From Chicago Claimer to Stakes Winner?

After a brief bought with a springtime cold, I Am Woman is moving on up. Nominated for some Late Closers that she didn't attend, she's making it to the party this weekend at Tioga Downs. The race is the 10th and it's the second leg of the cleverly named PACE 3-YEAR OLD FILLIES (no kidding, took it directly off the condition sheet). I'm not sure why there couldn't be a clever name attached to this Late Closer Series. Most other tracks offer the "Full House Late Closer" or the "The Oil Burner" - something to jazz up the race a bit and be able to market to. Apparently not so much at Tioga. But I digress.

This is quite the jump for our gal. She's going to need to step up her game considerably in here to be competitive. Her lifetime best win is a 1:58.1 that I attended back in March. The fastest race she's ever been a part of was paced in 1:56.1 and she only finished half a length back. The Morning Line favorite in this one, Kentucky Charm, qualified in 1:58 and finished second in the first leg of this series last week in 1:55.4. Of course time isn't everything and trip has a lot to do with how good or poor the race was. I tough trip overcome in 1:57 means more than an also ran in 1:54 while skimming the cones. I Am Woman is 10-1 in the morning line and taking quite a class leap in this one. I take comfort in the fact that she went off at 11-1 in her 2009 debut and scored as well.

Here is the field:

1 Pinnacle Portia - Second in a leg last week and grabs the rail. A Late Closer regular at Yonkers and hits the board half the time.

2 Four Starz Molly - A soundly beaten favorite in a leg last week, she hasn't been the same horse at 3 as she was at 2.

3 Pay Tribute - She worked her way up the cones last week for a fourth place finish.

4 Delightful Dancer - The only other filly in the race with as many as three lifetime wins (same as I Am Woman), she meets the NW $25,000 LT condition to be here. Just missed last week and was a hard closing second.

5 Smooth Finish - Her best races have been her last two where she finally crack the board. Still a maiden.

6 Kentucky Charm - A solid second last week in her first race back as a three year old. Eligible to improve off of that effort, she'll be tough to beat here. A certified pace setter, she could be gone before anyone realizes it and puts this thing to bed early.

7 I AM WOMAN

8 Calico Moon - Another maiden in the field, she hasn't hit the board in her two lifetime starts.

What does I Am Woman have going for her? She's got experience. She and only two others have had as many as 10 starts this year. She has three wins from those starts and has already faced some adversity in some rough and tumble Chicagoland racing and still come out in the money - and event on top. She's come from off the pace and on the engine and this time she has the early speed righ inside of her. It's not inconceivable that she could head out right behind Kentucky Charm and be able to sit in the pocket around the track setting up for a stretch run.

We'll see around 4:30 Eastern Time if she has the stuff to make the jump from Chicagoland Claimer to Tioga Late Closer winner.

Farewell Chicago!

It's official. Balmoral and Maywood are both part of I Am Woman's past. While looking forward to what Tioga and, possibly later on Pennsylvania, may bring, there will be a fond spot for Chicago - Balmoral in particular, that will remain in my heart.

As she ships off for Tioga, the memory of her three straight wins to lead off 2009 still brings a smile to my face. I was fortunate enough to be at one of those wins. In fact it remains her lifetime best mark. I wish I had a chance to get to Maywood. The experience at Balmoral, the swirling snow notwithstanding, was excellent. The physical plant was large and comfortable and the place had a welcoming racing 'feel' to it. It would have been nice to get a sense of Maywood.

It also would have been nice to get to know the Thoroughbred side of Chicago. A friend of mine runs there and loves it. So, I teed it up with trainer at the ready (Tammy Domenosky - tearing things up at Hawthorne at the moment: 24 starts - 30% winners and 19 in the money finishes), but the bottom dropped out of the economy and partners were tough to come by. It happens. I don't know if Tammy is going to come back to Canterbury or stay for Arlington, but I think that's the plan for the summer and we'll touch base again to see if she'd be willing to train for us in the Fall back at Hawthorne.

