Updates

Brave Monarch worked four furlongs in 52.22 (164 of 172) on Friday at Belmont. He is scheduled to ship to Graham Motion’s barn at Palm Meadows within the next few days.

Mr. Fantasy continues daily turnout at Dr. Baker’s farm in Kentucky. Doc remains on schedule to x-ray his ankles in early January.


Phosphorescent remains on schedule to have his ankle x-rayed in early January by Dr. Baker.

The Defense Rests is set to work back within the next few days at Kirkwood.

Workout

Brave Monarch worked out on Dec 24th at Belmont going 4F in 52:22 123 of 131

Workout

The Defense Rests worked four furlongs in in 50:00 this morning at Kirkwood. Kip Elser said, "He went the first 3/8ths in 36 and change, and then got a little bit tired in the final furlong. This was a good blow for him and he should get a lot out of it fitness wise. We'll breeze him another four furlongs next week."

The Defense Rests remains on target to ship back to Mike's barn in New York in January

Updates

Brave Monarch worked four furlongs in 51:88 (27 of 32) on Sunday morning at Belmont. This was a mediocre work. Mike just has not seen the lightbulb go on with this colt. He has not progressed and developed quite as much as we’d hoped for. There is nothing wrong with him physically. He has quite a bit of turf influence in his pedigree. Accordingly, we want to position him in a place we can train over the winter on the grass. We plan to ship him to Palm Meadows in short order to trainer Graham Motion. Upon arrival to Florida, we will enable Motion to train him over the turf and assess his liking to the surface. Sometimes a change in scenery and a surface is change is what it takes to wake a horse up and for them to show their full potential. With this horse’s breeding suggesting he will take to the lawn, logically the nation's leading turf trainers came to mind in Graham Motion. Click here to read a biography and to visit his website. We had a similar situation arise earlier this year with West Point runner King Ting (Ire). He did not perform well at all on the dirt in his first two starts. We recognized the turf influence in his pedigree, and transferred him to Graham’s stable. He has run third in two maiden special weight races and is primed to break his maiden this winter. We are constantly evaluating our stable and looking for ways to improve our horses in their training and give them every opportunity to succeed. Motion has started over 2,600 horses on the turf, and his runners have earned over $25,000,000 on the green. Most notably, he trained 2000 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Better Talk Now and 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf Winner Shared Account. He has also trained graded stakes winners Bullsbay, Check The Label, Adriano, Rebllion (GB), Indescribable, and Globetrotter amongst many others. He has over 60 graded stakes wins in his career.Motion's stable is based out of Palm Meadows in the winter and Fair Hill Training Center in Fair Hill, MD for most of the year. Brave Monarch is scheduled to ship to Florida within the next 1-2 weeks. He will continue training at Belmont before shipping.

The Defense Rests is scheduled to work four furlongs on Thursday morning at Kirkwood. More to follow after the work.

Phosphorescent had a routine week of turnout on the farm and remains on schedule to be x-rayed by Dr. Baker early in the New Year. We are just under 2 months into the projected 3-4 month out of training period.

Mr. Fantasy had a routine week of turnout on the farm and will be evaluated by Dr. Baker in early January.

Workout

Brave Monarch worked out at Belmont Park going 4F in 51:88 27 of 32

Updates

Brave Monarch worked four furlongs in company in 52:02 (109 of 117) on Saturday morning at Belmont over the training track. Mike was disappointed with the effort. Our colt was down inside and was intimidated being along the rail. To remedy this, we are going to have to get a few more works into him in company to simulate race conditions to get him more comfortable. Accordingly, this will push his debut back until January.

The Defense Rests breezed three furlongs in 39:00 on Saturday at Kirkwood. Kip said, “He’s done very well with a ¾ shoe on his left front foot, so I am inclined to leave it on for a few more weeks before putting a full shoe back on, just to minimize the pressure on the area where he popped an abscess a few weeks ago. He looks great, and I’m very happy with how he is moving. I’ll likely work him again over the weekend.” The Defense Rests remains on schedule to ship back to Mike in January.

Phosphorescent continues daily turnout at Dr. Baker’s farm and remains on schedule to be x-rayed in January.

Mr. Fantasy remains on schedule to be x-rayed by Dr. Baker in January. He goes out during the day equipped with a heavy blanket to keep him warm before spending the nighttime hours in the barn.

2011 Stallion Pages

Mr Fantasy and Phos get mention in 2011 Stallion Register

Workout

Brave Monarch worked outh this morning at Belmont going 4F in 52:02 109 of 117

Updates

Mr. Fantasy remains turned out during the day at Dr. Baker’s farm. Doc will x-ray his ankles in early January. We are just over two months into the projected 4-5 month out of training period.

The Defense Rests is back galloping after popping an abscess. The farrier advised that we keep the ¾ shoe on to make the bothersome area is completely drained. A full shoe will go back on in short order. If he continues training forwardly over the next few days, Kip plans to breeze him over the weekend or early next week. We plan to keep him in the milder climate of South Carolina for an extra couple weeks as the intensity of his speedwork is increased. We will get him up to Mike’s barn in New York in January. He will have a few breezes under his belt by the time. A late February/early March return to the races looks viable.

Phosphorescent is on schedule to have his ankle x-rayed by Dr. Baker in January. Lupe had nothing but positive things to say about our turf lover on yesterday’s “Tuesdays at Two” trainer conference call. Click here to listen.

Brave Monarch Update

Brave Monarch had two short breezes out of the gate this week in anticipation of his debut toward the end of this month. Mike said, “He is a good gate horse who handles the process professionally and breaks sharply. I’ll likely breeze him from the pole on Thursday or Friday and that will give us a better idea of when exactly we can run.”

Updates

Brave Monarch worked four furlongs in 51:11 (45 of 52) on Monday morning at Belmont over the dirt training track. Mike said, “This was a good work. My exercise rider went the first 1/8th too slow, but this colt finished up strongly. We’ll get a few more works into him before looking for race. I think there is a good chance we will get his debut in before the end of the year at Aqueduct.”

The Defense Rests ended up having an abscess in his left front foot. Last week Kip and his team soaked the foot to try and draw out the inflammation and infection. The farrier thought something may have gotten lodged in one of his nail holes, and our colt’s body reacted by forming an abscess to try and get rid of the foreign body. He was outfitted with a ¾ shoe on Monday and jogged soundly this morning. It looks like we knocked this out. Kip’s farrier plans to put a full sized shoe back on him on Friday. If everything looks good, he will resume training over the weekend.

Phosphorescent had another IRAP therapy session on Monday. Click here to learn about IRAP. He’s been on stall rest for the past two days, and will resume turnout tomorrow. Don’t worry, on cold days he’ll head out with a heavy blanket on to keep him warm.

Mr. Fantasy had his final PRP treatment on Monday. He’s been on stall rest for the past two days, and will move into a small paddock tomorrow for daily turnout each day. He will wear a blanket to keep him warm while turned out, and will be brought into the barn each night.

Workout

Brave Monarch worked out at Belmont going 4F in 51:11 45/52

Updates

Phosphorescent had his first of three IRAP therapy sessions late last week, and his next is scheduled for Monday. After the session, he will be on stall rest for two days before going back out into a small paddock for a few hours each day. Click here to learn more about the therapy. We are about one month in the projected 3-4 month out of training period.

Mr. Fantasy is scheduled to have his third and final PRP treatment on Monday. He remains turned out in the dry lot for a few hours each day, and enjoys his time in the sunshine. Dr. Baker has found that PRP therapy alone is most effective in rebuilding cartilage in ankles. He’s conferred with his team of vets, and is going to bypass IRAP therapy.

We are about 7 weeks into the 4-5 month projected out of training period. PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Therapy :After taking a sample of the his blood, in minutes a high-speed centrifuge separates blood plasma rich in platelets from the red blood cells. This PRP with its associated growth factors is then immediately injected into the soft tissue of the ankle creating what some call a "super-clot" that serves to help create a biologic scaffold upon which the body's own cells migrate and produce new collagen fibrils along lines of tension in the structure being treated. PRP is a fast, stall-side treatment that uses the horse's own cells and molecules to stimulate more rapid and stronger healing in a variety of structures.

Brave Monarch worked three furlongs in 37:60 (15 of 21) over the training track at Belmont on Saturday morning at Belmont. Mike said, “The clockers recorded this as a three furlong breeze, but he went a full four furlongs in 51. I was very pleased with the work. Next time I’ll make sure the clockers put down a full four furlong breeze.” We’ll get a few more works into our colt before looking for a maiden special weight at Aqueduct.




