerned at all.

CC: No, because when I was in Ireland I was experiencing that firsthand. You’ll see horses that are trained into classic races and that’s because the trainer is doing the training, they’re not relying on races to put fitness into a horse, but they say that a race is the equivalent of having four or five fast works, so you’re getting to that fitness level quicker. I had had her out in California, so I’d started a base on her already. The Fury was too short for her, seven furlongs is too short. When she came out of it I was able to get a grasp on the level of fitness that it gave her, and if it didn’t give her enough fitness for what I needed her to be for the Oaks, then I would have run in the La Lorgnette. Horses are fragile creatures. A friend of mine that worked for me in California, she said that one of Wayne Lukas’s quotes is, “horses are like strawberries, they go bad overnight.” So when you have a good horse, you have to pick and choose your races. There’s no point in wasting a race on a race that was $150,000, when I wanted her to win a $500,000 race. And then it comes down to the confidence that you can do that, and that you aren’t worried about what other people are saying. I was given the confidence and the not worrying about other people by working for Jim (Bolger). He doesn’t give a hoot what anyone thinks. He does his own thing. When you work for somebody like that, it rubs off. So I was confident in my ability, and confident that I didn’t care what other people thought.

KNR: And she’s obviously come through on the two most important days, the Princess Elizabeth and the Oaks. It probably made a huge difference too with you being able to get on her everyday and be able to feel how fit she was and where she was at.

CC: Exactly. You don’t know that if you’re not on them, and you’re relying on the communication of your rider. I don’t have the numbers or the need for a top quality exercise rider at the moment, because I’m able to do that myself. But someday I’m going to need a good top quality exercise riders that’s able to communicate in a way that the two of us understand what we’re talking about. And that’s just finding the right person and paying them enough.

KNR: I remember you saying to Bill Tallon yesterday about how getting on your own horses was one of the most important lessons that you took away from Jim Bolger as well.

CC: Yes. He rode his horses up until a couple years ago. I mean, he’s 68 or 67 right now.

KNR: Can you tell me a little bit about why Roan Inish began her career in Ireland? I know you were over there at the time, but just exactly what the thought process behind that was?

CC: I knew that I would be coming to Canada to write my trainers exam, and that I would be having my first full season this year, and it wouldn’t do any harm to have one of my horses in the stable that I knew everything about, that wasn’t in training with a different trainer, and the filly was a yearling turning two, and my dad just said to me over the phone, “where do you think I should send this horse, to which trainer?” And I said quite honest, the only trainer that I think is worth any salt, worth their weight, in the world, is Jim (Bolger). He said, “alright, I’ll send her there, then you’ll know everything about her when you start training her.”

KNR: Of the horses that you currently have, did you have just her over there?

CC: Yes, just her. And she’s got lovely breeding, we own the dam, and we just thought if we could add something a little bit exotic to the mare’s page, ie. the horse wins some races in Ireland or Europe, you’re just doing something a bit more proactive for the broodmare’s pedigree.

KNR: Going back a bit, I wonder if you could explain to me a little about when you started getting involved with horses, at a young age, and then when you got into Thoroughbreds?

CC: I always loved horses, and I went to school with the idea that I would do pre med courses and become a vet, but my physics grades weren’t high enough. You probably know that becoming a veterinarian in Canada is probably the hardest course to get into.

CC: We got our first racehorse when I was probably 13. It was four years before we saw the inside of the winner’s circle. We’d go to the races at Hastings Park and we were the best dressed people there. But the horses were useless. So we learned the right way, because when you have the winners right away you think it’s easy, and it’s not an easy game. The lows can be long and painful, so you’ve gotta enjoy the wins. My parents are enjoying the Oaks win so much. We know what it’s like to be in a lull.

KNR: Who was the first really good horse that you worked around?

CC: I was with Arravale when she was being broken. I learned how to break yearlings at Windfields Farm in Oshawa. And she was one of the yearlings being broken at the time. The guy that was in charge of the yearlings there, his name was John Neville. He was an older Englishman. He broke the yearlings in a format that I would see again later when I was on Darley’s course, because he did it the English way, which is also the Irish way, and in some places in the world they like to do it a little quicker, and they take some shortcuts, and it doesn’t always work out. And I’m thankful that I learned the right way.

KNR: What age was it that you came to Windfields?

CC: Probably 2004.

KNR: How long did you work at Windfields before you did the National Stud?

CC: I went to Windfields, and I really hadn’t done too much hands on work with horses at that stage. I was kind of thrown into the deep end. They were one week away from the yearling sales here at Woodbine, and I was given a pitchfork and told, “muck out those six boxes, and keep up with us while we muck out.” I had a very rude awakening. And the following weekend we were at the sales, and my feet were covered in blisters after the first day. I remember I climbed into bed after the first day at the sales, and I was in tears. I thought, “I don’t know how I’m going to work the rest of the week at this sale.” But I did. Then I spent the winter at Windfields, and I had a great time. Because once you start working that hard and doing physical labour, then you have a new appreciation for the people who do that job, and you know how much work is involved, and a level of pride comes into it. And you understand what it is to show a yearling that the work has gone into that yearling, and what it is for the groom to lead up their horses to the races. This is their horse. This horse looks good because of me. I think it’s so important that you experience that first hand and know what those people go through when you’re employing them, and that they really care about their horses, they get attached to them, you know. You want the horses to do well for them, because they go through the highs and lows as well.

Artic Fern Injury Still Unclear

2010-07-02T16:33:00.001-04:00

Gustav Schickedanz's Artic Fern, the early favourite for the July 4 Queen's Plate after winning three consecutive races in 2010, is undergoing tests to determine the cause of the lameness that resulted in him being withdrawn from consideration for the Plate earlier this week.

Artic Fern, a three-year-old son of Langfuhr - Wood Fern, by Woodman, came up sore in his left foreleg the morning after his final work in advance of the Queen's Plate on June 27. He was declared out of the $1 million Plate the following morning by trainer Mike Keogh.

According to Lauri Kenny, the farm manager for Schickedanz's Schonberg Farm, Artic Fern left Woodbine Racetrack on June 29 for the Toronto Equine Hospital, where he underwent a nuclear scintigraphy the next day. During a scintigraphy, the animal is injected with radioactive isotopes which light up hot spots on the bones. Two hot spots were found on the lame leg of Artic Fern: one on the shin, and other on the pastern.

It is unclear at this point what exactly the injury is. Artic Fern was vanned back to Woodbine Racetrack the morning of July 2, and will undergo a blocking process in the next few days. During blocking, nerves are injected with a blocking agent that will mask pain. If the lameness disappears after a specific nerve is injected, that will determine the area of the injury.

Plate on the Brain

2010-07-02T16:06:00.001-04:00

I've been typing hard this week turning out stories for Bloodhorse.com, and here are the results!

Sam-Son Trying to Win 6th Queen's Plate

Trainer Costigan Trying For Queen's Plate

Mobilizer Getting Attention in Queen's Plate

Hotep the One to Beat in Queen's Plate

It's been a great week back in the press box writing, interviewing, and researching. Thanks to The Blood-Horse for publishing my work!

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-02T15:54:00.001-04:00

Meet Emile Ramsammy. In addition to being one of the leading riders at Woodbine Racetrack, Emile is also one of the Toronto oval's most colourful personalities. Ever festive, Emile rides in costume each Halloween, and he is well known for dying his hair for the silks of his Queen's Plate mount each year. In 2006, Emile won the Queen's Plate aboard Edenwold while sporting orange hair.

Not surprisingly, Emile showed up to this year's Queen's Plate draw on July 1 dressed for the occasion (Canada Day).

Emile rides Mobthewarrior in the July 4 Queen's Plate. Can we expect to see his hair a hue of green for the silks of owner Andrew Fredericks, or will he break tradition and instead celebrate the corresponding American holiday? We will find out.

Thanks for playing, Emile!

Queen's Plate Interviews: Rick Balaz

2010-07-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

As the president of Sam-Son Farm since 2008, Rick Balaz has engineered many changes to the Sam-Son program while maintaining the tradition of the strong Sam-Son turf families. I sat down yesterday with Balaz at the Queen's Plate post position draw to discuss Sam-Son Farm and its three Plate entries, and here's what he had to say:

KNR: The success that you’ve experienced since you’ve been managing the operation, how does that feel to you both professionally and personally?

RB: It’s awful. No, it feels great. But really, what I get a lot of gratification from I think is, the success is fantastic, but we’ve made a lot of changes in our management style and I think seeing that that has worked, and bringing a lot of other people into the decision making has made a big difference for us.

KNR: Can you tell me a bit about those changes you’re talking about?

RB: Yeah. Mark Frostad has always been a big part of our operation, and he still is. We do have some horses with a couple of other trainers, but Mark is still the key guy for Sam-Son. The big difference is really, the training of the horses before they get to the track. We’ve involved a lot more people who have been at the farm for a long time. We take a lot more time to prepare the horses before we send them to the track, and I think it’s made a big difference as far as the resilience of the horses when they get here, they seem to be lasting a lot longer, we’re not having the kinds of breakdowns or issues we had in the past, although, you know, it’s horse racing. But I think that’s made a big difference getting the horses to the races, they have a better chance to win. We also involve Dave Whitford who runs our Milton farm with a lot of that decision making process of sort of when we’re going to ship the horses, are they ready. You know, ultimately Mark makes the decisions once they get here, but it’s just all that stuff that happens behind the scenes that’s working a lot better for us now.

KNR: Who are the other trainers you have now?

RB: Malcolm Pierce has some horses for us, and we have one with Neil Howard down in the States.

KNR: The horses you have here for the Plate, they all come from strong Sam-Son families, and it’s obviously the fact that they’ve all been able to get here, it’s a testament to how strong those families are and how strong they’ve remained over the years.

RB: Absolutely. It’s a great legacy. We started with my late wife Tammy’s death, and we focused on breeding the best to the best, and this is what we ended up with.

KNR: With your breeding program, what type of horse are you trying to breed? What traits do you look for in your racehorses?

RB: Well, you know, typically if you look at a lot of our horses, they end up being very good turf horses, and that’s just kind of from our families, but you know, now we’re looking to become a little more commercial going forward, we’d like to have good horses, dirt horses. If we can’t run them ourselves we’d like to have horses that people would be interested in commercially. So we’re looking at changing our focus that way a little bit, you know, ultimately if you can breed an Eye of the Sphynx to an A.P. Indy, how much better can you be?

KNR: And that’s obviously working.

RB: That’s working so far, yep.

KNR: You guys have the chance to have back-to-back siblings winning the Queen’s Plate for the second time in 10 years.

RB: That would be nice. Yeah, that would be like winning the lottery.

Plate Posts Are In

2010-07-01T17:15:00.000-04:00

Beneath a bright sun July 1 at Woodbine Racetrack, the connections of the 13 horses entered for the 151st running of the Queen's Plate gathered in the paddock to select their post positions for the July 4 race. The event was emceed by track announcer Dan Loiselle, with Canadian olympic medallist Alexandre Bilodeau serving as the guest drawmaster.

The first draw was for the selection sequence, which turned out as follows:

1. Smart Sky

2. Ghost Fleet

3. Big Red Mike

4. Roan Inish

5. Dark Cloud Dancer

6. Mobilizer

7. Giant's Tomb

8. Hotep

9. Mobthewarrior

10. Moment of Majesty

11. D's Wando

12. Who We Gunna Call

13. Vicar Street

After a two minute consultation period, the connections selected their positions:

1. Vicar Street, 30-1

2. Who We Gunna Call, 30-1

3. D's Wando, 20-1

4. Dark Cloud Dancer, 15-1

5. Big Red Mike, 6-1

6. Smart Sky, 30-1

7. Ghost Fleet, 20-1

8. Giant's Tomb, 12-1

9. Mobilizer, 7-2

10. Roan Inish, 9-2

11. Hotep, 3-1

12. Mobthewarrior, 10-1

13. Moment of Majesty, 12-1

I will spend the next few days tangling with my choices, but at this junction I have two sentimental choices and two logic choices. My sentimental picks are D's Wando and Mobthewarrior, both of which I helped raise and sale prep two years ago. My logic choices are Mobilizer and Roan Inish. Roan Inish trainer Carolyn Costigan has proven that she and her star filly can never be ignored, and I believe it would be foolish to overlook them now. Mobilizer is a horse that struck me from the beginning, and I believe he would have gotten a lot out of his Plate Trial runner-up effort. Attfield adds blinkers for this race.

Here are some photos from the July 1 draw:

Robert Costigan silks.

Emcee Dan Loiselle with guest drawmaster Alexandre Bilodeau.

Our beautiful racetrack.

Queen's Plate Interviews: Carolyn Costigan

2010-06-29T22:47:00.001-04:00

It's an obvious fact: the media digs feel-good stories. That story surrounding this year's Queen's Plate is of Carolyn Costigan and Roan Inish. In less than a year as a licensed trainer, Costigan has parlayed a wealth of international experience into wins in two of Canada's most important races with the filly owned by her parents. Carolyn goes about her job with a focus on the horse, a refreshing air of confidence and a not-to-be-denied attitude.

For this reporter, however, the most intriguing tidbit about Carolyn is her obvious passion for racing, and her desire to innovate the sport in an effort to generate new fans. I was fortunate this morning to spend some time with Carolyn this morning as part of an upcoming feature for The Blood-Horse, and I was able to ask her about her ideas in detail. Here is what she said:

*"Editor's Note": As Carolyn is determined that the focus should be on the horse, she may not be pleased about this. But I find it so interesting, I couldn't help it!

KNR: One of the things that I’m really interested in talking to you about is that you seem to be really interested in getting more people involved, new fans and that kind of thing, in the industry, and I wonder if you can tell me what you think are the most important things that need to happen within the industry to grow the fan base and to make the sport thrive?

CC: Money needs to be invested in advertising and giving access to the horses online. Digital media formats like YouTube. Woodbine is only now beginning to show horses doing fast works on their website. Keeneland had been doing it before, and they’re still not doing a good enough job. All the horses that worked this morning, you should be able to go on the Woodbine website, punch in their name, and watch their work. And they need to invest more in IT.

KNR: You use Twitter…

CC: That’s really easy. I didn’t know what it was. My brother was like, you’ve got to start Twittering. My brother is 25. I was asking him, what do I need to do with my website? Because he’s young, he’s seeing the new websites that are being created, and he’s online all the time so he knows what the new things are. He said you’ve got to Twitter, that’s where you need to be.

And then, I’m always reading Inc Magazine, and Wired Magazine, and all these magazines that talk about what people are doing that’s new. So I try to read them and see if there’s something I can apply, like the webcam that’s being set up. We’ve just run into so many closed doors. We’re getting there. It’s the smallest thing now that’s holding it up. But what I read about Twitter is that Twitter is supposed to bring people to your site. So like Ray Paulick is doing now, he’ll Twitter, this is the news that I posted today, and this is today’s topic, and then you bring them to your website, then they read your blog. I’m careful with the blog that it’s about the horses, and what the horses did, and I’m trying to make the blog so that it’s not just for horsemen, it’s for people that don’t know why we do certain things, or don’t know why two-year-olds need to gallop together, or that they need company, or different little things like that, like the horses had their teeth floated today, and just being able to give little tibits that someone would say, ‘oh, I had no idea that horses had to deal with that.’

