Happy Friday, Everyone!
Wow, it has been a very busy week in our industry. There is so much going on that I want to share with you.
First of all, I’d love to congratulate FRANKEL (GB) on his success in winning the SUSSEX S. (G1). He is now undefeated and has a race record of 8 for 8. FRANKEL (GB) is truly a sentimental favorite in my camp as he is named for a very dear friend. Jay Hovdey, in the DRF, wrote a special piece on all of this in a recent article. Dottie and Bobby were very close friends for years. Ruben Loza, who now works as one of MY JOHN’S assistant trainers, held the same position for Bobby for 25 years. Jose Luis….who currently grooms MR. COMMONS and STAR BILLING for My John…was a long-time groom for Bobby. “Chuma” (as he is known around the barn) is also such a hard-working gentleman. He has groomed so many other wonderful horses during his career as Medaglia D’Oro, Sightseek, and Intercontinential to name a few.
So, it was with great joy and pride that MY TEAM watched FRANKEL(GB) win #8 on Wednesday. A heartfelt congratulations to his owner and breeder, Juddmonte Farms, his trainer, Mr. Cecil, and the entire team who works with this exciting colt!
I’m sending him a special HIGH HOOF for a job well-done!
Both of the SUMMER MEETS on each coast are in full-swing….and this weekend, Monmouth Park has a wonderful stakes program including the HASKELL. This should be a very exciting race!
Then at Saratoga, several big stakes races are taking place including the JIM DANDY and THE THE RUFFIAN. These should be great to handicap and enjoy. At Del Mar, we have some very accomplished sprinters competing in the BING CROSBY. So much action!
From all reports, the dirt surface at Santa Anita is terrific! This is fabulous news. In California, they now have Santa Anita open for training in addition to Del Mar. Hollywood Park closes for the next 5-6 weeks to allow the maintenance crews to completely clean out the barn area and freshen up everything that needs to be repaired and painted. The track crew, headed by Dennis Moore, is given the opportunity to work on the track and the surface to get it freshened up for the upcoming year. This is traditionally done in CA each summer…one year Santa Anita is closed to accomplish these maintenance needs and the next Hollywood Park. This alternating system works out quite well for everyone and it really helps to keep everything in the best possible shape.
Thus, since nothing can be left out at Hollywood Park for this big clean-up process to take place…everyone and everything needs to be out of Barn 55. My John and his crew did a great job getting this organized and properly storing everything that was in MY STALL. It was all safely packed for the future!
So all of my horse BARN 55 friends had to relocate as well for the summer. They were split between Santa Anita and Del Mar. In the photo above, you see STAR BILLING on the left and EBLOUISSANTE on the right getting ready to travel. They are loaded on the van and on their way to Del Mar. They are comfy, cozy, the windows are open just right…and these girls are READY TO GO TO THE BEACH!
I gather “E” wanted to snack along the way.
The TOO CUTE part of all of this is that “E” is in the same exact stall on the van I always used. In California, I shipped on Vida and David Randall’s Ranch Runner’s van. That was MY STALL! They even put a plaque on the side of this stall with MY NAME on it. So, I guess for all practical purposes, I still get to travel right with them…..in spirit!
Have a FUN weekend…and enjoy RACING!
With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z
judy berube
Dear Max:
Yes, he did it. In fine fashion too, like his Dad. Think you’re right. Took him a little while, but he’s come around. Would like to see Mucho Macho Man do the same. Hug, J.B.
Kathy Kimber
My Darling Zenyatta: Are you alright in this terrible heat. Are you being taken good care of at Lanes End? Actually the people at Lanes End should get down and kiss each of your hooves because you could have ended up going somewhere else like Three Chimneys maybe. I just want to be sure you are being properly taken care of. How about some brand new pictures of our beautiful Queen instead of retuns. I love you Queen Z you are so important to me. Stay cool my lovely
@Older Posters on the site: Where are you miss hearing from you, you all know who you are I love you all.
Charlotte Farmer
@Terry Crow & Kathy Kimber – This was only a few years back but I read where Jerry Lambert trains Thoroughbreds and Arabian racing stock at Magali Farm near Santa Ynez. You know maybe I should see if we can track him down and maybe on one of my visits to Arcadia see if the three of us could go visit him. Of course we would have to pull Kathy off the ceiling and I am not sure I could walk and chew gum at the same time being in his presence. It is my understanding that he is a really neat guy.
