THE TRIPLE CROWN TRILOGY by Kimberly Campbell
The Triple Crown Club
(Posted on Friday, June 1, 2018)
The exclusive Triple Crown Club consists of 12 horses that had the speed, stamina, heart – and yes, racing luck, to achieve the greatest accomplishment in all of horse racing, and maybe of all sports. To win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes at various distances in a span of five weeks is a rare feat for a three-year-old horse. In their young life, they will contend against a field of twenty horses (the Derby), race two weeks later (the Preakness), and need to master a distance of a mile and a half (the Belmont), none of which they will ever be asked to do again in their entire racing career. But for the last 144 years, these challenges have been what has crowned the best of the best. And even though there was talk of changing the landscape surrounding the Triple Crown and spacing the races further apart, each and every trainer and owner wants to try their hand against the likes of Secretariat, Affirmed, and Citation and have their horse go down in history of the select few. Changing anything about the make up of the Triple Crown would make these comparisons irrelevant and needing to use the word “but” – “he won, BUT not like Secretariat had to do it in 1973”. Given that I am accountant at heart, I find the use of statistics very telling, so while I was researching for my third book, The Height of the Storm, I started pulling the numbers together surrounding the attempts at the Triple Crown. I came up with the following statistics: Number of years that the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes have been run in the same year: 144 years. The Belmont started in 1867, the Preakness in 1873, and the baby of the group, the Kentucky Derby came to be in 1875. Within this time frame, there have been the following: Triple Crown Winners: 12 Same horse won the Derby and Preakness: 24, including Justify. He finds himself already in the realm of greatness with the likes of Spectacular Bid, Northern Dancer, and Sunday Silence. Same horse won the Preakness and Belmont: 18. This group includes the household name of Man o’ War, along with Native Dancer, Hansel and Point Given. Same horse won the Derby and the Belmont: 11. Riva Ridge is on this list, who got lost in Secretariat’s shadow following the year of his wins, along with Swale and Bold Forbes. Interestingly, it would actually seem harder to win the Derby and the Belmont (under the normal rest of five weeks for a Thoroughbred), than it is to win all three races, with only 11 winners of Derby/Belmont versus 12 Triple Crown winners. If we take all this information, we have a total of 65 horses that have won at least two of the three races. Which means 45% of the time, the same horse has won at least two legs of the Triple Crown. If I dig a little deeper, from 1875 through 1918, only five of the horses in the statistics above won two of the three races – and that was the Preakness and Belmont. Finally, in 1919, we had our first Triple Crown winner in Sir Barton. So if I start the statistics from 1919, they change as follows: Triple Crown Winners: 12 Derby/Preakness Winners: 24 Preakness/Belmont Winners: 13 (less the five noted above) Derby/Belmont Winners: 11 Another interesting fact is that we have rarely gone more than two years without having a horse win at least two of the three races, and from 1994 to 2005, we were one race short of a Triple Crown winner 10 times out of the 12 years, with the same horse winning two of the three races. You will recognize the names of Silver Charm, Funny Cide and Afleet Alex, to name a few. So in the hundred year span from 1919 to 2018, we have had 60 horses win at least two of the three races, which means 60% of the time, however, only 12 have won all three, 12% of the time. The numbers certainly put an interesting spin on the story of the Triple Crown races. We have been graced with some pretty amazing horses and stories in the last 100 years and await with anticipation to see if Justify can join the ranks of the greatest racehorses in history on June 9, 2018 when he walks into the starting gate of the Belmont Stakes.
