EXCELLENT ADVENTURES IN THE GAME or how i turned my money into bales of hay

Owners Nighmare

2012-02-10T11:11:00.002-05:00

New Mares

2012-01-23T11:59:00.001-05:00

We spend the day at the frozen outpost of Highcliff Farms on Saturday the phase 3 of the Flying Zee Dispersal sale we came away with 2 young mares both in foal to Cosmonaut which we hope can be good producers and have some fun at the sales .

the first was Hip# 5 Bellameister she is going to Cape Blanco instead of Six Zeroes

2nd Hip#36 Mythical Yarn she is going to Parading

2012 looking like 2011

2012-01-12T17:46:00.000-05:00

Some very sad news Six Zeroes was found dead on the farm this afternoon from either a heart attack of massive internal trauma . She was 2 months away form giving birth to Midshipman foal and was booked to Cape Blanco
after all that happened last year with the racing stable this is just another upsetting continuation

Horse got to do

2012-01-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

Wayne Rooney buys a Horse

2011-12-22T11:53:00.002-05:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/horse_racing/16256773.stm

Cartoon

2011-12-22T11:48:00.001-05:00

Pedigree Notes

2011-12-08T07:07:00.000-05:00

Galileo is shining with the ROBERTO line, notably siring the 2011 ‘King George’ winner Nathaniel and the Irish Derby second Seville from daughters of SILVER HAWK. He has also sired Group winners from daughters of KRIS S., LEAR FAN and RED RANSOM, plus the South African star Igugu from a grand-daughter of RED RANSOM. Cape Blanco should thrive with mares from this line too.

Galileo’s classic winner Sixties Icon is from a DIESIS mare and these mares are an interesting option for Cape Blanco as they would produce 4x3 to Diesis’ dam Doubly Sure.

Above are some notes from Cape Blanco`s Pedigree Notes from Ashford Six Zeroes Sire comes from the Roberto line and her Dam is a daughter of Diesis

Weekend in S.C with Marketfrontrunning

2011-12-04T18:23:00.000-05:00

Pictures and videos from Kirkwood Stables in Camden S.C . Marketfrontrunning is looking well is growing nicely and appears happy and playful . Kip says she is training well but a little behind the rest of the class and talking to other staff they adore her she is has a sweet nature and the exercise rider comes back and asks to ride her , and after being broken she took steps backwards bu tin the last 2 weeks she has really come along into her own

Weekend in S.C with Marketfrontrunning 1

2011-12-04T18:08:00.001-05:00

Weekend in S.C with Marketfrontrunning 2

2011-12-04T18:00:00.001-05:00

Weekend in SC with Marketfrontrunning 3 ( on inside rider in yelllow)

2011-12-04T17:59:00.001-05:00

Weekend in S.C with Marketfrontrunning 4

2011-12-04T17:55:00.001-05:00

Six Zeroes

2011-12-02T06:57:00.000-05:00

Here is Six Zeroes at her new home in Fort Edward she is due in March with foal to Midshipman she is then going to Cape Blanco , Will be at Kips`s tomorrow and will have pictures of our Aftermarket Yearling

Update

2011-11-10T08:41:00.000-05:00

Mr. Fantasy will be gelded at Mill Creek Farm this week before shipping to his breeder Scott Van Laer’s farm toward the middle of the month.

Update

2011-10-14T07:56:00.001-04:00

The press release sent about Mr. Fantasy’s retirement did not garner much attention. Bloodstock agent Steve Castagnola is actively contacting breeders to discuss the possibility of getting a stallion deal done. We’re still working on this, and as soon as there is more clarity, we’ll get the conference call on the calendar. It should take place next week at the latest. Mr. Fantasy is moving from Belmont to Mill Creek Farm near Saratoga within the next few days. He’ll remain there until retirement plans are finalized.

Updates

2011-10-07T09:12:00.000-04:00

We are still pursuing different post racing opportunities for Mr. Fantasy. A press release is being sent to to the major industry publications tomorrow announcing his retirement

Phosphorescent has arrived back at his breeder’s in Maryland. He’ll have a home for life there with Nancy Waylett

Updates

2011-09-30T07:33:00.001-04:00

There have been some inquiries from Partners regarding the possibility of Mr. Fantasy standing at stud. Although the stallion market is very weak, we want to do some research before making any decisions. Therefore, we are postponing tomorrow’s conference call until next week so we can have a more thorough discussion of our path forward. More to come.

