Tabby Gets Scolded

While there were a lot of highlights this past week in Florida: TOBA seminar in Ocala (blog post later this week); visit to Live Oak Stud; seeing the family; the Rhone/Butler daily double at Tampa (returned $145 for a $2 wager); I was most looking forward to seeing our Tabby Lane at Tampa Bay Downs. As always, she looked great and was resting comfortable in her stall when I finally arrived on the backside at 9:30 on a gorgeous Friday morning. I’d like to think she recognized me as she was very affectionate when I approached her stall, dropping her head and rubbing my chest and arm and nuzzling up when I scratched behind her ears.


This wasn’t just a social visit, though; she and I needed to have some words. Her performances have been lackluster as of late so I spoke to her rather sternly of the need to start picking it up a bit. While we all love her, she’s burning cash like a madwoman and really needs to start getting back to her early 2010 form. She slowly lifted her head, looked me in the eye and proceeded to melt me batting her big brown eyes. I could hear my own sternness melting into a mere admonishment.

In a more rational discussion with our trainer, Bernell Rhone, we’ve decided to make some adjustments for her next start. To begin with, she’ll have a new rider on her back. It’s not that Dean Butler isn’t getting the job done; it could be that she just doesn’t respond to him. I’d feel badly about replacing him, except one of the first things he mentioned to Bernell after getting off her is that he can’t get her to run, so we’re going to take his advice. We’ll change up some of her equipment as well and Bernell is going to train her up to the next race a bit differently. Hopefully that will shake her out of her stupor and start her on the road back. The upside? When she’s back on track she’ll be eligible for $5,000 Starter Allowances!