American Pharoah – 2015 Triple Crown Winner
Justify 2018
A Terrapin Connection – Tim Keefe
(Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2018)
I’ve been asked several times how I found Tim Keefe, the trainer currently working with my two-year-old, Height of the Storm. To be frank, I didn’t know where to start. However I did know I wanted her to train at Laurel Park which is closer to my home so I could see her more often. Clovis and I had many conversations about what to look for in a trainer, but in the end it was my decision. So a few months ago, I reached out to someone I had met while doing research for my second book, The Eye of the Storm, who was well connected within the Maryland racing industry. I asked for recommendations for trainers working at Laurel, with my one stipulation that they had to be open to me hanging around, asking questions, you know, being a pesky owner. I received a list of five names. A starting point. Now, you all know my life is not my own with three kids and businesses, which means my time is limited. So while waiting for practices to end, or meetings to start, I used the tool that we all use to find out about someone. Google. I searched for articles, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts. Some had them, some didn’t. I went to the Maryland racing website to find out where they stood in the trainer rankings. I sent the list to Clovis to find out if he knew any of them. He provided me with his feedback, which generally was that they were all good candidates for different reasons. Once again, leaving it up to me. You see, I make decisions by consensus. I like to get a lot of opinions and advice, and information. Which also means, sometimes I don’t like being the one to make the final decision. What if I make the wrong one? Of the five on the list, I kept returning to Tim Keefe’s website, Timkeeferacing.com, and re-reading his bio. He graduated from the University of Maryland. A Terrapin, otherwise known as the Maryland Terps. I graduated from the University of Maryland. My son is going to attend the University of Maryland. He had a partnership on his barn called Terp Racing, another group of Maryland graduates. Wasn’t this a sign, I thought. His bio finished up talking about his wife, who helped retrain Thoroughbreds for second careers, and they had four kids, similar to the ages of my three. A family man. His website also talked about the importance of second careers for thoroughbreds after they were done racing. My show horse Lilly is a second career thoroughbred. These were other signs for sure. I filled out the info on his contact us page and hit send. That very evening I received an email to give Tim a call the next day and his cell phone number. I got a little nervous. Had I made the right decision? I needed to reach out to the other trainers on the list to get comparisons, to make a knowledgeable decision. Did I mention, sometimes I am spontaneous and go with my gut? The long and short of it is I called Tim the next day and in a fit of excitement said I would be out to meet him the day after if that worked for him. He said that would be fine. I moved meetings and changed carpools and headed to Laurel Park to meet Tim in person. Sometimes my dream needs to take priority over work and kids, right? Tim and I spent over an hour talking about his program and my Storm, and more importantly, my one-horse dream of what I would love for her to achieve. He smiled and listened and didn’t think I was this crazy horse lady. He did make sure I knew that he does what is right for the horse, regardless of my dream, which I totally respect. We watched his horses gallop on the track, traded background stories, and talked about our kids. I thanked him for his time, and then asked when could he start working with Storm. I didn’t need to interview anyone else. I found my trainer.
Stay tuned for my follow up blog on Tim’s million dollar winner, Eighttofasttocatch.
What’s in a Name?
(Posted on Monday, July 3, 2017)
The month of July always brings a bit of a slowdown for me, only in that I find myself in hotels across the country in the name of Travel Baseball. Currently, I am in a hotel in Atlanta for two weeks waiting out the popup rain storms and the rescheduling of baseball games. What this does allow me to do is get away from the details of operating my everyday life and provide time to ponder important things, such as naming my filly! I have a long list of potential names that I keep on my cell phone. Whenever I am enlightened by a potential name, I jot it down. The list consists of 26 names to date. Over the last several months, I have asked my family members for ideas. Many drives back and forth to the barn with my daughter consist of the name game. It is not easy, naming an animal, right? From the new puppy, to kitten, to potential future super star. My husband and I insert a name potential in to the following, “…..and coming down the stretch, is ___________,…….” What name do