Marketfrontrunning arived and Kips on Tuesday . Kip called and said she looks well and is going to give her a couple of days to settle in then get to work on her

Mr Fantasy

2011-09-23T07:01:00.001-04:00

Terry a long talk with Mike Hushion this morning. Unfortunately, we’re not in a good spot with Mr. Fantasy. His last two works have been subpar and we’re struggling to hold him together. As we all know, his ankles have been an ongoing struggle. There’s some filling in his suspensory, and Mike feels that his breathing (which has been of concern in the past) is not where it needs to be. Mother Nature is trying to tell us something.
We’ve put a lot of money into this horse, and for good reason. He’s extremely talented and provided us with many thrills. Mike’s concern is that if we send him over to the frontside and he runs his eyeballs out (like we know he does each and every time), he could catastrophically injure himself. That’s what very good racehorses do - they run through their physical ailments. Mike has been a horse trainer for over 30 years. His gut tells him that this horse needs to see life away from the track.
It’s a tough pill to swallow. All of us at WPT love this horse. He runs hard every time he goes out there. Trust me when I tell you I had a knot in my stomach when Mike brought this up.
We’re going to hold a conference call with Mike next Friday, September 30th to discuss this issue. We want everybody to feel comfortable with this decision and to understand that we’re looking out for the best interests of Mr. Fantasy by proposing retirement.

Workout

2011-09-21T07:33:00.002-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked 5F at Belmont yesterday in 1:02:82 2 of 6

Update

2011-09-16T08:14:00.001-04:00

Mr. Fantasy worked five furlongs in 1.02:33 (5 of 7) on Monday at Belmont. “He did not finish as well as I would have liked,” said Mike. “He did come out of the work fine, but I will need to see him work better next week before we talk races for him.” Not the best news, but hopefully he just had a bad day in the office. More to come after his next work, which should come early next week.

Workout

2011-09-12T14:59:00.000-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked out at Belmont going 5F in 1:02:23 5 of 6

Updates

2011-09-08T18:11:00.002-04:00

Mr. Fantasy arrived back to Belmont Park. The swelling in his ankle is down, and he is moving soundly. He’ll jog for the next few days due to the rainy weather. After three days of galloping, he is scheduled to breeze.

The Aftermarket Filly has been named Marketfrontrunning

Updates

2011-09-02T07:30:00.007-04:00

Mr. Fantasy worked his first five furlongs since coming back off the bench in 1.02:07 (3 of 15) on Wednesday at Saratoga. It was a solid work, and he cooled out fine, but has some heat and swelling in a front ankle this morning. Mike’s vet will x-ray the ankle in 1-2 days. As soon as we have a report we will pass it along.

Phosphorescent’s breeder Nancy Waylett, has expressed an interest in retiring him to her farm in Maryland. We are working to finalize this, but are very happy to see this guy go to a good home.

The Defense Rests is resting comfortably at Mill Creek Farm near Saratoga after having knee surgery. Partner Keith McGraw has agreed to provide him with a good home once he is through with his recovery.

Honeysuckle Vine had some stiffness in her knees after her work . She is going to be laid up for the winter to give her time to develop .

Aftermarket Filly after a disappointing sale where she did not receive a single bid we are now in the process of looking at training tracks to get her broken and trained . We do not think she is a forward type and do not expect her to run until 3 on the turf .

Six Zeroes is doing well on the farm and is in foal to Midshipman within the next couple of weeks her Freud foal will be weaned .

Affirm Promise wil be retired due to age after her Bluegrass Cat foal is weaned

Workout

2011-08-31T09:12:00.002-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked out at Saratoga going 5F in 1:02:07 3of 15

Workout

2011-08-30T11:09:00.002-04:00

Honeysuckle Vine worked out at Finger Lakes going 4F in 55:00 13 of 13

Updates

2011-08-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

Mr. Fantasy workedfour furlongs in 48:65 (6 of 31) on Wednesday morning at Saratoga. Mike said, “Another nice step forward. He finished well, and most importantly came out of the it in good shape. We pushed his work back a few days because there was some bad weather earlier this week, and I want to work him over a fast track. I might get one more solid half into him, but he is about ready to go 5/8ths (the true test of race readiness).”

We are about 3-4 weeks away from seeing Mr. Fantasy back in the starting gate. He’ll miss running at Saratoga, but we’ll target a race early at the Belmont meet, which begin on September 10th

Phosphorescent’s breeder Nancy Waylett, has expressed an interest in retiring him to her farm in Maryland. We are working to finalize this, but are very happy to see this guy go to a good home

The Defense Rests is resting comfortably at Mill Creek Farm near Saratoga after having knee surgery. Partner Keith McGraw has agreed to provide him with a good home once he is through with his recovery

Workout

2011-08-24T10:43:00.002-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked out this morning in Saratoga going 4F in 48:65 6of 31

Updates

2011-08-19T06:51:00.001-04:00

Mr. Fantasy worked an easy four furlongs in 52:41 (20 of 21) on Saturday at Saratoga. Mike told his exercise rider to keep a firm hold of our colt and to go nice and easy. Mr. Fantasy finished up with good energy and is scheduled to work back this weekend. Mike said, “In his next work we’ll tighten the screws a little bit and get a very good blow into him. Soundness wise he is doing fine. With one more half mile work and two 5/8ths, he should be ready to run.” A start at Saratoga is not viable considering Mr. Fantasy did not work from July 6th-August 6th due to his foot bruise. Right now he is about a month out from a race. We’ll look to run early at Belmont, which begins on September 10th.

The Defense Rests has been retired from racing. So disappointing after such a big win at Saratoga.