Like Darley has their Darley For Kids. It’s set up for five-year-olds, but I mean, even five-year-olds are probably bored with the Darley For Kids sites. How they’re doing a diary of the foal. Well, the foal is changing every week, and that’s where the industry has to change, it has to be proactive, and it has to realize that these things are important. And that means kids want updates all the time. I don’t want to wait until next week to see a new photo of the foal. The foal is changing every day.

KNR: Well with the nature of the media now, people have become accustomed to having up to the second updates, and that’s how the industry really needs to grow to realize that.

CC: I think one of the issues that the industry faces worldwide is that the people that are in places of control and are in charge of things like the status quo, and it’s easy to keep things the same, and it’s easier to deal with the enemy you know than the enemy you don’t know, type of philosophy. Change is hard, especially for older people. I think in some respects the industry all over the world needs to work as a team, like I think marketing people in North America should go to Australia, and see how the Australians market, because they do a fantastic job there. They just need to be proactive and talk to more people who are under 25, and see what interests them, and work at it so we can keep their interest.

There’s a famous quote out of the movie Let It Ride where the main character’s wife is with him in the Turf Club, and she says to him, “I don’t understand why everybody has to gamble, why can’t you just watch the horse race?” And he says, “there’s no racing without betting.”

There’s no racing without betting. And there’s no betting without bettors…

KNR: And there’s no bettors without fans.

CC: Exactly. And there’s no owners without fans. It all comes from the general population. If you can reach for the general population by making them fans, then you have access to them.

KNR: Can you tell me a little more about, it sounds like you’re having difficulties with the webcam thing, but what your goal with that is? Would it be online for people to see?

CC: Yeah. I have to be careful with the grooms and the guys that are working there. There are privacy issues, so if there’s nothing going on in the barn, then yes I would like the webcams to be on in the afternoon, you can go online and check out the horse. We would only do it with horses like, she’s the star of the stable right now, so it’s interesting for people to see her, even if she’s just standing in the box. It’s such a simple concept, but people are attracted to that.

KNR: Like they did with Mine That Bird last year at Santa Anita leading up to the Breeders’ Cup, he had the stall cam. It was called Bird Watching or something, it was really interesting even just to see him standing there.

CC: I actually just purchased a new helmet camera. It’s a bit more advanced than the one I had used previously. I didn’t publish anything I had used previously because the quality wasn’t good enough. Hopefully I’ll get that up and going and get some more video footage.

KNR: Aside from the marketing and publicity of the industry, do you have any great concerns regarding the health of the industry?

CC: Definitely. If you watch the Oaks race replay, and then the camera pans the grandstand, well it’s almost empty. And that just makes my heart deflate. It’s Canada’s premier race for fillies, and the grandstand has every right to be full. That’s just fan base, and that’s advertising, and that’s young people wanting to come. They have to have something they want to come for. If they don’t know about it, like here’s a filly that’s running against the boys in Canada’s biggest race. Well that’s a perfect opportunity for people that know very little about racing to say, “cool, the filly’s taking on the boys.” That should be, you know, I’m going to root for her, because she’s going to be the underdog.

KNR: Especially with fillies doing so well recently, having so many fillies beating the boys around the world recently, it should be a big topic.

CC: It should be. Like Zenyatta is hugely popular. And if the connections of Zenyatta never shared anything about her she wouldn’t have as big a fan base. She’d have the racing fan base, but she wouldn’t have an attraction from the general public, which she has because they share information about her. It’s just advertising, in a blunt format, it’s just telling people and making the information readily available.

I was asked by a couple of reporters yesterday at the BBQ, “so this horse raced in Ireland, how did she end up in Ireland?”, “Well, I was there.” “Oh, you were in Ireland?” All the information is online.

KNR: They didn’t do their research.

CC: Exactly. If they were online, they would know, because it’s been quite clearly stated. If you Google Carolyn Costigan, my website is, I’m paying Google to put the name of my website right there. If you Google Roan Inish, the same thing. If you Google David Moran, the same thing. Arravale Racing will pop up. So these people obviously aren’t online. So they’re already behind the eight ball. And I had to laugh, this one reporters said to me, “what time will you be working Roan Inish on Sunday?” I said, “oh, I’ll Twitter it on Saturday night.” “Oh, so where will I get that?” “It will be available on my website.” “Oh right, ok, so I have to go online.” “Yeah, you do have to go online.”

KNR: Oh my gosh, that’s unbelievable.

CC: Yeah, to you. How old are you?

KNR: 21.

CC: There you go. So we should be talking to people under 25 and saying “how do I get information to you?”

That was my final assignment in Dubai, how to attract the next generation to racing.

KNR: What did that project entail?

CC: The website I’m doing right now. At the moment I don’t have anything other clients, I only have my dad, but when I do, the website is set up in a way, as I had done in the project, that you log in, as a client, and then you have your own virtual stable. There’s your webcam and you can see your horses, there’s your horses that you own with Arravale Racing, there’s a little comment about what your horse did today. And you can log on to the website anywhere in the world.

Queen's Plate Interviews: Adena and Attfield

2010-06-28T15:45:00.002-04:00

An interview with Mike Rogers, Business Manager for Adena Springs North and Stronach Stables, and Sean Smullen, Farm Trainer for Adena Springs:

KNR: Can you tell me about the decision to breed to that horse (Motivator?)

MR: What happened was, there was a private offering to buy shares in him; He was a syndicated stallion. Frank reviewed it, thought it was a good investment, so we bought a share in Motivator. So we own a share in Motivator. The Queen is the controlling shareholder, but we own a share, so once we purchased a share in him, the Queen stands him at The Royal Stud, so we sent one of our mares over there to breed to him because we’re part owner and we bought a share in him. And that foal of course is Mobilizer.

KNR: So that share entitles you to one breeding per year?

MR: Yes. Actually I think the first year they allowed two. They allowed two breedings in year one with our share, and the other foal wasn’t born, the mare didn’t catch, so we only have the one foal, and that was Mobilizer.

KNR: So since then have you continued to breed a mare to him each year?

MR: No, we haven’t, we haven’t taken advantage of that share. I think one year we sold it, and then the other year he couldn’t stand because he had a health issue he was dealing with, and I’m sure this year we’ll send another mare to him.

KNR: Can you tell me why the decision was made to send that particular mare (Kris Is It, dam of Mobilizer) to Motivator?

MR: For sure it had to be a barren mare, she couldn’t be in foal, because of the timing to ship them over there, so we went through our list, we looked for mares that weren’t in foal at the time, because the timing wouldn’t have worked, because we had to get them in quarantine and get them over there. And with our typical breeding program, we don’t like to inbreed, so that foal, Mobilizer, is not inbred. So that was one of the reasons.

KNR: What time of year did you have to send her (Kris Is It) over there?

MR: We sent her over in the fall of 2005 I think it was. We boarded her at a stable over there for a while, then she bred to Motivator and we brought her back I think it was roughly 65 or 70 days after being in foal. We brought her back actually to the States first to our Kentucky farm, it was just easier, and then we shipped her up to Canada in the fall of that year, and she had Mobilizer here in Canada.

KNR: So she had to be in England a certain period of time before she was bred as part of the quarantine rules?

MR: Yeah. We just wanted to get her over there sooner, get her acclimatized. We got her in the fall and she was bred that winter. She got covered early, early January. We’ve sold her since, we probably shouldn’t have.

KNR: That’s usually how it goes, right? I wonder if you can tell me if you have any memories of Mobilizer as a foal? Was he a standout?

MR: Me, I’m the business manager, but I was always getting reports that he was well liked. And then when he was being broken as a young horse at our Florida farm, the trainer down there said he was clearly standing out as one of the better ones. Then when we got him to Roger Attfield. He immediately liked him. He liked him right away. When he was two years old, Roger said, ‘let’s be patient with this horse’, and we’ve done whatever Roger recommended, but he liked him from day one, so he’s clearly shown himself as having above average abilities right from the very beginning.

KNR: Do you know of anyone I could speak to who worked with him at a young age?

SS (Sean Smullen, who happened to be standing nearby): He was with a group of two year olds that came up that year and started breezing a little bit on the farm. I mean he really stood out. He was the one that would jump out at you. I remember watching him breeze, and he just stood out amongst them, you know what I mean?

KNR: This was as a two-year-old?

SS: This was as a two-year-old after coming up from Adena Springs South.

KNR: Can you tell me what his course of action was, after he was broke as a yearling, what he did from there before he began his career?

SS: The majority of the two-year-olds ship from Adena Springs South up to Adena Springs North. He just started to progress a lot at the early stages. We just started breezing them a bit, then they went to their various trainers. So he was at the farm for a short period of time and had a couple of early breezes then went on to Roger.

KNR: Mike, one more comment from you. You know obviously the last time the Queen was here was in 1997, of course another Stronach homebred that year (winner Awesome Again). Do you think that’s an omen?

MR: I don’t know, it would be fantastic, it’s definitely pretty exciting. You know, she invited us over for dinner. All the shareholders in Motivator, we went over to Windsor Castle and had dinner with her, so she’s clearly had a connection already, so it would be great to see this horse win.

KNR: When did you get to do that?

MR: It was May of 2006, so Motivator’s first year at stud, she invited all the shareholders over for dinner, so we had dinner at Windsor Castle. It was amazing.

KNR: Well maybe you’ll get to meet up with her again.

MR: That would be great.

A few comments from Roger Attfield, trainer of Mobilizer:

KNR: Roger, how do you feel about Mobilizer coming in off of his big effort in the Plate Trial? Do you feel confident in him?

RA: I think that probably would have done him some good, because he’s a horse that didn’t run as a two-year-old, and the schedule I put together for him I think has made sense, and I’m happy with it. I would have liked to have seen him win that race, but he ran a good race. He was really tight there inside and I think he still gets a little antagonized when that happens, and we thought maybe he hung a bit, Jono thought he had plenty of horse there and he should have got up, but he actually did get his head in front there, and the other horse really dug in and run hard. Maybe that’s what got me beat, and Jono tried to actually run the horse strongly. I might run him in cheaters on the day, you know the cheater blinkers, because he just might hang a little bit when he gets to a horse, you know?

KNR: He’s clearly a very talented horse, so I wonder if you could tell me when you started seeing that talent with him?

RA: I saw it as a two-year-old, I was very high on him as a two-year-old, but he was very immature and that’s why I didn’t run him as a two-year-old. He had a few baby aches and pains that stopped me from moving forward maybe at the end of the year, but basically if I had run him, it would only have been once or twice at the end of the year.

*Look for a feature on Mobilizer later this week on Bloodhorse.com.

Artic Feeling

2010-06-28T14:42:00.001-04:00

Oh, the racing game. It never fails to humble. Anyone who has been involved long enough has tasted its notoriety for devastation and disappointment. As quickly as you are on top, you’re booted to the bottom.

Just two days ago, I could not have been higher. I was tooting the horn of Artic Fern, the Queen’s Plate contender I had foaled, helped raise, and broke at Gustav Schickedanz’s Schonberg Farm. I would tell the story of the night he was born, and remind everyone that I was the first to sit on this rising star’s back. I told all my family and friends, “put your money on this horse. He’s for real. This is the one.”

Artic Fern would be the one. It all made sense. His breeding suggested it: He is by Langfuhr, sire of a Queen’s Plate winner (Wando), out of Wood Fern, a full sister to a Queen’s Plate winner (Woodcarver). This year, the Queen would be coming to the Plate, which is to be run on my birthday, the fourth of July. Artic Fern is three for four, riding a three-racing winning streak displaying versatile running styles. And he couldn’t be going for better people: both Schickedanz and trainer Mike Keogh are the picture of class and humility, and well-loved by many at Woodbine and in the global industry. Yes, everything seemed to be falling in to place, and the excitement was electrifying.

That was until a late night phone call on June 27. Upon hearing the news, my head seemed to stop working, and all of the strength seemed to leave my body. In an instant, the electricity was gone, and I found myself leaning against the wall for support as I fought back tears of disappointment and anger. The feeling is as cold as the Artic.

Artic Fern had his final work in preparation for the Plate on Saturday the 26^th, moving five furlongs in 1:00.40. He exited the work in good order, but came up lame Sunday morning. His chances looked dim Sunday evening, and he was officially withdrawn from consideration on Monday morning.

So this is where our story ends. But the end of one story must mean the beginning of another, and perhaps bigger things are in store for Artic Fern and Gus's stable. While the disappointment is still crippling, the best I can do is be thankful that it wasn’t worse; Artic Fern is still in the barn, and with some better luck, will live to run another day. I will now have to shift my interests back to D’s Wando and Mobthewarrior, the two Plate contenders bred and sold by Schickedanz.

Queen's Plate BBQ

2010-06-28T13:56:00.001-04:00

We are officially within a week of the 151st running of the Queen's Plate, and on June 28, Woodbine Racetrack hosted a barbecue to honour this year's contenders. The event kicked off at 12 pm with nine of the expected runners parading in the Woodbine paddock, with track announcer Dan Loiselle providing commentary to the media and horse connections assembled. The Sid Attard-trained Ghost Fleet was the first horse to the paddock, and was followed by the royally bred Mobilizer, D's Wando, Vicar Street, Mobthewarrior, Smart Sky, Dark Cloud Dancer, Giant's Tomb, and the filly Roan Inish. While all of the horses turned out quite well, standouts to this reporter were Mobilizer, Mobthewarrior, and Roan Inish. Dark Cloud Dancer, the most regally bred horse in the field (Storm Cat - Dancethruthedawn, by Mr. Prospector) was also nothing to frown at.

Here are some photos of the early Queen's Plate contenders. With six days remaining until the big dance, last minute additions are still possible, but the current probable field stands at 12 with the June 28 defection of Artic Fern.

Ghost Fleet with trainer Sid Attard (left)

Mobilizer, son of Motivator

Mobilizer shows some spunk

D's Wando

Longshot maiden Vicar Street

2-year-old stakes winner Mobthewarrior

Smart Sky

Gorgeous and regally-bred Dark Cloud Dancer

Another Sam-Son hopeful: Giant's Tomb (by Awesome Again)

And the filly: Roan Inish

A family affair: Roan Inish with trainer Carolyn Costigan (at head) and owners Bob and Nora Costigan. The Costigan's also campaigned Roan Inish's dam, Inish Glora.

A Pedigree Fit For a Queen

2010-06-07T21:56:00.007-04:00

Thoroughbred breeder Gustav Schickedanz is a risk taker. And for good reason. How else would the 81-year-old horse enthusiast from Germany have produced more than 40 stakes winners from a small program of mainly breeding homebreds to homebreds?

