Now that I've calmed down a bit after Mine That Bird's incomparable win in Saturday's Derby, maybe I can remember to write all the info that I wish to convey.... but I don't know if I'm capable. On Derby Day, Bird's owners said it was "... on to the Preakness"; today the trainer is sounding sceptical, and the owners a little more cautious. Chip, the horse's trainer, feels that he was just readying the colt for the Derby, not the entire Triple Crown path; the owners seem to have caught Triple Crown fever, and want to go on. At the moment, the only confirmed entrant into the Preakness is the fourth place finisher, Papa Clem. The owners surprised visitors to the Kentucky Derby Museum at the Kentucky Horse Park on Sunday by showing up and giving each visitor a rose from Mine That Bird's winning rose blanket.
I was excited to hear on Saturday that NBC would be showing the highlights from this year's Rolex Three Day Event from the Kentucky Horse Park on Sunday. I made sure I was parked in the front of the TV, hoping to get a glimpse of dressage, cross-country jumping, and stadium jumping. Unfortunately for me, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks went into 3 over-time periods, meaning no horse coverage. (Grrrrrr!!) - This is our fourth day of cloudy, dreary and weepy skies here; I'm hoping the projected rain will hold off until after I've taken the Irish kids out for their walk and romp this morning. It's currently 46 degrees and we have (gasp!) 96% humidity; we're expected to hit the mid-60s today and be in the 70s and 80s through Saturday. - NBCs Today show just interviewed the Mine That Bird group (the trainer, owners, and Calvin Borel) and they said they'd make their decision about the Preakness later this week. Calvin had already taken Bird out on the track this morning to loosen him up and keep him limber.
Brother-in-law Jim Snow will have a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow afternoon - he's already had two positive markers for Multiple Myeloma show up in his blood work and urine. The test tomorrow will be the conclusive one. I'll be at Kathy and Jim's house for the 10th thru the 15th, as they travel to Florida to see the Hubble Telescope space shuttle launch. And then Jim plans on running in the Bolder Boulder race on Memorial Day. As soon as the results from his biopsy are known, I'll share them. - The red vixen that dens behind Kathy and Jim's yard has produced at least three cubs, and she is slowly introducing them to the outdoors. (I will have to walk the rear fence-line prior to turning Rosie and Remy loose in the yard now.) And a neighbor has placed two bee boxes near the den, as well, so we'll have a lot of honey bees and little foxes for company. - I think that's all I wanted to write today, but I'll probably remember something else as soon as I post this... And, as Scarlet always said: "After all, tomorrow is another day!"
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Cajun Calvin Borel
Calvin gives praise and a hug to Rachel Alexandra after winning the Fair Grounds Oaks in March of this year.
Jockey Calvin Borel and fiancee Lisa Funk arrive at the White House for dinner with Queen Elizabeth II after winning the 2007 Kentucky Derby on Street Sense.
Calvin is 5 feet 4 inches tall, and generally weighs about 112 pounds... he's made of muscle, bone, wire and whipcord...What a Race!!!
Woooo-hooooo!! I almost wish I could repeat some of the Cajun screams and yells that Calvin Borel let loose after winning the Kentucky Derby yesterday. I liked Chocolate Candy's pedigree yesterday, but he just didn't catch my fancy otherwise; none of the other crowd favorites took my fancy, either. So I looked at owners and trainers, and finally, jockeys... I've always liked the Bayou Boys - Eddie Delahoussaye, Kent Desormeaux, Calvin Borel - Eddie D. has retired; Kent had a mount, but I couldn't get enthused over him; and Calvin was riding an unheralded gelding, who ran 12th in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, but was the 2-year-old Champion in Canada. I looked at Mine That Bird's pedigree again - great-grandsires included Unbridled, Mr. Prospector, and Storm Bird and Vice Regent (the latter two are sons of Northern Dancer and maternal sires).... So I picked Mine That Bird because of his jockey (the major factor) and his pedigree and racing past (the minor factors). Now I wish I'd been somewhere that I could have actually placed a bet, as a $2 ticket to win on the horse brought back $103.20. Mine That Bird will celebrate his 3rd birthday on May 10th, 6 days prior to his racing in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Calvin Borel will celebrate his 43rd birthday on November 7th, 2 weeks after the 2009 Breeders Cup at Santa Anita.