All Partners have been contacted about his injury, but here is quick recap:
-Post race he cooled out soundly, but a few days later Mike noticed he was off up front.
-X-rays revealed a large bone chip in the same knee Dr. Baker operated on last year.
-The chip was in the lower joint of the knee, which is less favorable than the top joint. Prognosis for return to racing is fair, but he would be downgraded in class.
-His quality of life would be effected without removal of the chip because of the onset of arthritis. Accordingly, we sent him for surgery last week at New Jersey Equine Hospital.
-In our experience, horses with chips in the bottom joint of the knee rarely ever come back and perform well.
-It is our strong recommendation that we retire him and find him a good home away from the races. It is just not economical to bring a horse back as a five-year-old after two knee surgeries, especially considering the struggles we’ve had with his feet

Phosphorescent’s breeder Nancy Waylett, has expressed an interest in retiring him to her farm in Maryland. We are working to finalize this, but are very happy to see this guy go to a good home.

Mr Fantasy works easy 4F pictures below

2011-08-14T14:59:00.000-04:00

Updates

2011-08-11T21:57:00.000-04:00

Mr. Fantasy worked three furlongs in 36:23 (1 of 16) on Saturday at Saratoga. He finished with good energy and came out of the work sound. A half mile work is expected this weekend. Mike continues to monitor his ankles closely, but so far he has done well since shipping up to Saratoga. His weight and attitude are good.

We’ve recently started using Acuscope therapy on certain members of our stable. At first we were a bit skeptical, but we’ve seen very positive results with other horses. Michelle Dollase, sister of trainer Craig Dollase is a certified Acuscope therapist and is working with several top trainers in the industry. She is going to begin treating Mr. Fantasy next week. She’ll treat him for about an hour for three days straight. His training schedule will not be interrupted during this time. Click here to read more about the therapy.

Workout

2011-08-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked 3F at Saratoga in 36:23 1 of 16

Updates

2011-08-05T06:43:00.000-04:00

Mr. Fantasy had a strong week of galloping and is scheduled to breeze on Sunday morning at Saratoga.

Brave Monarch has been adopted by a friend of Graham’s, Bruce Fenwick. Sue Kenny, Graham’s secretary said, “Bruce will give him all the time off he needs and then see what he can do in terms of a second career. I know he will be very happy there.” We’re so glad he’s going to a good home

The Defense Rests Wins

2011-08-04T11:03:00.001-04:00

Date 08/03
Track Saratoga
Finish Position 1
Surface Dirt

Race 50k Maiden Claiming

Earnings $17,400
Beyer Figure 90

After a long, frustrating first half of the year, The Defense Rests made the wait worthwhile, scoring by 5 ½ lengths to break his maiden in impressive fashion at Saratoga under jockey Julien Leparoux. Click here to read a great article from today’s edition of the Saratoga Special, a popular newspaper published during the meet.

Mike Hushion said, “He’s surely been frustrating, but that was a great effort. I didn’t give Julien too many instructions. All I said was try to be involved early, and see how he feels. He broke a bit slow, but then just kept on going.”

Julien Leparoux said, “All I had to do was hold on.”

Congratulations on the win! We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing The Defense Rests back in the starting gate later in the Saratoga meet. Mike reports that he cooled fine and looked sound and happy this morning.

The plan is to run back in a starter allowance for horses who have started for $50,000 or less going short on the dirt toward the end of the month. The jump from maidens to winners is a tough one, but if he replicates yesterday’s performance, we’re in with a big shot to have two wins on the meet.

Defense Rests

2011-08-01T08:10:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Saratoga yesterday going 4F in 49:40 47 of 87 in preparation of his race on Wednesday the 5th on the card at Saratoga 6F Maiden Claiming PP1 with J.Leparoux up

Updates

2011-07-29T17:30:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-28T20:24:00.004-04:00

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

2011-07-25T09:04:00.002-04:00

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

Top Selections

2011-07-25T08:16:00.002-04:00

Race does not go

2011-07-24T09:31:00.002-04:00

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

2011-07-21T12:49:00.001-04:00

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

2011-07-18T10:56:00.002-04:00

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

2011-07-16T19:35:00.000-04:00

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

Updates

2011-07-14T07:34:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-13T11:42:00.000-04:00

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

Brave Monarch Retired

2011-07-09T13:50:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-07T15:01:00.001-04:00

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

2011-07-07T11:12:00.001-04:00

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

Saratoga Sale Aug 14th

2011-07-06T12:44:00.001-04:00

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

Workout

2011-07-06T12:15:00.002-04:00

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

Workout

2011-07-05T11:09:00.002-04:00

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

Workout

2011-07-03T16:41:00.000-04:00

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

Workout

2011-07-02T20:10:00.002-04:00

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

Workout

2011-07-01T21:53:00.002-04:00

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

Workout

2011-06-30T12:35:00.000-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked out at Belmont going 3F in 36:40 3 of 14