The Defense Rests had some heat in his left front foot earlier this week. Since we’ve had some foot issues with this colt in the past, Kip had the blacksmith come out yesterday and put glue on shoes back on him. Kip thinks he bruised his sole or perhaps stepped on a rock that caused the irritation. He’s been doing well, and responded well to glue on shoes in the past, so this should help us. This does not look like a serious issue, but he will miss a few days of training. Accordingly, we are going to wait until this is completely cleared up before shipping up to Mike at Belmont.

Workout

Brave Monarch worked out at Belmont this morning going 3F in 37:69 15 of 21

Updates

Brave Monarch worked an easy four furlongs in 52:02 (47/47) on Saturday morning at Belmont. Mike said, “Don’t be alarmed by the slow time. I had him go nice and easy since it was his first official four furlongs in while. I’ll press on him for more speed in next week’s breeze.” A debut before the end of the year at Aqueduct remains viable.


The Defense Rests
*Been galloping very strongly each morning at Kirkwood
*He’s come along a little quicker than Kip anticipated. Accordingly, he is scheduled to resume speedwork with an easy breeze through the lane on the farm. This is good news.
*We’re going to get him up to Mike’s barn at Belmont early next week.
*Upon arrival, he will walk the shedrow for a day or two to acclimate to his new surroundings before heading to the track.
*When will he return to the races? That’s hard to say exactly right now, but based on our experience, we estimate end of January/February.


Phosphorescent will begin IRAP therapy later this week.


Mr. Fantasy
*Had second PRP treatment over the weekend. Stall rested for two days and is back outside each day in the dry lot.
*Dr. Baker will perform IRAP therapy this week.

Workout

Brave Monarch worked out at Belmont going 4F in 52:02 47 of 47

Updates

Brave Monarch worked three furlongs in 38.70 ( 6 of 8) Tuesday morning at Belmont. Mike said, "I got one more 3/8ths into him before going a half. He was full of run today; it was a little bit of rider error but I was very pleased with the work nonetheless. He could have very easily went in 37, but my exercise rider misjudged how fast he was going." Brave Monarch is scheduled to work four furlongs on Monday or Tuesday of next week. A late December debut at Aqueduct remains our target.

Phosphorescent
*Both ankles injected with hyaluronic acid earlier this week as part of Dr. Baker’s post surgical protocol. Hyaluronic acid stimulates the production of healthy joint fluid and decreases cartilage damage.
*In about a week, he will begin IRAP therapy to help reduce inflammation and to strengthen cartilage. Click here to learn more about the therapy
.*Later this he will begin a daily handwalking routine before starting daily turnout in the roundpen shortly thereafter.
*IRAP treatment is a three treatment series that takes place once a week. After each treatment, Phosphorescent will be on stall rest for two days before resuming turnout.
*Chamberlain Bridge, the horse we were ½ a length away from beating in the PA Governor’s Cup on July 31st won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. II) on Saturday at Churchill Downs.


Mr. Fantasy
*Scheduled to have his second PRP treatment over the weekend.
*He’s been out in the dry lot for a few hours each day to enjoy the sunshine.
*In about two weeks, he will receive IRAP therapy to help reduce inflammation and to strengthen the cartilage in his ankles. Click here to learn more about the therapy.
*We are about one month into the 4-5 month projected out of training period.

The Defense Rests had another strong week of gallops in South Carolina and enjoyed the sunshine for a few hours each day when turned out in a small paddock on the farm. Kip indicated today that he’ll resume speedwork right around Thanksgiving.

Workout

Brave Monarch worked out at Belmont this morning going 3F in 38:70 6of8

Updates

Brave Monarch worked another easy three furlongs in 38:12 (8 of 8) Saturday morning at Belmont. He followed that up with a three furlong breeze in 38:82 (8/9) this morning. Mike said, “We are in a good spot with this horse. He is coming together nicely and his legs look very good. I’ll probably work him a half next time. He put a few pounds on during his period of light training, but those will come right off with a few more works.” If all goes well, we expect to see our grey colt in the starting gate toward the end of December.

Click here to listen to yesterday’s Tuesdays at Two conference call with Mike Hushion. Brave Monarch is referenced about 5:05.


Phosphorescent*Post-surgical bandages were changed earlier this week.*Dr. Baker will inject his ankles with hyaluronic acid in about a week. Hyaluronic acid stimulates production of healthy joint fluid and decreases cartilage damage.*In about 2 weeks, Phosphorescent will begin IRAP therapy to help reduce inflammation and to strengthen the cartilage. Click here to learn more about the therapy.


Mr. Fantasy *Began PRP therapy this week. He will have one treatment per week for the next two weeks.*Dr. Baker gave him the go ahead to be turned out into a small paddock for a few hours each day to enjoy the sunshine. *After each PRP treatment every week, he will be on stall rest for two days before resuming turnout.*In about three weeks, he will receive IRAP therapy to help reduce inflammation and to strengthen the cartilage. Click here to learn more about the therapy.

The Defense Rests started galloping this week at Kirkwood Farm. Kip will gradually increase the intensity of his gallops over the next few weeks before resuming speedwork later in the month.

Entry

Sew Your Notes is entered in the 3rd Race at Finger Lakes tomorrow

Updates

Brave Monarch breezed three furlongs in 39:00 on Saturday at Belmont, but it was not recorded by the clockers. Mike said, “This was a great first work after not breezing for a few weeks. He went very easily and he will continue on a regular breeze schedule. Most importantly, his legs were cold the morning after the breeze.” If all goes well, we remain on schedule to see our son of Maria’s Mon in the starting gate before the end of the year.

Mr. Fantasy is handwalking each day at Dr. Baker’s farm. He will begin PRP therapy next week.

The Defense Rests is set to resume galloping later this week. Kip reports that he is doing very well and is ready to have the intensity of his training increased.

Phos Follow Up

Phosphorescent’s surgery was a success on Monday. Dr. Baker reports that there was grooving on the bottom of both cannon bones as a result of wear and tear. He was able to smooth out the areas and remove the small ankle chips. Phosphorescent was also gelded while under anesthesia (see more in Terry's note from yesterday). He is resting comfortably and his recovery from surgery was uncomplicated.
He will be out of training for three-four months. The prognosis for successful return to races and return to the same level of competition is very favorable. We think he is primed to be even better in 2011 than he was in 2010. Most good turf horses get better with age.
During this time, he will receive IRAP therapy to help reduce inflammation and to strengthen the cartilage in his joints. Click here to learn more about the therapy. He will on stall rest for a few weeks before starting turnout in a small round pen on Dr. Baker’s farm.

Phos

Dr. Baker saying that Phosphorescent is headed into surgery right now. Dr. Baker took another set of radiographs before the surgery and saw a very small chip in the left front ankle. He is likely pop it out while Phos is on the table so it doesn't become an issue down the road.
We conferred with Dr. Baker and Lupe and think that gelding Phosphorescent is the right move. It will help keep him and sounder by making it easier to manage his weight. He has always been eager in his training and this will make him a bit more manageable which in turn keeps pressure of his ankles. We want to do all we can to extend the longevity of his career, and to set him up for more successful campaigns down the future. We have had a lot of success with older geldings in our stable including El Gato Malo, and Breeders' Cup starters Awesome Gem and Tropic Storm.
Accordingly, Dr. Baker is going to geld Phosphorescent while he is under anesthesia for the procedure.
Click here to learn about gelding.

Workout

Sew Your Notes worked out at Finger Lakes going 4F in 51:80 14/16

Racing Schedule for UAE including World Cup Date

Here is racing schedule for UAE as provided by restaurant manager after talking to him at the new Meydan Hotel see pictures in earlier post

Updates

Brave Monarch is scheduled to breeze on either Friday or Saturday morning at Belmont Park. He’s been galloping very strongly for the past week, and his splint remains cold

The Defense Rests continues jogging daily and will resume galloping early next month. Kip tries to mix things up each day by rotating his horses through trots through the woods, on the turf course, and on the dirt track.

Dr. Baker confirmed that there is a small chip in Phosphorescent's right front ankle. Dr. Baker thinks the best course of action is to surgically remove the chip. We would need to rest him for a period of time even if we did not take the chip out, and removal helps prevent further damage down the road.

Accordingly, Phosphorescent will ship to Woodford Equine Hospital in Versailles, Kentucky within the next few days and have the procedure shortly after arrival. He will recover at Dr. Baker's Fairlawn Farm, which is located right near the clinic.

