I Am Woman - Monticello Monday

I Am Woman takes on seven rivals in a Non-Winners of 3 Lifetime plus conditioned pace at Monticello Raceway this afternoon. It looks as if she should be able to get the garden trip, second on the rail, for most of the way around. If she can clear traffic and finally finish a mile she should be in a good position in the stretch. We've sung this song before, but if I weren't an optimist, I wouldn't be in racing!

SK Stu Peru - Got up in the last strides to nip I Am Woman for third last out and now moves to the rail.

I AM WOMAN

Pretty Pedals - Struggled since moving up to this level, though her last was a considerable improvement.

TT's Medalofhonor - Tried to wire the field last out but was gang tackled in the stretch to finish 5th. Wants the engine and doesn't appear to have early speed inside of her.

Powerful Al - Very flat last out and was beaten by many of these.

JL Lucy - Been able to stay close in last two but may be too tough for the top spot.

Hello Grin - Been facing much speedier in Penn, but never close to a win. Should fit in here, though.

Bella Paradisa - Wants the front but burdened with the 8 spot again. Could be a repeat of last.

If I Am Woman can't hang with this group, I'm not sure what VIP will do with her next. I would think that a drop into claiming company would be warranted, but maybe she'll surprise in here?

I Am Woman - 4th Again

I Am Woman had a bit of a difficult trip yesterday afternoon and finished fourth in her non-winner of three conditioned pace at Monticello. As feared, she was shuffled back to fourth early and at each opportunity to pull and make a run she was blocked on the outside by a fading horse or by a stalling filly to her front. Heading into the stretch she finally popped free but was too far back to rally.

In a punch to the gut, while she passed several in the lane, she was nosed out by a hard closing SK Stu Peru for 3rd. Sure, it's only a 4% difference in purse money, but it would have got her close to breaking even for the month. Hopefully she gets back in Monday and we get one last shot at August.

It's hard to evaluate a race like this one, but our gal seems to get the worst of it every time out. I don't know what level the folks at VIP are looking at next, but she may be OK in here one more time. A second and a fourth is not being totally outclassed, but it would not break my heart to drop her into a claiming race either.

A Week Off, Then She Tries Again

After failing to get in last week as Also Eligible 1, I Am Woman will be taking on a full field of $5000 pacers back at Pocono Downs tomorrow evening. She comes in having lost to three of these last time out, but she did it while looking better than she had in a month. She's back in on the rail with another new driver, Kevin Sizer (UDR .238), in the bike. Here is the rundown for the 8th race Wednesday night.

1. I AM WOMAN

2. Lightning Pegasus: One of the three who overtook I Am Woman in the stretch last out to finish second. She moves inside for the first time in a long time and is a threat in here.

3. Cajun Angel: Has been last or second to last in her last five starts. Same level tonight, no reason to expect an improvement.

4. Dig Alittle Deeper: She likes to come from the back of the pack and should get that opportunity again. Don't know if she can win, but probably useful in an exotic.

5. Corky's Baylor: Has not been close since dropping to this level.

6. Live Wire's Cammy: This old veteran has seen sharper days.

7. Asian Express: Was flat last out. Maybe needed the experience back over the PcD track. Post 7 won't be helpful, though.

8. Allamerican Excel: Didn't bounce back well after being scratched due to illness. Claimed at $7000 and dropping immediately after one start. Not a good sign.

9. Call Me Roo: Two for two since dropping in at this level beating all but Allamerican Excel in the last race. She won from the 5 and from the 2 and from behind and on the engine. Definitely the on to beat in here - though odd that she doesn't get moved back up in class.

Our girl has her work cut out for her Wednesday evening. Given the disastrous performance two starts back where I think she was a little under the weather, she came back nicely in her last. If she still wasn't 100%, then I think that we have a shot in here. If that was as good as she gets, however, then we have a longer term problem that VIP will have to sort out going forward.

It Was Better...

If that's the best I can say about a 4th place finish in a rock bottom claiming race, it's not much at all. That said, I Am Woman was clearly a different horse tonight than she was two weeks ago. Tonight's race was another $5000 Claiming race at Pocono Downs.

Leaving from the one hole, I Am Woman left the gate well and settled in the pocket early. Driver Andrew McCarthy pulled her the first time past the stands and sent her to the lead which she took from Cajun Angel easily. She led through a breather second quarter in 30.4, but the pace was to quicken with a :29 even third quarter. She stayed game to the top of the stretch when 1-2 favorite Call Me Roo went on by her. She paced tough, but was overtaken by Lightning Pegasus and then Dig a Little Deeper midstretch. At the wire she was able to nose out Asian Express for fourth.

A nice takeaway from this race was her willingness to go to the lead and the burst of tactical speed she showed was solid. Not so great: her caving in the stretch again. If we could find a harness race to go 6 furlongs, we'd have a champion!

I don't know what VIP Stables is going to do with I Am Woman next. She may stay at Pocono or she may move to another, less competitive track. We'll have to wait and see what trainer John Butenschoen has to say and go from there.

Turning Point or Turning Out?