When Calvin and Mine That Bird got squeezed coming out of the gate, I started watching the rail, knowing that was Calvin's favorite path. When Mine That Bird came bursting through and passed the leaders like they were standing still, I knew that I had picked a winner. - And, by the way, Calvin was also the jockey on Rachel Alexandra winning the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. - Just before the Derby began, I again had three squirrels sitting inside my living room eating nuts; this time a squabble broke out over the last available peanut, and I ended up with a squirrel on top of the TV, one in the kitchen sink, and one in the bathroom. My kits didn't know which way they should go... I got all of them back outside within three minutes, using the wide armed stance that one uses to "shoo" chickens ahead of you. Then, even though I have no bird feeders hanging, Lovey caught a white-eared sparrow on the wing, breaking it's neck instantly. So I consider yesterday a nice wildlife day (other than the death of the bird) ....
When Calvin and Mine That Bird got squeezed coming out of the gate, I started watching the rail, knowing that was Calvin's favorite path. When Mine That Bird came bursting through and passed the leaders like they were standing still, I knew that I had picked a winner. - And, by the way, Calvin was also the jockey on Rachel Alexandra winning the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. - Just before the Derby began, I again had three squirrels sitting inside my living room eating nuts; this time a squabble broke out over the last available peanut, and I ended up with a squirrel on top of the TV, one in the kitchen sink, and one in the bathroom. My kits didn't know which way they should go... I got all of them back outside within three minutes, using the wide armed stance that one uses to "shoo" chickens ahead of you. Then, even though I have no bird feeders hanging, Lovey caught a white-eared sparrow on the wing, breaking it's neck instantly. So I consider yesterday a nice wildlife day (other than the death of the bird) ....
Saturday, May 2, 2009
TBs
Rachel Alexandra, winning yesterday's Kentucy Oaks by over 20 lengths.
Chocolate Candy, a contender for the Derby - I like his pedigree
Dunkirk would be my husband's choice - he loved to bet on the greys!Kentucky Derby Day
Lots of news from the thoroughbred racing world today... But first, I have 3 squirrels sitting inside my living room (under the guarding stares of Lovey and Banichi) eating peanuts. I guess Monty told a couple of friends about food being available - if they would brave the dangers of the kits and me. ... It's damp, grey, overcast and yuckky out. I have made my morning walk and had to laugh as I went through Safeway to get a fresh bagel: a bag boy was being intently examined by one of the higher managers - I heard her say, "You've got dried toothpaste around your mouth, and dried boogers in your nose, ... and sleep in your eyes. Come on, we're going to clean you up." So I asked the cashier what was going on and she replied that the Regional mucky-mucks were visiting this morning, and everything was supposed to be "perfect".... I just had to laugh.
NBC race analyst Bob Neumeier collapsed during a broadcast from Churchill Downs yesterday; he was immediately taken to the hospital and will not be at today's broadcast of the Derby. ESPN will begin coverage of the Derby at 10 EDT and NBC will follow up from 4 through 6:30.
Yesterday was the girls' version of the Kentucky Derby - the Kentucky Oaks. Rachel Alexandra was the betting favorite and she won by over 20 lengths, relaxing (or coasting) at the end... Now folks are wondering if she's good enough to beat the boys. I think she probably could have won the race against the guys today... but that is just my opinion.
Betting favorite I Want Revenge has been scratched from the Derby, as of 6 a.m. His connections held a press conference at 9:15 this morning, and it was revealed that the colt has a slightly swollen ankle and that Churchill Downs' attending vet, Larry Bramblage, felt it would not be a good idea to run the horse on a wet track. So the Derby will have 19 contenders this year. I have not seen any of these horses run before, unless they ran in the Breeders Cup Juvenile last year (and then they did not make any great impression on me). If I were to choose a winner based strictly on pedigree, I'd go for Chocolate Candy. However, trainer D Wayne Lucas is returning to the Derby for the first time in several years with a colt named Flying Private, and he doesn't enter a race if he doesn't think he can win it. Trainer Larry Jones is back for the third year in a row; two years ago Hard Spun lost by a nose; last year Eight Belles was euthanized on the track; this year he thinks that Freisan Fire will win the Run for the Roses for him. Who will I pick? I have no idea - I'll make my choice as I see them parade out onto the track to the tune of My Old Kentucky Home....
NBC race analyst Bob Neumeier collapsed during a broadcast from Churchill Downs yesterday; he was immediately taken to the hospital and will not be at today's broadcast of the Derby. ESPN will begin coverage of the Derby at 10 EDT and NBC will follow up from 4 through 6:30.
