Midwest Paddock Report

I had teased a few posts back about a new venture we were working on and now we're ready to unveil it.

The Midwest Paddock Report is a combined effort of my photographer better half, Heather Frisbie, and I to bring a spotlight on racing here in the Heartland.  I can't guarantee a lot of things in life, but one thing I can guarantee is that we will have growing pains.  As painstaking as it was for two non-techies to build this site, I can absolutely guarantee that once we get rolling we're going to find all kinds of things we wished we would have done differently.

Ideally we would launch with comprehensive coverage of the entire Midwest from Ohio to the Dakotas and down to Oklahoma.  Ideally.  However since we are a two-person operation working on a limited (read: "no") budget, we are starting with a still ambitious, but much more doable, agenda of covering Minnesota and Iowa. 

While our focus in owning and breeding has been in Thoroughbreds, we are going to try and include our Standardbred cousins as well.  I don't know if that's going work but we'll see.  My roots in harness racing go back to college and trips to now defunct Lewiston Raceway in Maine which was my first continuous exposure to live horse racing (after an amazing Preakness experience in 1985) with college classmate and lifelong friend Paul Mooney.  I really enjoyed harness racing, have owned small pieces of pacers in the past and have included Scarborough, Dover and Pocono Downs, the Meadowlands and Pompano Park in my travels over the decades.  Admittedly the popularity isn't the same as Thoroughbreds and if the interest isn't there we will pare back to "the Flats", but we're going to give it a go.  Where we have dual meets going we will also cover the major stories in regional Quarter Horse racing with the same caveat.

We have a section that we call "Around the Region" where we will preview and recap stakes races around the Midwest and performances that should be highlighted.  We're hoping to rely on readers to pass along story ideas and horses to watch to help us bring those stories to the people.

Speaking of people, we will be spotlighting folks in racing from time to time in our "In the Paddock" section.  We'll take movers, shakers and all around interesting people and ask them 5 questions.  A quick look at what they do and how they affect the game.

We'll also touch base on the bigger picture in our "National Scene" section.  Admittedly I'm not altogether sure how we're going to do that and it's really not going to be our focus, but it's important to give some regional perspective to the Triple Crown Trail and the Breeders' Cup.

Currently we're relatively advertising free with the exception of a couple of spots for Google AdSense, but that will change - mostly as I get adept at creating advertising and working with the widgets to be able to place the ads where I want to so they look good and deliver value without detracting from the site.  While we may be a labor of love right now, we don't intend on it being that way forever so feel free to inquire since this will get some priority in our development queue.

We're going to be looking to inject personality into our coverage.  We'd like to be a place where you come for your Midwest racing news as if you'd be sitting down with coffee with your neighbor and discussing the last night's race.  We'd like to entertain as well as inform and generate discussion.

Before I wrap, I'd like to thank family and friends that have reviewed and critiqued the birth process.  You've all be indispensable.  Truly indispensable was Frank Vespe, founder of the wonderful Mid-Atlantic on-line magazine, The Racing Biz, who provided us with advice and continues to be an inspiration.

We invite you take a look and let us know what you think.  While you're there, follow the Midwest Paddock Report on Twitter and you'll soon be able to "like" our Facebook page as well. We look forward to hearing from you!

Cooperation Between Upper Midwest Tracks Gives More Opportunities for Owners

Cooperation has been a watchword in the industry for a long time.  Sadly it’s mostly been because of the LACK of cooperation as opposed to cooperating for the common good.  This summer, however, cooperation is coming to the upper Midwest and it looks to be a winning situation.

Canterbury Park and Prairie Meadows announced today an agreement to allow Minnesota Thoroughbreds to compete at Prairie Meadows in restricted races written for Iowa Thoroughbreds prior to the start of the Canterbury Park race meet on May 17. Likewise, when the Prairie Meadows Thoroughbred meet concludes in mid-August, Iowa Thoroughbreds will have an opportunity to run alongside Minnesota Thoroughbreds in designated race restrictions at Canterbury Park through mid-September. 

The Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association led by Leroy Gessmann proposed the concept to the Minnesota HBPA last summer hoping to offer additional racing opportunities for horses from both states.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Iowa Thoroughbreds to run in restricted state races beyond mid-August when our season ends at Prairie Meadows,” said Deb Leech, President of the Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, "and the same holds true for Minnesota-bred horses to run, before Canterbury opens, in state restricted races here in Iowa. We are thrilled that Canterbury Park and Prairie Meadows were both receptive to this idea and worked with the Iowa and Minnesota HBPAs to make this happen. Purse structures are comparable, so this is an attractive option for our breeders and owners. We look forward to a successful first year of these additional races and building on it for the future.”

“This collaboration presents additional racing opportunities for owners of Iowa and Minnesota-breds,” Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson said. “With the Canterbury meet now extending into mid-September, we are excited to give the Iowa-bred horses the opportunity to race at Canterbury after the Prairie Meadows race meet concludes.” 

As many owners will recall last year, toward the end of the Canterbury meet as Minnesota breds started to work their way through their conditions, it was harder and harder to fill MN bred races.  I know several owners complained to me, “Why won’t they write a MN bred non winners of 3 races lifetime, $7500 claiming?”  The short answer was, “Because only you and one other horse are eligible!”  The answer was a bit longer than that, but the gist was exactly that.  The decline in the MN foal crop over the past five years left a real gaping hole in the MN bred racing program. 

That is about to change starting this season thanks to the cooperative marketing agreement with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community which increases and stabilizes purses over the next 9-years.  Already, in-foal mares are coming into the state in near record numbers and we should see a nice bump in the number of MN bred foals over the next few years.  As the pace accelerates, maybe a program like this won’t be necessary, but whether it’s necessary or not to fill races or not, giving MN breds a place to run early and IA breds a place to run late really extends the season for an area that is limited in its ability to conduct a long race meet is great for owners and trainers.  More opportunities while not diluting the product is never a bad thing and hopefully can lead to other cooperative ventures – here as well as a beacon for tracks elsewhere.

Missed It By That Much

The race was run over the main track at 7 furlongs and, as I mentioned in the preview post Friday, I was a bit afraid that was too short for Tabby Lane.  I was also afraid that the layoff may have taken the edge off her so at least I was dead wrong about that part. Kudos to the Rhone barn for keeping her sharp.

Tabby broke last and laid off most of the field, which isn’t terribly unusual for her.  The early fractions set by Black Magic Moon were more than reasonable at :22.1 and :44.3 and I was optimistic that the pace was one we could close into.  What I didn’t account for was the mid race move made by Holy Bling.

JJ Garcia took Holy Bling, just before the half mile mark, and shook her loose and she went running.  She opened up five and then seven lengths on the field and tried to ride that all the way home.  In the meantime, Dean Butler had Tabby on the move through the turn and at the top of the stretch she had moved to 6^th but was fanned very wide.  She changed her leads and continued to close hard down the lane, kept company by Learn the Lingo.  Tabby’s rally fell 1½ lengths short of the top spot but prevailed for second by an increasing head.  According to the Trakus system at Tampa, Tabby ran 33 feet further than the winner and came home with the fastest last quarter time of the field.

There was no question that at a mile Tabby had this race but after 59 days of waiting we had to go with a race that was close to what she wanted and this was it.  We’ve already made the decision to ship north from Florida this coming week.  The only chance we have for a race at Tampa would be on closing day, the same $16,000 claiming race over the grass that had us on the "Also Eligible" list last week and I’m not waiting around to see if we make it in.  Besides, that’s only two weeks away.  At least if we get to Canterbury she can train over the surface, get settled in and perhaps run down at Prairie Meadows waiting for a race here.  Up north we have options; at Tampa we have only hope.  I prefer the options.

Tabby came back from the race in really good shape – “better than when we went over” said her trainer, Bernell Rhone, on Sunday morning.  You can’t ask for any more than that.  See you soon, Canterbury!