we want the announcer to be yelling? And of course, there are the actual rules and regulations for naming a Thoroughbred. There are quite a few I have come to find out, which are maintained by The Jockey Club, which I have summarized below: • A name may be claimed on the Registration Application, on a Name Claiming Form or online. Names cannot be claimed via telephone. Name selections should be listed in order of preference. • A foal must be named by February 1 of its two-year-old year, otherwise a fee is required. • You must use the name within one year from the day it was reserved. • A foal’s name may be changed at any time prior to starting in its first race. Ordinarily, no name change will be permitted after a horse has started in its first race or has been used for breeding purposes. • Names of horses over ten years old may be eligible for use if they are not excluded and have not been used during the preceding five years either for breeding or racing. Names of horses that were never used for breeding or racing may be available for use five years from the date of their death as reported. • Specific rules: 1. Names must be 18 letters or less (spaces and punctuation marks count as letters); Excluded names: 2. Names consisting entirely of initials such as C.O.D., F.O.B., etc.; 3. Names ending in “filly,” “colt,” “stud,” “mare,” “stallion,” or any similar horse-related term; 4. Names consisting entirely of numbers. Numbers above thirty may be used if they are spelled out; 5. Names ending with a numerical designation such as “2nd” or “3rd,” whether or not such a designation is spelled out; 6. Names of living persons unless written permission to use their name is on file with The Jockey Club; 7. Names of persons no longer living unless approval is granted by The Jockey Club based upon a satisfactory written explanation submitted to the Registrar; 8. Names of racetracks or graded stakes races; 9. Names clearly having commercial, artistic or creative significance; 10. Names that are suggestive or have a vulgar or obscene meaning; names considered in poor taste; or names that may be offensive to religious, political or ethnic groups; 11. Names that appear to be designed to harass, humiliate or disparage a specific individual, group of individuals or entity; 12. Names that are currently active either in racing or breeding; 13. Names of winners in the past 25 years of grade one stakes races; 14. Permanent names. The list of criteria to establish a permanent name is as follows: a. Horses in racing’s Hall of Fame; b. Horses that have been voted Horse of the Year; c. Horses that have won an Eclipse Award; d. Horses that have won a Sovereign Award (Canadian Champions); e. Annual leading sire and broodmare sire by progeny earnings; f. Cumulative money winners of $2 million or more; g. Horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, The Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Breeders’ Cup Classic or the Breeders’ Cup Turf; and h. Horses included in the International List of Protected Names. 15. Names similar in spelling or pronunciation to the classes of names listed above. 16. Names of horses previously recorded in The American Stud Book by the same sire or out of the same dam as the foal for which the attempt is made. 17. Names of horses appearing within the first five generations of the pedigree of the foal for which the attempt is made. And the final rule is that The Jockey Club maintains the ultimate decision-making authority on name approval. So, the clock is ticking with about six months to go to arrive at the perfect name. And being a task master, I find I need to cross this off my list of To Dos sooner than that. Do I name her from a derivative of the sire and dam, Tritap (Tapit/Victory Road) and Skip the Glitter, (Glitterman/Skip A Dare)? I was thinking First Born Tap or Emerald Coast may be good options. What about my dream in all of this – Achieve the Dream or Dream Fulfilled? Or after something financial to tie to my accounting roots – Debitsandcredits or Financial Plan? What about tied to her greyness – Stormy Night or Gracious Grey? Or my books – Height of the Storm? So many options! I haven’t yet put any of my ideas through the interactive naming system, so don’t know which ones may have already been used, but I figured I would come up with my top ten and go from there. With this all being said, I figured I would see what ideas you all may have – do you have an idea for a name as you all have been a part of my journey? I would love to hear your feedback so feel free to post your name idea in the comments section of the Facebook post at www.facebook.com/triplecrowndreams. I will keep you posted as I whittle down a list!Galloping in the Hoof Prints of the Greats
(Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2017)