Yesterday was the girls' version of the Kentucky Derby - the Kentucky Oaks. Rachel Alexandra was the betting favorite and she won by over 20 lengths, relaxing (or coasting) at the end... Now folks are wondering if she's good enough to beat the boys. I think she probably could have won the race against the guys today... but that is just my opinion.
Betting favorite I Want Revenge has been scratched from the Derby, as of 6 a.m. His connections held a press conference at 9:15 this morning, and it was revealed that the colt has a slightly swollen ankle and that Churchill Downs' attending vet, Larry Bramblage, felt it would not be a good idea to run the horse on a wet track. So the Derby will have 19 contenders this year. I have not seen any of these horses run before, unless they ran in the Breeders Cup Juvenile last year (and then they did not make any great impression on me). If I were to choose a winner based strictly on pedigree, I'd go for Chocolate Candy. However, trainer D Wayne Lucas is returning to the Derby for the first time in several years with a colt named Flying Private, and he doesn't enter a race if he doesn't think he can win it. Trainer Larry Jones is back for the third year in a row; two years ago Hard Spun lost by a nose; last year Eight Belles was euthanized on the track; this year he thinks that Freisan Fire will win the Run for the Roses for him. Who will I pick? I have no idea - I'll make my choice as I see them parade out onto the track to the tune of My Old Kentucky Home....
Friday, May 1, 2009
1984 USET Horses
Touch of Class, a diminuative mare, ridden by tall Joe Fargis, took the Gold in individual show jumping.
Albany, ridden by Leapin' Leslie Burr Lenahan Howard, helped secure the Gold in team jumping.
Abdullah, ridden by Conrad Holmfeld, secured the Silver medal in individual show jumping.
Friday Mish-Mash
I've been pretty distracted since my friend Jane's death on Wednesday. Her memorial service will be held Sunday - if anyone wants particulars, or would care to send a donation to the Denver Samoyed Rescue in Jane's memory, please see www.jrzfinaljourney.blogspot.com . Michael is an excellent communicator - I doubt if I was anywhere as near as coherent when my husband passed away.
Monty, the squirrel, has now established a routine of eating just inside the patio door, in the living room, twice a day. Both kits watch him eat without any problems; but Banichi likes to chase him back to the fence, once Monty has finished eating. - It was nice and sunny yesterday, but the afternoon breeze was chilly. Today we have overcast skies, and the weather folks are saying we'll have rain from 3 this afternoon through late Sunday (with a possibility of snow above 6500 feet).
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is expecting rain for the Derby tomorrow. A full field of 20 horses are entered; 5 at odds lower than 6 to 1; and the other 15 at odds of 20 to 1 or greater.
A lot of good information about the entrants may be found at http://www.bloodhorse.com/# . After scrolling about a quarter of the way down the page, one will see a listing of the horses and their post positions; if you click on the horses name, you can view reports on his races, information about his owners and trainers, and the horse's pedigree. A 3-stage pedigree will appear if you click on the Pedigree tab, but once it appears you can click to see a 5-stage pedigree, which gives one a much better look at the horses' bloodlines. I have yet to pick the horse and jockey combination that I'll be cheering for... Have a good weekend!
Monty, the squirrel, has now established a routine of eating just inside the patio door, in the living room, twice a day. Both kits watch him eat without any problems; but Banichi likes to chase him back to the fence, once Monty has finished eating. - It was nice and sunny yesterday, but the afternoon breeze was chilly. Today we have overcast skies, and the weather folks are saying we'll have rain from 3 this afternoon through late Sunday (with a possibility of snow above 6500 feet).
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is expecting rain for the Derby tomorrow. A full field of 20 horses are entered; 5 at odds lower than 6 to 1; and the other 15 at odds of 20 to 1 or greater.
A lot of good information about the entrants may be found at http://www.bloodhorse.com/# . After scrolling about a quarter of the way down the page, one will see a listing of the horses and their post positions; if you click on the horses name, you can view reports on his races, information about his owners and trainers, and the horse's pedigree. A 3-stage pedigree will appear if you click on the Pedigree tab, but once it appears you can click to see a 5-stage pedigree, which gives one a much better look at the horses' bloodlines. I have yet to pick the horse and jockey combination that I'll be cheering for... Have a good weekend!
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