We Got in...Sort Of

We finally got into a race.  Sort of.  Actually, we’ll be scratching out of it I’m nearly 100% sure.  We made the list of a $16,000 claiming race over the turf as an “Also Eligible” and since we’re third on the list and forecast doesn’t call for any rain, it appears very unlikely that we’ll be racing on Sunday.

Tabby Lane is 12-1 in the morning line and that’s probably very fair against this group.  I’m not going to break down the entire race like I usually do considering the unlikelihood that we’re actually going to get into the race but I will give you my thoughts on how it appears to shape up.

The morning line favorite is the mare in the one hole, Butterdish.  Butterdish took on some tough horses in a turf handicap at Tampa last out and had her head handed to her, however when she has run at $16,000 she has won and won convincingly – at this distance, surface and course.

Morningside Heights is another mare that has experienced success at the $16,000 claiming ranks and has had issues trying to step up into tougher company.  She’s 2 – 4 this year with her wins at $16,000 and her losses against allowance fields.

Monstrip is right where she belongs in this type of field and Adreamfordarlene is dropping way down from $32,000 claiming.

The top four in this race are tough and there are a few others that have notched wins at this level as well.  Where Tabby fits is anyone’s guess and I’ll go ahead and take one!

Tabby is coming off two successive wins at $8,000 and $12,500 and was really sharp exiting that last race.  I say “was” because it’s now been six weeks since the last race and the gap is now starting to look more like an extended layoff as opposed to her traditional 3 – 4 week break between races.  She may not be as fit as sharp as she was in early April.

Her best Beyer last year was a 72 and that was accomplished over the Canterbury turf.  In her three turf races her speed figures were 68, 54 and 72 with the 54 being earned in a race where she was checked hard.  By way of comparison, her dirt win at Canterbury in the same summer was rated a 58.  She may be a better turf runner than dirt.  She’s tried the turf 8 times, scoring twice and finishing in the money twice more earning $19,598 which is why we wanted to give her the opportunity over the grass as she makes her way up the class ladder.

There is some early speed in the race and possibly enough of it to ensure an honest pace on the front end.  The question mark is whether or not Tabby Lane can run with the late running favorites when the cavalry charge begins after the turn for home.

In the very likely event that she doesn’t get into the race tomorrow I’ve started pondering our next step.  If we can’t find a race in this last book at Tampa that looks promising – and I’m not betting that we won’t be on the AE list again in a $16,000 turf race – we may need to move.  The downside of that is where do we move?  The Canterbury book has zip for her until maybe June 2 and even then at a level that I may not be comfortable with.  The Prairie Meadows experience went horribly awry two years ago but at least there I can run her at a level that may be a bit below her actual class but have the increased purse money to make it worth taking a chance.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings and then decide from there.

WWTD - What Will Tabby Do?

What’s the latest?  What’s the latest?  This is now the most asked question of me by both partners and friends.  Everyone wants to know when racing is going to start again at Canterbury Park.  The short – and sadly most correct – answer is “I don’t know.”

Today the track stated their case to stay open in front of Ramsey County District Court judge Kathleen Gearin.  It was hoped that a decision would have been reached in time to save Saturday’s racing card.  It wasn’t.  At this point even if live racing continues to be an issue, you have to think that Canterbury would accept the reopening of the card club and/or simulcasting as some kind of step forward from a business perspective.  To have to cease all revenue generating functions over the busiest weekend of the year is brutal for the business – not to mention shareholders.  I don’t think that the decision needs to be all or nothing, however live racing is the jewel and without it summer is not the same.

Governor Dayton was quoted as saying that there will not be any meetings between his team and the Republican legislative leadership until after the holiday weekend.  It would give both sides a cooling off period before discussions resume.  This puts virtually the entire burden of Canterbury’s 2011 season in the hands – or the pen – of Judge Gearin.  If she does not find for Canterbury (and Running Aces, the harness track in Columbus, MN) that the MN Racing Commission should stay open then the holiday weekend has passed us by and horsemen will be looking at the possibility of a second straight weekend without racing.  Other owners have told me that their trainers are looking to ship out if there is no resolution by Tuesday.  If there is enough of an exodus, there will be no 2011 season.