I'd like to race in Chicago and would love to have an excuse to visit more often. Those of you folks that jumped on for the ride here, thanks for your support and I hope you continue to follow our progress. Anyone that wants to get more involved - drop me a line, we'd love to have you on board.

Thanks for the memories and here's to the future: Cheers!

Maywood Anyone?

We're hoping that a change of venue can spice up I Am Woman a bit this week. She's heads across Chicago to take on $8,000 claimers that are non-winners of 3 races or $9,000 lifetime at Maywood Park Thursday night. We're heading out of town Saturday morning for a week of family visits and trade shows or I would have taken the ride down to check out the place and the race. I absolutely love going to venues for the first time and checking out all the nooks and crannies, trying the food and just generally taking in the ambiance of a new racetrack (or ballpark...football stadium...you get the picture). Travel Channel take note - you need someone to travel around and report on sporting venues around the country and the world? I am SO your guy!

I have a bit of trepidation as she heads across town. She seems to handle the mile tracks pretty well. Her 2009 has been split between the Meadowlands and Balmoral Park, both nice wide mile ovals. As a two year old she started her career at the Historic Track at Goshen which is a half mile track like Maywood in a non-wagering event. She blew the turns. Hated the tight cornering. She finished up the track behind 32 lengths. Her first pari-mutuel effort wasn't much better on the 5/8 of a mile Pocono Downs track. Last by 28. As I've mentioned before, she was an immature and smallish two year old and had some trouble starting her career. After her layoff and birthday, she came west to Balmoral and reeled off three straight wins, third by a half length (scoping sick afterwards) and then second after a horrendous trip. Her last outing, up one level (same as this group) she finished a very flat 6th. She seemed to be well positioned, but had no kick in the stretch. No real excuses.

Now she's at Maywood, Brandon Simpson is back in the bike and we're trying the half mile. As a more mature, but still smallish filly she figures to handle it much better this time around. Horses, like people, can't always be their best and now it's time to find out if our filly's last was a fluke or a pattern.

Here's how the field shapes up:

1. OG's Tonya P - She's been smoked in every qualifier and in her '09 debut here. Doesn't really figure.

2. So Stylish - 3-1 second choice in the ML, she'll be on the engine tonight. She scratched sick last week but is back in now. She could take this field all the way around.

3. Mattjestic Help - Just qualifying back after some breaking issues, she hasn't shown much at all in '09 but is dropping in class here.

4. Cole By A Nose - 2009 started out well with 2 consecutive seconds, but since then it's been up the track.

5. Rosedale Jenny - 5/2 ML favorite she comes off a sharp win that moved her into NW3 company and seems to prefer the tighter turns of Maywood to Balmoral. If So Stylish falters, Rosedale Jenny will be the one trying to pick up the pieces.

6. Crimes of Passion - Hasn't shown much since dropping into this class and she gets shifted to an outside post. Unlikely.

7. I AM WOMAN

8. Cole Cutta - A legitimate threat from the inside, she hasn't shown much from the far outside.

Our gal has her work cut out for her in this one. Starting from the 7 hole is tough on a half miler and the stretch isn't near as long for a rally like she's had in her three victories. We'll see how she handles the turns and the denser traffic. She's capable of winning it - and it's turning point time - but she'll have some obstacles to overcome.

THAT was Terrible...

Well, unless she comes back with something unexpected, I Am Woman is clearly not the filly I hoped she'd be. It was her turn to step up against these and she tanked.

The trip was fine. She sat 7th off the start. Certainly this wasn't unexpected as she was starting out of the 8 spot. Fox Valley Hooray had the rail and the early speed and sure enough, off she went. She blistered through some early fractions :28.3 and then :56.3 at the half. Exactly what you'd like to see in a conditioned claiming event where you have to come from off the pace and that's your filly's best style. She tipped wide with cover and then slide out three wide at the top of the stretch with clearance all the way home. Except there was no rally. None. She slipped past some tiring pacers, but she struggled to get to 5th.

