Miss Belle Express (Mocha Express-Tonya Belle) is working on becoming a racehorse. It's not that she hasn't worked at this trade before. As a two year old she was started and stopped on when it was obvious that she wasn't mature enough to race as a two. At three, human issues intervened and kept her from getting to the race track. Now, on the cusp of four, she's giving it her final go and according to our trainer at Tampa, Bernell Rhone, she's doing everything right.
She's been galloping her miles effortlessly, building the base that she'll need to carry her around two turns (we think she has the build of a router as opposed to a sprinter) in competition. She comes back nicely and eats up her tub like a horse in training should. Her exercise rider says she has a great way of going - excellent news when you start thinking about potential soundness issues. She's smart and knows her routine. She learns quickly and takes to her business as if she were born to it (which, of course, she was!). The only set back, and a minor one at that, is that she tends to retain too much lactic acid, but that's being treated with diet and a slight change in her regimen and shouldn't be an issue going forward.
This is all great news and enough to start the dreams coming in the night. It gets the group excited and I struggle to maintain my own equilibrium. But we haven't had the stopwatch out yet. She hasn't had that first timed work. She hasn't been measured against real competition yet. She hasn't burst from the gate on a mission. She hasn't answered the final piece of the puzzle:
Is she fast?
2 comments:
Fingers crossed you have a live one on your hands!
It's interesting to hear the stories behind getting a horse to the track. Look forward to adding this one to my DRF Watch List!
Cheers
Thanks, Keith. It's always nerve-wracking getting one ready for the races - especially when others have put their trust and dollars in you. It's getting closer, for sure. Thanks for reading and taking the time to drop a line.
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