What’s our plan?  We sit tight for now.  I haven’t spoken to our trainer, Bernell Rhone, since the shutdown went into effect.  I’m sure that he has some contingency plans but I know that his heart is in running at Canterbury.  He has several very nice Minn breds in the barn that could do some damage in the state bred stakes races in the second half of the meet, if there is one. 

The track will remain open for training – for now anyway – and that still leaves us the option of training here and shipping to Iowa or Chicago to race.  Since Tabby just ran last Sunday, we’re in no hurry to get her back to the races, but there are plenty of folks that were coming into their race time right now that have a horse tuned up and no race to run in.  You can’t keep an athlete tuned up like that forever with no outlet.  And as I’ve mentioned in the past, how do you get some of the trainers back next year after a debacle like this?

I better send off to renew my Iowa license this weekend…

Running Wide on the Prairie

As race day moves along I get more and more nervous. Before I get to he track I go through bouts of the jitters - they kind of come and go. As post time gets closer it gets steadier until, just before the gates spring open, I'm as tight as a drum. as odd as it sounds, I enjoy the nervousness to a degree. The anticipation of post time is like being a kid on Christmas Day waiting to see what Santa brought you. Last night...Santa brought us coal.

Tabby Lane shipped down to Prairie Meadows without incident in the morning. She handled the trip down like she handles most things - calmly and relaxed. She looked great in the paddock as well, high strung is one thing our gal is not.

One troubling aspect throughout the card last night was the lack of movement along the rail. I don't know if Calvin Borel could have made a move on the inside last night. The only horse to win from the inside was in the first race and that was a route. The Quinella Queen, her king, my wife and I spent the evening handicapping the races in the clubhouse. Not only was the rail dead tonight, the observed, but it seemed like the one post is always a hindrance at Prairie. Great, I thought, Tabby's breaking from the inside - it was the first indication that things may be heading south.

As the fillies and mares warmed up, Bernell Rhone mentioned that we may have just enough speed to get in trouble. In other words, we'll break into the middle of the pack and get trapped down along the inside. About three strides out of the gate, we knew that wasn't a concern.

Tabby didn't break sharply and trailed the field early. Soon after clearing the turn and moving down the backstretch, jockey Glenn Murphy slid her off the inside and into position behind the group and into the five path, only about two lengths off the lead. Setting up his run into the turn, Murphy elected to stay away from the dead rail and angled Tabby even more to the outside where she lost about another length on the lead moving out another couple of paths entering the turn. By full bend she was a length and a half behind the pack and seemed to be gaining a bit on the field. However, by the time they straightened out for the drive she was out close to 10 paths from the rail and we knew it was all over but the shouting - and the shouting wasn't from us. She passed a couple of tiring horses and as a bitter epitaph on the race the chart writer wrote simply "Tabby Lane was no factor".

It's hard to fault Murphy for the ride. Granted, it wasn't a very patient ride as the move to the far outside before entering the turn seemed to be a bit knee jerky instead of waiting to see if something opened up a little further along in the race, but he may have felt that he had plenty of horse under him at that point and that she could sustain a bid. Also as he took her wide, no one else wanted to see if there was an opening as well and he kept having to slide further and further outside to get some clear sailing. By the time they straightened out, she was baked.

As I mentioned yesterday, while there was a lot to like about her going into the race, there were definitely some red flags. I don't know how many of those red flags were a part of getting her beat so soundly, but adding in a tough rail when you're breaking from the one spot certainly didn't help her cause either. I guess the two things I feel mostly badly about is how much money she took down with her as the 3-5 favorite and the disappointment I know the partners must feel. We just need to shake it off, get her home and ready for what comes next. Bernell drove home after the races last night, so I won't touch base with him until later in the day or tomorrow but we'll have some options.

The important thing now is to see how she comes back, though she looked pretty solid coming back after the race. You can't win every race and maybe this was her clunker - it happens. Two years ago Fizzy Pop put in a clunker on his first trip north as well and came back to win next out. Hopefully history will be able to repeat itself.