This is the formula Schickedanz used to produce his 2003 Queen’s Plate winner and Horse of the Year Wando, along with his sire and dam, Langfuhr, and Kathie’s Colleen. Schickedanz has twice won the Queen’s Plate with homebreds (the first being Woodcarver in 1999), but it has been seven years since he tasted victory in Canada’s most important classic, and Schickedanz is hungry for more. That’s why when planning the mating for his 2010 Queen’s Plate contender Artic Fern, Schickedanz took no chances.

Schickedanz loves to win the Plate, and each successful attempt or near miss seems to only fuel the fire. So when Artic Fern, highly touted by trainer Mike Keogh prior to his first start, finished an impressive second in his career debut, Schickedanz began making plans. Those plans were confirmed June 5 when Artic Fern cruised to victory over 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Polytrack, toying with a highly-regarded field that included multiple Sovereign Award winner True Metropolitan and the up and coming Good General. Artic Fern notched his third consecutive victory as the only three-year-old in the allowance contest, punching his ticket to the Plate and indicating his chances at serving Schickedanz his third Plate win in 11 years.

The pedigree plan behind Artic Fern was a simple one: to produce a Plate horse. One need only look at the dark bay’s sire and dam to see the pattern. Artic Fern is a genetic mixture of Schickedanz’s two Plate winners, Woodcarver and Wando, and he seems to have reaped the best of both champions.

Artic Fern is by Langfuhr, the sire of Wando, and out of Wood Fern, a full sister to Woodcarver. Langfuhr, who finished fifth in the 1995 Plate, is out of Sweet Briar Too, another Schickedanz homebred who also produced stakes winners Princess Ruckus and Wonneberg. Sweet Briar Too and her dam, Prima Babu Gum, are both still owned by Schickedanz, and are living out their lives as retired broodmares at his Long Leaf Plantation in South Carolina. Langfuhr is by Danzig, and is the product of a no guarantee season purchased at auction by Schickedanz at the height of Danzig’s prime.

Wood Fern is one of two full sisters to Woodcarver that Schickedanz has retained for his broodmare band. The other is Forest Flute, the dam of 2009 multiple stakes winner Woodsmoke. Retired early this year, Woodsmoke has joined the Schickedanz broodmare band in foal to More Than Ready.

Artic Fern is the second foal from Wood Fern. Her first foal, Longlasting, races in Maryland. Wood Fern’s current two-year-old, interestingly enough, is a Wando colt named Sharpshot. Hypothetically, should Artic Fern taste victory in the Plate, Sharpshot would be by a Schickedanz Plate winner, out of a full sister to a Schickedanz plate winner, and a three-quarter brother to a Schickedanz Plate winner. Whoa. We can dream, right?

Sharpshot as a foal with Wood Fern.

It is also worth noting that Artic Fern is a result of the same Langfuhr/Woodman nick that has produced Wando and two other stakes winners. Woodman mares have provided the most prolific nick for Langfuhr, with 17 winners from 22 starters for earnings of almost $4 million.

For the record, Artic Fern’s name is a combination of Wood Fern and Briartic, the sire of Sweet Briar Too.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I worked for Gus Schickedanz for four years, and as you can well imagine, I think he’s awesome. Having spent a lifetime with horses and having made his fortune as a homebuilder, Gus has a rare combination of horsemanship and compassion that allows him to understand his horses and provide them with the greatest of care, sparing them no necessity. I want nothing more come July 4 than to see him win his third Plate.

Below are more foal photos of Artic Fern (I was lucky enough to help deliver him). Enjoy!

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

2010-06-03T22:39:00.001-04:00

On the evening of June 2, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Woodbine Racetrack hosted a wine and cheese reception to introduce its 2010 inductees and to unveil display cases for Hall of Fame members Hugo Dittfach and Gustav Schickedanz.

The event began with a video tribute to the 2009 and 2010 inductees. Each human and horse were honoured with a few seconds of video clip displaying their character or greatest moments. After a few words from Woodbine handicapper Jim Bannon and new Hall of Fame president John Stapleton, the display cases honouring Dittfach and Schickedanz were unveiled.

Dittfach, an inductee of 1983, strung together a career that made him one of the foremost jockeys in Canadian Thoroughbred racing history. A winner of 4,000 races, Dittfach was a leading rider across the country, picking up titles in Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, and Ontario. Dittfach won the Queen’s Plate, Canada’s premier race and North America’s oldest continually run Thoroughbred race, in 1961. Among his accolades are a Sovereign Award as leading Canadian rider, and the 1991 Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.

Schickedanz, a longtime Ontario owner and breeder, was inducted into the Hall in 2009. Schickedanz’s horses call Schonberg Farm in Schomberg, Ontario their home, but the 81-year-old Schickedanz’s success has extended across the world. Most notably the breeder of multiple grade I winner and leading sire Langfuhr and his champion sons Wando and Mobil, Schickedanz is the only Canadian to have bred the winners of the Kentucky Oaks (Gal in a Ruckus), and the Arlington Million (Jambalaya).

The 2010 induction ceremony will take place on August 19 at the Mississauga Convention Centre. Leading this year’s inductees is Victory Gallop, the Canadian-bred winner of the 1998 Belmont Stakes. Victory Gallop, bred in Ontario by Ivan Dalos, placed second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The son of Cryptoclearance won an Eclipse award in 1999 as champion Older Male.

Also to be honoured in the horses category are Lady Angela and Victorian Era, both long overdue for recognition. Lady Angela is best known as the dam of Nearctic, sire of Northern Dancer. Victorian Era was Canada’s Horse of the Year in 1966.

Also worth noting is Mel Lawson, who, like Schickedanz, is a veteran contributor to the industry with his Jim Dandy Stables. Lawson has campaigned Sovereign Award winners Eternal Search, Let’s Go Blue, and Ginger Gold during his nearly 50 years in the industry.

From the standpoint of an industry participant and fan, and having worked for Schickedanz for nearly five years, the reception provided for a very enjoyable evening. The Hall of Fame looks better than ever, with enough well thought out and interesting displays to keep any racing enthusiast busy for hours.

For more information and a complete list of 2010 inductees, visit canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com.

Webster's Falls

2010-05-30T23:52:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that there is not a religious bone in my body. I have never practiced a faith, have never attended a church service, and I do not pray. But those who know me very well know that I could be described as what some people call “spiritual”. I am a firm believer in karma, I believe things happen for a reason, and I have epiphanies often. I derive a great deal of happiness and satisfaction from very simple things, like spending a quiet evening amongst my horses.

Today, I experienced an unexpected epiphany and satisfying experience when I visited Webster’s Falls for a hike and swim with two friends. I had never been to Webster’s Falls, and was told to expect a rocky hike through the creek and some swimming holes. What materialized was like nothing I have experienced before. I found myself cleansed from my own laughter as I stumbled up the creek bed, slipping and sliding on rocks and plunging off ledges into deep holes. The end result for us was not the largely populated waterfall and swimming area that has become a local attraction, but a deserted, far off swimming hole and waterfall only accessible by our hour-plus hike. Diving into the rushing water, I screamed loudly as I splashed with my friends; the sound seemed to clear my own head, leaving nothing to be concerned about except bliss of the moment. Scaling the rocks, I stood for a few moments behind the waterfall before moving directly beneath the crashing flow. The pounding of the water on my head and shoulders and the sound of the deafening rush transported me to my own uncluttered world, if just for a moment.

After making the rocky hike back, we emerged from the ravine and were met with a passing train along our walk back to the car. I have seen many trains, but have never actually walked alongside one as it roared past, with nothing surrounding me but fields and forests. It was a surreal experience, for reasons I’m not even sure of.

A simple decision to take a hike turned an ordinary day into a fairytale. I hope to return to Webster’s Falls many times in the coming months. For more information and photos, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster's_Falls_(Hamilton,_Ontario).

Homecoming

2010-05-24T20:49:00.004-04:00

The term "home" has a very loose meaning for me anymore. After moving eight times in the past four years and not having lived in my hometown since age 17, I feel like I have many homes. One of those is certainly Versailles, Kentucky, the town that I left on May 20 to return to Brantford, Ontario, where I grew up and lived for 17 years.

Leaving Kentucky was bittersweet; there was a part of me that was looking forward to seeing the family and friends that I parted ways with on January 4, 2010. But a large part of me was also very sad. Kentucky was a wonderful stop on my world travel agenda, but it became much more than that. I learned more than I could have imagined about life, choices, and change. I laughed a lot, cried a lot, and made friends for life. But most importantly, I made some amazing discoveries about myself, and I'm so glad I took the chances to do that. I am slated to return to Lexington from January - July 2011, and I'm already counting down the days.

I left Versailles around 2:30 p.m. on May 20, and arrived in Brantford at 11:30. The high point of the trip was stopping at the first Tim Hortons on the route in Dayton, Ohio. There is no cup of coffee like it, and it's been a long five months without it!

Upon crossing the bridge into Canada, I was reunited with Canadian country music. Two songs came on the radio not long into Canada that really struck me: Home (Paul Brandt), and Trying to Get Back to You (Doc Walker). These songs are by two of my favourite Canadian artists, and seemed incredibly fitting for me.

Paul Brandt, Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeTyqd1B_iI

Doc Walker, Trying to Get Back to You: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYUDITzWTs

So I have been in Canada four days, seen some of my friends and most of my family, visited the winners circle at Woodbine, and made some fun plans for the summer. It will be nice to have a relaxing few months leading up to Darley Flying Start, but I also hope it goes quickly, because I can't wait to start my next adventure.

Talking Dirty in Indiana

2010-04-23T14:33:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I was assigned to follow up on the injury of jockey Nelson Arroyo in Indiana Downs' eighth race on April 20. The story quickly grew as I spoke to more and more Indiana horsemen, and I found there is quite an uproar at the track over the safety of the surface. Arroyo was thrown to the track when his mount broke down in the stretch, an event which was one of three breakdowns and Indiana Downs over a three-day span. Some claim that the track, which doubles as a Standardbred track, has a poor base, and others claim that dirt added to the surface has made it too deep and stressful for the horses to run on, as well as inconsistent.

At morning's end, the news report had turned into a 700 word discussion with various Indiana horsemen. The link is provided below.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56590/indiana-horsemen-question-safety-of-surface

Gettin' Down and Derby

2010-04-23T13:56:00.003-04:00

Eight days out from the big dance, Derby Fever has officially set in in Lexington. Well, at least in my little corner in my cubicle at The Blood-Horse. I've been fortunate to get a few early assignments, including a chat with Bob Baffert on Derby contenders Lookin At Lucky and Conveyance:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56563/baffert-derby-duo-sizzles-at-churchill-downs

These thoughts will likely change multiple times throughout the next week, but I'm ready to offer my early picks. Despite the fact that Californians have a spotty Derby record as a group, I'm opening with Lookin At Lucky and Sidney's Candy. How can you not like Lucky? He has never not tried in a race, and between the Rebel and the Santa Anita Derby, he's the most battle-tested horse on this year's Derby trail. He has a running-style well suited to the Derby, and he seems to want to go the distance. But when it comes down to it, it's the grit and courage he's shown in each race that leaves me stuck on him. With his last Derby win in 2002, Baffert is in the midst of a big comeback after a few dry years. Wouldn't this be the icing on the comeback cake?

Sidney's Candy, on the other hand, has encountered little trouble in his recent races, bouncing right to the lead from the gate and never looking back. The son of Candy Ride is unbeaten in three starts in 2010, and first started turning heads with a win in the seven furlong San Vicente at Santa Anita on Feb. 15. The critics are out there, but Sidney's Candy has silenced every challenge thus far, running away next with the 1 1/16 mile San Felipe, then the 1 1/8 mile Santa Anita Derby over a troubled Lookin At Lucky. While the Derby always presents unique challenges, if there is a front runner who can go wire to wire, this blogger believes it is Sidney's Candy.

Of course, both horses will have to make the synthetic to dirt transition. Lookin At Lucky has already won on dirt, two starts back in the Rebel. Sidney's Candy has never raced outside California.

I leave you with some early Derby and Oaks thoughts from my colleagues Esther Marr and Jason Shandler:

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/beyond-the-blinkers/archive/2010/04/22/devil-may-care-oaks-or-derby.aspx

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/triplecrowntalk/archive/2010/04/22/derby-elimination.aspx

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/videos/watch/8AEEC429-CBD5-4622-9B9A-AE90E6640A66

Big Changes!

2010-04-16T12:55:00.002-04:00

I would also like to add that yesterday I made the following changes on my blog description and profile:

"Aspiring turf writer" was changed to "turf writer"

"Journalism student" was changed to "recent journalism graduate"

I still get a kick out of that!

All Oaks

2010-04-16T11:04:00.002-04:00

With just two weeks until the first Saturday in May, Derby Fever is beginning to reach a high. With that comes Kentucky Oaks Fever. Here are a few tidbits that have caught my interest regarding the Run for the Lilies over the last few days:

A well-researched blog by my cubicle neighbour Esther Marr on the meaning behind the names of Oaks-bound fillies. Esther has done a wonderful job keeping us all posted on the happenings of the Oaks trail:

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/beyond-the-blinkers/archive/2010/04/15/what-s-in-a-name.aspx

An emotional HRTV segment on a special triangle involving 2009 Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra, her former trainer Hal Wiggins, and a critically-ill young girl named Rachel Mattson. I made the mistake of watching this in the office, and was tearing up throughout. How can one not love this horse, this trainer, and this little girl? Underlying it all, being reminded that Rachel was taken from Wiggins' care is truly heartbreaking.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/videos/watch/B44924AD-43ED-4A3A-B51B-272395E449E2

*Warning: fetch a box of tissues before beginning this video.

Thanks for reading, everyone. I will be posting more of my thoughts in the final two weeks leading up to the Derby and Oaks, both of which I will be attending with The Blood-Horse.

Gorgeous George

2010-04-15T10:41:00.004-04:00

Turf Beat has experienced some serious neglect recently. What can I say other than life gets in the way? But I have now completed my thesis, and thus completed university, so my goal is to devote more time to the blog.

I'm going to start back with some words on a horse that holds a special place in my heart. Those of us who have spent time on breeding farms know that while we often have recollections of many horses, there are a special few who grab our heartstrings and never let go. One of those horses for me was D's Wando. It seems natural that I would fall for a colt from the first crop of my beloved Wando, but for me, there was more to D's Wando than that. Out of the Bold Ruckus mare Silver Taler, D's Wando was born on May 8, 2007, just before noon. I had been keeping vigil outside Silver Taler's paddock all morning, and when the moment came, I was able to help bring D's Wando into the world. One of our first assessments of the minute bay with the tiny white star was how petite he was, unimpressive in the grande scheme of our 13 horse foal crop. But as we were soon reminded, size doesn't always matter. Shortly after his birth, I nicknamed D's Wando "George", in tribute to the curious monkey. He was always one of the first of the herd to approach his visitors, and when the whole mare and foal crop joined up in the field in the summer, he would stand by the gate and assess the situation as each mare and foal were turned out, trying to sneak out or jump into the arms of any human within range.

As George matured into a weanling, then a yearling, his personality grew, though his size barely did. But other than his smallish figure there was little to begrudge him for, and George pleased us by bringing $32,000 at the 2008 CTHS Canadian bred Yearling sale. What pleased me even more was that his new connections, D's Stable, Riviera Racing Stable and Yorktech Racing Stable, were stationed at Woodbine with trainer Ian Black. Translation: chances were good that I would be able to follow George's career in person.

