Hope the hearsay isn't true, but if it is, rest in peace Five Sixteen.
I feel a bit guilty for having a busy day before the Melbourne Cup, which is a tremendously popular event in Australia. Congrats Green Moon, and wow to 3rd place Jakkalberry the new "Great Traveler" of the racing world.
You know you like horse racing too much when you gush over Saratoga with the HR rep at a job interview. Had the follow-up interview gone the same way I'd have been golden.
Hansen will start his stud career at Ashford in 2013 along with Stay Thirsty who joins his old stablemate Uncle Mo. I wonder how much attention the other two will get with Hansen joining in along with basically every other good retired three-year-old as well as other recent retirees.
Another reason why this Breeders' Cup was successful despite a lack of "superstar power": so many of the winners are coming back next year, including Fort Larned and Groupie Doll.
Happy retirement to California Flag, To Honor and Serve, Musical Romance, Switch, Up [IRE], Zagora, Brilliant Speed, and Tu Endei Wei! And Mission Impazible and Tapizar... *sobs* Didn't really expect the last two so much.
Kathmanblu RNA'd at Fasig-Tipton because she's worth more than $475k! Humph!
Deeply disappointed to see one of my favorite firecrackers of the year Contested to also be retired and shipped off to Japan. I guess I should perceive it to be a compliment upon our dirt horses for the Japanese to be buying so many and to the tune of $2.3 million.
*Reads amazing broodmare prospect(s) for sale's pedigree and stats, scrolls to the bottom and sees 'in foal to Uncle Mo,' closes browser and sighs* It's like he's the new Bernardini or something, only this is a worse case. He was a super champion juvenile yes but he hardly faced anyone he was able to beat as a three-year-old!
I came in 64th place in the WinStar Breeders' Cup contest out of 1071 entries. So close, yet so far... damn you, Game On Dude among others!
I'm okay with the 2013 Preakness logo.
One delightful thing to keep in perspective: imagine how many blaze faces we'll have in the coming years from Union Rags, Cape Blanco [IRE], Shackleford, and others.
Get well soon, Speightstown. I'm gonna need you to help me get some more winners.
I wish I made more money; I'd [possibly] be going to see Shackleford's [possible] last start and the Equine Affaire if I did.
I expected big bucks for our fair lady Havre de Grace, but $10 million? Yikes. I suppose her first foal will fetch a couple million by default, and even more later if she turns out to be an exalted producer.
Thinking more about the track bias and the end result, while I was never really on his team, I think I'll Have Another could have won this year's Breeders' Cup Classic, in addition to possibly the Triple Crown as well.
Remember Kentucky Oaks longshot Colonial Empress? She just broke her maiden. Yup.
Tweet o' the Week: Featuring Mandy Pope's expensive [good] tastes
