Updates

The 50k maiden claimer for The Defense Restswas not used for Monday at Saratoga. The good news is that there are two suitable races that were brought back as extras for Wednesday. We reenter tomorrow and will run in one of the following races if they are used:

25k maiden claimer going 5.5 furlongs on the turf on Wednesday, August 3rd at Saratoga.

50kmaiden claiming going 6 furlongs on the dirt on Wednesday, August 3rd at Saratoga.

This horse is ready to run, so we will run in whichever race is used. The 50k maiden claimer on the dirt is the preferred spot. There is a very good chance one of them is used. It is frustrating that we have not been able to get a race to go, but this is something that is out of our control that is a hardship of many owners and trainers up here. Be on the lookout for an entry alert tomorrow afternoon.

Honeysuckle Vine worked 5F from the gate at Finger Lakes in 1:05:00 4of 6 but she came out of the work sore

Updates

The Defense Rests worked an easy four furlongs in 49:96 (12 of 33) on Monday at Saratoga. He will be entered tomorrow for the 50k maiden claimer going 6 furlongs on the dirt on Monday, August 1st at Saratoga.  

Hoof specialist Ian McKinley patched Mr. Fantasy’s footearlier this week and he is shipping up to Saratoga today. Hopefully we can put this foot soreness behind us and get him back on a regular breeze schedule. 

Phosphorescent remains at Parx. Lupe is going to enroll him in the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horseman’s Associations’ Turning For Home Program to help find him a good home.

Click here to visit their website.

Brave Monarch remains at a farm near Fair Hill Training Center. We are working with Graham’s team to find him a good home.

Workout

The Defense Rests  worked out at Saratoga   going 4F in 49:96  12 of 33

Top Selections

Race does not go

The 35k maiden claimer for The Defense Rests was not used for Monday, July 25th, and was not brought back as an extra. The backup plan is the 50k maiden claimer going 6 furlongs on the dirt on Monday, August 1st at Saratoga. When a race does not go it means that there was not enough entrants to warrant its inclusion in the card by the racing secretary. It can be frustrating, but it's part of the game, and cannot be foreseen. TDR is ready to run, and although we'd prefer to run for 35k, the 50k race will likely attract a similar level of competition.

Updates

Phosphorescent’s ultrasound showed a significant tear in his right front digital flexor tendon. The prognosis for return to racing is poor with a hole in the tendon this size. It would be about a year before he could return to training. Accordingly we think it is in the best interest of the Partners and the horse to retire him and find him a good home away from the races. He’s never been the soundest horse, but gave us a memorable 2010 campaign. We’re certainly sad to see him retired, but want to do the right thing here. The chances of him coming back as a six-year-old and competing at a significant level are very slim.

The Defense Rests came out of last week’s work in good shape and is ready for his return to the races. Entries are taken on Friday for the 35k maiden claiming race going 6 furlongs on the dirt on Monday, July 25th at Saratoga.

Mr. Fantasy’s foot is still biting him. Hoof specialist Ian McKinley was out to the barn yesterday and deemed the foot too tender to equip with a fiberglass patch, and now plans to revisit Mike’s barn on Sunday and will likely apply the fiberglass at this time. A patch is created by covering the hoof with with an acrylic adhesive which sets in five minutes. It helps relieve pressure on the hoof being that it is stronger than the hoof wall itself, and provides support. Mr. Fantasy will ship to Saratoga early next week.

Phos Update

Phosphorescent worked six furlongs in 1.14:11 on Saturday at Parx. He worked well, but had some pressure in his right front tendon afterwards. Lupe gave it day, being that many times horses can just bang themselves and it’s no big deal. However, the pressure is still there today and there is some swelling in the leg. Dr. Hanf is going to ultrasound the tendon in a few days once the swelling goes down. We wanted to make you aware of this situation since it will be a few days since we have the ultrasound results.

Workout

Phos worked 6F today at Parx in 1:14:11    1 of 1

Updates

Mr. Fantasy was scheduled to breeze this morning his foot starting biting him a little bit again. Mike is soaking it and expects him to work back within the next few days

Phosphorescent had a strong week of gallops. He is scheduled to breeze five furlongs out of the gate tomorrow morning at Parx. If everything goes well in tomorrow’s work, Lupe will start lobbying for a non conditioned allowance going short on the turf at Parx later this month.