The prognosis is very favorable that our colt will make a full recovery. Dr. Baker estimates that he will be need about 60 days out of training. This could not have happened at a better time, as most turf campaigners take a breather at this time of year anyway. We've always thought this horse would be a stellar four-year-old, so we will give him plenty of time to recharge his batteries before gearing up for late spring and summer turf campaign.

Early in 2011, we will send Phosphorescent to Kip Elser's farm in Camden, South Carolina to begin the legging up process before shipping back to Lupe. We have found that it is beneficial for horses recovering from an injury to go back into training in a milder climate. It is tough for a horse who has been laid up to start an exercise regime back up in the dead of winter up north. Once he gets back galloping, we will send him back to Lupe and get him geared up for a summer turf campaign. We expect to make a lot of noise on the turf circuit next year. Many of the best grass horses flourish as four, five, and six-year-olds.

Terry has known Kip for over 15 years, and he is an excellent horseman who runs a top class facility. We are excited to team with Elser and have him work with our horses before they return to their respective trainers. Click here to read a Thoroughbred Times article about Kirkwood. Click here to visit the farm's homepage

Further Update
Phosphorescent is en route to Kentucky right now on a Brook Ledge van. He will spend the night at a layover facility before completing his journey in the morning. His scheduled arrival time in Kentucky 9am.

Mr. Fantasy continues on stall rest each day at Dr. Baker’s farm. Both front ankles were injected with hylaronic acid this week to stimulate the production of healthy joint fluid. He will begin PRP therapy in 2-3 weeks. After taking a sample of the his blood, in minutes a high-speed centrifuge separates blood plasma rich in platelets from the red blood cells. This PRP with its associated growth factors is then immediately injected into the soft tissue of the ankle creating what some call a "super-clot" that serves to help create a biologic scaffold upon which the body's own cells migrate and produce new collagen fibrils along lines of tension in the structure being treated. PRP is a fast, stall-side treatment that uses the horse's own cells and molecules to stimulate more rapid and stronger healing in a variety of structures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e38OrwvDBs8&feature=player_embedded

Updates

Brave Monarch has been galloping for the past few days and is set to resume speed work next week. We remain on schedule to see him debut before the end of the year.

His sire, Maria’s Mon is currently ranked 4th on the 2010 Leading Sires List. Click here to see the list. His runners have earned over $7.2 million this year.

Mr. Fantasy remains on stall rest at Dr. Baker’s farm. His bandages are changed every other day and his ankles will be injected with hylaronic acid next week.

We had a partner request an estimation of cost for Mr. Fantasy’s return to the races:

Estimated total cost: $25,500
-4 months with Dr. Baker + surgery - $8,500
-2 months at training facility (most likely Florida) - $5,000
-2 months with Mike- $8,000
-8 months of management fee - $4,000

Phosphorescent’s radiographs were sent to Dr. Baker and we should have a full report from him within the next few days. Phosphorescent remains at Philadelphia Park.


The Defense Rests is back jogging at Kirkwood Farm. He will jog for the next couple weeks before resuming gallops. Click here to listen to the Kip Elser conference call that took place last week. The beginning of the call provides some background information. The Defense Rests is specifically referenced at about 12:30.

Meydan Racetrack

Pictures of Meydan Racetrack taken on our vacation . We ate at the Hotels Steakhouse Prime with a table overlooking the track then went to the lobby patio to take the pictures .On return from vacation we will post the racing schedule provided by the staff . Like most other hotels and sights in Dubai and Abu Dhabi including the Aquarium in the Dubai Mall everything is so clean and the staff extremely friendly

Phos Out ( Can`t catch a break )

Phosphorescent had a bit of heat in the ankle he wrenched last week this morning when he went to the track. Lupe had another vet come in and take digital x-rays, and discovered there is a tiny flake in the ankle. Phosphorescent will at minimum need some time off. The consulting vet said that if Phosphorescent were sound in the next five days he might be a candidate for a heavy blister and time off, but a removal is the likely best course of action with a horse like this.
We will send the digital x-rays to Dr. Baker for his opinion. It's disappointing any time a horse gets a setback, but this is very minor, and the timing is as good as you are going to get if you need time off. If everything is as routine as it initially appears, we'd be able to give Phosphorescent some time off now and then have him back in training in time to be ready for the beginning of the turf sprint season next spring. The first major target for most turf sprinters is the race at Arlington in June, so time off now gives us time to get him healthy and also give him a freshening. Then we could get a prep race in after the turf reopens next spring before setting on a course to try and get to Churchill Downs in 2011.
We will keep everyone updated once Dr. Baker gets the x-rays next week.

Mr Fantasy Update

Mr. Fantasy is recovering comfortably at Dr. Baker's farm after surgery on both front ankles yesterday afternoon at Woodford Equine Hospital. Dr. Baker report that there was a good amount of cartilage damage in both ankles, more so in the right. There was also synovitis, or inflammation of the membranes within the joint. Doc was able to clean up the cartilage and remove the bone chips. There was also some bone grooving that he was able to smooth out. Upon completion of the surgery, Polyglycan was injected into both ankles. Polyglycan is a patented formulation designed to replace synovial fluid lost during surgery. Polyglycan contains naturally occurring components of synovia that play a central role in maintaining the homeostatic environment of the joint. Click here to learn more about it.
Dr. Baker gave our colt a 50-50 chance of returning to a high level of competition. The surgery was a success, and we were able to clean up the joints, but only time will tell if enough healing and cartilage regeneration will occur to withstand the rigors of training. Mr. Fantasy will be out of training for 4-5 months.
In two weeks, each ankle will be injected with hylaronic acid as part of post-surgical protocol. Hylaronic acid stimulates production of healthy joint fluid and decreases cartilage damage. Click here to see some very good images of healthy joints and joints with cartilage damage.
Two weeks after injection of hylaronic acid, Mr. Fantasy will begin Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP therapy). After taking a sample of the his blood, in minutes a high-speed centrifuge separates blood plasma rich in platelets from the red blood cells. This PRP with its associated growth factors is then immediately injected into the soft tissue of the ankle creating what some call a "super-clot" that serves to help create a biologic scaffold upon which the body's own cells migrate and produce new collagen fibrils along lines of tension in the structure being treated. PRP is a fast, stall-side treatment that uses the horse's own cells and molecules to stimulate more rapid and stronger healing in a variety of structures.

Updates

Phosphorescent is back to the track after his disappointing effort in the MD Million. Lupe thinks the racing secretary will write an allowance race going short on the grass in mid-month. As me mentioned, Lupe contemplated wheeling back in the Woodford Stakes (G3) on October 9th, but thinks we are better suited to staying home and trying to get a good race into our colt in his own backyard.
We have the ability to run on the turf for the next two months in the Midatlantic, and we will see what transpires before formulating a plan for the winter with this horse.

Brave Monarch’s ankle inflammation has subsided. It looks like a mild bout of growing pains. Dr. Hunt took x-rays of the ankles late last week as a precaution, and there were no abnormalities. Our colt has been jogging the shedrow at Belmont due to the rainy weather in New York. Once the track dries out a little bit (Mike suspects later this week), Brave Monarch will resume galloping. He will gallop for about two weeks before returning to the worktab. Expect a debut before the end of the year.

The Defense Rests continues his handwalking and turnout routine at Kip Elser’s farm. He is scheduled to resume jogging next week.

Mr. Fantasy was operated on by Dr. Baker this afternoon. The procedure went well and his recovery was uncomplicated. We will have a full report tomorrow morning.

Mr Fantasy Update

Dr. Baker evaluated Mr. Fantasy and radiographs showed that he has bone chips in both front fetlock (ankle) joint. Both chips will need to be surgically removed. There were no large fractures in either joint.
As a part of pre-surgical protocol, Dr. Baker tested the joint fluid of both ankles. The joint cavity is filled with a thick, lubricating fluid. This thick, pale yellow fluid is called synovial fluid, and it bathes the joint whenever the horse moves. This synovial fluid is crucial to healthy joints, because it lubricates the joint’s soft tissue and provides nourishment to the cartilage, which does not have a blood supply of its own. Synovial fluid is made of large molecules of hyaluronic acid, tangled together to form a thick barrier that prevents inflammatory cells from gaining entrance to the joint. These molecules are a basic need for healthy joints.When a joint is stressed or traumatized, it often leads to damage of the synovial membrane and joint capsule. The damage to the tissue allows white blood cells to escape nearby blood vessels and invade the joint space.These white blood cells then release destructive substances which start to degrade the joint’s cartilage. Enzymes from the white blood cells also begin to break down the hyaluronic acid molecules. This results in synovial fluid that is thin and watery, and has poor cushioning and nourishing qualities.
Mr. Fantasy's joint fluid was "pretty good" according to Dr. Baker. There were some white blood cells in the fluid, but the levels were not significantly high. Because of this, he is optimistic that he will be able to go into the ankles and clean up the debris and have Mr. Fantasy return to a high level of competition. However, a definitive prognosis can not be made until he operates and assesses the amount of cartilage damage in the ankles. Dr. Baker has performed over 20,000 joint surgeries, so we are confident he will provide us with a clear picture of where we stand with our colt after the surgery.
Mr. Fantasy is scheduled to for surgery tomorrow at Woodford Equine Hospital. We will have a full report from Dr. Baker after the procedure.