As we had hoped, George has translated his personality into productivity on the track. Making his first start the day after my 21st birthday, George finished 3rd in a maiden event at Woodbine (and yes, I was there to see him). George improved his position in his next two starts, running second less than a month later, and, on August 16, 2009, broke his maiden to become the first winner for his freshman sire. After running unplaced in his next two starts, George won an allowance event before closing off the year with a third place effort in the Coronation Futurity behind 2-year-old champion Hollinger.

After taking a well-deserved winter's nap, George is now back at Woodbine with full aim on the July 4 Queen's Plate. Having made his first start the day after my birthday, how fitting would it be if he won the Queen's Plate on the day of my 22nd?

I will be keeping a close radar on George as he prepares for a run at Canada's greatest race. I was recently very pleased to find some publicity for my special horse. Canadian writer and blogger Keith McCalmont recently included George in a photo essay from the Woodbine backstretch: http://www.tripledeadheat.ca/2010/04/photo-essay-searching-backstretch-for.html.

In addition, the young son of one of George's owners has taken a special interest in the sport, and has included a video of George's recent work on his blog: http://santinohorseracingblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/ds-wando-works-amazing.html. Cheers Santino, keep up the enthusiasm!

I sincerely hope to be able to attend this year's Queen's Plate. With a number of promising colts from my former workplace, including George, targetting the race, and with Queen Elizabeth attending this year's event, it would certainly be a special birthday gift to make an appearance at the race, and, god willing, the winner's circle.

Foaling Feedback, Achin' For Aiken

2010-03-09T14:39:00.003-05:00

I am posting again the Foaling Diary I wrote for "Beyond The Blinkers" at Bloodhorse.com. It has garnered a few more comments in the past couple of days, and I am still amazed by the feedback. I couldn't have even imagined people would love it this much. Thanks so much to everyone who shared their thoughts, I will keep my creative juices flowing and see what else I can come up with:

Foaling Diary at "Beyond The Blinkers"

Yesterday I followed up on a tip to The Blood-Horse and wrote a story on the injury and death of 2008 Triple Crown contender Big Truck. I have since learned more about this incident, and there will be a follow up to come on Turf Beat.

Click here to read the story on Big Truck.

This morning there was word that a horse was euthanized with symptoms of EHV at Penn National Race Course, however, EHV tests later came back negative. It was interesting for me to follow this story and post it on Bloodhorse.com:

Penn National Horse Tests Negative for EHV.

My feature for The Blood-Horse on Aiken, South Carolina came out in this week's (March 13) issue. The pictures Anne Eberhardt was able to collect are beautiful, and I think the story looks fabulous with the art. I also adore the headline, "Achin' for Aiken". It is definitely the perfect swan song to my internship at The Blood-Horse. Yes, less than two weeks left in the office, my friends.

I watched some good racing over the weekend, but if there is any one in particular to comment on, I think it is Misremembered's win in the Big Cap. I was simply mesmerized by the way he was sitty chilly at the top of the stretch and just kicked on. Although he won by just a neck over the courageous Neko Bay, I think the way he moved powerfully down the stretch while smartly stalking the pace says it all, and although Neko Bay was gaining at the wire, I'm not convinced Misremembered would have given it up had it come down to a grind. This win will only increase the popularity of red-hot sire Candy Ride.

Today Was a Fairytale

2010-03-06T20:43:00.004-05:00

So I may have stolen that title from a recent Taylor Swift single, but it seems to fit most of my days. I couldn't help but feel like I was in blissful dream when taking the following photos this morning. But in fact I was at what is soon to be my full time job, it was about 7 am, and I was alone outside the barn in perfect unbroken silence. This has always been my favourite time of the day; the time when I am alone, with the horses, before the hustle and bustle of business begins, when I can simply enjoy being, and being with my animals.

What is your favourite time of the day? What is your fairytale?

Want to Hear a Story?

2010-03-05T20:49:00.004-05:00

While I would like to be going to bed right now (please don't notice that it's 9:00 on a Friday evening), my computer is taking eons to upload a video. But on the bright side, its allowed me some time to share a couple of stories. Not musings or reminiscences...real stories, that I wrote today:

Sea The Stars, 2009 Cartier horse of the year, has the first five mares of his stellar first book scanned in foal. These include the dams of Zarkava and George Washington. Zarkava herself is scheduled to visit Sea The Stars later this year.

See The Story on Sea The Stars

My colleague and friend Esther Marr was kind enough to let me post some of my foaling experiences on her blog "Beyond The Blinkers" as a guest blog. The response has been greater than I could have imagined. Today, the blog was even picked up by the Kentucky Horse Council, which posted it to their website.

Original blog on "Beyond The Blinkers".

KHC Website.

Thanks again for reading everyone. It's hard to believe I have just two weeks left at The Blood-Horse. Well three, if you include Derby week. And you really should include Derby week!

And also, I just made the great discovery today that I was able to dumb down my security preferences to allow anyone to comment on my blog. The deed has been done. Feel free to comment away!

Back Again!

2010-03-02T20:15:00.003-05:00

Since Turf Beat has been badly neglected over the past few weeks, I'm coming back tonight with lots of new info and photos!

Yesterday marked the end of a hectic week on call for foaling at Lane's End. Altogether we were pretty lucky though; 10 foals born on our watch, and all of them except two before midnight (excluding the one born at 6:30 am, a very reasonable time). Living about a 15 minute drive from the foaling barn we had a bit of trouble getting there on time for some of them. So on Saturday I made a pact with one of the mares, who graciously broke water while I was alone at the stall, allowing me to be in the stall first. Thanks girl.

In the past two weeks I have had two features come out in The Blood-Horse; the first one on the Simeone's, and this week on sires relocating to Canada. Apparently the latter story, largely featuring Adena Springs, motivated that farm to purchase 560 extra copies to use for advertising in Canada. That's a pretty big boost! Look for my feature on Aiken next week. Of all the features I wrote during my internship, I'm most proud of that one.

This week marks week eight of 10 of my internship. It's so hard to believe that after all the hard work to get here, it's almost over. I recall learning about the internship program being I was even accepted to GH, and imagining what it would be like to intern at The Blood-Horse. I started seriously pursuing it in second year by sending in story ideas and freelancing, and I distinctly remember receiving the e-mail last August inviting me to come to Kentucky. In just three weeks the internship will be over, and another two weeks later I will hand in my thesis, and my university career will be effectively over.

Well that's enough reminiscing for now; there's too much to look forward to in the future to stay stuck in the past. Since I left you all hanging for so long, I will now let the cat out of the bag: I'm currently working on arrangements to stay in Kentucky through the spring and summer, working at Lane's End. I've found a real great niche here and learned so much already, I can't imagine wrapping this trip up after just 10 weeks. It will be a very long time away from my family and extended family in Canada, but I've met some very wonderful people here and I know I'll get through just fine.

While it has been a bit tiring working seven days a week, I'm very glad to be spending time in the office at Lane's End on Sundays. This is a side of the industry I have yet to experience, and should contribute to creating well rounded management material!

Ok, without further ado, here are some photos from the last couple of weeks. My March resolution: to keep you all a little better updated through this month.

Flaming food at the Japanese restaurant we went to

She's not pawing her baby. She's just petting him.

White babe!

Another white babe!

Almost Forgot

2010-02-18T14:50:00.001-05:00

My first race advance for Bloodhorse.com, on Saturday's Fair Grounds Handicap:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/55421/two-go-for-three-straight-in-fg-handicap

Canadian, Eh?

2010-02-17T15:32:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I was asked if, because I'm from Canada, I have ever ridden a luge. Probably one of the most funny "Canada associations" I've heard yet. The answer is no. And I have never played hockey.

All Sides

2010-02-17T14:58:00.002-05:00

I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to see many sides of the Thoroughbred industry lately. I have of course been at The Blood-Horse and the Lane's End broodmare division for almost six weeks, and beginning Sunday I will be spending one day a week in the office at Lane's End seeing that side of the business. I am catching on to Horse Farm Manager, which will be an invaluable asset.

As I'm sure everyone has heard, Kentucky has been belted by snow this week. Records of snow in 49 states turned to 50 of 50 when snow was photographed on the Mauana Kea mountain in Hawaii. Hawaii has snow, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is struggling to keep enough of the white stuff for the Olympic Games? Are there pigs flying in either of these places, by any chance?

Production at The Blood-Horse was pushed back this week to accommodate Monday's holiday stakes; ironically, one of the main events, Oaklawn's Southwest Stakes, was canceled and rescheduled for Feb. 20 due to poor track conditions. While we have irony on the brain, my good friend Lauri Kenny reminded me this same thing happened in 2006, when the Southwest was won by Lawyer Ron (by Langfuhr). A legitimate case of irony could strike again if the 2009 edition is won by race contender Kitty's Turn by, you guessed it, Langfuhr.

All this three-year-old talk is infusing me with a growing case of Derby fever. If we're talking three-year-olds, I can't help but mention Sidney's Candy, the sophomore that I was most impressed with over the weekend. Whether or not he can stretch out his speed, he looks like a seriously gifted runner, and I look forward to seeing him compete wherever his niche may be. And I always like seeing homebreds out of homebreds do well. Keeping it in the family, you might say.

Iced

2010-02-10T14:58:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I got the opportunity to break the following story for Bloodhorse.com:

Jayaramans Remove 25 Horses From Ice Barn

While it is unfortunate to derive success from someone else's misfortunes, the fact that I was able to do this story was a great experience for me. I had to call Ice to confirm the rumour, and then speak with both him and Dr. Jayaraman about a very sensitive subject. I believe Bloodhorse.com was the first news source to break the story, and I was complimented on my work both by my colleagues at Bloodhorse and a writer at Thoroughbred Times. The story received more than 6000 hits by the time I left the office at 3 p.m. yesterday.

I've been enjoying working on my features, but this story really put a fire under me. Let's see what happens next.

Summer Bird at Santa Anita Park, November 2009

Photo by Me

Our First Month Together

2010-02-05T14:26:00.003-05:00

Today I have been in Kentucky for one month, and I can definitely say it's been a great month. Looking back so far I can say I've learned a lot, but the most important thing I've learned so far is that the old cliche "hard work pays off" really isn't a cliche at all. Add in very hard, dedication, loyalty, and heart, and you have a recipe for success. I am experiencing the results of that recipe now, and let me tell you, it tastes good.

On Wednesday I went to the Rood and Riddle vet lecture with a group from Lane's End. We learned about septic joints in foals, stem cell therapy, and the final lecture was from Dr. Larry Bramlage on bone chip and OCD removals. The lectures were great, and I met more really great people (that seems to be happening a lot).

We're at 14 foals at the farm now, and they're coming most nights, often in multiples. Last night a big, busy, handsome Ghostzapper colt was born.

My story on Aiken is nearing the finish line, and I have just been assigned a news feature on changes in Woodbine Entertainment and plans for the upcoming race meet.

Fishy Gill

2010-02-05T08:25:00.003-05:00

*NOTE: this is not a defense of Michael Gill, but rather a commentary on the ethics of some of the horse people involved in this situation.

I cannot help but wonder, what is going on with this story? In case you haven't been following the story these past few weeks, leading North American owner Michael Gill has literally been pushed out of Penn National racecourse. The incident began with jockeys refusing to ride in races involving Gill's horses after two of Gill's runners broke down during racing in a short span of time. What came next was Penn National rejecting entries of Gill horses, and just two days ago, Gill was abolished from that track altogether.

Last week, Gill announced that he stepping out of racing and selling all of his horses. Given the sheer size of Gill's transnational racing outfit, that leaves a lot of horses up for sale at Penn National.

Our own Tom LaMarra reported yesterday that Gill's horses are supposably being snatched up quickly by Penn National horsemen. In case it didn't, this is where the red flag should have gone up. Why are trainers and owners now clamouring for these horses that, less than a week ago, they refused to run against because they were too prone to catastrophic injury? These horses are apparently wanted by horsemen to race. There has been talk that some horsemen are disgruntled over Gill's lofty earnings and win percentages, and have taken these actions as the result of poor sportsmanship. While this, of course, cannot be verified, it is one possible dynamic in a situation that I find "very fishy".

To learn more about the Michael Gill situation, check out the following links:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/55199/gill-horses-a-hot-commodity-at-penn-national

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/55162/gill-ejected-says-hes-being-starved-out

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/55022/penn-temporarily-bans-horses-owned-by-gill

Zero

2010-02-05T08:15:00.004-05:00

In other racing news, Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella announced today that Oaklawn would increase the purse of the April 3 Apple Blossom (gr. I) to $5 million should both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra start in the race. Cella has been known as a hardy sportsman: in 2004 he put up a one-time, $5 million bonus for any horse that could sweep the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby, and Kentucky Derby, to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Oaklawn Park. A short while later a horse called Smarty Jones raced onto the scene and nailed down each of the three contests. Cella happily paid up.

I commend Cella for once again stepping up to the plate and trying to do a good deed for the sport. While the chances look very good for Zenyatta to show up at Oaklawn on April 4, Jess Jackson had previously stated that Rachel is unlikely for the Apple Blossom. This brings me back to my thoughts when Zenyatta's "unretirement" was announced, and thoughts of a face off began whirling around. Call me the pessimist on this one, and I desperately hope I am wrong, but I will believe these two mares will compete together the moment I see them break from the gate, and not before. Someone always has a reason or excuse not to meet, and for that reason, I believe these two horses will stay apart. In summary, how many times do I predict Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra will compete in the same race: Zero.

Zenyatta at Santa Anita the day before he win in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I)

Photo by Me!

Papa Riley

2010-02-02T09:21:00.001-05:00

I have been fortunate in my life to have lost few people that are close to me, but that does not make the departure of those who have left hurt any less. Today is the ninth anniversary of my grandfather (Papa Riley’s) death.

I was just 12 when Papa Riley died. When I was 13, I began to develop an interest in racehorses, and of course we all know how that went. At that ripe young age I would sit in front of the TV for hours mesmerized by the races, while my parents and grandmother mused in the background about whether Papa Riley, who was once a thoroughbred trainer, would have encouraged my new addiction or not. I think the fact that it grew into what it is today is indicative of the answer.

As the years have passed my memories of him have faded, but the ones I still have are beautiful. I remember the Christmas when he and Gramma came home from Florida on Christmas Eve and surprised the whole family. I remember riding around with him in the golf cart in Florida filling up sandbags to line the driveway with lighted candles inside, which was a Christmas Eve tradition there. I remember when he would golf in mom and dad’s front yard, and Kristen and I would chase after the balls and collect them (I never said we were brilliant as children). I remember riding in the cab of the transport when he would drive Kristen and I home from the cottage. I vaguely remember a trip to the Peterborough zoo. I remember once going for a canoe ride at the cottage, and reaching out to touch the lily pads on the water, the most mesmerizing event of my very young life.