Updates

2011-06-29T19:32:00.000-04:00

Brave Monarch is jogging after having his ankle injected last week and is set to resume galloping later this week. Graham reports that he is moving sounder but thinks we will see the maximum effect of the injection in about a week or so. Brave Monarch shouldn’t lose too much fitness, so we expect to breeze him fairly quickly before shopping for a maiden claimer on the turf at tracks around the Midatlantic region.
Once we get him back to the races (and hopefully have more luck getting him into a race) he needs to prove to be a consistent campaigner through the summer. There was a $13,000 capital call last quarter, he needs to start earning his keep

Mr. Fantasy worked three furlongs in 36:23 (1 of 6) on Thursday at Belmont. Mike reports that he got a bit tired late in the work, and will need to go another three furlongs before graduating onto half miles. His ankles seemed fine after the work, which is a good sign. He remains on a weekly breeze schedule and is on target to ship to Saratoga in mid-July.

Phosphorescent had a good week of gallops and is scheduled to breeze on Sunday morning at Parx.

The Defense Rests became quite body sore last week so Mike had to take it easy on him for a few days. He is moving much better now and is scheduled to work on Friday. Because of this setback he missed a work, unfortunately the 50k maiden claimer on July 7th at Belmont is not a viable option from a timing perspective.

Accordingly, we plan to look for an extra race before the Belmont meet concludes on July 17th. The chances of an appropriate extra race going are pretty good. While a 50k maiden claimer is our ideal target, this horse needs to run, so we’re going to be very aggressive in his race placement. A Partner vote will be held to run for a tag once a target race is selected.

We understand that this has been an extremely frustrating and tough luck horse that has been plagued with setbacks in his career. It’s just been one thing after another with him and Mike and his team have worked very hard to keep him together since he showed us talent in his races last year. Rest assured we are doing everything we can to get him back to the races and want to walk him over to the paddock feeling confident that he is fit enough and will perform.

Workout

2011-06-23T18:41:00.000-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked out at Belmont going 3F in 36:23 1 of 6

Updates

2011-06-22T19:28:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked four furlongs in 48:45 (3 of 43) on Sunday at Belmont. He finished up with good energy, and most importantly came out of the work in good shape. We are finally ready to talk races after fighting an uphill soundness battle with this horse. A meeting with Mike and the WPT management team is taking place this week to determine a race target for him. More information to follow.

Phosphorescent resumed galloping yesterday at Parx and has been temperature free for several days now. Dr. Hanf scoped him yesterday just to make sure there was no mucus or irritation in his respiratory system from the fever, and everything looked clean. Lupe plans to breeze him within the next week. If all goes well, we should see our turf lover back in the starting gate in about a month

Brave Monarch worked five furlongs in 1.02:20 (22 of 26) on Saturday at Fair Hill over the Tapeta surface. However, he did come out of the work sore in his left front leg. Graham’s vet did a complete lameness evaluation on him today and pinpointed the left ankle as the joint bothering him. X-rays showed no chips or structural damage. His suspensory and tendons are fine, which is good news. Accordingly, the vet injected the ankle with hyaluronic acid to help lubricate the joint and promote healthy cartilage health. He will have a few days off before returning to the track. We’re injecting and going on with it.

This horse has been extremely frustrating with us not being able to get him into a race, and now with this minor ankle issue. Rest assured WPT and Graham are doing everything possible to get him back to 100% and into the starting gate as soon as possible. It does no one any good to have him not going out there and competing

Mr. Fantasy’s ankles were carrying a little bit more fluid that Mike would have liked to see late last week. Accordingly, he had the vet come out and inject both front to help maintain the joint and keep the cartilage as healthy as possible. If there is an abundance of blood in the synovial joint fluid, you’re in trouble, but Mr. Fantasy’s looked pretty good. He’s been back to the track this week after having the weekend off, and is moving well. Mike plans to breeze him within the next few days.

Workout

2011-06-20T07:16:00.002-04:00

The Defense Rests worked 4F at Belmont Sunday in 48:40 3 of 43

Workout

2011-06-18T15:08:00.000-04:00

Brave Monarch worked out at Far Hills going 5F in 1:02:20 22 od 26

Updates

2011-06-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

Unlucky news about a next race for Brave Monarch. We entered at Penn National, but they used the race on the dirt because there is apparently an issue with the turf course there. We think running on the dirt would be wasting a race with this horse being that he trains just ok over it, so will not pursue running.

The Delaware racing secretary indicated to Graham that there is quite a bit of interest in a 25k-30k maiden claiming race on the grass there, and expects to use it as an extra within the next week. Since BM was excluded there last time, chances are we will draw in.
Our backup races are the 25k maiden claimer on July 2nd at Belmont or the 25k maiden claimer on July 4th at Monmouth.
We'll also keep a close eye out for any extras around the region

Lupe reports that Phosphorescent is doing much better and that his cough is almost non existent. Accordingly, Phos will resume jogging tomorrow morning, and if all looks good get back into regular training early next week

Updates

2011-06-15T15:12:00.001-04:00

Brave Monarch will be entered on Friday into a 32k maiden claiming race going 1 1/16 miles on the turf for Monday, June 20th at Penn National. We entered today for a 25k maiden claimer for Saturday at Delaware, but the race was not used. We’re doing everything we can to get him into the starting gate as soon as possible

The Defense Rests worked four furlongs in 51:02 (35 of 42) on Monday at Belmont. He worked well and most importantly came back well on his previously sore foot. We are moving forward. Mike expects us to see this colt in the starting gate in the first week of July. He needs 2-3 more works under his belt to be race ready after missing some time with his foot issue. Our ideal spot is a 50k maiden claiming race going short on the dirt.