End to a Bad Week

Phosphorescent broke fine and was forwardly placed while between horses in the early stages of the Maryland Million Turf Sprint. When called on by jockey Victor Molina around the turn, Phosphorescent came up empty. Molina wrapped up on him and saved him for another day.
Click here for a pdf race chart and running line.

Victor Molina said, "My horse felt great physically, I just don't think he liked the soft turf. He did not have the same turn of foot."

Lupe said, "I really thought we would have run better. Victor said he didn't take to the track. He pullPhosphorescent cooled out fine after the race and shipped back to Philadelphia without incident. He scoped clean and walked soundly the day after. Lupe considered wheeling back in the $100,000 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland on October 9th, but thinks we are best suited to give our colt some more time between races. This was a disappointing effort, but we remain very high on Phosphorescent and think we will be able to draw a line through this race. He is only a four-year-old, and many successful grass campaigners flourish as older horses. We will most likely look to run back in an allowance race at Parx Racing at Philadelphia within the next few weeks. ed a shoe which never helps, but it was just not his day."

Sew Your Notes finished 6th outting in a very flat performance just to add to a very down week how quickly fortunes change

Bad Day

Phosphorescent came out of his disappointing effort no worse for the wear. Victor Molina told Lupe that he didn't think our colt liked the soft turf. He didn't have the same turn of foot that he normally shows. It also didn't help that he threw a shoe during the race. Lupe reports that he was walking soundly and scoped clean after the race. Phos will ship back to Philadelphia tonight.

Tomorrow SewYour Notes runs at Finger Lakes in the 5th Race and looking to break her Maiden

Updates

Phosphorescent has gone to the racetrack the past two days and is moving 100%. We are all systems go for the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on Saturday, October 2nd at Laurel.
Rain is expected in Maryland today and tomorrow, but the forecast is sunny the rest of the week. It is very unlikely that the race is taken off the turf, but we have nominated to the $100,000 Woodford Stakes (G3) on October 9th at Keeneland as a backup plan.

Click here to see the past performances.
Date: Saturday, October 2nd
Track: Laurel
Conditions: Maryland Million Turf Sprint
Distance: 5 1/2 furlongs (Turf)
Race #: 5Time: 2:42 EDT
Post position: 7 of 11
Jockey: Victor Molina
Purse: $100,000



From Terry:
I got a text from Mike Hushion at 6 am on Sunday to call him about Mr. Fantasy. "I knew we had an issue - what a sick feeling". Mike mentioned our colt had quite a bit of filling and pressure in one ankle and higher than normal pressure in the other.
All summer long Mike Hushion and the West Point Team talked about running in a softer spot so he could "feel good about himself once again". Like a maestro, Mike bought him along slowly and knew in his heart the horse would shine if given plenty of time. The horse told us he was ready. We got the final Saratoga condition book, and there was our target - a two other than allowance going six furlongs that would test our colt but allow him to dominate his opponents if he was anything near the horse he was in 2009.
Everyone who saw him that day in the paddock and on the racetrack knew this was a different horse. No more fretting. No more antics at the gate. Just a professional effort from a superbly talented horse.
It's tough to have a horse come up sore six days before a Grade One race he most likely would have been favored in. I've been attached to this horse since I laid eyes on him as a yearling on the sales grounds at Saratoga. Every trainer who's had him (Nick DeMeric as a yearling, Kiaran as a two and three year-old and now Mike Hushion) can't say enough about his courage and talent. It's sad but true - fast horses and brave horses are usually the ones with higher injury rates (the slow one don't run fast enough to injure themselves).
A good number of trainers would have just worked this colt, injected his ankles, ran him in the Vosburgh, and hoped for the best. However, when you love horses the way we do - you always put their interests above all else. Mike is a veteran horseman who knows his horses inside and out, just like any top notch trainer does. Instead of getting to the Vosburgh on the skin of our teeth, Mike did the right thing.
We'll get him down to Dr. Baker over the weekend. Mr. Fantasy most likely either has another chip in his ankle or cartilage damage. Baker is the man for the job since he can compare where we are now to Mr. Fantasy's ankles in May of 2009.
More to follow - just know he is in great hands and we'll do everything we can to get him back to the races (that is, if he has a decent shot to return at the same level). Plenty of horses have come back to successful racetrack careers after repeated ankle issues.
Please know this was a tough one for all of us. I just very glad that whatever happens with his physical condition - our colt is going to "be all right

Brave Monarch had some inflammation in his ankles this week. Mike’s vet took precautionary x-rays and found no structural damage. Many two-year-olds go through stages of minor aches and pains. Because of this, Mike is training this horse on a day to day schedule. Once our colt’s ankles settle down, his training intensity will be increased. This sets his race schedule back, but the good news is there is no structural damage


The Defense Rests continues walking the shedrow twice a day at Kirkwood. He is also turned out in a small paddock for a few hours each day to enjoy the sunshine. Kip Elser has him on schedule to resume jogging next week. After jogging for a few weeks, TDR will resume gallops. We are holding a conference call with Kip on Tuesday, October 5th at 2pm to discuss our horse’s progress. Details to follow.

The Highs and Lows

Mr. Fantasy was scheduled to work on Sunday morning at Belmont. However, Mike noticed significant swelling and pressure in both of his front ankles, and he was not comfortable breezing.
Very bad timing to say the least as we are forced to skip the Vosburgh this weekend. We understand that this is an extremely frustrating situation, but we want to do the right thing by this horse.

We plan to send Mr. Fantasy to Dr. Baker in Kentucky over the next few days so he can do a full evaluation of our colt. Dr. Baker treated him last year and will be able to give us the clearest view as to where we stand. It is not known if surgery is necessary at this point in time, and we will be back in touch after conferring with our chief veterinary consultant.


Phosphorescent worked five furlongs in 1:01.89 on Saturday morning at Parx Racing at Philadelphia. The work was 15th of 26 at the distance. Lupe actually caught him in a minute and change. Lupe said, “That was a good work for this horse. He is not the fastest work horse in the world, especially on dirt.”

Phosphorescent took an awkward step in the gallop out of the breeze and pulled up slightly off in his right front leg. Lupe called Dr. Hanf out to the barn to have Phosphorescent evaluated. X-rays of his right front revealed no structural damage. There was also no heat or swelling in the leg. Dr. Hanf concluded that our colt just stung himself a little bit, and suggested giving the leg one round of shockwave treatment on Sunday morning. Dr. Hanf also scoped our turf lover, and he scoped CLEAN. Good news

On Sunday morning Lupe reports that Phosphorescent jogged completely sound. Dr. Hanf still shockwaved him because he felt it couldn’t hurt and could alleviate any very minor stiffness in the leg. Phosphorescent was sound this morning as well. However, he did not train because the track was a sloppy mess due to the rain. More rain is expected overnight, so he will likely skip training tomorrow.

We fully intend on running the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on Saturday, October 2nd at Laurel. Entries are taken on Wednesday. Both Lupe and Dr. Hanf are confident that our colt is 100% and that we dodged a bullet here. It has been quite a roller coaster ride with this horse over the past few weeks, but hopefully it will all be worth it on Saturday.

Cartoon

Workout

Phos worked at at Parx racing at Philly Park going 5 F in 1:01:89 15 of 26

Belmont Park Notes

Belmont Park Notes: "The Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational at six furlongs is expected to draw Girolamo, who will be making only his second start of the year after achieving three wins from four starts during his 2009 campaign, with the only loss coming in the Breeders’ Cup Classic; Latigo Shore, coming off of a third place effort in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga Race Course; and Mr. Fantasy, who was an easy winner in his last race at Saratoga. Also probable for the race is the 5-year-old veteran Riley Tucker; Temecula Creek, a recent stakes winner at Monmouth Park; Snapshot, making his first Grade 1 start after back-to-back Grade 2 starts, including a runner-up in the True North this June at Belmont; and Wall Street Wonder, looking to get back on track after his last victory in the Grade 3 Toboggan in March at Aqueduct. Richard Dutrow trained Golden Spikes is listed as questionable."