More than anything, I remember his kind heart. Those memories above seem to get more distant with each passing year, and I have trouble remembering very specific events that he was a part of. I no longer remember exactly how tall he was, exactly what his voice sounded like, or the specific shapes of the lines along his tanned face. But I do remember his smile, how it would crinkle his eyes and how he would wipe tears from his face when he got laughing really hard (usually at something we kids did to annoy Gramma!) And I remember how much he loved us, and that was a lot. And I know that whether or not he agreed with my career path, he would never begrudge me if he saw how happy I was, and he would never deny that I should follow my dream. Since I am so unmistakably (and proudly) my mother on the outside, I like to think that I carry a little piece of him on the inside.

Winter Weather Warning

2010-02-01T15:02:00.002-05:00

In anticipation of the crippling winter storm that was to hit Kentucky and many surrounding states on Friday night, I looked outside Saturday morning to find Berry Ave blanketed in snow, and it was still coming hard. As it turns out, the snow was not so much the problem as was the lack of resources to deal with it. Few streets and roads are salted or plowed, and snow brushes and snow shovels are rare personal commodities (I carry both in my car!). The foul weather cleared up late morning, however, and it became a beautiful day to be on the farm. We now have nine foals on the ground here, and there is a long waiting list for mares to get into the foaling barn.

On Sunday I finally got the chance (and the luck of a beautiful day) to walk through downtown Versailles. Most businesses in the small towns here are closed, or open limited hours, on Sundays, so I resorted to window shopping, which I'm sure my intern budget will thank me for later. Here are some photos from my walk:

Double Life

2010-01-29T09:04:00.003-05:00

If there's any way to lead a "double life", this is the way to do it. I'm spending my days writing and challenging people to baking contests at Blood-Horse, and my nights in the foaling barn at Lane's End. What could be better? (Perhaps also spending my days in the foaling barn? That time will come).

We were called out to the foaling barn twice on Tuesday night, once for a false alarm, and the second time to deliver a Bernardini filly out of the maiden Kingmambo mare Diverse. I was allowed to do a lot of the work, which was an excellent opportunity to learn the Lane's End way of doing things. Now I have foaling fever; I'm back in the mindset of wanting to be the first one there for every single one, but with 129 still to go, I have a feeling that might catch up with me!

I've decided to cancel my trip to Aiken for this weekend, on account of some bad weather that is supposed to be moving through the area. In other news from the Blood-Horse office, the highly acclaimed Choc-O-Ron cookies (courtesy of Blood-Horse online editor Ron Mitchell) have come under bold attack from Kelsey's unbranded chocolate chip cookies. This unexpected move has shaken up the editorial department as they challenge the two competitors to decide who has the better product (that or they just want the food). A verdict will be decided and reported on at a later date.

Sensitivity

2010-01-25T21:36:00.002-05:00

I’ve been told that I shouldn’t be so sensitive. Let me specify that the type of sensitivity I’m referring to is not defensiveness or cynicism. The type of sensitivity I am accused, and guilty of, having is the type of emotion that causes empathy to painful degrees, and the type of emotion that causes me to form strong attachments to those around me, both humans and animals. I am quick to fall in love with anything I feel an affinity towards, which causes me to be hurt more than I probably should be. I feel bonded to those I get along with and those I admire. I used to listen to what I was told; I thought my sensitivity was a poor character trait and I tried endlessly to make it go away, to be more tough.

Now I know that sensitivity is my greatest attribute.

Working with thoroughbreds, I am told constantly that I should not get attached to my animals. This is something I have never been able to comply with. I have lost more than a few of my precious angels, and the thoughts bring tears back to my eyes as I write this. While I fought with misery and grief over these losses, some of those around me were able to shrug it off as part of the job. I believe that when horses come down to assets as part of a business, that those business manager needs to run, and quickly. Between grief and nothing, I choose grief, because if there is grief, there was once love. And if I cannot have deep feelings for the animals in my care I will not enjoy my work, and therefore I will not be great at it. And crying is the easiest thing to do. If you can’t do that, then what can you do?

I recall being told once that I should think about myself and not do things because it pleases others. I have an undying need to please others. Let me be very clear: to please others, not to impress others. I love to make other people happy, and when I feel as if I’ve let someone I care about down, a part of me dies.

So for as long as I am privileged to be on this earth, I will love without fear, cry without shame, and do everything in my power to make those I love happy. Sensitivity is my number one trait: it is what makes me great at what I do. Try it on for size, you might like it.

Only in America

2010-01-25T21:21:00.004-05:00

While the Kentucky skies have finally let loose with a more seasonal snowfall, Saturday was a beautiful day to be out with the horses. This week saw three new arrivals at Lane's End, all happy, healthy colts. I was lucky enough to attend the birth of an After Market colt on Friday night. I've found that this experience, and everything I have partaken in so far at Lane's End, have been excellent learning experiences, but have also reaffirmed everything I learned in Canada. I am more than confident that I'm smart enough and experienced enough to be here and make an active contribution, which is a wonderful feeling.

I woke up Sunday morning (my day off) to pouring rain, so I went for a visit to the Lane's End stallion barn to get a dose of sunshine from Wando, which would have been enough to keep me going all winter long. I cannot get enough of him, and still feel like a child every time I see him. It's such a wonderful feeling.

While I would have opted for better weather on my day off, I was forced to actually stay in and relax, which was probably a good thing in light of the busy week I just entered. I will be traveling to Aiken, South Carolina on Thursday to do some work on a story and of course to visit friend. I'm very much looking forward to this mini trip.

Week three of my internship just started. This adventure is passing much too quickly, but there are too many exciting things that still lie ahead to be sad about that.

Also, I saw the Statue of Liberty walking down Versailles Road today. Only in America.

Job Jumping

2010-01-13T20:42:00.004-05:00

I learned today that I've been taken off night watch with some scheduling changes at Lane's End, but this may work out for the better. I may get to assist Farm Manager Mike Cline with booking mares, and also spending some time in the broodmare barns on Saturdays as well as be on call for foaling. With all of this on the table, I'll probably get as much experience as my young brain can handle!

Could I be loving The Blood-Horse any more? Well, maybe, with the new stories I have coming up. You'll have to wait until they come out to see, but I'm pretty excited about some features I now have on the table, and I'm enjoying doing some work for the website as well as the Eclipse Awards.

The weather warmed up here considerably today. I'd say it was like a typical late March/early April day in Canada. Just lovely.

Bouncing Baby Boy

2010-01-13T20:37:00.004-05:00

Sales pavilion at Keeneland. Currently in the ring is an A.P. Indy mare with the colt she foaled in the sales barn less than 24 hours earlier!

Wee Bernie

Desk Work

2010-01-11T20:24:00.005-05:00

Today I began my first ever desk job. That's right, out of the barn and into the office. What happened to Kelsey, you say? Don't run away screaming just yet. I should mention that the office is The Blood-Horse, Thoroughbred racing's most popular and respected magazine. It is crawling with racing enthusiasts, memorabilia and fact books. The only things missing are the hay, oats and horses.

The number of people I have met over the past week almost cannot be counted, and that ghost figure increase by at least 30 today. The day started off with an 8:30 a.m. editorial meeting, which I was fortunate to sit in on. After touring the areas of the building I left untouched last week, I sat down to familiarize myself with the Blood-Horse content management system. Throughout the day I was able to rewrite three press releases and see them posted to the website, which was rather exciting. Here they are:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/54751/first-foal-for-grade-ii-winner-zanjero

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/54754/ahc-releases-brochure-on-neglected-horse-care

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/54753/welker-to-operate-own-agency-in-2010

Did I mention that I have my own cubicle, Blood-Horse e-mail address and phone extension? Who would have thought!

All Darley, All Over the World

2010-01-11T20:04:00.003-05:00

After two long night shifts with little sleep in between, I dragged myself out of bed Sunday afternoon with the inspiration of a visit to the Darley open house. I was rewarded by seeing leading sires Street Cry, Elusive Quality, Medaglia D'Oro and Offlee Wild, and promising up- and-comers like Street Sense, Hard Spun, and Any Given Saturday. The two most captivating horses to me were Bernardini, probably one of the most outstanding animals (make that mammals to include humans) I have seen, and Holy Bull, for his flea bitten grey coat and beautiful silvery tail. He looked something of a mythical creature. With wonderful creatures like these gracing the Sheikh's land, it is plain to see why Thoroughbred fans are captivated by H.R.H's global dynasty.

Henny Hughes

Medaglia D'Oro

Any Given Saturday

Street Cry

Night Shift

2010-01-11T18:41:00.001-05:00

With names like Mr. Prospector, Storm Cat, A.P. Indy, Dixieland Band and Seattle Slew stamped across the stall doors, walking the aisle of mare barn 6 (the foaling barn) at Lane’s End feels more like walking on egg shells than concrete. This weekend I worked two night shifts in the foaling barn, which translates into 28 hours with 28 regally bred mares and their unborn foals. Some of these mares include the half sisters to Fusaichi Pegasus and Mineshaft, a full sister to A.P. Indy, and numerous grade one winners and producers. And this is just the first lot to foal. I’ve learned quickly that things work quite differently on a large farm than a small farm. I will not have as much opportunity to develop bonds with the mares or their foals, but at the same time 130 plus foalings in a year leaves room for invaluable learning experiences. The next three months for me will have a focus on gaining experience foaling and sharpening my skills in that area.

*Note to “farm designer people”: if you’re going to have 3000 acres of land, at least make some of the barns look different, or put up inner-farm road signs so that one does not get brutally lost and have to call for help every time they wish to get to or from their barn.

Thank you and best regards,

Newbie with no sense of direction.

(Note: I managed to find the appropriate exit without getting brutally lost after my Saturday night shift. I was incredibly proud of myself.)

Places to Go, Horses to Meet

2010-01-07T21:03:00.002-05:00

Below is a list of places I would like to go during my time in Kentucky. I will check them off as I visit them:

-Keeneland

-Churchill Downs

-Turfway Park

-Kentucky Horse Park

-Calumet Farm (is it still open to the public?)

-Claiborne Farm

-Gainesway Farm

-Three Chimneys Farm

-Ashford Stud

-Darley

-Taylor Made

-Adena Springs

So it's a little ambitious, but such is my nature.

Snow Day

2010-01-07T16:17:00.005-05:00

I would just like to say that despite the blame I received today, the snowfall in Kentucky is not my fault! While I found humour in everyone stocking their shelves yesterday, I must admit a fair amount of snow fell today. Despite this, I spent the majority of the day out exploring.

This morning I toured The Blood-Horse with Editorial Director Eric Mitchell, who is also my supervisor for my internship. I enjoyed checking out the building. I got to meet many of the writers, editors and researchers, as well as the video production guys. Everyone was super nice, and I look forward to working with them. I will even have my own little cubicle!

After my Blood-Horse tour I dropped in on the Lane's End foaling barn again, just to try and sort out the ropes before my first shift tomorrow night. It will be a long one, 4 p.m. - 6 a.m., but I'll have many beautifully bred mares to occupy that time. I'm still a little intimidated about starting at a new place with a new routine after being at Schonberg for four years, but at least my first shifts here look like they will be quiet.

I finally stopped by the stallion complex for a little quality time with my number one man, Wando. His friendly greetings and slobbery kisses made me feel like I'm all the way back home, which was a nice feeling during a time when I'm still largely unfamiliar with everything. Although he wore a blanket, he appears to be very fluffy and pudgy, which is a good look for him. His daddy, Langfuhr, wouldn't give me a moment's glance, but Curlin, War Pass, Mineshaft, City Zip, and Aragorn in particular were also very friendly.

Plans for tonight include going into downtown Versailles to check out the inside of my future house, which renos seem to be delayed on again. Below are a few pictures to describe the day (why did I write all of the above, then?)

A.P. Indy snacking

Curlin sporting the look of champions (or more particularly, two Horse of the Year crowns).

Editorial Intern!

Snowfall.

The Road

2010-01-06T21:03:00.001-05:00

Driving into Versailles, Kentucky is like driving into my own personal paradise. Although I must admit, my perceptions could have been skewed by the 10 hours I spent in the car yesterday. I departed Brantford, Ontario, Canada shortly before 7 am on Tuesday. After ducking into the nearest Timmies to grab my final double-double for the next few months, I trekked on towards Windsor. With the help of many radio stations and even more windshield washer fluid, I arrived at the border shortly before 11. This was the most eventful part of my trip, as the immigration office was apparently designed to act more like an interrogation room. I got through smoothly, but not before seeing others get rudely interrogated, and one especially angry customs officer violently crumple a man’s papers and throw them on the floor. Boy, was I glad I didn’t end up in her line!

After being released from the immigration office, the final five hours of my journey were clear sailing. This part of the trip consisted of many miles, one bathroom break, and the consumption of half a delicious chicken sandwich, courtesy of Mom.

I arrived at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, at 4:45 p.m. I was shown to my temporary apartment, as my “permanent” home for the next three months is undergoing some minor repairs (I should be there next week). With my long trip finally catching up to me, I crawled into bed at 7:30 p.m.

Today consisted of some serious grocery shopping, a tour of the farm, and a drive-by (glance) of the Blood-Horse. I will be starting at Lane’s End working two night shifts this week (Friday and Saturday nights), and continuing on Saturday nights thereafter. The farm tour was great, although with each road we turned down and with each barn we visited, I only became more lost. According to more than a few of the staff members, this is normal for newbies. I’m very excited to get to know the mares a little better. Lane’s End is pulsing with regal bloodlines. One of the mares I handled today was Tranquility Lake, dam of After Market and Jalil.

After going for a driving adventure through downtown Versailles and over to the Blood-Horse offices, I finally settled down to dinner and blogging. Tomorrow promises to be just as busy: a visit to Blood-Horse in the morning, and another visit to Lane’s End in the afternoon. This time I hope to stop by the stallion complex.

The past two days have been long and taxing, with small bouts of homesickness aided by beautiful scenery and even more beautiful horses. I can’t wait to see what the next three months will hold.

For photos, click here

Year in Review

2009-12-31T14:37:00.002-05:00

2009, like all other years, was a year to remember. While previous years have held more singular exciting incidents, this year held a steady course of happiness, excitement, and of course, tears. It served as a nice wrap up to 2005 through 2008, and a great preview to what will come in 2010.

The most monumental factor of 2009 is the transition it has kick started in my life. This year I finished my University classroom work and wrapped up my job at Schonberg Farm (at least for now). I secured an internship at The Blood-Horse, accomodations at Lane's End Farm and am planning to do some travelling, all of which are to commence in 2010. 2009 will be remembered as the year when plans were made. 2010 will be the year to put those plans into action.

2009 started off with a bang, as I was heavily wrapped up in freelance writing for The Game and executing my duties as Editor-in-Chief of the school paper. The insanity continued throughout the winter, and I was very relieved to wrap up the school year and begin my fifth summer working at Schonberg Farm. Without a letdown, the summer also commenced with a bang, with five foals born in four days as soon as I started back. Our racing season began shortly thereafter, and the fruition of our hard work was finally realized as horses like First Circle, Woodsmoke and Politelyprecocious kicked off a 16-win season. The American racing scene was one of the most thrilling for me in a couple of years, as I wholeheartedly cheered on two Birdstone progeny, Mine That Bird and Summer Bird, to win the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Mine That Bird allowed me to have my second story published in The Blood-Horse.