@Barbara Woods – It was the Belmont, I just looked it up.
“The track was rated fast for the sixty-ninth running of the Belmont, and War Admiral was fractious at the start, postponing the race for over seven minutes. Out of the gates, all the horses were slow to break. The Admiral, trying to rush from the gates, grabbed his right heel, and off came a quarter inch of hoof. Just then, Triple Crown dreams could have been dashed right in the starting gate. Never had a horse recovered from such a disaster.
“Incontestably, he rushed up to dominate the pace with tremendous power. Pushing through the excruciating pain, The Admiral glided through the sandy track surface, while blood gushed from his hoof. He was never challenged in the Belmont, sustaining his multiple length lead.
“War Admiral crossed the wire first by three lengths in what is indisputably one of the greatest Belmont Stakes of all time. When War Admiral stood in the winner’s circle, Charlie Kurtsinger, immediately dismounted, knowing the colt was injured. Discovering the traumatic foot injury and his blood soaked underside, it became evident that War Admiral had ascended to the peak of horseracing’s glory.”
@Seabiscuit – The only people that Seabiscuit ever really liked were Tom Smith and Red Pollard. In retirement C. S. Howard would ride him around the ranch being the expert horseman that he was.
Here is an excerpt on the bloodlines that ran through both ‘Biscuit and War Admiral.
“Fair Play was based at Balaton Lodge in Newmarket. Apparently the change of scenery did not agree with him. He raced six-times in England but showed nothing. He did not adjust well to training on grass and was forced to carry extremely high weights. Either or both soured him, exacerbated by the onset of his sire’s bad temperament, and ultimately, he refused to run altogether. By the time of his retirement, in 1910, he refused to gallop on grass. In order to be exercised, he had to be led to a nearby road.”
DJ
To Terry C: Promised a favorite.. M.T.M.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIp6MaSAwwQ&NR=1
All three parts leading up were a perfect set-up. :)
DJ
To Hannah J.H.: So glad! See you at evening prayer.. Blessings!
Kari Bussell
I love that picture. Zenyatta I know I will always be with YOU in spirit as I know you will always be with those YOU love. I happen to love YOU and YOURS and always will.
Dottie thank you, again for taking time out of your very busy schedule to do this for us. also thank you for the way you managed our Queen to perfection and continue to manage her. We love you!
judy berube
Dear Terry Crow:
Seabiscuit ran at Narragansett again in 1937 in the Narragansett Special at one and 3/16 miles. (Purse 25,000). He ran third. That same year he set a track record at Suffolk Downs winning the Massachusetts Handicap. Love his having a New England connection. Hugs, J.B.
DJ
To Diana S: I just opened my package and I was SO excited to see that it was from you!! Thank you so much Diana. It is just adorable. It just so happens, that I am going to Del Mar tomorrow; so I will be wearing my new Z’s Dumpling Name Tag!! TOO EXCITING! You said they are different? Are the photos the same? I just love mine :) God Bless you, DJ
Kari Bussell
A Huge YEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!
WAY TO GO THIRSTY!!!!…
I knew you could do it….I am so thrilled not just because he is our Bernie’s son , but because he is one of the painfully few horses (currently racing) that I have seen in person. He is a Doll- baby off track and personality plus. I just love him.
Charlotte Farmer
@Error I meant to say Karen Gogue not Kathy Kimber in relation to Jerry Lambert. Duh!
Charlotte Farmer
@Zenyatta – I would have loved to have seen you go to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms where Seattle Slew is buried. Top drawer place and I agree with Kathy Kimber Lane’s End should kiss you majestic feet. I am sure the fans are running and since you are not a southern girl maybe you should teach those there at Lane’s End how California girls do it surfer girl.
One of the things that I really admire about Hill ‘n’ Dale is the way they honored Slew. What a beautiful statue and they way they designed the courtyard where Slew now sleeps. Beautiful!
signofthetimes
@ Max, Judy B, Dina
YIPEEEE!!!!! Stay Thirsty won the Jim Dandy. Looked just like his “dad” pulling away down the stretch. Not much of a battle with Dominus. I guess Jeff Siegel (HRTV) will have to “eat” his words
from this morning. He said Stay Thirsty was “a plain brown horse” and really touted Dominus. Ha !!! Ha !!!! YIPEEE !!!!!