Tabby Lane v. Five at Prairie Meadows Tonight

Tabby Lane goes postward as the 8-5 morning line favorite tonight at Prairies Meadows in a $25,000 Optional Claiming race. She qualifies under the non-winners of two races other than maiden or claiming condition, so she won’t be wearing a tag tonight. There is a lot to like about Tabby tonight. Here is a breakdown of the short six horse field.

1. TABBY LANE

2. Wine Diva – loads of back class, but hasn’t won a race since at least early 2007. The majority of her lifetime starts have been on the turf and there are plenty of gaps in her past performances. Last out she was beaten 11 in a $75,000 Optional Claimer at Oaklawn. Her best Beyers put her over anyone in this group, but her last race wasn’t encouraging.

3. Beyond the Reach – A star at Prairie Meadows in ’09 (she won the Donna Read Stakes), her last two efforts of the year over synthetic were abysmal. First race of ’10 may be a bit too tough for her right now.

4. Judy’s Quest – Second off the claim for owner/trainer Tammy Domenosky. Her first effort was a good third place finish after a slow start over the turf at Hawthorne. She gets a little more distance this trip - she ran out of room closing in her last over 5.5 furlongs - and reverts back to dirt.

5. Princess Bianconi – Her efforts so far in ’10 have been steady middle of the pack finishes, even when dropping to $25,000 Claiming last out at Oaklawn. Though she hasn’t hit the board yet this year, she still could be dangerous.

6. Sweet Topper – the 3-year old, taking on her elders for the first time, may find herself in over her head here. Her career best Beyer is almost 20 points lower than every other horse in the race and her last race in February was a pasting in the Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise.

So what’s to like about Tabby Lane tonight? She’s clearly a horse on the improve. As she’s moved up the ladder her speed figures have improved and she’s been able to win or finish second. In her last she lost to Pyrite Gem who tied the track record in the process. Pyrite Gem came back on Derby Day and won the $50,000 Angenora Stakes at Thistledown, flattering our girl’s second place finish. In addition, the third place finisher in that Tampa $32,000 Optional Claiming Race, Judy Patootie, came back and won two weeks later in a $12,500 Starter Allowance at Tampa Bay Downs. All of these point to our girl having a strong result.

Yet…there are worries. With the exception of Sweet Topper, every filly and mare in the race has something that you can hang your hat on. Tabby also has some negatives as well: she’s shipping in the morning of the race; new jockey (Dean Butler has a prior commitment and isn't available); new racetrack; unfamiliar routine - all things that give me a bit of heartburn and are causes for concern. Thankfully Bernell is up and will be there to get her saddled. Her jock for the race, Glenn Murphy, appears to be solid and is winning at a 22% clip at PM so far this year. Still, I am concerned.

As I write this I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous of owners that can boast about how there is no way their horse can lose and reek of brash confidence. While I am certain that Tabby can win, I am also mindful of all the ways we can lose. Maybe it's my own superstitious nature at work. I know she's good. I know she's capable. I just don't want to be the one to jinx her!

I went down to Canterbury to see her yesterday morning and she looked great. She had gone over to the starting gate to get a little refresher and was on the walker when I got there. I was telling my wife that I got this all encompassing need to go see her this morning. I'm not sure why, but a voice inside of me was telling me to get off my ass and go down there, so I did. After going I'm STILL not sure why I had to get down there so badly, but it was nice to see Bernell again after the winter as well as Dean and Leanne Butler. Dean has a prior commitment and was hoping that they would bring the race back Saturday, but that wasn't meant to be. I feel badly that he's not on her tonight, but as one of our partners pointed out: the last three times Tabby has had a rider change she's won. Hopefully that means back to back victories are on the horizon since when she comes back to Canterbury she'll be under Dean once again.

I keep visualizing her in the stretch, extending her lead and crossing the wire first – as if willing it can make it so. She has a strong team behind her that has her prepped as well as she can be. If it were up to the collective excitement and support of her owners, she’d be a winner already but now it’s time to run the race.

For an up-close and personal look at our lady, please visit friend and outstanding blogger Teresa Genaro's Brooklyn Backstretch piece on her today!