I think this is what the 1st race at Pocono will be tonight for I Am Woman. She was beaten 23 lengths last out in a very poor performance and makes her return to the $5000 claiming ranks tonight. Another awful performance without a physical excuse could mean a change in venue or a change in career for her. You can't keep racing a horse if she can't compete. It's not only financially wasteful, but you'll break their spirit and they'll simply stop trying.

Here is the line up tonight:

1 I AM WOMAN

2 Jovial Charm: Mare hasn't shown much since dropping into the claiming ranks but shifts inside for the first time in a while.

3 Intimate Hall: Three consecutive 3rds from the outside and the inside before scratching sick last week.

4 Cajun Angel: Also having a rough go of it late with back of the pack finishes the past month.

5 Call Me Roo: Beat most of these last out and appears to be the class of the field and the one to beat.

6 Lightning Pegasus: Drops in from $7000 where she couldn't quite get it done. Prior she ripped off consecutive wins in the $6000 CL HCP group. Definitely a threat.

7 Asian Express: Hasn't hit the board in a non-qualifier since Frehold back in March.

8 Dig A Little Deeper: Not a bad 5th only a length and a half behind choice last out, but shifts far outward tonight.

9 Cork's Baylor: 20-1 ML v. 4-1 for our girl though she finished two spots ahead of her in their last race.

Honestly I can't even predict how she'll do tonight. She's shown a steady decline since her late closer race at Tioga and has given us no sign that she's ready to improve. I don't envy VIP's decision making process if this race proves a failure with no excuse as well. Maybe she returns to Chicago? Maybe she gets turned out for a while? Maybe she needs to be retired and move on to a new career? If she doesn't step up, it's hard to make a case of throwing good money after bad.

Not As Bad As It Seems - Mostly

At first blush, a 5th place finish is discouraging. Actually it's downright disappointing, especially when you're racing at the bottom. It's tough to make any money that way, never mind break even.

Today's fourth at Pocono was hardly a flaming mile. The race was won in 1:58.3, not exactly a world record pace. I Am Woman got off well and found room inside first time past the stands in 3rd. Then the trouble started down the backside. As the outside lined filled, she slowly got shuffled back in the pack. As they entered the far turn she had slid to 5th and then 6th at the top of the stretch. As they straightened for home, I Am Woman tried to find space, but there was none to be had. As she moved outside, the leader, Commissioned N, started to weaken and drifted from the rail and stayed in front of our gal. By the time she was ducked back inside, she had company on the rail as Outten Front had slid through as the action unfolded in front of driver Sean Bier. Between Commissioned N backing up on her and not getting clear sailing on the rail, she still managed to come within a whisker of 4th.

A few encouraging signs:

- She never gave up. She tried hard throughout and even when boxed in through the stretch, she still had finish to her. If she was able to go first over, she may have been better positioned to finish;

- She closed up the inside. Not her favorite place in the world, this is the first time she's showed she can close when hemmed in a bit.

Not so encouraging:

- It's rock bottom and she kind of looked like she belonged with these. She certainly didn't outclass anyone;

- The final time for the race was only 1:58.3 and her final time was over 1:59. My fear that she's just not that fast may indeed be correct, though I'll reserve judgement until she goes again next week and see what happens with a clear trip.

A final word to Mitchell who commented on the preview post yesterday and has his own piece of a Standardbred: Best of luck in the Hoosier Cup on Saturday. River Shark will be racing for a share of $500,000! I don't care where you're racing - that's real money! Good luck and travel safe!

What A Weekend!

There sure was a lot going on this weekend. We'll go with first things first and touch on the Preakness.

The Preakness is the race I would most like to win - that is no secret. I started my "racing career" there punching tickets in graduate school. This year was something special. I watched the race from the grandstand at Canterbury Park and there was cheering with every step the filly took around the track. Rachel Alexandra is something special and she appeared to win with something left in the tank. I have heard a lot in the last few days that the way Mine That Bird was charging, the extra distance of the Belmont will make all the difference. Maybe that's true, but to base that on the way the Preakness was run is a big mistake. There is a strategy going into every race and the way a mile and three sixteenths would be tackled is different than the way you'll set up for a mile and a half. The "shape" of the race, if you will, will be different and that opens up a lot of possibilities.

Canterbury Park opened this weekend. Two weeks later than usual, but still a highly anticipated and highly successful weekend of racing. I captured the sites and sounds of that earlier this weekend and that post was picked up by Equidaily - helping spread the word of our little jewel around the country. Over 20,000 fans watched the races this weekend launching a summer of racing in Shakopee.

I Am Woman is still struggling back East. On Saturday she moved from the Late Closing ranks into a Non-Winner of 3 race at Pocono Downs which actually carried a slightly higher purse and class rating than the Late Closer at Tioga. For the second race in a row she was well driven and well placed heading into the stretch but just could not keep up. We'll see what the folks at VIP Stables have in store for her next, but I hope it's a significant drop into the claiming ranks and let her re-establish her confidence and give her the opportunity to start picking up checks again.