I can't fault the drive. She was out of trouble and clear coming home. There may have been a little momentum stall - perhaps - by the fourth place finisher moving a bit outside in deep stretch, but it was clear by then that she wasn't going to win this one. Youaretheonlyone was the closer and picked up the win. Fox Valley Hooray held on for second.

I may need to face the fact that maybe she's just not that good and that $8,000 claimers is where she belongs. I hope I'm wrong, but if she comes back healthy, then there are no excuses. If she was ever to be a Late Closer series type of horse, here is where she needed to step up. It didn't happen. It's disappointing, but she can still be a useful filly in the claiming ranks. Maybe she'll be a really late bloomer, but then again, maybe we witnessed the high point of her career in March.

Then again, maybe it was just an off night? I guess to stay in this business you have to try and balance reality with some boundless optimism. Right now reality is winning. Maybe in the morning there will be some optimism.

Can She Top March?

Tomorrow evening I Am Woman will be taking on eight other fillies and mares, including nemesis Fox Valley Hooray in a Non-Winners of Three or $9,000 Lifetime at Balmoral Park. It's race 11, so it's going to be a late night with an estimated post time of 10:30 CT. She's the third choice in the Morning Line and will be leaving from post 7. Her first two wins of the year were out of the 7 post, so we have that going for us!

Here's a brief rundown:

1. Fox Valley Hooray - One win, four seconds (two behind our gal) and a third in all her starts this year. Obviously a front runner, the one hole helps an awful lot.

2. Fox Valley Koochie - No relation, same breeder. That's about all they have in common. It's been a long time since this on hit the board.

3. Flyin' Away - Dropping in from a NW4, has shown nothing all year long.

4. Seek the Dream - Mare has been slowly improving this year and finally hit the board last out. Just a length behind the one last out.

5. Youaretheonlyone - Another who likes the engine, it may be tough for her to hit the front with Hooray on the rail. She drilled the field two back to move into this level where she placed third despite a two over trip and the eight hole. If she can slip into the pocket after the start, she could be tough.

6. Medusa's Conquest - Has been on the improve all season and won last out to move into this level. A nice win, but she won start to finish and that's going to be tough to do tonight.

7. I AM WOMAN

8. Plain Jane Doe - Recovered nice after a break two starts back, but gets no post relief here.

9. Dragon's Desire - I don't see her in this one.

This is the toughest match up I remember seeing this year aside from I Am Woman's first race of the season. Remember after her three wins she scoped sick and then was the victim of a brutal trip last out. In fact, Tyler Buter is taking the reins from Brandon Simpson tonight. Both wins out of the 7 spot have been from way off the pace, springing clear late and full of pace to take control of both races late. There is early speed in this race on her inside and there is the potential for her to tuck in and move under cover. Of course, there is always the danger for a bad trip when you start from that far outside, but so far seven appears to be her lucky number!

A Very Disappointing Second

If it's possible to be bitterly disappointed in finishing second in a race, last night was it.

I Am Woman broke from the 1 hole at Balmoral last night and settled into third. As the race developed down the backside, only bad things were happening. She was in tight with a dead pacer on her outside, keeping her from going once over. She was in danger of getting shuffled back a couple of times and once had to back off on the far turn when she came up too fast on the horse in front of her. She fell back a few spots, lost momentum and had to get re-revved.

As they turned for home, Brandon Simpson had a choice to make: stay on the rail or tip out and try to roll around the field. Simpson tilted out, longshot Go Get Satin drifted out and Claudie took advantage right up the rail. Now she had to contend with a fading Go Get Satin right where Simpson thought he'd be. Wider she went to get around. She had pace, but she had to wait to get around Go Get Satin because Free Parking Behind wasn't moving much at all. Another momentum killer. By the time she was clear, there was no catching the winner and I Am Woman stayed in the money in every race in 2009. It's hard to be upset over the filly - how many times can you have your momentum killed and still get up for second, never mind actually winning?