Updates

Mr. Fantasy came out of Saturday’s work in great shape. He is scheduled to have his last work in preparation for the Vosburgh on Sunday or Monday. Click here to see a video of Saturday’s work

Phosphorescent is set to breeze over the weekend. Dr. Hanf will scope him after the work as a precaution before the race. We are on target for the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on Saturday, October 2nd at Laurel. Nominations close for the race tomorrow. Phosphorescent has been nominated to the race. We enter a week from today. Victor Molina remains our pilot even though Phos was feeling so good on Tuesday that he tried to dump him

Brave Monarch continues galloping each morning at Belmont. Mike wants to give him an extra week of galloping before resuming speed work. This colt is doing great physically; Mike just wants to get some extra fitness back into him before he starts back on the worktab. We remain on target to see this colt debut in November if all goes well.

The Defense Rests continues walking the shedrow twice daily at Kirkwood Farm. Kip Elser has been at the Keeneland yearling sales, and is set to return to the farm over the weekend. He wants to take a look over this colt before he goes back into training. He expects he will resume jogging in early October with the plan of galloping in November. We have mentioned the possibility of sending this horse to both New York and Florida once he gets a foundation back underneath him. Once he starts speedwork at Kirkwood, we will confer with Mike Hushion and see where he would like him go to continue training for a return to the races

Workout

Mr Fantasy worked out this morning over the Belmont Main Track going 4f in 48.44 4 of 51

Mike was pleased with the work. Mr. Fantasy just cruised around the racetrack. Most importantly, he cooled out well after the work. We remain on target for the $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational (gr. I) going 6 furlongs on Saturday, October 2^nd at Belmont Park. Mike spoke with racing secretary PJ Campo and he indicated that it will likely be a 7 or 8 horse field, with the most notable entrant being Vineyard Haven. Ramon Dominguez has committed to ride Mr. Fantasy

Workout

Phos worked out this morning at the newly named PARX RACING AT PHILADELPHIA PARK firing a 5F bullet in 1:01:88 1of 5 looks like he has recovered nicely and working well

Lupe said, "He breezed very, very well." He has been doing well and Dr. Hanf was out at the barn this morning so Lupe went ahead and breezed our turf lover. Dr. Hanf scoped him after the work, and there was a little mucus, but not enough to cause much concern. Dr. Hanf did not think there was enough to warrant putting him on antibiotics. He will continue training normally and have his final breeze next week in preparation for the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on October 2nd at Laurel. Victor Molina has committed to come down to ride.

RaceDay

Sew Your Notes is going to make her maiden race Saturday Sept 18th at Finger Lakes in the 5th Race .

Updates

Mr. Fantasy is doing well since his romp at Saratoga. Mike reports that he is training very comfortably each day and he is set to breeze on Saturday morning at Belmont. If he comes out of the breeze in good shape, we will take dead aim on the $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational (gr. I) on October 2nd at Belmont. We think that our patience has paid off, and we think are in a good spot to notch a Grade 1 victory if Mr. Fantasy runs back to his last effort

Phosphorescent will be scoped over the next day or two in anticipation of a scheduled breeze on Saturday. Lupe wants to scope him on Friday before the work to make sure there is zero sign of mucus or irritation in his respiratory tract before the breeze. Lupe plans to breeze Phosphorescent this weekend then again next weekend in anticipation of his start in the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on October 2nd at Laurel. Victor Molina has committed to come down to ride

Brave Monarch is back galloping at Belmont Park and doing very well. Mike indicated that he will return to the worktab next week. Both his splint and quarter crack are no longer an issue. If all goes well, we should see him debut in November at Aqueduct

The Defense Rests had a blister applied to both front legs earlier this week. He is walking the shedrow daily and will resume jogging at the end of this month or in early October. He will jog for about a month before galloping. If all goes well, we will likely see him return to the races early in 2011 at Aqueduct

Updates

Phosphorescent is doing well and has shown no more signs of the lung infection. Lupe has decided that our best path to the Breeders' Cup runs through the state of Maryland and the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on October 2nd at Laurel Park. The race is restricted, and Phosphorescent would in Lupe's estimation be an odds-on choice in the race.
Phosphorescent was further flattered when Chamberlain Bridge easily won the Turf Monster on Monday. We legitimately were a diminishing half-length from probably the second best turf sprinter in the United States when we ran at Penn National. Lupe feels, when looking at last year's field for the BC Turf Sprint that Phosphorescent would get in if he won the Maryland Million. The selection committee, that fills out the final spots in the field, takes into account success on the turf, who's in good form, etc. With two allowance wins and the runner-up in the Governor's Cup, our resume is not empty. If we cannot win the Maryland Millions, we would not want to run in the BC anyway. While anything can happen, you don't get a chance to be odds-on for 100k too often. From a spacing standpoint, Lupe also really likes the race as we will have five weeks between the Maryland Millions and the Breeders' Cup.

Mr. Fantasy shipped back to Belmont and went back to the track for the first time since his win yesterday. Mike said his ankles are a still a bit puffy from the race. This is to be expected since we operated on his ankles. We know that they are not perfect and will have to be managed throughout the rest of his racing career.
We are going to take a hard look at the $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational (gr. I) on October 2nd at Belmont if everything is going well. We would love to use this race as a springboard for the Breeders' Cup Sprint on November 6th at Churchill Downs. We will have a more solid gameplan once Mr. Fantasy works back. Mike has not put a date on when this colt will work back, but it will likely be in about 10 days.

Brave Monarch has shipped from Saratoga to Belmont and settled in nicely. He returned to the track this morning and moved well. The splint is cold and is not bothering him after the freeze firing. The quarter crack on his foot is no longer an issue. Mike will have him jog for a few days before resuming gallops. We remain on target to see him debut this fall.

The Defense Rests had a little bit of heat in his knee earlier this week. They took an x-ray and did not find anything serious. The knee will never be perfect radiographically, but the fracture line has healed very nicely. They noticed some mild demineralization in the bottom joint. Kip's vet injected the joint with hylaronic acid and they gave him a shot of Polyglycan. Within a few days, the heat had subsided. The vet recommended putting a blister on both front legs to help promote blood flow to the area and to tighten things up before this horse resumes training. They will apply the blister in short order. He is walking the shedrow each day now, and will resume jogging a couple weeks after being blistered.

Bullet Workout

Sew Your Notes fired a bullet workout at Finger Lakes this morning going 5F(gate) in 1:01:30 1of 8

Mr Fantasy Post Win Comments

He's back! It's safe to say that when Mr. Fantasy is right he is one of the fastest horses in the country. After a few fits and starts, Mr. Fantasy returned to the starting gate and unleashed a tour-de-force performance in the "two other than" allowance at Saratoga.
Mr. Fantasy broke well and set the early pace through pressured early fractions of 21.4 and 44.2. Mr. Fantasy scooted away on the turn and opened up a daylight lead entering the stretch. He would improve his position from there drawing off to over a four-length win. He stopped the teletimer in a sharp 1:09.4. The chart description described just how easy the win was when it said, "light hand ride."
Click here for a pdf race chart and running line. .

Mike Hushion said, "I know everyone has been anxious about when this horse was going to run. I wanted to get him in a spot where we could see him finish off a field with that big gear he has on the turn. He hadn't really run away from them this year like that yet. We saw it in this race. His middle fractions are lights out. He will run you off your feet. This was a big race. We'll just have to see where we can go from here."

Ramon Dominguez said, "I just tried to keep my horse nice and relaxed. I didn't want to ask him until I had to. When I let him go, he took off. I didn't have to do too much with him. I just shook the reigns at him. They weren't going to get him."

Mr. Fantasy earned a dazzling 104Beyer for the race. He came out of the race well. We have not picked out our next race yet, however, we will keep all our options open. When Mr. Fantasy is right he is brilliant, so we have to take a look at where we could go to spring board us to the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Mr Fantasy Wins

A Outstanding performance by Mr Fantasy at Saratoga yesterday winning by 41/2 F with a easy handride . He was not his usual self in the saddling enclosure which is a good thing ..lol he was calm and saddled well .At the gate he loaded and made a great break unlike his last 2 starts if he can keep this up with his speed on the track we could soon see a huge race out of him .. Mr Fantasy earned a 104 beyer

Winners circle picture courtesy of Neema Ghazi of NYRA taken with his cellphone from clubhouse roof .