Phosphorescent spiked a temperature earlier this week and has been coughing, which is why he did not appear on the worktab. Lupe and his team noticed that the normally very aggressive Phosphorescent was very quiet in his stall. The vet came out and prescribed antibiotics to help knock out the cough. This morning the fever is completely gone, but he is still coughing just a bit. This should be knocked out within the next few days, and then he’ll return to training.

Mr. Fantasy worked three furlongs in 37:22 (4 of 30) on Tuesday morning at Belmont. Mike said, “The work went well. He went nice and easy and most importantly it looks like we are over the foot issue. I’d like to get one more 3/8ths into him and then we’ll move into a series of half mile works.” If everything goes according to plan moving forward, we can expect to see Mr. Fantasy back in the starting gate this summer at Saratoga

Workout

2011-06-15T13:34:00.000-04:00

Honeysuckle Vine worked out at Finger Lakes going 4F in 50:20 8 of 18 word from the track is she really slowed down towards end so was scoped and found to have a lot of mucus

Workout

2011-06-14T12:12:00.000-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked out at Belmont this morning going 3f in 37:22 4of 30

Workout

2011-06-13T15:35:00.003-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont going 4F in 51:02 35 of 42

Workout

2011-06-11T13:01:00.002-04:00

Brave Monarch worked out at Fair Hills going 4F in 49:20 from the gate 4 of 14

Brave Monarch To Scratch

2011-06-10T09:11:00.002-04:00

Graham just spoke with the racing secretary at Belmont and there have yet to be any scratches from today`s race. We don't want to ship up there on a whim and then end up not being able to run, so will scratch out of the race. It is frustrating that this horse hasn't drawn into the last two races entered, but we feel confident that he will be in the starting gate soon. The backup target is the 25k maiden claimer going 1 1/8 miles on the turf on Friday, June 17th at Monmouth. Entries are taken on Sunday

Updates

2011-06-08T18:53:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked a bullet three furlongs in 35:89 (1 of 21) on Monday at Belmont. Being that he is over his most recent foot issues, Mike is going to be a bit more aggressive in his morning workouts to get him race fit. We’ve waited a long time to see this horse back in the starting gate, and are fortunate that that hoof expert Ian McKinley and Mike have been able to remedy this foot bruise. We expect to see this horse in the starting gate within 30 days. We’ll try target a race within the first few days of July after he he’s got three more longer distance breezes into him

Phosphorescent worked four furlongs in 48:41 (5 of 12) on Saturday at Parx. A very nice half mile work, considering this horse has never lit up the stopwatch in the mornings. He remains on a weekly breeze schedule in anticipation of a July return. Lupe will try to get racing secretary Sal Sinatra to write a money allowance going short on the grass for us.

If he comes back as good as he was last year, we’d love to take dead aim on the 200k Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup going 5 furlongs on the turf on July 30th at Penn National before coming back in the 250k Turf Monster Handicap (G3) on September 5th at Parx.

Mr. Fantasy’s foot continued to bother him late last week, which is why he did not appear on the worktab over the weekend. Hoof expert Ian McKinley equipped him with an acrylic-fiberglass patch on Sunday, and it seems to have done the trick. This 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.

He’s galloped soundly the past few days, and should return to the worktab by this weekend.

Workout

2011-06-08T18:50:00.002-04:00

Honeysuckle Vine ( half sister to Mr Fantasy ) worked out at Finger Lakes going 3f in 41:80 6 of 6

Workout

2011-06-06T11:44:00.001-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont going 3F in 35:89 1 of 21

Entry

2011-06-06T10:22:00.004-04:00

Date 06/10
Track Belmont Park
Race # 7
Distance 1 1/16mi
Surface Turf
Post Time 4:07 EDT
Post Position 13 of 12
Jockey Rajiv Maragh
Purse $23,000

Brave Monarch is first on the also eligible list for the 25k maiden claimer going 1 1/16 miles on the turf on Friday at Belmont. Therefore, we need one scratch between now and Thursday afternoon to run. We think the chances are pretty good that we see him in the starting gate. If he does not draw in, we will target the 25k maiden claimer going 1 1/8 miles on the turf on June 17th at Monmouth.