She's paying the bills, but there really isn't a whole lot of possibility for her to recoup the investment running for $3000 purses. It's time to either poop or get off the pot as my mother used to say. Push her up here at Balmoral or move her to Pennsylvania where she is eligible for Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. Worst case scenario she drops back into claiming company. At Pocono she can run for a $7000 tag and a $6,000 purse. At $10,000 CL she's running for $8500. Here at Balmoral she's running for half of that. The economics are plain. It's time to move up or move on. We'll find out the next few days what the answer will be.

I Am Woman Tries to Make it Three for March

Hopefully March will come in like a lion and go out like a lion for I Am Woman at Balmoral park tonight. The little lady is once again entered in the non-winners of two lifetime OR $5,000 lifetime. It's the 4th race on your card and again she has drawn the one hole.

A brief rundown of the field:

1. I AM WOMAN

2. Bad Boy's Toy - Already beaten twice by our gal.

3. Claudie - Finally got her first win last out under an absolutely perfect pocket trip leaving from the rail. She won't leave from the rail this time and may be shuffled back early.

4. Miss Violet - A nice second last out in a game trip.

5. Johns Lil Sis - Anther gamer who closed well last out. Simpson forgoes this drive to drive I Am Woman. I hope he's right!

6. Go Get Satin - Hasn't shown much and can't believe she will here either.

7. Free Parking Behind - After an impressive start to 2009, she has finished well behind our girl twice more recently.

8. Life of Reilly - She missed her last start due to illness and before that was beaten by I Am Woman by 5.5. Still stuck outside, I can't see her as a factor.

9. So Not Funny - Also sick last out, the closest she's been in her career is 12 lengths behind the winner. the 20-1 morning line seems generous.

Interestingly, no one but Miss Violet and I Am Woman in this group has shown any inclination to go to the front. Another partner has mentioned that he believes she will wire this field tonight. I admire his optimism! Looking at the Past Performances, I think that's the style she'll have to adopt tonight against these. It looks as though the rest of the contenders want to come from off the pace and coming from the rail, she may have to either lead them around or tuck in behind Miss Violet and beat them in the stretch.

I know we initially were surprised at I Am Woman faltering in the stretch last out 10-days ago, but she scoped a bit sick the next day. She was given some treatment and rest and looks to be 100% going into the race tonight. In my opinion, this is kind of a make it or break it race for her. If she can show enough improvement since her first to lower her lifetime best as well as easily handle this field, it could be time for bigger and better things. If she can't...well, I don't really want to think about that right now!

Filed Under: "You Can't Win Them All"

It was bound to happen. In this game you can't win every race. In fact, like baseball, if you can bat .300 you're doing pretty well. With her sweeping from behind style she was bound to get in some trouble and not be able to get out in time and sure enough, it happened tonight. I Am Woman is now a beaten favorite. She finished a solid third in the opener at Balmoral Park tonight. I feel a bit badly at all the money she burned going down as a 1-2 favorite, but I did write that her odds would be too low for me to bet her the other day, so there was some warning. I don't care HOW much I own of a horse, 1-2 is not for me.

She got away well enough and trailed nemesis Fox Valley Hooray through fractions of :28.2 and :57 flat sitting right in the garden spot. Lil Lexi Lu tipped to the outside after the half, but could not get to Foxy and that left Brandon Simpson in a tough spot: behind the horse he needed to catch, but stuck inside by a stalled horse on his outside. He did all that he could do - wait. When a hole finally opened up on the cones, I Am Woman moved, but it there was too much ground to overcome in too little time. Jokers Lil Alibi, who had the momentum from rolling up clear on the outside even managed to nip us for second. She still hit the board and picked up a check.

The money earned from this trip still was not enough to get her out of this class and she's still eligible for the "Less than $5,000 Lifetime" condition of this race. We'll see if she gets a week off before tackling this class again.