Mr Fantasy at Saratoga

Updates

Phosphorescent has jogged since Monday, but today was the first day that he did not cough at all. The cough has been persistent despite the bloodwork being normal. Lupe said that he will jog Phosphorescent for another day or two then turn him around to begin galloping. Lupe said there ard a few possible courses of action. We're not going to force it to make the Breeders' Cup. We are only a four-year-old, so we hopefully will have a long career ahead of us. Here are the most likely options as Lupe sees it:

Get an allowance race written at Philadelphia toward the middle of the month and use that as a prep race for the Nearctic(G1) on October 16th at Woodbine and have normal rest between races. The Nearctic is a win and you're in (Breeders; Cup) race.

Run in the Maryland Million Turf Sprint on October 2nd at Laurel. We'd likely be a heavy favorite. We could look to wheel back on short rest in the Nearctic, but Lupe would prefer three or more weeks between races.

Run in the Woodford Stakes(G3) on October 9th at Keeneland. Even though it is not a win and you're in race, a win should be enough to get us into the turf sprint. Lupe likes that timing into the Breeders' Cup the best as we'd have four weeks after the race.

We will see how he trains in the next few weeks before firming down a spot. We would love to make it to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, but things will need to fall into place over the next several weeks for us to commit.
At this point, we still have numerous paths open to us, so we're going to be flexible.

The Defense Rests has arrived at Kirkwood Farm in South Carolina. We followed up with the vet who x-rayed him when he was at Stonewall and he reported that the fracture in the knee has healed very nicely. The fracture line is barely visible on the radiograph. He would like The Defense Rests to be turned out for the next three weeks just be to completely sure that the line has filled in before resuming light training.

Brave Monarch had his splint freeze fired earlier this week. Mike reports that his quarter crack has resolved itself on its own, and was less of a problem than originally thought. Brave Monarch will return to the track in about a week. He will jog for a few days before galloping. With the minor setback, we are now looking at a late October or early November debut for this colt.

Race Day

Mr Fantasy drew into the race Saturday Sept 4th its the third race on the card PP1 with Ramon riding

Stride Online

http://issuu.com/stridemagonline/docs/stride7 inside is article about the Mig and photo of him after Withers win on Mr Fantasy

Empire State College Day at the Races- Saratoga

Wayne and I had the pleasure of being invited to take part in the trophy presentation. Thank you to President Alan Davis. And a shout-out to Maureen and Evelyn-you know who you are.

Phosphorescent Update

Phosphorescent is still coughing a little bit and has not returned to the track. His bloodwork and temperature are normal. The vet thinks hes has a touch of pneumonia. They continue to treat him. At this point, there is no chance that we make the Turf Monster. We are hopeful that the vet can knock this infection out within the next few days and we can get this horse back to the track. Before we come up with an alternate race plan, we want to see how long it to takes him to get over this and get back into full training.

Workout

Mr Fantasy worked out at Saratoga this morning going 5F in 1:01:97 10 of 16

Workout

Sew Your Notes worked out at Finger Lakes this morning going 5F (Gate) in 1:03:20 12 of 23

Thurs Phos Update

Phosphorescent's fever was elevated at 102.5 again last night. Lupe said it was not much, but it's a sign we're still fighting off an infection. Phosphorescent's blood work this morning looked normal, but he is still on antibiotics. Lupe said that it does not look good for us to make the Turf Monster. Lupe does not think it would be a fitness issue as Phosphorescent is still fit, but he thinks we'll be hard pressed to have him "right" in time to really be prepared for the race. Lupe said there is still a slight chance if he can be 100 percent comfortable and have Phosphorescent in full training by Tuesday, but right now he's considering the race a longshot at best.
Lupe said it best as to how we all feel when he said this morning, "I'm sick to my stomach. The race is on his home course, and we'd be one of the favorites. I don't want to end up getting him sicker or not have him ready to run his best. If he's doing great I won't be afraid to change my mind, but right now it's unlikely."
As for where we'll run if we don't make the Turf Monster, Lupe has nominated Phosphorescent to several races, but we'll sit down with him sometime late next week if we are out and look to map out the best path.

Weds Update

Mr. Fantasy came out of his last work in very good shape. He is set to have his final breeze before his next race on either Sunday or Monday. We are all set for the "two other than" allowance going 6 furlongs on September 4th at Saratoga. It looks like Alan Garcia will have the mount.

Brave Monarch developed a quarter crack earlier in the week. A quarter crack is a vertical split in the hoof wall that does cause irritation if not treated. They have been treating the foot, and Mike is going to have the foot specialist come out and patch up the crack later in the week.
The quarter crack developed in the left front leg, the same leg as the splint. The two minor injuries are not related. There was some swelling in the leg, so Mike held off on having the vet freeze fire the splint. Once they get the foot taken care off, they will treat the splint. Mike did not want to bombard his body with too many treatments at once.
Accordingly, we will miss about another 7 days of training with this horse. That would put him back in training in about 10-14 days

The Defense Rests was x-rayed by the vet at Stonewall Farm and they were pleased with the healing in his knee. He had one tendon that was slightly inflamed, so they went ahead and x-rayed it. There was no structural damage, and the swelling has gone down. They think he may have just banged himself.
He will be shipping south this week to Kip Elser's Kirkwood Farm in Camden, South Carolina instead of David McKathan's farm. He will resume light training upon arrival to the farm. Terry has known Kip for over 15 years, and he is an excellent horseman who runs a top class facility. We are excited to team with Elser and have him work with our horses before they return to their respective trainers.
Once The Defense Rests arrives to the farm, he will resume light training. We will hold a conference call with Kip in about thirty days and have him discuss his progress. The plan is for him to rejoin Mike's string when he ships down to Florida in early December
Phosphorescent's fever remains down and his coughing is down. He walked today. The vet is going to draw blood tomorrow morning just to make sure all of his parameters are normal before he goes back into training. If his bloodwork is normal, and he is not coughing in the morning, he will likely go out and jog. We will have a better idea within the next few days if the Turf Monster remains a realistic target. Lupe thinks this horse is plenty fit for the race, but does not want to run him if we miss much more training. We will send out an update tomorrow on his status.

Phosphorescent Update

Phosphorescent's fever has gone back to normal. Lupe said that he is still coughing a bit, but that he is better. Lupe does not want to train him until the cough completely subsides. Phosphorescent will walk tomorrow and we will go from there. This is good news however. We are hopeful that we knocked this bug out, and will be back to regular training within a few days.

Phos spikes a Fever

Phosphorescent spiked a 104 fever. The vet came out, and Phosphorescent's white blood cell count was very elevated. Phosphorescent has a respiratory infection. They have started him on a aggressive run of antibiotics, but we're going to have to be careful until that fever breaks. It was down to 103 this afternoon. Lupe said we'll likely miss training tomorrow for sure, and it's going to be day by day as we see how he does.

The Turf Monster remains on the board, but if we miss several days the race will be in jeopardy. We all want to make the race, but we're going to make sure we do right by Phosphorescent.

Workout UPDATED

Mr Fantasy worked out at Saratoga going 5F in 1:02:16 7 of 26

Mr. Fantasy worked a very nice five furlongs in 1.02:16 over the main track at Saratoga. The work was 7th of 26 at the distance. Mike had him go easy by design. He wanted nothing more than a leg stretching breeze, and he got just that. The exercise rider said he had plenty of horse the entire way around the track. Mr. Fantasy will have one more breeze next week in preparation for the "two other than" going 6 furlongs on September 4th at Saratoga. We hope to use this race a springboard for stakes races this fall with Mr. Fantasy. Click here to see a video of this morning's work.

Workout UPDATED

Phos worked out at Penn National going 4F in 49:40 8 of 15

Phosphorescent worked four furlongs in 49:40 at Penn National yesterday over the main track. The work was 8th of 15 at the distance. Victor Molina came from Philadelphia Park to breeze him. Phosphorescent went very well according to Lupe. He has shown absolutely no signs of abdominal discomfort since returning back to Lupe's barn. He shipped back to Philadelphia Park this morning, and settled in well. We are all systems go for the $250,000 Turf Monster Handicap on Labor Day, September 6th at Philadelphia Park. Victor Molina will have the call. Click here to see the nominations for the race.

Updates

Phosphorescent had another good week. Lupe plans to breeze him a half-mile tomorrow at Penn National before shipping back to Philadelphia on Friday. We are on target for the $250,000 Turf Monster on September 6th at Philadelphia.