In 2014, I had the wonderful opportunity to ride Lilly on the actual track that the Preakness will be held on this week. That year, the weekend before the race, a special event was held called Canter for the Cure to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It provided an opportunity for anyone to bring their horse and ride on the Pimlico race track and get your picture taken in the winners circle. Two of my barn friends and I loaded up and drove an hour and half to have the opportunity to ride on the same track that the greatest racehorses have ridden including Secretariat, Seattle Slew and so many others. American Pharoah wouldn’t take the Triple Crown until 2015. It was a beautiful May day. I had expected to see a ton of OTTB waiting to revisit their youth, but was surprise to see many western riders and pony clubbers. We discussed that the challenge of revisiting the place where an OTTB ran its heart out would undo its retraining, so many would choose to stay away. Lilly had never raced so I wasn’t too concerned, although I was excited to see how fast she could run. Imagine having the opportunity to just let your horse run as fast as it wants to – I was giddy with anticipation. To start, you were able to ride your horse through the actual starting gate. Believe me when I tell you it is a tight squeeze. I was nervous Lilly would spook at the big pink monster, but she was a trooper and walked right through. And then we could let them run, limited to two times around the track. I moved Lilly into a trot and then canter to stretch her legs. We moved along the backstretch and around the far turn. One of my friends was riding with me on her mare, who was not a Thoroughbred. I was excited about our own little race that was about to unfold. We hit the quarter pole with the long homestretch in front of us and I encouraged Lilly to move on and race to the finish line. I waited with anticipation for the burst of speed that would take us to another level. And waited. And waited. The realization hit as to why Lilly had not become a full-fledged racehorse. She had no desire to go any faster and was happy just cantering along, ears up, taking in the scenery of the big grandstand to our right and sponsor tents to our left. My friend, on her spit-fire mare, laughed as she pulled up ahead of us. We finished with getting our picture taken in the winners circle. It was an amazing experience and the closest I will ever get to being a jockey and so far the closest I have been to being in the winners circle – however, my dream is not over yet. California Chrome won the 2014 Preakness a week later.
Triple Crown Dreams – A New Chapter
(Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2017)
I sat in the back row of the auction house, my hands clammy as I turned the pages back and forth in the sale catalog. I was going to do it, actually do it. In four horses, they were going to call Hip 125, and I was going to raise my hand and actually bid on one of the yearlings I had been looking at in the barns behind the sales pavilion. If you have been following my blog, you know I had attempted to breed my own Thoroughbred. This had not gone according to my plan. The path started in 2015, when I shipped my show mare to a Thoroughbred breeding farm. The first try didn’t work, so Lilly spent the year retired from showing, getting fat and happy in a field. In 2016, we were successful in breeding her to the stallion Tritap. Sadly, in October Lilly aborted the foal. For the last four months, I’ve been contemplating my next step. Should I even continue this crazy dream of having a racehorse? I reached out to West Point Thoroughbreds about the partnerships they offer. They had a 5-percent interest in a 2-year old colt available. Even better, he would be racing nearby in Maryland. The day I was going to fill out the paperwork, I was informed the colt was injured, and wouldn’t be available. Oh boy. Maybe this just wasn’t meant to happen. Lilly is back in work, preparing for the upcoming show season. I am enjoying riding again, and watching my daughter bond with Lilly. She is now tall enough to ride her. In mid-December, I received an email regarding the January 29, 2017, Fasig-Tipton horse sale in Timonium, Maryland. My husband, my sister, and I attended this same sale last year, when we were looking for a Thoroughbred for my sister to use in the Retired Racehorse Project. I stared at the email for a few seconds, noting the tab for the listing of available horses. I clicked it. The spreadsheet popped up on my computer screen. I stared at it for a few minutes, and then hit the column to sort by sire. I scrolled down the page until I got to the “T”s, and there I noted six yearlings that would be up for sale by Tritap, the stallion to whom I had bred Lilly. There were five fillies and one colt. Maybe since I couldn’t breed a racehorse, I could buy one. I scolded myself. What did I know about yearlings! Then I remembered the article I’d read in Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Magazine about Clovis Crane and Crane Thoroughbreds. Crane was an expert in this area, taking young Thoroughbreds and training them