It was frustrating to not win, but there are times when the trip dictates how you finish. This was one of those times. She still finished a half length out of first in a race that was run in 1:56.1. Like friend and reader Mike said to me in a consoling e-mail "She's growing up in front of your eyes".

You're right, Mike. She sure is.

Here She Goes Again

I feel badly about my consipicous lack of Thoroughbred blogging lately. However, all the news has been about Standardbred I Am Woman. She does have some things in her favor, not the least of which is she has the ability to race every week or so. Pacing is a much gentler gait to a horse than galloping is and is much less stressful on joints, so your Standardbred can pile up three or four starts to every one for your Thoroughbred. Racing at Balmoral, she is racing for considerably less purse money than her Thoroughbred cousins and even her own kind racing back East at Meadowlands and Yokers, so she has to win more in order to make herself profitable.


That leads me to the other thing she has in her favor: she wins.


If you've been following here, she's been winning like a maniac. Three for three in parimutuel starts in 2009 so far. Three winner's circle photos in a row. Money earned aside, she has completely squewed the statistics on the website for GRS connected horses. It's been crazy, but certainly a fun crazy. This Sunday we'll be at it again.


I Am Woman will leave from the four hole this week, just inside rival Fox Valley Hooray who has completed the exacta in the last two of Woman's wins being outfinished in both. There are a few nwecomers, but for the most part the field consists of fillies and mares that she has beaten one or more times already this year. The morning line odds are not out yet, but I have to think that at post time, our little lady will be under even money.


While she won't have the odds to play as a win bet this Sunday, I'll be rooting her on to make it four for four - even if she only pays $2.10!

Ah Chicago...

"That toddlin' town. City of the broad sholders. Hog butcher to the world. Home of the pig-sicle."

- Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H*, "Adam's Ribs" (November 26, 1964)

Chicago and I have been flirting now for a few months. We're up, we're down. We're together, we're not.

Before the economy really went south last fall, I had touched based with Tammy Domenosky, an accomplished thoroughbred race trainer to see if she would be interested in training for a group I was trying to put together to run at Hawthorne and then here at Canterbury over the summer. I had met Tammy here at Canterbury a few times and I really liked her commitment, style and skill with horses. She had done right by several folks I know already and was really starting to make a name for herself. A young trainer on the rise. It was a great opportunity.

As the fall turned to winter and the market kept a tumbling and folks' 401(k)s became 201(k)s, our core group of potential partners whittled down to next to nothing. There is no question that disposable income was hard to come by. We all know that this business is not for the faint of heart. You don't get in to make a fortune, you get in to have some fun, watch your horse run and be a part of one of the greatest games on the planet. We've all heard all the marketing angles:"Own your own sports franchise"; "Be a part of the sport of kings", etc. I've even used some of the trite expressions in my own advertising. The bottom line is, though, you're in it for the love of the game, the beauty of the animal, the thrill of the race. Ask my wife, I'm a nervous wreck before a race, but it takes me back to the same kind of nervousness I used to have before I ran in a race or before a game - and I'm addicted to it. I want to bring that kind of thrill to as many people as I can and, yes, our goal is to make money for our partners. It's hard to be successful, but it has to be your goal. Know the risks but do what you can to make money.

I digress. As Chicago and I flirted through the winter, we never quite got close enough to consumate the deal. In the interim, we purchased a controlling share in Minnesota-bred Thoroughbred Miss Belle Express and a small (12.5%) stake in Standardbred I Am Woman through VIP Stables. In addition, we continued to watch Fizzy Pop's progress back to the races. Missy and Fizzy were in Florida and I Am Woman was back East prepping for what we thought would be a season of racing at the Meadowlands or Yonkers. As for the Hawthorne partnership, I pulled the plug about a month ago and took down the offering from the website. "Nice try", I thought, "but bad timing." It happens.