The hard work hammered on at the farm, and in early July I ventured to B.C. for a weekend vacation. The summer continued with a lot of hard work and a few fun nights out.

In September I headed back to school, and began my new job with Mike's stable at the track. Being involved on the track side of the industry proved to be a lot of fun, and working with the athletes I had helped foal and raise was very thrilling and rewarding. In November I travelled to California for the second year in a row to attend the Breeders' Cup, which was naturally an excellent trip which can be summed up as the "Zenyatta Show". A week later I took a road trip with Lauri to Kentucky. I had the time of my life looking at horses and talking about horses for two straight days, and I got to visit Wando for the first time in two years.

In the midst of all this travelling, I completed my thesis proposal and hammered away at five other courses. Now, I have finished my classroom education at Guelph-Humber and am making my final preparations to travel to Kentucky for three months.

2009 has been a year to remember. Here's to hoping it kick starts the next chapter of my life in style.

End Point

2009-12-31T09:33:00.001-05:00

There are some things they don’t tell you when you start school. As I leave Guelph-Humber and venture into this big playground called the world, a flurry of emotions are making their rounds within me. There is the excitement of finally being finished: all those late nights agonizing over that seemingly meaningless essay are now over. Following excitement is anxiety: have I learned enough? Am I good enough? This anxiety spurs fear, as I remember that I am leaving the only life I have known for four years, and I wonder what it will be like to adjust to a new life as a working person. The final emotion is humbleness. After much excitement, fear, and anxiety, I am on the cusp of completing this journey and earning a university degree.

These last four years of my life have rushed by like the turning pages of a dramatic novel. University life has spurned the darkest times of my life, but also some of the most exciting. While I have often questioned the façade of academia and debated it’s true importance, the bottom line is that my status as a journalism student has provided me opportunities that may have otherwise been obscure.

And now it is the end. To future Guelph-Humber students, I say this: first year is the hardest, and once you have completed this hurdle, a little heart and a lot of hard work will take you the rest of the way. Don’t listen to your professors on the first day of class. You may spend two hours a week on one class, or ten hours on another. Tune out the professor and take some time to digest everything. It’s not as bad as it may seem. There is time to do everything.

Do not wait. Starting your assignments early will give you more time, more confidence and allow for more creativity. A hard-earned, successful end result far outweighs the bragging rights of an all-nighter assignment.

Discount no one. You never know who you can learn from, and this does not disclude classmates. No matter how superior of a writer you feel you may be, listen to your editors. You never know who you can learn something from, and I repeat this phrase for a purpose. Take advantage of every learning opportunity.

You will encounter many professors during your four years. Some will be life changing, other’s names will be forgotten by the next semester. Professors are never as frightening as they are during the first class, and they may just be the one to inspire you. No matter how your instructor dresses or how bizarre they may seem, they may just be brilliant. Never discount a conversation because it seems tedious or irrelevant at the time. Listen to everyone. These people are teachers for a reason.

It is not always necessary to operate by the textbook. Take it class by class. If the reading does not help you learn, don’t do it. If the lectures don’t inspire you, don’t attend. But have an eye to what does help you learn, and make your best effort. Disinterest or dislike is not an excuse to deem the class pointless or stupid. Remember, you’re paying for it. You may as well try to take something from it.

Most importantly, make time for friends. Professors, aquaintances and classes will come and go, but friends are forever. Make time for them. You may quickly forget that paper you did just average on, but you will never forget the smiles, laughter and love of true friends. Get to know as many people as you can, and learn to love everyone. It makes the sometimes agonizing experiences survivable, and the most difficult four years of your life unforgettable. Thank you to all those who helped me through the excitement and agony. Thank you for keeping my head above water. We survived. We did it.

Three

2009-12-17T22:58:00.003-05:00

Just when I thought the racing season was over, we logged three more wins in Maryland. Zarroc won a $32,000 optional claimer at Laurel, paying $32.90. He follows up wins by Longlasting and Cheers Mate, the latter having won three races for us this year, joining Woodsmoke as our co-winningest horse. Our other multiple winner was First Circle. Overall, Gus Schickedanz's stable has now won 16 races this year, stellar considering it more than doubles last year's record. I learned that hard work truly does pay off. I also learned that the winners circle is kind of a fun place to be!

Pieces of the Puzzle

2009-12-17T08:36:00.003-05:00

The pieces of puzzle that is my internship at The Blood-Horse are coming together. I will be leaving Canada and arriving in Versailles, Kentucky on January 5, 2010. Over the past few weeks, I have learned that I will be contributing to magazine content including features and race reports, as well as writing stories for the website and getting feedback from editors on my work. I look forward to working in each of these capacities, but I'm particularly interested in doing some work for the website, as this is where I have the least experience. I can't wait to get some feedback on my work from some of the most respected writers and editors in the Thoroughbred industry. My hours to begin with will be Monday to Friday, 8 am to 3 pm, and will likely change according to workload and important events.

I will be living in a house owned by Lane's End Farm in downtown Versailles, with a girl my age. I will spend a couple days a week in the foaling barns there, where they will be foaling about 150 mares this year. This is many more than what I'm used to, and I look forward to all the learning opportunities that come along with those numbers.

I will be returning to Canada when my visa expires for the month of April. My plans afterward are not set in stone.

Demo!

2009-12-07T11:30:00.005-05:00

A little preview of the on-screen charisma and handy camera work learned at Guelph-Humber. Last Friday, one of my classmates and I covered a protest put on by our public relations counterparts from GH. Here's an overview, shot, edited, and reported on avec moi (they have also taught us French).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFqq3dWl_m0

Solid Sands

2009-12-02T11:38:00.002-05:00

Click HERE for a thought-provoking article by Blood-Horse editor Dan Liebman on the influence of HH Sheikh Mohammed on the Thoroughbred industry during the global recession. The financial difficulties of Dubai have recently been brought to light, and it would be foolish for Thoroughbred industry participants to take this lightly, considering the strong influence Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock empire has on Thoroughbred racing globally. Having said that, it would also be foolish to believe that Sheikh Mohammed would leave high and dry the industry that he so strongly supports. There is no saying what may happen with his global racing empire, but should any changes be made, there is no doubt in this journalist's mind that they will be made reasonably, and with the greater good in mind. As far as his racing and breeding operations are concerned, Sheikh Mohammed is first and foremost a horse person, more than can be said for some of the more prominent owners and breeders in North America today. While I am onboard with the many who believe that young stallions such as Bernardini, Street Sense and Hard Spun should have stayed on track past their three-year-old years, let's face reality: in the climate of today's breeding business, if Darley hadn't plucked these colts from the track in the prime of their careers, someone else would have. This is no legitimate reason to knock Sheikh Mohammed. The Sheikh injects millions of dollars into our industry, creates thousands of jobs globally, and displays the ultimate love of horses and sportsmanship this sport is desperately lacking. Instead of criticizing this leader, perhaps we should take a page from his book.

Thank you for bringing this issue up for conversation, Mr. Liebman.

Horse of the Year Home Run

2009-12-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

Click HERE to read an excellent guest blog on bloodhorse.com regarding the current Horse of the Year pandemonium. Mr. Sealy hits a home run with this one. In the midst of the outrage between Zenyatta and Rachel fans, who has stopped to think about the real issue at hand? Had these two lovely ladies actually raced against each other, as was anticipated very publicly all year long, there would be no question as to who gets the crown. The best horse should be decided in a race, not by hundreds of voters waging words of war. I have been reading a lot lately about the origins of horse racing for my thesis on engaging fans, and Mr. Sealy depicts it perfectly: horse racing began with the challenge of obtaining the fastest horse, which led to social standing in society. It was all about sport, sportsmanship and socializing. Somewhere, we lost our way. And, as Mr. Sealy says, those who are serious about keeping horse racing alive must recognize an opportunity that was missed this year. While Rachel and Zenyatta were both no doubt much needed water to an increasingly parched sport, an opportunity was missed to return to the roots of racing, and regain the sportsmanship that crafted the beginnings of the game we love.

Bite of Bobby

2009-11-26T11:38:00.002-05:00

I have yet to weigh in on the recent passing of racing legend Bobby Frankel, but, like many others, I do have a story. I encountered Bobby just once in my racing adventures (it would be a stretch to say I met him). This was in August 2004, while I was at Saratoga for the Travers. At 16, I was fairly new to the racing scene, but I knew who Bobby was. I knew Medaglia D'oro, Empire Maker, Sightseek, Tates Creek and Heat Haze, among many others. And I knew he trained one of my favourite older runners, Peace Rules. I did not know about Bobby's often crusty facade, nor did I understand the privacy with which some trainers like to blanket their barns. I came across Bobby's barn while exploring the Saratoga backside, and was delighted to see the legendary trainer standing outside. Bouncing up to him, I announced to Bobby that I would like to meet Peace Rules. He stared down at me blankly for a moment, a look of surprise on his face as he assessed the gangly adolescent frame staring up at him. Finally muttering "okay", he led me over to the stall and walked away. Those were the only words and few moments of contact I ever had with Bobby, but as I've grown and learned more about racing and Bobby's legendary character, I would often think back on that morning and laugh. Bobby was well known for his gruff character, but the consent he made that day for a young girl who loved a horse showed how much Bobby really cared.

Secret Shame

2009-11-26T00:16:00.003-05:00

Much has been written about the renaming of the Lady's Secret (gr. I) the Zenyatta, effective for the 2010 renewal of the race. Many racing fans are dismayed by the total disregard being given to Lady's Secret, myself amongst them. Aside from the general arguments that this change is being made too quickly, and what will happen in 10 years when another super mare comes along (both valid), here is my take on the situation as a young racing fan:

Lady's Secret etched her place in history two years before I was born. I did not know her as a racehorse, but I have learned about her legacy, much of which has been carried on in this race named in her honour. While I did not watch Lady's Secret race herself, I have watched numerous renewals of the Lady's Secret Stakes, and recognize it to be a prestigious event; any horse who has won or showed up well in this event is one to watch. On the flipside, I followed Zenyatta throughout her 14-race demolition, and need not hear more than her name to appreciate the wonderful champion she is, and the accomplishments she has made. The Zenyatta Stakes, however, is meaningless to me, and I am more likely to scan over it unintentionally on a racing form rather than give it the respect it deserves.

Secondly, it is not a secret (no pun intended) that the sport of horse racing is craving new fans. Watching its fan base age, the sport's leaders are tirelessly pondering ways to bring in younger followers. It is not easy, but, in this respect, it's also not rocket science: if we don't respect our legends of the past, how can we expect new fans to respect them, and understand what this sport is all about? If we don't respect our own legends, the heart, soul and foundation of this sport, business and industry, how can we expect fans to respect us?

A little graphic design skill. Just a little.

2009-11-24T15:23:00.004-05:00

Here is the magazine layout I created for my story on horse slaughter. Please note this is a shortened version of the story, necessary to fit the layout. Click on images to enlarge.

Turf Beat, Live!

2009-11-22T22:07:00.002-05:00

Here is the magazine cover and content page for the presently-fictitious Turf Beat, a Canadian Thoroughbred racing news magazine. These were done as assignments for my fourth year advanced magazine journalism class:

The Best of Years

2009-11-22T21:44:00.003-05:00

In my four plus years working for Gus’s operation, this year was by far the best on the racing end. Gus’s horses racked up 13 wins, 2 stakes wins, 2 two-year-old winners, and three repeat winners (Woodsmoke, First Circle and Cheers Mate). There were many other strong efforts, giving preview to a promising 2010 season.

Tomorrow morning, the racehorses will pack up and van to Aiken for the winter. Four have shipped to Maryland, and one is already a winner there.

With this racing season wrapped up and packed away, here are some of my favourite moments from this year:

· Woodsmoke breaking her maiden in her first start, with Politelyprecocious third in the same race. Woodsmoke would go on to win the Fury and Alywow stakes in exciting front running fashion.

· Politely breaking her maiden on Kentucky Derby day, then watching Mine That Bird from the bar while celebrating the win.

· After finishing valiant seconds in two stakes (one by a wisker), First Circle closed out the year with a decisive allowance win.

· Silent Wisper becoming our first Wando winner.

· Mobil Unit following up his maiden victory with two impressive stakes showings.

· Artic Fern finishing a promising second in his first and only start of the year.

Okay, so what didn’t I list? Each horse and each race is special in some way, and each win is one we will never forget, whether it was a $50,000 claiming race or a $500,000 stake.

This fall, I had the good fortune of working for Mike a few days a week. This was a very new experience for me, coming from the farm, but one of the greatest experiences I have had. Working with the athletes in the barn was thrilling, and a wonderful sanctuary from the stresses of school. I met a lot of amazing people here; I can honestly say there wasn’t one person in the barn that I didn’t have an interesting conversation with, and I gained a great appreciation and respect for each one of these people. To spend time with so many people who love horses was truly a gift, and it is something I will remember fondly and cherish for a long time. The only thing left to do is to say thank you to each and every one of those people. Have a great winter, and see you next year.

A "Wandoful" Weekend!

2009-11-20T21:33:00.004-05:00

While I have been pulling at the bit to head to Kentucky ever since I was accepted as an intern at The Blood-Horse in August, a recent two-day visit only increased my adrenaline. On perhaps the warmest November weekend of my 21 years, I was lucky enough to attend two days of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale and drop into Lane's End, where I will be taking up residence for my ten week internship. The highlights of the trip included by and far seeing Wando, who looked as spectacular as ever (or perhaps more), meeting Curlin for the first time, meeting Mr. Bill Farish and Mike Cline for discussion on my stay at Lane's End, and spending hours on end looking at horses at Keeneland, a great way to tweak my eye for conformation.

Below is a photo of Wando. For more photos from Lane's End (including Curlin, Langfuhr, Candy Ride, and Rock Hard Ten) check out the new Turf Beat Picasa Album.

Horse Slaughter: Complications and Intricacies

2009-11-18T16:56:00.004-05:00

I've just finished the following article for my fourth-year advanced magazine journalism class. The goal of the article was to examine both sides of the highly-controversial horse slaughter argument, and to compare and contrast these arguments and present them to readers in an objective manner so they may make their own decision as to which side they fall on. It is important to note that this article only brushes the surface of either side of the argument; I could have gone for 8000 words 0r more, but there is a limit. More information can be found on both anti and pro-slaughter arguments by simply Googling these terms.

I hope you enjoy.

People across the world are drawn to the grace and beauty of the horse. The exquisite features, shattering strength and breathtaking athleticism of this animal has made it a model of magnificence for leisure, work and sport for thousands of years.

Much of the evolution of human civilization has revolved around the horse. Right through to the mid 1800s, people used horses for the farming that put food on tables, for transportation of people and products, and for the leisure and sport that filled their downtime. Kings and rulers built their empires on horseback, and horses even went to war. In other words, there was little a horse could not do, and much that couldn’t be done without it.