until they were ready for the track. Christmas came and went, and I was busy with holiday events, family time, and winter break. I didn’t have time to ponder this new information. In early January, the hard copy of the Fasig-Tipton catalog arrived in the mail, and I made my decision. I asked my husband Kelly if he would be okay going to the sale and “potentially” purchasing a yearling. With a smile of his face he said, “Whatever is going to make you happy.” I love this man. I reached out to Clovis Crane, and he agreed to help me. I went through the catalog, and I sent him a list of the yearlings I was interested in. Topping the list were the yearlings sired by Tritap; only the greys, of course. There were four of them. I then listed all the other grey yearlings in the sale, regardless of sire, and added the only Virginia-bred yearling (a bay) to stay true to my state, along with a grey 2-year-old in training. I ended my list with a short comment that I knew it was crazy to shop by color, but that was what I wanted to do. My husband, Kelly, my daughter, and I arrived at the sale in the morning. Clovis had spent the two previous days looking at every single horse in the sale, and paying particular attention to the ones on my list. When we met up with Clovis, he’d tossed most of the horses off the list for various reasons, including confirmation, way of going, and out of my price range. We narrowed the list to three yearlings, two by Tritap and one by Bandbox (another grey sire by Tapit). Clovis’ top pick of the three was the Bandbox yearling, Hip 125. My sentimental side wanted one of the Tritap yearlings, particularly Hip 126. The dilemma was that if I bid on Hip 125 and won, then I wouldn’t be able to bid on Hip 126. I decided it best to go with the expert. Which brings me to sitting in a seat in the arena for three hours, watching all the broodmares being sold until they got to the yearlings. Kelly and my daughter left to go to a pet expo taking place nearby. I refused to leave my seat. The first yearling of the sale, Hip 109, was called. Kelly was still gone. Each horse takes about two minutes to go through the auction process — the hands being raised, the auctioneer talking so fast you cannot recognize what he is saying. I watched the big screen that showed the prices as they went up for each horse sold. With Hip 109 sold, there were only 15 horses until Hip 125. I called Kelly. I texted him. Get back here, now! With four horses to go until Hip 125, Kelly walked into the pavilion and took his seat. Whew! I shot him a side look. My hands started to sweat. We noticed Clovis take a seat a few sections away from us. Hip 124 entered the walking ring. My phone rang. It was Clovis. “Are you sitting in a good spot to be seen by the bid-takers?” he asked. While he was asking, Kelly leaned forward and waved to Clovis. Oh no! The bid taker for Hip 124 pointed at Kelly. I grabbed his arm and pushed it down, looking exasperated over at the bid-taker. Kelly smiled, laughed, and gave him the no-go sign, not us. All eyes turned to look at Kelly, and laughter filled the pavilion. Oh, my beating heart! Hip 125 walked into the arena, the bidding started, and since Kelly now had this connection with the bid-taker, I elbowed him to raise his hand. The back and forth went until the price for Hip 125 was out of our price range. I was a bit relieved, but a bit anxious, too. I’d seen many people looking at Hip 126 that morning. Would I be out-bid on the one I wanted? Hip 126 walked into the ring, a spunky black filly. She walked around like she owned the ring, and I was in love.
I elbowed Kelly. He wanted to wait until the bidding started. I elbowed him again, and he ignored me.
Others started bidding, and my nerves were a mess. Finally Kelly signaled to the bid-taker.
After a few back and forths, we were the proud owners of a Thoroughbred yearling, and under budget. I could breathe again.
We gave the thumbs up to Clovis – but not too high, as the next horse had just walked into the ring.
Now I would like to introduce you to the new chapter in my Triple Crown Dream. She doesn’t have a name yet. Her dad is Tritap and her mom is Skip the Glitter. It just so happens that she was the first foal born to Tritap. The date was February 1, 2016. Ironically, I included the information about Tritap’s first foal being born in my blog dated March 1, 2016 “Triple Crown Dreams – Take Two”. It gives me the chills that I have come to own this little filly that I had written about almost a year ago. Things happen for a reason? I hope so.
For now she heads to Crane Thoroughbreds in Pennsylvania. I won’t see her often, but Clovis will let me know how she is doing.
Her job for the next nine months is to mature and grow. At the end of the year, she will be broke to saddle and bridle and having a rider on her back.
I look forward to keeping you posted on her progress! Our collective positivity will hopefully keep her healthy, and we can follow this journey together.