Mr. Fantasy is set to work back on Friday morning at Saratoga. Mike reports that he has had a very solid week of training. He had a strong gallop this morning followed by an uneventful schooling session at the gate.Mike has circled the “two other than” allowance going 6 furlongs on September 4th at Saratoga as our race target (we are still eligible for the race by virtue of the fact that we won restricted races that did not count against this condition). He is not comfortable entering the Charles Dowd Stakes going 7 furlongs first time back to the races since May. He also thinks the race will attract a salty group of horses. We should be very tough in the allowance race. He has run well since he returned off the layoff, but we need to see him win and finish his races with the same kind of authority we saw in the spring of his three-year-old season before we start devising grand plans. Mike did say that if we win this next race, we will have a lot of options moving into Mr. Fantasy’s fall campaign.Click here to see a video of Mr. Fantasy galloping and gate schooling this morning.

The Defense Rests is scheduled to be re-xrayed this week. We will be back in touch later in the week with a report from the vet.

Brave Monarch did not work this week because he has a splint on his left front leg that flared up. A splint is a hard, bony swelling on the inside of the front leg.
A horse's leg contains a cannon bone which is flanked by two small bones on either side. These bones are often referred to as splint bones and they are actually attached to the cannon bone by a ligament. When properly aligned, they serve as a support to the cannon bone, yet if by injury or strain the ligament is damaged, obvious swelling and inflammation are the case. Quite often referred to as a true splint, this condition will cause a horse to experience mild lameness, heat at the affected area, as well as tender swelling. They are quite common in racehorses. This is not a serious issue. Brave Monarch only exhibited mild lameness because of the splint.
He has had the splint for a while, but it was "cold." Many horses have splints that do not bother them. He must have banged himself which caused the splint to become "hot" and sore. Accordingly he will be iced extensively for the next three days to help with the swelling. After three days, the vet will freeze fire the area. Freeze firing the splint will help improve circulation in the area thus helping the bone to heal.
He will be out training for 7 days after the freeze firing. In total he is going to be out of training for 10 days. We will get him back into regular training and look to run in late September or early October at Belmont.

Workout

Sew your Notes worked out at Finger Lakes going 5F from the Gate 1:03:20 5 of 11

Updates

Phosphorescent is doing well after his colic scare last week. He resumed normal training and is galloping daily. Lupe said you would not really know we missed any time. The timing was fortunate as it came right after a race and we were not pushing on him hard anyway. Phosphorescent will be at Penn National for another couple weeks as the track work at Philly finishes. We are on target for the $250,000 Turf Monster Stakes on September 6th at Philadelphia Park. If we run well in the Turf Monster, we will be hard pressed to not think this horse is a legitimate contender for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. II) on November 6th at Churchill.

Mr. Fantasy worked an easy four furlongs in 50:97 this morning at Saratoga over the main track. He was originally scheduled to work yesterday, but the track was wet so Mike postponed the work until today. Mike called this a "nice, easy maintenance work." Mr. Fantasy has had a very good week of training and will likely breeze five furlongs next week. Mike is considering two race options. The Charles Dowd Stakes is an overnight NY Bred race going 7 furlongs on August 27th. However, Mike does not love the 7 furlong distance considering this will be Mr. Fantasy's first race back since May. The other race option is the open "two other than" allowance going 6 furlongs on September 4th at Saratoga. Mike is going to see how Mr. Fantasy trains in the coming weeks before nailing down a race target, but those two races are on the radar.

Brave Monarch worked an easy three furlongs in 38 on Friday at Saratoga. He went in company with another colt that Mike is quite high on, and our colt outworked him. He is really moving forward nicely. He galloped out of the gate today and was a true professional. He is scheduled to work back on Friday, and remains on target to debut at Saratoga, which ends September 6th. Mike has not picked out a race target as of yet, but will do so once this colt gets a few more works under his belt. We will have spotlight video of him posted tomorrow.

The Defense Rests will begin turnout in about a week.

Workout

Mr Fantasy workied out this morning at Saratoga going 4F in 50:97 12of 13

Latest Phos News

Phosphorescent is doing well. Lupe shipped his horses to Penn National since Philadelphia Park is closed for training for track resurfacing. Lupe expects to be at Penn National for at least two weeks before shipping back to Philly.
Phosphorescent is set to go back to the track and jog tomorrow. If everything looks good, he will resume normal training within a few days.
We are still pointing for the $250,000 Turf Monster Handicap going 5 furlongs on the turf on September 6th at Philadelphia Park.

Workout

Sow Your Notes worked out this morning at Finger Lakes going 5F in 1:04:60 8 of 11

University of Liverpool

http://www.liv.ac.uk/equine/

Tina and I were lucky to have a tour of the hospital and talk with the staff about the great work they do with horses with colic in light of the recent case with Phos

UPDATES

The Defense Rests is being handwalked twice a day for 40 minutes. They want to give him one extra week of walking before starting turnout, so he is now on schedule to be turned out in a small paddock in about two weeks time.

Maria's Mon colt breezed an easy three furlongs in company with two other horses in 39:00 on Saturday at Saratoga. This was a very professional work for this horse, and he is getting fitter and fitter. He has a good attitude, and trains with a lot of enthusiasm. He remains on a regular work schedule and is set to breeze back within the next couple days. He will also have some gate schooling sessions this week. He has officially been named Brave Monarch.

Mr. Fantasy worked four furlongs in 47:88 yesterday morning at Saratoga over the main track. Mike was pleased with the work but wishes the rider slowed Mr. Fantasy down a bit. He would have preferred an easier work in 49 or 50. Nonetheless, Mr. Fantasy finished with good energy. He was blowing pretty hard after the work. Mike wants to get a few more half mile breezes into him before going 5 furlongs, especially since he was a bit tired after this work. We understand it is frustrating, but Mike is not willing to commit to a race date off of one half mile breeze. He needs to see this horse string together several works before firming down a race target. Click here to see a video of the work.

Phosphorescent

Race Date 7/31
Condition PA Governor`s Cup
Finish Position 2
Earnings $37,600


Breaking last in a five furlong race is never good. Doing so against a field of stakes runners is usually deadly. Sometimes though, adversity yields character. Such was the case on Saturday as Phosphorescent returned to stakes company for the first time since his two-year-old season and nearly toppled one of the top turf sprinters in the country, Chamberlain Bridge.
Phosphorescent was ninth after a quarter-mile and lacked room down inside. He swung out entering the turn and was more than six wide. He launched a ferocious rally in the stretch and closed stoutly on the winner, but he just ran out of ground falling a half-length short.
Quotes
Lupe Preciado said, "We were the only horse running at the end. They don't hold the horse's head out here, and we broke slow. I thought we would be a lot closer. Victor didn't want to get stopped, so he swings wide. We gave ground to the winner and get beat a half-length. I think he was the best in the race.
Victor Molina said, "He broke a little flat. I didn't want to be that far back, but I didn't want to hustle him. I took him outside and tried to make one run. When I asked him he came running. I was on the best horse."
Where We Go From Here
Phosphorescent earned a career best 96 Beyer in the race. He came out of the race well, and we will point for the $250,000 Turf Monster on Labor Day at Philadelphia Park ( see Health Scare )

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Health Scare

Lupe just notified us that Phosphorescent began showing significant abdominal discomfort. The vet is out there now treating him, but thinks we are best served to send him to the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center. It is too early to tell if any surgery will be necessary. We will provide you with any information we receive in the coming hours.

UPDATE

Lupe just left the New Bolton clinic where he has been with Phosphorescent since this evening. The horse is currently resting comfortably in a stall and is under observation. No procedure was necessary, and recent blood work came back normal.
To provide some details. Phosphorescent had a routine day. He ate up at lunch time and passed a regular bowel movement earlier today. When it was feed time this afternoon, Phosphorescent was showing visible signs of discomfort. Lupe called Dr. Dan Hanf, and he came out and administered a treatment of banamine to make Phosphorescent more comfortable.
I don't know the exact terms, but Dr. Hanf palpated him rectally and could feel that something was twisted inside. This is not good and can lead to serious complications. Phosphorescent continued to show signs of distress and was not relaxing. Lupe rode with him in the van to the clinic, and the horse continued to be in distress. When he arrived at the clinic he had to be given a short term tranquilizer because he was so worked up. He had a fever. However, when they rectally palpated him again, the area that had "switched sides" in Dr. Hanf's evaluation had returned to place. The vet said that can happen. When they scoped him there was no reflux which is good.
Phosphorescent was a little loopy because of the tranquilizers, but as they wore off he was not exhibiting signs of distress. His temperature was normal again, and he was not agitated. They took him to a stall and he was happy. Since they could not find the twisted area in his intestines upon arrival they did want to keep him overnight for observation.
However, the clinic told Lupe that they felt comfortable enough to say that all they would be doing now is just monitoring him. They did not feel any other action was necessary.
If everything continues like this, then Phosphorescent should be able to return to the barn when cleared. Obviously we're delighted this looks like it might end up being a lot of activity for nothing, but you always want to take whatever precautions possible.