Workout

2011-06-05T13:11:00.000-04:00

Phosphorescent worked out at Parx going 4F in 48:41 5 of 12

Workout

2011-06-03T11:08:00.002-04:00

Brave Monarch worked out going 5F in 1:04:00 6 of 8

Updates

2011-06-01T18:23:00.000-04:00

The 30k maiden claimer at Delaware on June 6th oversubscribed and Brave Monarch did not draw in. We have a few different backup plans. There is a 25k maiden claimer going 1 ¼ miles on the turf on June 10th at Belmont and also a 25k maiden claimer going 1 ⅛ miles on the turf on June 17th at Monmouth. Graham is going to look around the region for any other spots, but these two races are on the radar. We’ll run where we can get in.

The Defense Rests worked three furlongs in 38:45 (8 of 10) this morning at Belmont. Mike reports that he moved well, and most importantly came back sound. Since he missed some time with the foot bruise, he will need about three more works to be race ready. Like we’ve mentioned before, we’ll likely look for a 50k maiden claiming spot to give him every chance to be successful first time back off the layoff.

Phosphorescent worked four furlongs in 50:41 (6 of 8) on Sunday at Parx. He’s never been a super fast work horse, and Lupe knows this, so he was just looking for a steady effort with a good gallop out, and he got just that. After a couple more works, we’ll start shopping for an allowance race going short on the turf for his return.

Mr. Fantasy is still a bit sore from grabbing a front quarter, which has prevented him from working. He is still favoring the leg a little bit, so Mike has kept him in light training for the past week. They are treating the grab, and expect him to return to the worktab on Sunday or Monday

Workout

2011-06-01T11:27:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont going 3F in 38:45 8 of 10

Workout

2011-05-29T12:29:00.000-04:00

Phosphorescent worked out at Parx going 4F in 50:41 13 o f16

Workout

2011-05-27T09:47:00.000-04:00

Brave Monarch worked out this morning going 5F in 1:02:00

Updates

2011-05-26T07:29:00.000-04:00

Brave Monarch came out of last week’s work with some more swelling in the gelding area. It isn’t uncommon for horses to get minor infections after being castrated. He’s been galloping at Fair Hill daily and Graham’s team treated him with oral antibiotics. A work is expected toward the end of the week. Right now are a targeting a 30k maiden claiming race going 1 mile on the turf on Monday, June 6th at Delaware Park.

The Defense Rests’ quarter crack has improved and it looks like expert Ian McKinley was able to cut out and dry out the tender part of the part of the hoof. He plans to apply a fiberglass patch to the affected area within the next few days. At that point TDR should be able to go back to the track. If he gets back onto a regular breeze schedule early in June, we are hoping to see him in the starting gate before the end of the month barring anymore setbacks. Rest assured, Mike and his team are doing everything they can to treat this issue and get this horse to the races.

Phosphorescent arrived back to Lupe’s barn at Parx and settled in well. He is galloping daily and expected to return to the worktab next week. Lupe said that he was a little bit stiff in his hind end the past few days (common for horses after training for a few days over a new surface), but seems to work out of the stiffness after warming up. No big deal. Lupe is pleased with his coat condition and muscle tone. At this point, a July return to the races for our turf lover is viable.

Mr. Fantasy grabbed a front heel when galloping earlier this week and it’s been a bit tender. He hasn’t gone to the track the past few days to give the bruise some time to heal, but Mike expects him to resume training any day. We can expect to see him back on the worktab later within the next week.

5am in the Barn

2011-05-25T12:33:00.000-04:00

Cartoons from comic strip Dark side of the horse

Racehorse Retirement

2011-05-25T12:19:00.001-04:00

Aftermarket Filly

2011-05-20T10:55:00.000-04:00

Here is short video of Aftermarket Filly startign preps for sale in Aug in Saratoga

Updates

2011-05-18T07:10:00.005-04:00

Brave Monarch worked five furlongs in 1.03:20 (14 of 16) on Tuesday morning at Fair Hill. Graham called it a decent, steady work. However, his team noticed some swelling in this horse's gelding area. It is slightly irritated and infected. This isn't a serious issue, but he will need to be on antibiotics to knock this out. He is scheduled to work back next week, and then we will look for another race.

Mr. Fantasy returned to the worktab on Saturday, covering three furlongs in 38:85 (28 of 37) over the training track at Belmont. Mike said, “He’s moving along. We’ll need to get a few more three furlong works into him before progressing to a half. He is moving soundly and looks good.”

Mr. Fantasy receives weekly intramuscular Adequan injections to help promote healthy cartilage, particularly in his ankles.

Phosphorescent is scheduled to leave Ocala today and will arrive to to Lupe’s barn at Parx on Friday.

The Defense Rests came off the track earlier this week and was off up front. Mike discovered that he has come up with yet another quarter crack. Frustrating.
The farrier has been out to the barn twice to try and trim the area, and there has been some improvement. They are also soaking the foot in hot water and Epsom salt to help relieve inflammation. Mike is hopeful the farrier can apply a fiberglass patch to the area before the end of the week.
This horse has been extremely frustrating. He is just about ready to run, but will miss about a week of training due to this quarter crack. You would never know when looking at him that he has poor quality feet. Mother Nature didn’t provide him the strongest hoof walls and soles.
While we don’t have a race target at this point, we are strongly considering running for a 50k claiming tag when he is ready. We have a four-year-old maiden with two starts under his belt and want to give him every chance to excel. It is highly, highly unlikely that anybody would spend 50k to claim an older horse with only two starts. We aren’t giving up on this horse, but our strategy long term is to get him into spots where he can be competitive and pay his way. More information to follow.