The Dream Derailed….
(Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2016)
Hello again…. I haven’t written in this space in a while, as I tend to quickly update followers on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/triplecrowndreams. It has also taken me a while to come to terms with the derailment of my first Triple Crown dream of breeding a racehorse. In October, Lilly aborted her foal, at seven months of gestation. I received a call from Robin, the farm owner, that Lilly was in distress. She was rushed to the Equine Medical Center in Leesburg. No heartbeat could be found, and I fought back the tears. Given the advanced nature of the pregnancy, Lilly would need to deliver the foal herself. She was brave, and the vets were awesome. The stillborn foal was a filly. Lilly would have been an awesome momma. Did Lilly know what had happened? Or was she just relieved to be without the extra weight she’d been carrying around? Did she know she was going to have a baby, or was she happy to be in retirement? The tests came back inconclusive. They did show the placenta was nonviable, meaning that it couldn’t support the fetus. I concluded that I wouldn’t be putting Lilly back through the heartbreak — for me or for her — of trying to breed her again. In the middle of October, Lilly Bear returned to my sister’s barn, to reprise her role as show horse extraordinaire. She spent several weeks losing the baby weight and acclimating to her surroundings. She became reacquainted with her old best friend Randy, along with meeting her new pasture-mates Rose and Sadie. I’m back in the tack, and looking forward to showing Lilly in 2017. Timing is everything, and my daughter is now advanced enough to ride her as well. Lilly has also matured, and patiently walked with my young niece the other day.
As for my Triple Crown dream? I haven’t figured out the next step yet.
Do I decide to try via partnership, to learn the ropes? I’ve been chatting with West Point Thoroughbreds on and off over the year.
There is the Fasig-Tipton Thoroughbred sale in Timonium, Maryland, in January 2017, and I’m contemplating a visit to see about purchasing a broodmare already in foal, or maybe a yearling or two-year-old.
Everything happens for a reason, so I am sure the path will become clear. Stay tuned…..
(P.S. – When I informed the stallion owner what had happened to Lilly’s foal, I was told that, sadly, Tritap, the stud I had bred Lilly to, had died in May of colic.)The Triple Crown races are over – Now what?
(Posted on Sunday, June 26, 2016)
All the hype around a second Triple Crown winner in consecutive years has died down. Nyquist didn’t fit the bill, and Exaggerator wasn’t a super horse. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some exciting Thoroughbred racing on the horizon for 2016. If you’re looking for a fun getaway weekend, look no further than the highly regarded Haskell Invitational July 31 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, or the Travers Stakes on August 27 at Saratoga in upstate New York. Both venues are beautiful, with a lot of history. Many of the three-year-old horses will continue to try and prove they are the best of their generation, including Nyquist, Exaggerator and Creator, the winners of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, respectively. The summer will also include more action from California Chrome, the beloved 2014 Derby and Preakness winner. Currently the all-time money winner, with more than $12 million in earnings to his name thus far, he’s in training to run Del Mar’s San Diego Handicap on July 23. Also fun to watch will be the six-year-old mare Beholder, and the undefeated three-year-old filly Songbird. Both could take on the boys come the Breeders’ Cup races November 4 and 5 at Santa Anita Racetrack in California, if they continue to dominate their same gender competitors. As always, updates are posted to my Facebook page, Triple Crown Dreams.The Art of Writing
(Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2016)
There’s been a lot of curiosity about the release of Book Two in the Triple Crown Trilogy. At times, I too, would like to know when it will be done! You see, I am not a writer by trade. My expertise is numbers, accounting specifically, and business management and analysis. I stumbled into this arena due to my desire to educate the general public about Thoroughbred horse racing. I live in the state of Virginia, and I was saddened to hear of the demise of Colonial Downs, the state’s only racetrack, located outside of Richmond. Virginia was once a pillar in the Thoroughbred racing industry. Secretariat, arguably one of the greatest racehorses in history, was born in Virginia. Genuine Risk, one of three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby, lived out her life in retirement in the Commonwealth. Could