 

Brave Monarch shipped to a farm close to Fair Hill Training Center. We are working to find him a good home.

Workout

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont going 4F in 48:34  1of 3

Brave Monarch Retired

Brave Monarch has been retired from racing due to a tendon injury. After a good week of gallops, Graham went ahead and put an easy five furlong breeze into him over the weekend. He came out of the work with significant swelling in his right front ankle, despite having the ankle injected previously. After allowing the swelling to go down, Graham and his vet reevaluated him. There is 50% tear in the outside of the branch of the superficial digital flexor tendon. It would take 6-8 months for this type of injury to heal, the chance of reinjury is high, and it would likely reduce his class. Economically it does not make sense to give him the necessary time off to come back and try to be a racehorse.

This horse has been frustrating for all of us. We struggled to get him into races over the past few months, and then he sustains a career ending injury. An unfortunate reality of this sport is that not all horses are cutout to be top notch athletes.

Brave Monarch is scheduled to ship to a farm close to Fair Hill (the same farm WPT runner King Ting is stabled). If any Partners are interested in providing him with a good home, please let us know as soon as possible. Graham also has some adoption contacts in the area that we are going to work with

Updates

Phosphorescent returned to the worktab covering four furlongs in 48:00 (1 of 7) on Sunday at Parx. Lupe said, “He went very nice. This was one of his better works; he normally is a pretty slow work horse.” The plan is to breeze Phosphorescent out of the gate next week to make sure he is sharp and on his toes. At that time, Lupe plans to begin lobbying for an extra “money allowance” going short of the turf at Parx. There is a very good chance we see him back in the starting gate before the end of this month.


We would love to use the allowance race as a prep for the $250,000 Turf Monster Stakes going 5 furlongs on the turf on Monday, September 5th at Parx. The PA Governor’s Cup at Penn National on July 31st probably isn’t going to be an option this year. With the minor setback Phosphorescent had in June (spiking a temperature), we’d really like to run in an allowance race off the bench before coming back in a stake.

The Defense Rests worked four furlongs in 49:17 (11 of 17) on Friday (July 1st) at Belmont. He followed that with a five furlong work in 1.02:05 (5 of 8) this morning at Belmont. Mike said, “He got a little bit tired toward the end of the work, but got a good blow out of it.”

We found out this afternoon that there is an extra maiden special weight going 6 furlongs on the dirt on Monday, July 11th at Parx. If TDR looks good tomorrow morning, Mike plans to enter. Be on the lookout for an entry alert tomorrow afternoon.

Mr. Fantasy worked three furlongs in 36:40 (3 of 14) on Thursday (June 30th)  at Belmont. He followed that with a half mile breeze in 49:01 (3 of 10) on Wednesday. Mike reports that they were both steady efforts, and most importantly Mr. Fantasy came out of them in good shape. If everything continues on track, the plan would be to see him in a race this summer at Saratoga.


Tuesday’s conference call with Mike. He references Mr. Fantasy about 12:30 into the call. Mike says, “If I had to venture a guess, I would say he is is 50-50 to make the races because of his ankles. We are doing everything we can for him. He stands in an ice tub for thirty minutes every day and is on medication to help build up his cartilage in his joints and to help his breathing along. We take the best care of him we can. He will let us know. He’s been good to everybody, and when he gets on the racetrack, he kind of forgets what’s going on with him physically because he’s such a dam good racehorse.”

Workout

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont going 5F in 1:02:05   5of 8

Saratoga Sale Aug 14th



This is the page for our yealing at the Saratoga Sale on Sat Aug 14th



Workout

Mr Fantasy worked out at  Belmont going 4F in 49:01       3 of  10

Workout

Honeysuckle Vine worked out at Finger Lakes  going 5F(Gate) in 1:05:00  10 of 13

Workout

Phos worked out at Parx going 4F in 48:80  7 of 16

Workout

Brave Monarch  worked out at Far Hills  going 5F in 1:02:40     3 of 4

Workout

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont going 4f in 49:17   11 of 17