As you've read here, I Am Woman qualified at the Big M, but it was thought that she may not have what it takes to compete there just yet. She's a smallish filly and she looked like she needed some seasoning and time to mature - if that was to come at all. So where does she get shipped off to? Chicago! And what does the little lady do when she gets out here? She reels off three straight wins and garners a good deal of attention - mostly thanks to Janine Starykowicz and the exposure she has given this blog over at Chicago Barn to Wire the last few weeks. I am extrememely grateful for the readership and welcome to those of you following thanks to the links. Readers unfamiliar with Barn to Wire may want to click and take a look - you will not find finer or more complete coverage of Illinois racing as you will there.

After a tough fall meet at Hawthorne, what does Tammy do the first weekend back racing? She goes three for three including winning the Merry Colleen Stakes with Mongoose Gold at nearly 7-1, sits near the top of the trainer standings and has compiled over $53,000 in earnings. Not a bad weekend of work and a testament to her ability to get horses ready to race.

Now I'm torn. Do I start beating the drum for Hawthorne/Canterbury again or just leave it alone? The business has to grow, but are we just spinning our wheels at a time when folks just don't have the money to get involved, even if they really want to? I don't want to just throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks, but if there is truly an opportunity here, I don't want it to pass by. After removing all mention of Hawthorne and a new claiming group there from the website just a month ago, is it just flaky for me to put it back up again? That is a real concern, too. I don't want us to be seen as a group that is running around everywhere with no real plan. But when opportunity knocks, can we afford to ignore it and not change up the plan a bit?

Oh, Chicago - you are SUCH a flirt!

TRIFECTA!!

I Am Woman once again charged up in the stretch and nailed Fox Valley Hooray at the wire. This week she broke from post one and rode the cones in the lead through the first turn when Fox Valley hooray took the lead and then held it through deep stretch. She cut slower fractions this week and I thought that we might not make it up in time. Though Foxy had more left in her tank this week, once again, Brandon Simpson tilted I Am Woman to the outside heading into the stretch and steadily gained ground until the wire.

Now she's three for three in 2009 and gaining valuable experience. Hard as it is to believe, she STILL qualifies for this condition again next week by a few hundred dollars, so we may see her against these again. I'm sure they'll be happy to see her the hell out of this class as soon as possible!

Me? I'm just happy to see her keep winning!

You Go Girl!

It was snowing like a son of a gun when I got to Balmoral Park outside of Chicago. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Scattered flurries was all the forecast was calling for Sunday. What I got was about 3 inches of snow, 19 degrees and a stiff blowing wind that drove right into the face of the horses as they came down the backstretch.

I walked around the Park a bit when I arrived. A very large facility built for another time, but with a lot of wood accents and a very comfortable physical plant. Below is a photo of the luxury boxes trackside that are available for rent on racing days. As you can see, each box is named for a Standardbred of old. They were very nicely appointed and certainly something I haven't seen before at a racetrack. While Thoroughbred tracks have their boxes above trackside, these were right on the finished line and into the first turn with a great view of the track and easy access to amenities.

I can't comment on the food as I did not partake while I was there, but the mutuel clerks were fine - though sparse - and plenty of automated tellers. I went and picked up I Am Woman's first career win photo from last week. The photographer asked if she was running again today and I told him "Absolutely and I hope to see you again later on!"

I decided to "Tweet" the trip. I have to admit, I don't fully understand this Twitter thing, only that appears to be a cross between Facebook status and mini-blogging. You can catch all the TBA Tweets over on the TBA home page, by the way. I Am Woman opened up at 4-5 and I mentioned on one of my Tweets that while she certainly had a shot, she shouldn't be 4-5! When I got to the hotel room and checked out the win photos, though, I had an explanation. Bad Boy's Toy broke her maiden odds-on in the first going away and I Am Woman got her by 2 1/4 last week so when the betting opened, the savvy out there jumped all over her.

I was feeling pretty good during warm ups (lead photo above of the filly warming up), I have to admit. The wind was blowing hard and the conditions for anyone any horse splitting the wind down the backside was going to be tough and I knew I Am Woman was not going to be on the engine.