I make a difference, I asked myself? With iPad in hand, and utilizing the many hours in my car driving three kids to and from activities and camps, I started my adventure. My book research took me to various locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region – from one of the largest breeding establishments in Virginia that was up for sale, to a tour of Thoroughbred breeding Sagamore Farm in Maryland, to the backstretch of Pimlico. I even dragged my mom with me to the Thoroughbred auction at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky. After three years, Book One of the trilogy “The Calm Before the Storm” was born. Little did I know when I started writing my story that there would be an actual Triple Crown winner in the form of American Pharoah, just a few months after my first book was published. I have experienced many déjà vu moments during my research and writing, and that certainly has come into play with Book Two. I had every intention of publishing each book within a year of each other. Alas, my other responsibilities have taken priority – like kids and school and sports and businesses. The juggling is never ending. Finally, this past spring, I made it a goal to finally put my story for Book Two on paper – well, on my iPad. I don’t travel without it. When I had an idea for a storyline, I would whip out the iPad while sitting in the bleachers of my son’s baseball game and start typing. Or, I’d be watching a lacrosse game and quickly send myself an email with a detail of something about which I wanted to educate the reader. All these details and snippets finally came together over the last two months, and I am happy to say that I have sent the first draft of “The Eye of the Storm” to my editor. It’s not done, yet, but I am happy with how the story has played out. I hope you will be, too. If all goes as planned, it will be published before the end of 2016. Following is a little excerpt to introduce you to “The Eye of the Storm”: “While the Derby caters to the who’s who, Millionaire’s Row, and fancy hats, the Preakness attracts the working class of Baltimore: the everyday men and women, as well as the younger party crowd that attends the biggest party of the year, the InfieldFest. The festival, which takes place in the center of the track, boasts all-day entertainment with top-caliber musicians, large sponsor tents, as well as open areas for groups to lay their claim on for the day. On the morning of the Preakness, over 120,000 people stream into the grandstand and infield in hopes of being a part of history, watching a potential winner of the Triple Crown, a feat which has only been accomplished by 12 horses in the history of the series. The Triple Crown series is made up of three races, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont, run over a period of five weeks. The first winner was Sir Barton in 1919, but it wasn’t until 1923 that some journalists began using the term Triple Crown. When Gallant Fox won the three races in 1930, Charles Hatton used Triple Crown in the Daily Racing Form, and it stuck.”
Grey Is The New Bay
(Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2016)
I am a huge fan of a grey horse. Smokey was my first grey Thoroughbred when I was young. He was a handful, but I loved his personality. Turned out into the field with the herd, he would stand on the top of the hill, look around, and determine it was time to start trouble. Taking off at a full run, he would chase after each horse until they were all happily galloping around. Then he would drop his head and eat, figuring his job was done. Of course the assistant trainer at the my barn prefers the color bay given greys seem to enjoy getting more dirty and therefore need to be cleaned up more often. In my book “The Calm Before the Storm,” Genuine Storm is a grey Thoroughbred and his personality mimics what I recall of Smokey. As the Kentucky Derby approaches, let’s look back at the “greys” that have taken home the trophy. Since the first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875, eight greys have won. They are: Determine (1954) – The first grey to win the Kentucky Derby. Decidedly (1962) – The grey son of Determine. Dancer’s Image (1968) – He won, then was disqualified after blood tests revealed the presence of a widely used anti-inflammatory drug “with a dubious legal status.” Spectacular Bid (1979) – He won the Kentucky Derby, but his loss in the Belmont remains a mystery. Gato del Sol (1982) – He was as a homebred at Arthur B. Hancock III’s Stone Farm near Paris, Ky. Winning Colors (1988) – She is one of only three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby. Silver Charm (1997) – Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Gary Stevens, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Giacomo in (2005) – At odds of 50–1, Giacomo