On Sunday, Fizzy Pop made his 2009 Canterbury debut. It was a $25,000 Optional Claiming race going a mile and 40 yards on the dirt. He was being ridden by Jose Ferrer as regular rider Dean Butler was to ride 3-year old Minnesota bred (and outstanding colt) Perfect Bull. My biggest fear all this week was that the new rider would not have the same feel for the horse or understand his quirks like Dean does. I figured he and Bernell Rhone would cover that before the race. Unfortunately there was some type of delay in Ferrer getting to the paddock and he emerged in just enough time to get a leg up. Bernell didn't have time to go over anything with him, though he obviously tried. Sadly my worst fear came true. In theory the distance should have been a bit short for Fiz, what happened, however, made it look like it was too long.

Fizzy makes his move at the top of the turn for home or just as the field straightens out in the stretch. Ferrer moved him heading into the far turn and he was up by a length with most of the stretch to go. Despite the excitement around me, I didn't feel comfortable. I knew Chicago shipper (and big time closer) O'Connell's and Perfect Bull were yet to make their moves. Sure enough Fiz fizzled in deep stretch while Perfect Bull showed why he is going to be a horse to be reckoned with all summer long. The Bull won the race (congrads to the Red Dog folks - good people who deserve good things) and O'Connell's finished second (they may be good people too - just don't know 'em!). We were only 1.5 lengths out of it at the end. I don't know if Dean could have won the race for us, but I'm pretty sure the early move didn't help our boy either.

Finally there was the Upper Midwest Two-Year Olds in Training Sale put on by the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association. I don't know the final results yet, but I have heard they were a little disappointing. It certainly wasn't from lack of effort. Kay King, Executive Director of the Association, and her volunteers did a wonderful job organizing and setting up the sale. It's a big and thankless job, but it was done and done well. Thanks and congratulations - whatever the dollar outcome.

So there was good and not so good this weekend. But there will be other races and the upside is that the "other race" will be here at home for the summer.

Writer's Frustration

This is kind of like writer's block except that you get so frustrated that you don't know what to write. When I started this blog, though, I promised to share all aspects of horse ownership and frustration sure is a part of it.

This year she came out of the blocks on fire, but after those first three wins, she's been average at best. Today unfolded pretty much like I thought it might - though with a decidedly different result. Marg's Ideal raced out to a quick lead as she is wont to do and I Am Woman followed. Unfortunately, Fancy Creek Queen kept I Am Woman parked through the turn until she finally made the pocket when they straightened out. I had a hunch it was over for her then...I was right.

As they made their second pass on the half mile oval at Maywood Park, Real Peachy made a bid for the lead and locked our gal in. The sad thing - Peachy didn't stand a chance in this one but pretty much sealed our fate. Nothing opened up until they straightened for home and when driver Brandon Simpson asked her she had nothing and faded to fourth. In the interim, Maggies' Dream, three wide throughout the last quarter, dropped in class and smoked the field in a very impressive performance.

We got beat by a better mare tonight - I just hope now we stop spending money on Late Closer's that I Am Woman clearly cannot compete in yet...and may never. Nothing wrong with being a low level claimer but at least know it and adjust accordingly.

The again, maybe it's the writer's frustration talking...maybe that's all it is...

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.

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!

Interesting Development

Last year I had a handful of folks looking to be in on the opening of Running Aces Harness Park. I was a bit leery because of the purse structure and difficulty in being able to make any money in the Twin Cities market with a Standardbred. However, as everyone understood the risks involved and really just wanted to be able to watch their horse race and hopefully grab a few photos, I dug in and looked for a trainer.

I met with some folks and asked around, but I couldn't really find anything. There were quite a few folks looking to sell some horses - at what I felt were inflated prices - because of the racing coming here, but no one along the lines of a Standardbred Bernell Rhone. Basically I was looking for a professional trainer that could help me evaluate talent, train our horse(s), hire the driver and move our pacer to his winter track, wherever that may be (if it happened to be Pompano Park in FL, well, God bless him/her). What I found was that the inaugural meet was more about the local horsemen - the owner/trainer/driver - finally having a pace of their own. There was a certain degree of uncertainty to the venture and, more to my concerns, who would show up from elsewhere to contest the races. The bottom line: I had partners but no trainer.

My last entry, singing the praises of I Am Woman, the 3-year old pacing filly I own 12.5% of with VIP Stables, finished up with the oft-quoted line "Now if I could only find a Standardbred trainer spending the summer at Running Aces..." Since then I have touched base with two who are going to do some racing up our way this summer. Nothing firm yet, but exploring the opportunities. While purses are going up some 25% at Running Aces this season, it's not like it was the Meadowlands to begin with, so they are still a cut below what we see at Maywood or Balmoral. That being said, the gap has narrowed and the racing season is longer this year: May 15 to August 9 four days per week. With a horse that can be competitive week to week and a reasonable training cost structure, there is some potential.

In a most interesting development, the bottom line this year appears to be: I'm going to have a trainer, but no partners!

Now if I could only find partners who want to race a Standardbred or two at Running Aces this summer...

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...