FURTHER UPDATE
Phosphorescent is doing much better. The only abnormality the vets found in his bloodwork was that his creatine levels were off, which is detrimental to the urinary tract. When they tested him later, his levels were back to normal. The vets think we dodged a bullet here and that this horse is going to be just fine. He has not shown further signs of colic.
They are not feeding him yet as they want to give his digestive tract some time to settle down after the twisting. They will probably feed him tomorrow morning, and if there are no problems he will be released and will return to Philadelphia Park.

LATEST UPDATE
We have good news. Phosphorescent was cleared for release from the New Bolton Center. His blood parameters are normal and he is eating and drinking normally. He has shown no signs of diarrhea and is completely comfortable. He will ship back to Philadelphia Park today. Lupe will give him a few days to get back to his normal self before sending him back to the track.

Workout

Mr Fantasy worked out this morning at Saratoga this morning going 4F in 47:88 2 of 16

We All Have These Days

If you use Speed figures you could lose your mind Beyer V Equibase

Taking Phos`s last 2 Races

Philly Park Beyer 86 Equibase 114

Penn National Beyer 96 Equibase 97

so how to read into the figures ????????

Beyer Figure

Phos earned a great 96 beyer for his brave effort last night

Penn National

Photos from last nights exciting PA Governors Cup which ended with Phos falling just 1/2 length short of beating the heavy favorite . Phos had a troubled trip having to come around horses at the turn to eat up the turf coming up the stretch with a cleaner run i feel he would have won . He stepped up big now we can move onto the Turf Monster at Philly Park feeling good and maybe a big race in November .

Updates ( Belated)

The updates are from earlier in the week except Phos but its been a busy weekend travelled to the Spa Thursday to be at the races Friday with Empire State Collage

Saturday up early over the backstretch saw Mr Fantasy ( looks well ) and the Maria`s Mon colt workout then long drive to Penn National to watch Phos

The Defense Rests- There is no news to report this week

Maria's Mon colt worked three furlongs in 38:00 Monday morning at Saratoga. The work was not picked up by the clockers. He went with two other horses. They were a bit green early on, but then got to business. Mike called this another nice step forward. He will have one more three furlong breeze before graduating onto half mile breezes. We will have video of him later this week.

Mr. Fantasy worked an easy three furlongs in 37:73 this morning at Saratoga over the main track. Both Mike and Mr. Fantasy's exercise rider were happy with how he moved. He was supposed to work yesterday morning, but he got a little bit cut up from rolling around in his stall, so Mike pushed the work back a day. Mike plans to work him a half mile next week. We will have a better idea of our timetable after the next work.

Phosphorescent looks to glow for the third time in a row when he makes his turf stakes debut in tonight's PA Governor's Cup Handicap at Penn National. The race drew a salty group of horses, but we definitely fit in here. Phosphorescent has been training very well, and Lupe could not be happier going into the race.
There is a lot of speed in here on paper, and as you know Phosphorescent has won his last two on the lead. However, when he won at the Fair Grounds this winter, he showed the ability to rate behind the leaders. With the amount of speed in here, that is likely where we will find ourselves early. Lupe will instruct Victor to get out there and see how the race unfolds. We will most likely be close to the pace, but I'd like to see him 1-2 lengths off the dueling pacesetters early. The way I envision the race is at the top of the stretch, we sneak through the rail and run by them all!
A look at the field...
1. Perfect Officer may be in a perfect spot to pounce if there is a torrid pace up front. He has not won since August of last year, and has no recent workouts coming into the race. George Weaver would not ship here if he did not think he had a shot, but there are others in here that are more appealing. The inside post is tough too.
3. Sneaking Uponyou showed speed in his last race and likely will show speed tonight. He has won a five furlong turf stake before. He is coming off of two solid second place finishes at Presque Isle. Will I be surprised if he wins? Yes. I do think he could hit the board though.
4. Blue Sailor is a hard trying horse who has hit the board in 24 of 37 career starts. He won a turf sprint stake three back, and followed that with two decent efforts. He is one that will try to go gate to wire. He has a shot, but I wouldn't bet him. Others appeal to me more.
5. Chamberlain Bridge is one of my favorite turf sprinters. I will admit that I follow him closely because I think he's a cool horse. He is coming off a win in a turf sprint at Arlington and looks to be the class of the field. He's a Grade 3 winner. The race may set up perfectly for him, as he will be a few lengths off the pace early.
6. Hold The Salt appears to be a little bit overmatched. He ran in an overnight stake two back, and was 6th, beaten six lengths. His recent numbers are a bit light, and even though he comes in off of a win, I think he is outclassed. That race was also 12 days ago. That's a big task for an eight-year-old.
7. Cardashi is a hard knocking horse who has hit the board in 29 of 50 races. He won this race last year, and is 3 for 3 over the Penn National turf course. His Beyers are a bit light compared to others in here, but how could you not bet last year's winner? He loves this turf course, and has been running decent races leading up to tonight.
8. Tahoe Warrior ships in for hot trainer Rudy Rodriguez. He won a nice turf sprint at Calder last time out, but prior to that he was running in 20k claimers. He is an intriguing horse. I am not convinced that he didn't get lucky in that last race. He should be close to the pace.
9. Heros Reward was second by a neck in a Grade 2 at Woodbine last time out. I am really high on Woodbine shippers. They have been doing very well at Saratoga, especially on the turf. He has earned over $1 million dollars. This horse and Chamberlain Bridge are my picks in here.
10. Natural Seven is coming off a second place finish in a stake at Suffolk. He's won some stakes on the turf in the past, but nothing in his recent form overly excites me. His numbers are light, and I think he's overmatched.
11. Sacred Journey exits the same race at Arlington as Chamberlain Bridge and Bullet From Abroad. He was fourth that day. He could improve third off the layoff and comes into the race with three bullet works to his name. He should show speed, but with the amount of speed in here I think the outside post will hurt him.
12. Bullet From Abroad exits a turf sprint at Arlingtron won by Chamberlain Bridge. He has been working well at Arlington, and I doubt his trainer would ship here if he didn't think he had a shot. However, the outside post makes him way less appealing. There is nothing about him that makes him really stand out against this bunch

Phos Big Night Out

Phos drew PP2 for the PA Governors Cup Saturday night at Penn National with V. Molina up . Great to see him get a run in stakes some tough horses but after his last two outings looking for a big race .

Workout

Mr Fantasy worked out at Saratoga today going 3F in 37:73 7of8

Workout

Sew Your Notes worked 4F at Finger Lakes this morning in 50:40 19of 39

Updated Beyer

Phos had his Beyer figure adjusted to 85 for his last race

Updates

Phosphorescent breezed an easy four furlongs in 49:00 on Sunday at Philadelphia. The work was not recorded by the clockers. Lupe is thrilled with how this horse is training. If all things were equal, Lupe would prefer to run in the stake at Penn National over the allowance race at Saratoga. He thinks we will fit very well in the stake, and could always come back in the “three other than” later in the meet at Saratoga if we do not win. We have a chance to get a stakes win into this horse, and don’t want to let the chance pass us by. Lupe plans on talking to the racing secretary on Saturday to get an idea of how the field is shaping up for the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup then make a decision

Mr. Fantasy worked three furlongs in 37:80 at Belmont over the training track on Sunday. Mike reports that Mr. Fantasy went very nicely. His ankles puffed up a bit after the work, but Mike is not overly concerned. This is just something that we are going to have to manage moving forward. Mr. Fantasy arrived in Saratoga and is set to work back next week. It is still too early for Mike to firm up a race target.

Maria’s Mon colt worked a quarter mile in 25.00 in company with Haystack Needle on Sunday. Both went very nicely. This colt arrived in Saratoga, and will work three furlongs over the surface next week.
We watched him train this morning and looks great. He is very professional and eager to train

The Defense Rests is handwalking daily at Stonewall. He will begin daily turnout in about three weeks