stands as tied, with Mine That Bird in 2009, for the second-biggest longshot ever to win the Kentucky Derby. This years Road to the Kentucky Derby boasts a significant number of greys contending than has been seen in previous years. The current top 20 includes four greys, including #6 Lani, #8 Mohaymen, #10 Destin, and #11 Cupid. Cupid is interesting the lightest of them, while the others are still relatively dark. As a way of explanation, I have included a snippet from my book, *********************** The View From Behind the Starting Gate Did you know grey horses are not born grey? Yep, they are born with a different base color, commonly bay, chestnut, or black. As the colt gets older, white hairs start to replace the base color and his coat starts to lighten. During the stages of the greying process, a horse may become dappled. A dappled grey has dark rings with lighter hairs on the outside of the rings over the majority of the horses’ body. It’s quite a beautiful pattern. Once a horse completely changes over its base coat, it will either be pure white, or flea-bitten. Flea-bitten. Doesn’t that sound awful? I guess it’s because the horse’s white coat is interspersed with small speckles or, “freckles” throughout. I personally would prefer using the term dot-to-dot, as it reminds me of those coloring books that you draw a picture by connecting the dots. I wonder what different scenes you could draw on a dot-to-dot horse coat. Alas, I digress. Back to Storm, that’s why you’re still reading, right? He is richly-dappled grey, as you can see from his pictures. I am sure he was born black, and there is a star in the center of his forehead. You can’t make out the star very clearly anymore, as his color has started to lighten. The head, ears and legs start to whiten first. His coat glistens and the dapples appear to shimmer when he is out in the sun. I love his coloring right now, though I know he will continue to get whiter. I hope he retains his dappling for a long time and then goes all white. I am not sure I can handle referring to my guy as a, “flea-bitten grey.” Maybe I would change his name to Spot. ************************ Following are two pictures of Spectacular Bid, while racing and at stud, showing the difference in the color of his coat as he aged.
My book includes many more details about horses and the Kentucky Derby if you are interested in learning more with the big day only three weeks away on May 7!
—My Personal Thoroughbred Makeover
(Posted on Tuesday, March 8, 2016)
I am overwhelmed, no wait, I am excited….how can that be? I spent my day working and revising my kids sports schedules for the week given that my husband would be out of town and I would be down one driver. Baseball, lacrosse (times two – two kids, two different practice schedule), horseback riding lessons, Pizza Day and the Science Fair. How am I going to get through the week? Enter Spanish Affair aka “Briggs.” In the midst of finding a suitable mate for Lilly and finding out if she is in foal, I have decided to take on a new project. My own personal Thoroughbred Makeover. As you may know or have read here on my site, the Retired Racehorse Project recently announced the contenders for their 2016 Thoroughbred Makeover Contest. I didn’t submit my credentials for this contest, primarily because I didn’t think I fit the bill. I am not a trainer, nor a professional, or even an every day rider. What I am is a mom and wife who needs a stress-reliever. In my case, such stress-relief comes in the form of a horse. Three weeks ago, Robin (my mentor with Lilly), introduced me to John Funkhouser of O’Sullivan Farms. He had a 9-year-old gelding he’d bred and raced, and now he was looking for a new home for the horse. I went to look at him (without my expert sister/trainer), and decided on my own that I would take him in. Last week we picked up Spanish Affair. It was a rainy and muddy day and on the way back to the barn I kept asking myself, “What did I get myself into?”
After a week of settling in, I finally rode him today. What a joy to be back in the saddle after retiring Lilly over a year ago. Briggs was a gentleman. For me, that means no bucking, racing off, or other such shenanigans. As a mom, I need to be very cautious on what I get myself into.
Briggs, as we have decided to name him, doesn’t know how to stand still once you are in the saddle, doesn’t know the meaning of bend, and, to my surprise, doesn’t take any sort of treats, not even a peppermint. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I am embarking on my own personal Thoroughbred Makeover, to show Briggs a new way of life. Hopefully along the way he will enjoy his first peppermint.
I look forward to sharing more with you about Spanish Affair “Briggs” and our journey together in the months to come.
Briggs cleaned up pretty nicely, didn’t he?