Ouch...

I Am Woman had no excuse at Tioga today. Certainly not regarding the trip she had. maybe she was still feeling the effects of her illness? She was parked a bit away from the gate but settled into fourth along the rail. She had cover once over but by the time she made the stretch, she was gapping her cover and fading badly. She may have actually finished last - at that point it had become too painful to watch. Not being able to win a level up at Maywood should have prepped us to the fact that this would be over her head, but you always hope and try and look for the positive signs. It's hard to get one out of this effort.

I don't know what the next step for her will be, but my vote would be to stop Late Closing entry fees and shipping costs, keep her in one spot and see if she can improve in the lower levels. I wouldn't be opposed to a private sale, either, at this point. The important thing at this point is to realize what we have right now, stop throwing good money after bad and race her where she can be competitive. With horses, losing can be a habit and it's a habit I'd prefer she'd break out of sooner - because it may never happen later.