The race shaped up well. Fractions were relatively swift considering the elements and Fox Valley Hooray led at every call into the stretch (:28/:57.2/1:28). When the half split went up I was feeling pretty good. Very tough splits into that headwind and our girl was moving up behind cover on the outside. When they hit the stretch, Brandon Simpson fanned her wide into the middle of the track and she picked up the remaining horses one by one until she crossed the line a length and a quarter in front. More remarkable, she had done it in a new lifetime mark for the mile at 1:58.2. I let the wind blow me over to the winner's circle where I met her and Brandon and snapped the photo.

Brandon drove her perfectly and said that she did it with ease. I'm very excited to know that she still has more in the tank. Kudos go out to Ed O'Connor and Tom Janes of VIP Stables, managing partner of I Am Woman, for the foresight to send her out to Chicago for seasoning. She's needed this learning experience and probably would have been eaten alive at the Meadowlands until she matured. She's learning her craft and getting stronger as time goes on. She'll get back in next week and while she has won through the NW2 condition, she still qualifies under the "or $5000" condition, so we may see her back against these next week as well. Maybe she'll make it 3 for 3?

Now if I could only find a Standardberd trainer that is spending the summer at Running Aces...

I Am Woman Faces NW2 at Balmoral

Getting the first win was a surprise. Getting the second win will be tougher now that her secret - her big stretch kick - is out and she's facing winners for the first time. I Am Woman is entered in the 4th race at Balmoral this evening. The race is a Non-Winners of 2LT to be Claimed for $12,000. She'll leave from the 7 hole again (which proved not to be much of a hindrance last week) with Brandon Simpson in the bike.

1. Life of Reilly: Leaving from the inside, the last time Riley hit the board was coincidentally the last time she was inside (2). She's show very little at this level so far.

2. Go Get Satin: Since her maiden win she's been drilled each start since.

3. Johns Lil Sis: Maiden taking on winners. After 28 starts, this does not figure to be the one.

4. Ms. Dock Johnson II: Been in the top four in each start this year with a second and this. Moves a bit inside from last and should be close all the way around.

5. Screamin Rita: Broke last out after being interfered with the week after her maiden win. Isn't afraid of the middle of the track and trip could be a copy of the maiden win.

6. Fox Valley Hooray: A second and third in her two starts this year and a consistent sub two minute miler which is more than the rest of the field can say. The one to beat today.

7. I AM WOMAN

8. Jokers Lil Alibi: Has not been very effective at the higher NW2 no tag races and drops in for $10,000 here. The drop could get her a piece.

9. No Doubt: Scratched sick last out after being distanced the week before. It'll take more than she has to win this one.

Outside of Fox Valley Hooray, the field is pretty wide open. While I Am Woman is the only one climbing into this level for the first time that actually has a win, if she improves off that first '09 start she could get her. Her win time was slow, but maybe she just did what she had to in order to win? We'll learn more tonight. She sure seems solid for a piece of the pie. The parallel to Fizzy's race yesterday is interesting: both have a legitimate shot, both have questions and both races have a seeming ringer in the race. It'll be fun to watch and I hope I have a chance of being there as I have to pass through Chicago for work anyhow. We'll see if I can time it OK...well, if BOTH of us can time it OK!

What A Weekend

The highs and the lows of racing all hit this weekend. Granted the low could have been lower, but the high is always a high no matter the stakes involved.

My return to California was sidetracked this week with the word that Valid Port will be retiring. He tore his sesamoid ligament and the odds of him recovering fully and coming back to race were only 10%. In realistic terms, a $10,000 claimer is not ever going to be able to make up the money that would be spent on surgery, rehab, lay-up and training, so he'll be retired. Karin Wagner of Neigh Savers is already on the job finding Porter a retirement home. She has my pledge of support and, I hope, of the other owners, in order to get him rehabbed and into a new home.

From the low to the high...