Workout

2011-05-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

Brave Monarch worked out this morning going 5F in 1:03:20

Workout

2011-05-14T14:57:00.000-04:00

Mr Fantasy worked out at Belmont this morning going 3F in 38:85 28 of 35

Mr Fantasy at Belmont today

2011-05-13T19:11:00.000-04:00

Updates

2011-05-11T18:26:00.000-04:00

Brave Monarch is galloping daily at Fair Hill Training Center. Recent Kentucky Derby winning trainer Graham Motion said, “He’s been galloping along very well. The gelding area looks good, and a breeze is expected later this week.”

Race target:
30k maiden claiming going 1 1/16 miles on the turf on Saturday, May 21st at Delaware Park.

The Defense Rests worked four furlongs in company 50:47 (13 of 16) on Tuesday morning at Belmont. This horse is really coming into hand nicely. His last few works have been encouraging, and his fitness level is increasing. After next week’s work we’ll target a maiden special weight toward the end of the month at Belmont.

Mr. Fantasy is galloping daily at Belmont and is set to have his first work back over the surface within the next few days. “He’s holding good weight, and his coat looks great,” said Mike. “He is moving soundly, but keep a close eye on those ankles. They will always hold a little bit extra fluid.”

Phosphorescent breezed a quarter mile and galloped out three furlongs on the farm on Saturday. David doesn’t put a clock to his horses in these type of efforts, as he is just looking for them go easily with little urging.

He is scheduled to ship by van to Lupe’s barn at Parx next week. Upon arrival he will walk the shedrow for a few days to acclimate to his new surroundings before heading to the track. We expect him to appear on the official worktab toward the end of the month in anticipation of a summer return to the races.

We’ll likely try to come back in an allowance race toward the end of June. If he comes back and run well off the bench, we’d love to try for the PA Governor’s Cup at the end of July at Penn National. If you remember, he was a close 2nd to eventual Breeders’ Cup winner Chamberlain Bridge in last year’s running.

Workout

2011-05-10T12:27:00.001-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont this morning going 4F in 50.47 13 of 16

Updates

2011-05-04T18:24:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests work a bullet four furlongs in 48:02 (1 of 13) on Tuesday morning at Belmont. Feet look good and we’re getting excited for his return. He’s been training very aggressively and is on target to return in a maiden special weight toward the end of this month at Belmont.

Brave Monarch is galloping 1 ½ miles daily at Fair Hill Training Center and will resuming breezing in about 1-2 weeks. Once Graham gets back from the Kentucky Derby early next week, we’ll talk races.

Mr. Fantasy arrived to Belmont Park this morning and settled in well. He’ll walk for a day or two before heading to the track.

Phosphorescent breeezed a quarter mile and galloped out three furlongs (essentially continued at a brisk pace for an additional furlong before pulling up after his quarter mile breeze) on the farm in Ocala.
He’s continuing to build a strong foundation, and remains on a weekly breeze schedule in anticipation of shipping back to Lupe’s barn later this month.

Bullet Work

2011-05-03T13:13:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont this morning going 4F in 48:02 1 of 13

New Baby

2011-05-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

The following pictures are of our 2 week old baby colt out of Affirmed Promise sired by Blue Grass Cat

New Baby Part 2

2011-05-01T14:29:00.001-04:00

Off to the Sales

2011-05-01T14:24:00.002-04:00

Our Aftermarket Yearling Filly will be going to the August Fasig-Tipton NY Bred Sale in Saratoga

Updates

2011-04-27T16:21:00.002-04:00

Brave Monarch’s gelding procedure went smoothly and his incision is healing as expected. He jogged for a few days to help keep the swelling down and resumed galloping yesterday at Fair Hill. Our plan remains to run back toward the end of May at at a Midatlantic venue.

The Defense Rests worked four furlongs in 48:46 (4 of 22) on Thursday at Belmont. He followed that with a four furlong breeze in 48:81 (12 of 43) this morning. Mike caught him a few ticks faster.
Mike said he got a bit tired, but that is to be expected with the gaps in his training due to his feet issues and with it being only his second official half mile breeze since returning to New York. This can be looked at as a positive; we’d rather him get tired in his workouts and gain fitness from them than go out there and not break a sweat, and then be unprepared on raceday. Mike thought he finished up stronger in today’s breeze saying, “He’s a big, muscular horse. Those type take longer to get fit than smaller, more compact horses. He’s got ability, and his fitness level is increasing. We are about a month away from running.”