Here is the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qghIENY8W7E
judy berube
Dear Charlotte Farmer:
Thank you for the interesting info on War Admiral, Seabiscuit and Fair Play. Love learning about bloodlines and personalities. Hugs, J.B.
signofthetimes
Can someone enlighten me?
What channel and what time was the Jim Dandy?
I got home at 5:15 PM central time and it was over?????
I looked ABC, ESPN and HRTV no race.
Any ideas about the Haskell time and channel for tomorrow?
Alex Bowdoin
Congrat’s to Stay Thirsty and his connections!! All he needed was time to grow up a bit and he loves NY tracks!
Stay cool everyone….
Kari Bussell
@signifthetimes- I couldn’t agree more.It made it made it all the sweeter when Thirsty blew the field away in such spectacular fashion!
signofthetimes
I do really love the commentators, but with Stay Thirsty second place in the Belmont he showed he was growing. They seemed to attribute it to the slop. Go Bernie, you sire great babies!!!!
Can’t wait to see Baby Zenyatta !!!!!!
Kari Bussell
@ signofthetimes-it was on Versus…part of NBC….both are covering many this summer…
judy berube
Dear Z Fans:
Fair Play. Hugs, J.B. http://www.sport-horse-breeder.com/Fair-Play.html
DJ
To Kc and All: Happy Hour on the Green after an easy restful Saturday afternoon. Featuring Vincent Van Gogh Dutch Carmel Apple on ice, along with White Truffle Oiled Popcorn. Cool breeze to enjoy all by. Only the best for Z’s Dumplings!
judy berube
Dear Signofthetimes:
I second your YIPEEE. I saw the race on Versus. Hugs, J.B.
Barbara Wood
@Brenda S– no apology needed to the Dumplings. I remember thinking that the horses at Old Friends needed fly masks. Then I learned that they tearm them off of each other. Who knew?? They do a marvelous job. I was glad to learn today that our horse is getting an extra water bucket in his stall. Can’t be too careful in this heat.
High Hoof to Stay Thirsty! What a guy. It tickled me to see Randy Moss have to eat crow (no offense intended, Terry) about his earlier remarks. I’m sure we’ll hear from Zenny about her Bernie’s boy.
signofthetimes
Here is Bernie 2006 Jim Dandy in the slop;
wire to wire win
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2AdqHEOVns
Stay Thirsty seems a little more laid back than his “dad”, but got the job done.
judy berube
Dear Kari Bussell:
ST made his Daddy proud. Hugs, J.B.
signofthetimes
How do you get Versus?
I have Dish Satellite TV.
Kari Bussell
@Everyone-In a effort for all of us to help promote this great sport, may I be so bold as to suggest that all of us on FB go to NBC click Like and leave them a message thanking them for their summer of coverage…every little bit may help more races get network coverage. They need to know we are out here!
Charlotte Farmer
@Tracks – Narragansett, Suffolk Downs, Tanforan, Bay Meadows, they read like the Who’s Who of the Hell’s 400. Has anyone ever wondered, what happened to all the photos and film footage from all the great tracks that are no longer around?
@Terry Crow – I love the cowboy joke and Casey Tibbs would have loved you. He had that Irish charm and he had a really mischievous way but one thing for sure he loved jokes. Burt Kennedy, the director of The Rounders once told me that while they were filming The Rounders in Sedona, Casey would bet anyone who was willing to put their money in the pot that he could tell them when that rooster would crow. Burt said they never figured out how Casey did it but he always won. That rooster probably had the second best part in that movie next to Old Fooler.
Casey would use jockey Milo Valenzuela’s bar to do his business from, this was before cell phones. Casey’s world was a flamboyant as the world of rodeo from where he emerged. Of all the things that I have come to know about Casey one of my most favorite quotes came at the unveiling of his larger-than-life statue that stands in front of PRCA Headquarters there in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Once the statue had been unveiled Casey thanked the artist Edd Hayes for making him look good, there is a story behind that statement, and then proceeded to say, “Damn I was good!”
signofthetimes
@ Kari Bissell
How awesome to see Stay Thristy in person. Where did you see him? These well bred TB are absolutely beautiful conformation and movement.They are sooo awesome to watch.
judy berube
Dear Barbara Wood:
Loved your post. Ha, ha. Hugs, J.B.
judy berube
Dear Charlotte Farmer and Z Fans:
Here’s a link about Narragansett Park. Hugs, J.B.