Today, this is not the case. With the evolution of technology and machinery, the need for horses apart from recreational purposes has largely disappeared. Many people still use horses for sporting, leisure, and companionship, but few aside from the small community of people who breed and own these horses think about what happens to them when they are no longer useful to their owners. Those who do think about it often imagine them living out a happy retirement, grazing amongst a happy herd on lush farmland. Few would imagine that these elegant animals could be impaled, hung, and dragged down the processing line of a horse slaughterhouse.

But this is the reality for thousands of North American horses each year. While some horses change owners numerous times and unintentionally end up in the hands of a ‘kill buyer’, others are purposely sold for slaughter.

This state of affairs has inspired people like former IT professor and anti-horse slaughter advocate Alex Brown to lobby for an end to the killing of these animals.

For Brown, there are more than 3000 reasons to shut the slaughter industry down. That is the number of horses, and counting, that have been saved from the slaughter pipeline by Brown and his followers from the lobby group Alex Brown Racing since 2006.

A man of small stature, Brown doesn’t appear to be the type to move mountains. Thick layers of clothing shield him from the late October chill, his winter-weathered skin fading into the multicultural backdrop of backstretch workers at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack. Upon first impression, 45-year-old Brown is like most other stable employees. He braves the early mornings and progressively more bitter weather to make a living working with horses. A second glance, however, will reveal that the English-born exercise rider has a determined focus, and, where principle is concerned, would be more likely to ascend the Appalachians than to rest on his laurels.

“We (Alex Brown Racing) do a lot of work on the horse slaughter issue, lobbying (and) trying to effect change,” Brown said. “We’re also working within the horse slaughter pipeline, pulling horses out and rescuing them. We’ve raised more than a million dollars, and rescued probably 3100 horses.”

Brown became immersed in the horse slaughter issue following the death of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. Bringing an undefeated record to the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of America’s Triple Crown, Barbaro never made it to the finish line: he shattered his right hind leg shortly after leaving the starting gate, and was taken by horse ambulance to the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania to undergo rigorous and dangerous surgery. This started a national rally behind Barbaro, in which Brown played a key role.

Prior to Barbaro’s Triple Crown campaign, Brown had been little more than a small blip on the popular colt’s radar, an underachieving blogger with an interest in horses and social media. But when he began blogging about Barbaro after his Kentucky Derby win, Brown’s popularity grew rapidly. Then, following Barbaro’s injury, readership of his blog skyrocketed as fans swarmed to his web page for information.

Over the next eight months, Brown would continue to provide comprehensive coverage of Barbaro’s recovery. When the celebrated Thoroughbred ultimately succumbed to complications from his injuries in January 2007, his owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, identified the anti-horse slaughter cause as an important issue to them. They suggested fans could take up this cause to channel their grief for Barbaro.

As a result, Brown began researching horse slaughter and gathering others to join the cause through his website, Alexbrownracing.com. Today Brown travels North America, working at different racetracks and managing his website. He has been in Canada for the past two years, working for leading trainer Steve Asmussen and raising awareness for horse slaughter.

Anti-slaughter advocates, mostly grassroots groups, are armed with many reasons why this practice should be banned, most of which revolve around the inhumanity of the executioners and the injustice to the horse. The reality, however, is that horse slaughter is a highly controversial and widely contested issue.

The other side of the argument, armed with strong reasons of its own, is the pro-slaughter community. It is largely comprised of government officials and livestock groups. These people fight for equality across the livestock sector, for property rights, and, for what they interpret as the welfare of unwanted and abused horses, contrary to the anti-slaughter side.

“We make our business with livestock, and we have a level-headed way of looking at animals and how we use them,” said Sue Wallis, a rancher and State of Wyoming Legislature Representative who is against the proposed horse slaughter ban. “We understand that horses were domesticated to be very multiple purpose animals and always have been, in the vast majority of the world, considered an ordinary food animal.”

Both pro and anti slaughter proponents bring a plethora of arguments and tactics to the table, and both are able to appeal to certain audiences as to why their side is right.

In 2007 the last remaining American slaughterhouses, two in Texas and one in Illinois, were closed by state legislation. This has encouraged anti-slaughter groups to shift their efforts to the federal level, in hopes of permanently banning slaughter across the U.S.. In the meantime, pro-slaughter groups have been working to ensure these bills do not pass. They are driven by a fear of growth in the numbers of unwanted horses, which they believe will lead to worse abuse and neglect.

“Without (slaughter), the only low-end horses that have any value at all are those big and healthy enough to be worth trucking to Canada or Mexico,” Wallis said. “So that leaves all those old horses, horses that people can’t afford any longer, (and) horses that are crippled or damaged, with nowhere to go.”

The website Amillionhorses.com, a website documents cases of horse abandonment and neglect in America. The motivation for this site is the belief that if slaughter is banned, abuse will soar, as owners who can no longer dispose of their horses economically also find themselves unable to care for them. The website’s homepage claims that, without slaughter, America will be faced with one million unwanted horses in ten years’ time. This calculation is based on the fact that more than 100,000 horses have gone to slaughter annually in recent years. Wallis says that cases of abuse and neglect have been “horrifically magnified” since the closing of U.S. slaughter houses. “There’s been just an absolute explosion all across the country of abandoned and neglected and starving horses,” she explains. “Out here in the West, they just take them out and dump them in the desert. Back East, they turn them out in state parks, (or) they turn them out on roads and people run into them with their cars.”

Alex Brown, however, argues that the number of horses slaughtered each year far outnumber those that are abused and abandoned. In addition, Brown has seen firsthand that the unwanted horses turned out on the highway are often horses that slaughterhouses would reject anyway. In other words, they have no cash value. They are not sought after by ‘kill buyers’, people paid by slaughter houses to find horses worth slaughtering.

“I go to kill auctions, and the kill buyers want the young healthy horses, and they pay a premium for them,” Brown said. “The kill buyer has a contract with the slaughter house to buy a certain number of horses. They get more money for better looking, healthier horses.” Brown believes that the fact that these unwanted horses that Wallis describes are often not those picked up by kill buyers gives the lie to the pro-slaughter argument that these animals would be ‘saved’ by humane execution .

This view is shared by Simone Netherlands, a natural horse trainer in Arizona.

“I go to all these auctions, and it’s really tough,” Netherlands said. “You have the killer buyers and the horse rescues bidding against each other. That in itself tells you if they [the kill buyers] weren’t there these horses could have gone to good homes.” Netherlands stresses that it is not only rescue facilities that kill buyers are bidding against, but also people looking to buy horses for recreational animals and companions.

Netherlands, who fights horse slaughter under the name Respect 4 Horses (respect4horses.com), suggests that rather than providing a disposal for unwanted horses, the option of slaughter encourages overbreeding and in itself creates the problem of unwanted horses. Where Wallis believes that ending slaughter would create a plethora of abandoned horses, Netherlands insists that banning slaughter would force breeders to upgrade their operations, breeding only the finest animals out of fear they would be stuck with the lifelong care and feeding of inferior ones.

A controversial aspect of the horse slaughter dispute is the fact that horses are legally classified as livestock. The purpose is to allow owners to receive tax incentives to breed them. But this has the unintended effect of grouping horses with stock that is slaughtered for food, such as cows, pigs and chickens. That suits pro-slaughter advocates, who believe any animal raised for profit is ‘livestock’ and should fall under the same blanket term. But anti-slaughter groups see horses as an exception.

“The reality is, horses are different from other livestock,” Brown said. “We train them, they trust us, we give them names, and they compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It doesn’t matter if they’re tax classified or not. They just [aren’t] livestock.”

Laws classifying horses as livestock also mean that they are, legally, ‘property’. This definition is used with effect by the pro-slaughter side, who argue that horse owners should be allowed to do as they wish with their property.

“Here’s the bottom line: it [banning horse slaughter] is really an imposition on our private property right,” Wallis said. “Telling me that I cannot market my unusable horse for food is denying me the ability to get the residual value in my asset. That’s the same as telling a rental car owner that they can’t market their used cars after so many miles.”

Brown rejects this logic. “The property rights argument is no good. I have restrictions on what I can do with my house, because of (my) Homeowners Association. Just because you own it doesn’t mean you can kill it.”

Brown is, technically, correct that society imposes many limits on property rights. But it’s an abstract argument. Far more potent for the anti-slaughter lobby are the arguments which arise from the manner in which horse killing is done. Groups such as Alex Brown Racing and Netherlands’ Respect 4 Horses argue that the slaughter process is cruel. Netherlands also argues there is no humane way to slaughter a horse.

“The horse slaughter practice is just so atrocious because these people don’t know how to deal with horses,” Netherlands said. “Many horses get beaten in the face because they think it’s easier if they can’t see anymore. They figure this horse is going to die anyway, so what does it matter?”

Brown describes the slaughter process on his website. The main concern is that slaughter is designed for cows, which are much smaller and less flighty than horses. This makes it difficult to ensure the horses are unconscious before they are slaughtered. Many times the captive bolt gun (the most commonly used method in North American slaughterhouses) doesn’t effectively penetrate the horse’s skull, leaving him conscious for portions of the slaughter process. Brown notes that while veterinarian groups such as the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medial Association (AVMA) have deemed the slaughter process humane, these particular professional groups are pro-slaughter. They do not speak for the many veterinarians who are outspoken in their belief that horse slaughter is inhumane.

Wallis, on the pro-slaughter side, argues that horse slaughter is humane precisely because it is legal, and therefore subject to government oversight. She notes that all livestock are treated the same, and approval by the AAEP and AVMA are indications of safe slaughter practice.

“The slaughter process for horses is exactly the same as it is for all other classes of livestock, and the only methods of killing that can be used are those that are approved by the vets who are experts in that particular species,” Wallis said. She argues that the captive bolt is effective, and that this is apparent in the quality of the resulting meat.

“The captive bolt creates instant insensibility. That’s important not only for veterinary reasons, but for meat quality reasons. If they are wounded or in pain for any length of time before they are insensible, it greatly affects the meat quality because there’s all that adrenaline coursing through the body.”

Whichever side of the slaughter argument one falls on, it is inevitable that the abolishment of horse slaughter would precipitate a major downward market correction in the value of these animals. Wallis argues that this market correction will force owners to turn their horses loose, leading to their death. Meanwhile Brown, while agreeing that there would indeed be a collapse in the value of bottom-end horses, insists that this very collapse would compel breeders to curb the “reckless breeding habits that horse slaughter enables.”

As the fight against horse slaughter marches on, both sides continue to gain momentum. While the pro-slaughter side is generally comprised of individuals and organizations with similar agendas, the anti-slaughter side continues to be challenged by contradictory lobbyists with highly varied agendas. Alex Brown Racing, for example, proposes an end to slaughter, but also supports the sport of horse racing. More extreme organizations, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), propose not only an end to slaughter but also abolishment of horse racing as a sport. In fact, PETA wants to eliminate the entire agricultural sector.

For Brown, this fragmentation in the anti-slaughter lobby has a sad and unfortunate effect. It drives horsemen, many of whom sympathize with the Brown lobby but don’t wish to be associated with PETA and groups like it, over to the pro-slaughter side.

“My focus is to get horsemen behind it,” Brown said. “The way things are structured right now, horsemen are much more apt to believe the pro-slaughter side. The pro slaughter people will say ‘there are all these unwanted horses, we need slaughter. It’s kind of sad but we need it.’ And the horsemen hear that and think ‘it’s probably better that they’re slaughtered than they’re all sick and starving and turned loose. And of course, slaughter is humane. You tell us it’s humane so it must be.’”

Nonetheless, the anti-slaughter movement appears to be gaining momentum, especially through use of the Internet. Social networking tools like Facebook allow people against slaughter to connect and communicate easily, and YouTube lets people broadcast their findings and opinions to the world.

“I do believe with the internet, we might actually be able to end horse slaughter,” Brown asserts.

Like many worldwide phenomena, the Internet can be a blessing and a curse. Wallis sees it as a chink in the armour of the pro-slaughter movement because it attracts the less-informed public.

“There is a great deal of misinformation and manipulated images being spread around. Particularly on the Internet, you will see loads of very graphic horrific stuff that is taken out of context and in some cases may even be completely fabricated,” she said, specifically referencing graphic slaughter videos on YouTube.

Despite the controversial and sometimes discouraging fight, Brown remains steadfast in his anti-slaughter position.

“I know we’re right, and at some point we’re going to get it done,” Brown said. Many will argue that as one horse is saved from the slaughter pipeline, another simply takes his place, allowing the cycle to continue without a moment’s hesitation. Brown acknowledges that this is likely the truth. But it does not deter him from seeing the justice in his work.

“The way I look at this is like the starfish parable: a guy walks up and down the beach all day, finds a starfish on the beach, chucks it back into the sea, sees another starfish on the beach, chucks it back into the sea. Someone comes up to him and says, ‘Why are you spending all your time doing that? You’re not going to stop starfish getting stranded on the beach and dying’. He’s like, ‘Yeah, but for that starfish I chucked back into the sea, it meant the world to him’. That’s the way I justify it. And for that horse, those 3100, it’s pretty cool.”

This Stone Rocks!

2009-11-14T09:50:00.003-05:00

Gainesway farm announced yesterday that the stud fee for leading sire Birdstone will be increased to $30,000 for the 2010 breeding season. Birdstone has stood for $10,000 since he entered stud duty in 2005. During the current economic conditions, a $20,000 rise deserves a standing ovation. Millionaires Mine That Bird and Summer Bird, winners of two-third of this year's Triple Crown, have been instrumental in elevating Birdstone to second place on the second crop sires list, behind only young super-sire Medaglia D'Oro, who will command a $100,000 fee in 2010.

Birdstone owner Marylou Whitney should be applauded for her modesty in marketing Birdstone. Upon setting his $10,000 fee immediately following a year in which Birdstone reeled off two grade I wins, including victory over Smarty Jones in the Belmont, Ms. Whitney explained that she wanted to make Birdstone accessible to all types of breeders. Don't we wish more people like Ms. Whitney owned stallions.

Photo Op!

2009-11-12T08:19:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more lingering photos from Breeders' Cup weekend. To see the full album, become my friend on Facebook!

Goldikova returns after her Mile win.

Handsome Zensational, beaten favourite in the Sprint.

2006 Turf winner Red Rocks and Juvenile contender Radiohead on track Saturday morning.

Brilliant Einstein!

Canada's favourite girl, Grade I winner Careless Jewel.

One of Woodbine's former children, Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

Moments of Zen

2009-11-11T22:03:00.005-05:00

A visit with Zenyatta on Breeders' Cup Friday, the morning before the Classic. With female repeat winners Zenyatta and Goldikova both running Saturday, I guess Friday wasn't Ladies' Day after all. For more on Zenyatta, see "The Sport of Queens" below.