Phosphorescent put in a strong two minute lick over the weekend and is scheduled to breeze a quarter mile this weekend in Ocala. David McKathan is very pleased with his coat condition, weight, and soundness. He remains on a weekly breeze schedule in anticipation of shipping back to Lupe next month

Mr. Fantasy continues galloping daily at David McKathan’s farm in Ocala. Our team conferred and decided to ship Mr. Fantasy back to Mike Hushion next week. We feel this is a special horse and believe he is in the best position to succeed if in the hands of the trainer who knows him best as he gears up for his return to the races. He has started building a foundation on the farm, and will gallop for a few weeks at Belmont before breezing. The day rate on the track is more than on the farm, but we think this is an investment in his future.

Workout

2011-04-27T16:19:00.002-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont going 4F in 48:81 12 of 43

Work Out

2011-04-21T11:51:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belomont this morning going 4F in 48.46 4of 22

Updates

2011-04-21T11:40:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked four furlongs in 50:60 (28 of 52) on Saturday at Belmont. Mike said, “He is moving forward. It’s been frustrating with his feet, but they look good and he is moving well and looks very sharp. He turns some heads on the track.” The Defense Rests remains on a weekly breeze schedule. If all goes well, we are looking at an early June return to the races at Belmont Park.

Phosphorescent is scheduled to begin speedwork by “two minute licking” or galloping a strong mile in about two minutes on Saturday on the farm in Ocala.

Mr. Fantasy is galloping six days a week on the farm in Ocala. He looks great and is moving well. Our team conferred and now plan to ship him back to Mike Hushion toward the end of this month. We want him in the barn of the person who knows him best. Upon arrival, he’ll gallop for a a few more weeks before starting speedwork.

Brave Monarch Runs 3rd

2011-04-19T14:40:00.002-04:00

Graham said, "This was a decent race against a moderate bunch. I am lukewarm pleased with the effort. I thought he maybe made the lead a bit too early. Our colt was green in the stretch; when he did make the lead, he kind of put on the brakes. He did not switch leads until the 1/16th pole. Once he switched and saw the other horses come back at him, he surged again. He can beat these horses. He was also quite a handful in the paddock and wasn't entirely focused. We need to geld him."

Luis Garcia's comments to Graham's assistant were that he thought that this horse will only get better with added distance. We'd love to find something going 1 1/8 miles or even farther

Brave Monarch earned a 52 Beyer Speed Figure and was not claimed. He shipped back to Fair Hill and came out of the race in good shape. We plan to geld him within the next few days. He has been quite a handful around the barn and hasn't been 100% focused on his training. This horse is not a viable stallion prospect and we feel he will really benefit from this procedure. Gelding will keep him lighter and less bulkly, which in turn will keep sounder and increase the longevity of his racing career.

He will only miss a few days of training after the gelding takes place. The plan is to run back in May at a similar level. We have some options when it comes to venue. Delaware opens on April 30th, and the turf course at Parx is opening shortly as well. The Pimlico meet ends on May 21st.

Workout

2011-04-17T08:07:00.002-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont yesterday going 4F in 50:06 55of 94

Brave Monarch Race Analysis

2011-04-15T13:28:00.000-04:00

Brave Monarch takes on 9 rivals in the 25k maiden claiming race going 1 1/16 miles on the turf this afternoon at Pimlico. He's trained well since his debut and we are looking forward another solid performance. He should improve having a race under his belt. We'll look to be a few lengths off the early pace before closing in on them late. Our colt will benefit from a hot pace up front being a closer.

Fire Ruler tries the turf for the first time for trainer Mike Trombetta. A son of Roman Ruler, he was 2nd last time out in his first try around two turns. He has the highest last race Beyer of any horse in the field (52). Even though he returns in two weeks, if he takes to the turf, he is a very logical contender.

Maddy's Ravens is another horse trying the turf for the first time after a few decent tries at this level over the dirt. He should be close to the pace early and could try to take them gate to wire. He'll likely have company on the lead if Beaver Creek shows speed again.

Overall, this is a pretty weak field. We like our chances in here

Updates

2011-04-13T18:29:00.003-04:00

The Defense Rests worked three furlongs in 38:37 (7 of 7) on Monday morning at Belmont. The area of his foot that was bothering him last week is much better. We are hopeful that he continues moving forward without these chronic foot issues flaring up. He remains equipped with glue on shoes and a fiberglass patch to help support his left front foot. The plan is to keep him on a weekly breeze schedule. A half mile breeze is likely next week.

Phosphorescent continues galloping daily and is on schedule to start light speedwork next week on the farm. David McKathan reintroduces speedwork by “two minute licking” his horses or galloping them a very strong mile in about two minutes. The move is quicker than a routine gallop, but a notch below a full out breeze. The following week, our gelding will breeze a quarter mile with a strong three furlong gallop out. A May return to Lupe remains our plan.

Mr. Fantasy is mixing jogging and light galloping each morning on the farm in Ocala. David McKathan will gradually increase the intensity of his training over the coming weeks. If all goes well, he’ll resume light speedwork next month in anticipation of shipping back to Mike’s barn in June.

Workout

2011-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Defense Rests worked out at Belmont yesterday going 3F in 38:87 7 of 7