Something Had to Give

What a summer!  Generally speaking my summers are crazy anyhow.  This year the addition of the Canterbury Racing Club management to our portfolio and an increase in the stories for the Daily Racing Form because of larger and higher quality stakes races has really pushed my time to the limit.  Something had to give and that something has been this blog.

I know that there are not a ton of you that sit on the edge of your seat wondering what's happening next in the world of Bourbonology, Elusive Edition and the pregnancy of Tabby Lane, but still...I would like to be a bit more "current" than I have been.

As an illustration of how crazy it has been, I wrote a complete preview of Bobo's last race and completely forgot to post it!  So in general, a brief summary of what's been going on and a tepid promise that I will be better!

BOURBONOLOGY

She seems to have caught the "Tabby Lane Syndrome" that plagued Tabs in her 4-year old season.  She can't seem to get past that one win and go on with her potential.  In another eerie coincidence, we can't find a thing wrong with her either.  Physically she's just fine.  Our trainer, Bernell Rhone, made the comment that he knows that there is something in there, he just hasn't figured how to get it out yet! 

Frustrating does not begin to tell the tale.  She had that first out maiden breaking win in a tough stretch battle with Clay Brinson's Bluegrass Lucy and nosed her out for the win.  Her 1st level allowance win was awful  She broke poorly and it was all downhill from there.  We brought her back in a $20,000 non winners of two lifetime which was rained off the turf.  We wanted to see what she could do on the dirt.  We found out...nothing.  Finally we got a firm turf course and the same level going 7.5 furlongs and she finished mid-pack, never really threatening.

She'll live to fight another day.  That day may be this Saturday.

ELUSIVE EDITION

Our two year old Minnesota bred filly was showing all kinds of promise.  We still weren't sure if she was going to be fast or not, but we did know that she was smart, good looking and moved well.  We also learned that she had sore shins.  Rather than go on with her and risk serious injury, we took her off the track and sent her to the farm.  We treated her shins and gave her the opportunity to grow and strengthen.  The purses here have increased nicely and she is potentially too valuable to risk running her early.

We'll look to get her back in training after the first of the year and get her ready for opening weekend at Canterbury.  Fingers crossed the winter goes well and we have the opportunity to get her ready on schedule.

CANTERBURY RACING CLUB

This has been a hoot.  You can follow along the Club's exploits at the blog site.  Keeping up to speed there has taken up a lot of the time and energy I used to have for here!

Ask Eddy was our first acquisition and it appeared that he was a mistake.  He came into the barn underweight, sore and tired.  Club trainer, Clay Brinson, took back on him and just fed him, wormed him and generally got the cranky old man feeling better.  When he got to the track, he has responded with 2 wins in 4 starts.

Mundy, the "higher class" addition has been a bust.  We claimed her at $16,000 hoping she's be able to run at higher levels and we were proven wrong.  After a 3rd first out for us, she's missed the board in two consecutive starts.  She's been descending the class ladder rather than ascending it and that has been a bit depressing.  So far we're holding our own, but I'd really like to do MUCH better.

As the season in Minnesota winds down, the Club horses will head to Hawthorne with Clay and Bobo will get some time off in Florida until Tampa Bay Downs opens.

FALL

As fall approaches, our thoughts turn to the next group and the possibility of claiming another horse out of Tampa Bay - or perhaps even Hawthorne - and getting geared up to start 2014 with another runner or two.  It's hard to believe that we're already thinking ahead to 2014, but time does indeed fly!

So I shall go forward and try hard to blog here more than once per month!!  And I will certainly try and remember to actually publish what I write, too!