That's My Bird

2009-11-11T17:30:00.005-05:00

Special thanks to Steve Haskin for introducing me to Summer Bird the morning before the Classic. We saw him leave the track, and cooling out after at his barn. Also pictured here is owner, Dr. Jayaraman, who fed Summer Bird an entire bag of carrots. Summer Bird finished fourth in the Classic, an impressive result considering his apparent dislike for the Pro-Ride surface. Papa Birdstone would be proud!

The Sport of Queens

2009-11-11T12:56:00.006-05:00

Browse the web, read the headlines, watch the races. Horse racing the world over has carried one dominant theme in 2009: fillies and mares beating the boys in important races. In a sport described as male dominated, the fillies are quickly proving it’s a girl’s world, too.

It started with the iconic superstar Rachel Alexandra. An annihilating victory as the overwhelming favourite in the Kentucky Oaks transitioned to male domination in the Preakness, Haskell Invitational and Woodward Stakes. A few weeks after Rachel’s Woodward win, it was the turf sprint master Ventura who shipped to Canada to overtake the boys in the Woodbine Mile, an important Breeders’ Cup prep race.

On Breeders’ Cup Saturday, however, all of this became a sidebar to Zenyatta’s overpowering win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Going into this event, the towering bay Street Cry mare had everything to lose: the race, a perfect 13 for 13 record, and her claim for Horse of the Year.

The most refreshing aspect of this scenario is that Zenyatta could have opted for the Ladies Classic, an event she won last year, and still kept all of the above intact. But instead, owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs decided to test their faith in their champion mare. They experienced the fruition of this decision a thousand times over.

The spectacle put on by Zenyatta both during and after the race was unlike anything I have seen thus far in this wonderful sport. Her entrance into the paddock made classic winning colts and multiple grade I winners look like green broke maidens, and from that point forward she captured the hearts and imaginations of all 37,000 plus present, and thousands more watching on television across the world.

The Zenyatta showcase continued into the post parade. While the rest of the field jogged off around the turn for their warmup, Zenyatta paraded in front of the grandstand, showing off her traditional strut, turning her head to the crowd and throwing out her right foreleg in response to the cheers.

What looked to be a fairytale in the making threatened to come to an end just moments before the race. The controversial starting gate incident involving Quality Road has been well publicized, but it must be noted that the Santa Anita assistant starter is as heroic as Zenyatta herself. In being able to catch the reins and bring Quality Road under control, this man prevented sure disaster; one can only imagine the tragedy that could have materialized had this colt gotten loose while panicked and blindfolded.

Quality Road aside, Zenyatta’s race was much the same as her 13 other wins, but altogether entirely different. Making her trademark sweeping move at the quarter pole, the Amazon mare used the length of the stretch to annihilate her opponents, a style exhilaratingly familiar to her fans. But this race was like none other. None other of Zenyatta’s, none other this year, and none other in history. On this day, Zenyatta waived all criticisms of her previous wins against “inferior” opponents. She provided the crowning moment of a year for females. She marked her spot in history as a dual Breeders’ Cup winner, became the first female winner of the Classic, and with this win soared past Horse of the Year Azeri to become North American racing’s all-time leading money earner. For those watching on scene and across the world, Zenyatta gave us all a reason to believe. To believe in hope and overcoming adversity. To believe that mountains can be moved. To believe that miracles can happen. To believe in the people and things you love, because standing strong can provide the greatest of dividends.

Other Breeders’ Cup Quips

Lost in the shuffle of Zenyatta is Goldikova, repeat winner of the Mile. The French-based mare beat the males in this event for the second straight year, joining the great Miesque as female repeat Mile winners. Coincidentally (or perhaps not) Miesque was ridden by Goldikova’s trainer, Freddy Head.

I think it is easier in hindsight to appreciate that we saw three repeat Breeders’ Cup winners in a row: Goldikova (Mile), Conduit (Turf) and Zenyatta (Ladies Classic/Classic). This is a rare feat accomplished by precious few horses, and the victories by these horses were a testament to the quality of this year’s event.

I have many special memories from this year’s Breeders’ Cup; far too many to list here. From the fan standpoint this year’s event was a success, and the countdown is officially on to Churchill Downs in 2010.

Below: Zenyatta enters the paddock for the Classic, showcasing her trademark "strut".

You're Always in My Heart, Always on My Mind

2009-11-10T16:22:00.002-05:00

I realize that a lot of people may not have seen the obituary I wrote for my friend Ruth Young about a year ago. Ruth died on October 24, 2008, a year ago Breeders' Cup weekend. Ruth gave me my first job working with Thoroughbreds, was a constant friend and resource, and most importantly, she believed in me as much as anyone I know. She was thrilled by my stories published in The Game, and I hope that she was able to see my first story in The Blood-Horse a few weeks before she left us. I'm still in awe over my dream internship placement at The Blood-Horse and living arrangements at Lane's End Farm, and I know that Ruth had something to do with this. She loved to talk more than anyone else I know, and I'm sure she subconsciously yakked off the necessary ears until the deeds were done.

I wanted to post this before I left for California to mark the anniversary, but ran short on time. Here it is now.

Ruth Anne Young

February 8, 1969-October 24, 2008

On October 24, horse racing in Ontario suffered a great loss. Ruth Young, a lifelong horse enthusiast and supporter of horse racing, lost her battle with liver disease at age 39.

Bird Watching

2009-11-02T20:43:00.003-05:00

The following is a link to the Live Cam on Mine That Bird at Santa Anita Park:

http://showvivor.oaktreeracing.com/cam/

I discovered this yesterday, and I'm absolutely fascinated by it. Even just watching the Bird eat or hang his head over the door is so amusing. This is the type of thing the sport needs to do way more often: racetrack backstretches (and racetracks in general, really) are very closed off from the public. For obvious safety reasons, horse racing cannot allow all the inside access that other sports can. But this gives fans access right into the stalls, and they can monitor the athletes 24/7. Also, and perhaps more importantly, it adds credibility. If this view of the horse is being streamed to the world 24/7, it dispels the notion that anything dishonest could be being done with the horse.

Huge kudos to the connections of Mine That Bird for sharing this with us.

Rock-A-Bye Barbie

2009-10-30T12:18:00.003-04:00

Isn't it fitting for a horse called Barbie to run in a race called the Princess Elizabeth? The Princess Elizabeth is no ordinary Thoroughbred race: each year, it showcases some of Canada's top two-year-old fillies, its Canadian-foaled classification making it an important stepping stone to next year's Canadian filly classics. The Princess Elizabeth is no ordinary race, but then again, Barbie is no ordinary horse.

Barbie is the pseudonym for Silent Wisper, a blonde-highlighted red head by Wando, out of Silent Course. At two years of age, Barbie seems to have grown into a patchwork of her parents, her slender build and cantankerous personality a mirror image of her mother. Barbie has a sweet side though, and this and her brightly burnished copper coat are the trademarks of her father.

Silent Wisper was born February 22, 2007, at around 5:15 p.m. While I have attended and assisted in a few handfuls of foalings (as many as possible) at Schonberg Farm, the birth of Barbie marked a special evening for me for two reasons: while I had observed a few foalings, Barbie's was the first birth I assisted in. Secondly, Barbie was our first Wando. This spindly little filly was by the horse that has been the cornerstone of my life with Thoroughbreds.

As I toweled off wet little Barbie that cold February evening, I was overcome with the exhilarating emotion of it all. It was at this time that my future was decided: I would spend my life in broodmare barns, caring for broodmares and helping little ones grow. About 10 years previously I had decided on a career with horses, but no pathway had yet been paved. My options were many, but on this night, because of Barbie, I knew that this was what I had to be doing. While I hope to spend the next few years dabbling in many facets of the Thoroughbred industry, my heart is still calling me back to the foaling barn.

Three weeks ago Barbie broke her maiden at Woodbine, becoming our first Wando winner. This week, she was our first Wando entered in a stake, and tomorrow, we will be cheering for her to become ours, and Wando's, first stakes winner.

Seven reasons to celebrate

2009-10-23T17:29:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow's eighth race at Woodbine marks the career debut of All Sevens, a three-year-old filly owned and bred by Gus Schickedanz and trained by Mike Keogh (and raised at Schonberg Farm!) At first glance, "Sevens" is as ordinary as they come: a plain bay with a hint of a white star, she isn't the first to catch your eye. Her features seem exaggerated: her head is a little too large for her body, her eyes a little too big and wide set for her head. Her jaw appears to be stolen from a larger creature, her bottom lip flapping lazily as she beckons you her way. Her legs are not those of a runway model; her walk is more reminiscent of a thug than the lady athlete that she is. Despite these imperfections, however, Sevens is the most impeccably bred horse in the barn. By leading sire A.P. Indy, Sevens is the first foal out of the stakes winning mare Six Sexy Sisters. Sevens' second dam is Kathie's Colleen, 2008 Canadian Broodmare of the Year. In addition to Six Sexy Sisters, Kathie has produced Wando, 2003 Canadian Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner, and stakes placed multiple winner Half Sister.

It is not Sevens' attractive pedigree, however, that melts my heart. Here are the reasons I will be celebrating tomorrow when Sevens enters the paddock for her first race:

1. I recall December 2005, roughly a month before Sevens was born. I spoke with Lauri on the phone about 7 p.m. one evening. He was in the barn keeping an eye on Six Sexy Sisters, and said he hadn't been this nervous for a foaling in a long time. An A.P. Indy was a big deal for us, and the first foal out a young, beautifully-bred mare was sure to be special.

2. Despite my efforts to attend the foaling, the first time I saw Sevens she was already a week old. While most foals typically scatter and hide behind their dams at the sight of a stranger, Sevens was at the stall door before I could open it, ready to inspect me. I could tell right away our friendship would be a happy one.

3. As I mentioned previously, Sevens was born with a contracted hind tendon. Most of my night watch shift that first night was spent sitting in the stall with Sevens, flexing her ankle as she snored in the straw. By morning, the end result of the farm staff's efforts the entire week, Sevens was standing with her hoof placed solidly on the ground. Some white-haired scarring is the only evidence that remains.

4. The spring that Sevens became a yearling, I visited Gus's farm in South Carolina. The filly had a rather clumsy walk as a foal, and Lauri wanted to know how she was doing. I wanted to take a video to bring back for him, and headed out to the field to find Sevens sprawled in the grass, the rest of the fillies grazing around her. In all my efforts to make her stand, none prevailed. I poked, pulled, proded, sat on her. My mom worried there was something wrong with her. I said nope, that's Sevens.

5. Sevens' magnetic personally stuck with her throughout her first year of life, and working with her as a yearling was a treat. I clearly remember the day, however, that she turned on me. Thinking this sweet little darling would surely let me pull her mane, I armed myself with the pulling comb and gave a good hard yank on her hair. Sevens was quick to let me know she liked her hair the way it was with flying feet and snapping teeth. I decided to leave her mane just like Sevens herself: tame enough, but a little frizzy and rough around the edges.

6. Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of the death of my dear friend Ruth Young. I started working with Thoroughbreds for Ruth when I was 15, and she believed in me so much. Even after she closed her farm, she came to the races whenever she could to watch our horses and to say hi to me. She pushed my journalistic aspirations, and would be thrilled to know that I will be completing my dream internship at The Blood-Horse. For Ruth, I hope that Sevens can make us all proud, because still to this day I know she doesn't miss one of our races.

7. My final reason is another wish from above. Last week, Sevens' two-year-old half sister, Dixie Gal, was euthanized after fracturing her pelvis during training, merely two days prior to her first scheduled start. Dixie Gal was so different from her sister in every possible way, but equally as loved, and for her, I hope Sevens can do this wonderful family's name proud.

Introduction: Hello!

2009-10-15T22:31:00.000-04:00

Tonight I finished my thesis proposal. Here is a taste (aka the introduction):

Thoroughbred horse racing has been recognized for centuries as a symbol of high class and nobility. In the early days of the sport, the upper classes around the world would work to acquire the fastest horses, racing them against their neighbours in battles of superiority (Mooney 219). This competition, crowned the “Sport of Kings”, trickled down to minorities and lower classes (Bennett 13). Women were frequent spectators and occasionally participants, while blacks often attended the races and cared for the horses.

Throughout its evolution, horse racing has drawn an enthusiastic fan base mesmerized by the beauty of the moving animal and the thrill of competition and wagering. I fell in love with racing at age 14, and the attraction was instant. I watched my first horse race, the 2002 Kentucky Derby, on my basement television, and the thrill of watching these superior athletes battle neck and neck, stride for stride, gripped my heart like no other emotion I have experienced. Now, eight years later, that grip has grown to a stranglehold. I love horse racing because, despite claims by some that horses are forced to race, it is obvious that Thoroughbreds were born to race, and love to do it. This is why as babies, as young as a few weeks old, they race one another around their paddocks, and why, a few years later, they respond to the challenge of another horse racing beside them, and are often reluctant to stop running at the end of the race.

I could never have imagined that one passion could cause such turmoil of emotions. I cry at empathic wins and hard losses, scream as my picks race toward the finish line, and see my horses as my constant companions and best friends. Being in the presence of racehorses brings out the laughter from my heart and puts a smile on my face that shines straight from my soul. Horses give me so much just by being, a feeling that inspires me to give back to them and the Thoroughbred industry as a whole. Horse racing is my lifeblood and the air I breathe.

In recent years, this sport that I love has been plagued by technological innovations and integrity issues. The introduction of off-track betting parlours and internet and phone wagering has enabled bettors to participate without setting foot on the racetrack. This has challenged many tracks to look for ways to keep bettors coming to racetracks, such as implementing on site casinos (LaMarra). Furthermore, health and safety issues have arisen that racing’s governing bodies, particularly the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) appear to have little control over. These issues, including drug use in horses and injury rates, were compounded and exposed to the public by the highly publicized fatal injuries of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and 2008 Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles. Despite a growing number of safety and integrity initiatives set forth by the NTRA, the transparency of the sport is highly debatable, and the regulation of integrity issues appears to be out of the hands of those in power.

In addition, horse racing is experiencing less and less exposure in the mainstream media. While the expense of advertising is largely at play, keeping horse racing’s biggest events and stars out of the international limelight is ultimately hurting the sport; it makes the task of drawing new fans very difficult. The horse racing fan base is growing older, with not enough new and young followers entering the sport. This can be seen by attending many racetracks: the crowd is largely comprised of middle-aged or older men (Nilsson and Nulden 157). This is a significant problem because if horse racing doesn’t come up with new and innovative ways to maintain and expand their fan base, the sport will continue its downward spiral, a fate that would be devastating to dedicated fans like myself.

Therefore, I would like to study the phenomenon of social media as a marketing tool for horse racing. In conducting research I will consider the question, “can the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing use social media in ways that will help maintain its fan base, and if so, how?” This paper will look at current social media marketing plans currently being used by racetrack and racing-related organizations, and assess their effectiveness based on user feedback. Current literature suggests that sports fans are highly committed to their chosen sport, and spend time learning about and discussing their sport outside of just watching a game or competition. Therefore, I expect to find that social media can indeed be used to engage and maintain horse racing’s fan base. The goals of this study are to assess the effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool for the sport of horse racing and, if this tool is indeed successful, to pinpoint areas of potential growth in developing a seamless marketing plan.