I Am Woman, a three year old pacer (Blissful Hall - Wild Proposition) owned in partnership with VIP Stables notched her first career victory in a Non-Winners of 1 Lifetime event at Balmoral Park last night. She started out of the disadvantageous 7 post and quickly shuffled back. She tipped two over at the half and went three wide on the turn for home. I was waiting for her to hang because of the slow pace (1:02 for the half!), but Brandon Simpson drove her with abandon and carried her right down the stretch to a 1.75 length win. I'm concerned about the slowness of the final time (2:00.4) as it was the slowest win on the card, but given the creeping of the pace, coming home in a final quarter of :27.4 and winning easy eases my discomfort a bit.

Her win was just the tonic I needed to sooth the sadness of Porter's retirement. I hope she gets in next Sunday evening as I have to pass through Chicago for work on Monday - I'd just leave a wee bit early and catch the race Sunday night ahead of my meetings on Monday in lower Michigan. We'll see how that works out, but until then, I'm going to savor the win and enjoy looking at the "100%" in the win and in-the-money percentages on the web site - yeah, i know it can't last forever, but I'll enjoy it every day I can!

"They're Off and Pacing..."

Finally we have a starter for 2009. I know it's still only February, but after a winter of waiting, resting and recharging, one of our connected horses has the first start of 2009. Oddly enough for Throughbred guy, our Standardbred, owned in partnership with VIP Stables is our first at Balmoral tomorrow.

Sure, I Am Woman is 8-1 in the morning line, has a crappy post position (7) and it's her first start of the season after an aborted 2-year old season in which she showed she was still too small to compete effectively. But she's racing and with that is at least the opportunity to start paying paying back what she's been costing.

She was no-saled at the Meadowlands auction last month when she failed to me her reserve. Bidding stopped at $11,500. Now she's entered for short purse money ($2900) at Balmoral eligible to be claimed for $10,500. On the face of it, this is curious - why no sale her, ship her across country to run for a cheap purse and a claiming price below what her high bid was? My guess is that she's ready to race now and there has not been a straight Non-Winners of 1 for Fillies and Mares written in a while. What is she supposed to do, sit around and wait? She wins and gets claimed it is almost a wash (minus shipping charges). At least she's racing now and if she can get in each week, then she'll be racing for close to $12,000 a month and she can start paying the bills - or at least trying to.

A bit of a bonus for me: because she's in Chicago, I can see her race from time to time when I'm in the area. It's only 6 hours from me here in the Cities and I can time some business trips around a few of her starts.

Finally, we're racing again. Between this and the condition book arriving the other day, I think Spring must be right around the corner!

Paying the Bills

This is probably the least fun thing to do when you own racehorses! I spent the morning working with spreadsheets and getting ready to pay the bills. There are the usual bills for training, vet, and farrier but this time of year there are also bills for accountants and the renewal for business licenses for the various partnerships. It's important to get K-1s out in a timely manner as you don't want your partners waiting to file their taxes because they need paperwork from you. I've been there, and it's no fun at all - I don't want my clients feeling the way I did then.

Compounding the bill paying is we're not racing All you do is watch the account balances dwindle. Thoughts turn to toward the good old days when your horses gave you a race every other week and purse money was coming in and you were hoping to add photos to your wall. Looking ahead, you know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and those days will be back, but you also know you're going to be on that edge of invoicing partners for another three months of training expenses and that's not something I like to do. We all know getting in that it may be a possibility - heck, it's more likely a probability - but you hope not to do it and work toward that end diligently. However it does happen and is part of the business/game/sport (pick your category). So in the end you try to be frugal, responsible and a good steward of the money entrusted to you and, in many ways, you then hope for the best.

The upside: everyone seems to be training well. Miss Belle Express's issues appear to be resolved and she's starting to move forward again. Fizzy Pop followed up his bullet work with another nice work over four furlongs this morning. Valid Port is back in training after his ankle strain. I Am Woman is being shipped to Balmoral Park in Chicago to start her career in the next few weeks. So here's hoping that February race cards start filling up with our horses and that bill writing next month may include a few deposits!