what a long year. Finger Lakes meet ends in 2 weeks and my 3YO filly by Personal Flag comes home.
It has been a learning experience, the first "real" racehorse that I've run a full year on my own.
She trained well all year...her breezes were decent, then she got sick late May and lost some time...delayed what we thought would be a July start to an end of August start.
In her first two starts at the "top" level at FL - MSW $17,2k - she did absolutely nothing. Trouble at the gate, though she was gate carded with no issues and loved the gate during training. It took us some time to work on that issue, and all during it - we kept trying to keep her at that level and find her a long race, which never filled - and so we'd wait for another long race...over 6f..and that one wouldn't fill until -the end of September..with only 2 starts on her after training all year..I finally told the trainer, drop her down to bottom level but find her some distance.
He entered her for 10/1 and sure enough - my luck - she came up with an upper respiratory infection and a temp on 9/29 and had to be scratched. That cost us 15 days between meds and out of training.
By that time, I just told my trainer - get her in a race. He entered her for 10/22 at 5 1/2f in the pouring rain, slop up to her fetlocks, raining for 30 hours....and she took 4th.
Entered her again on 11/4 - finally got her some distance going two turns and she took another 4th -the Jockey said she loved the distance, but she was still hesitating at the end, not real sure she wanted to be at the head of the pack -but she was improving every time- she should've had third in that race - but she hesitated at the end.
We were going to enter her for the 15th, same level MC race, going long, but I found out today, the race didn't fill - so we think maybe we can get her in on the 17th - and then maybe one more race by the 29th - and then she comes home.
She's earned me a couple checks...a little in Breeders Awards... and I can only hope that she continues to improve in these next two races, lays up good over the winter - and comes back a better 4YO next year.
What a year.
Long year with my 3YO filly
Moderators: Roguelet, WaveMaster, Diane, K~2
Hang in there, Pie. The little bit she earned you this year may be just the tip of the iceberg of earnings she'll bring home in races yet to come. You've persevered with her this year...but next year she may be a whole different animal with a little more time to mature.
Best of luck to you. It's owners like you who take the time and patience with their horses that are the backbone of the industry.
Laurie
Best of luck to you. It's owners like you who take the time and patience with their horses that are the backbone of the industry.
Laurie
So many pedigrees...so little time. (C)
Nothing Personal.
We hope to enter her on the 17th - $15k MC at a mile and 70 and "if" her into a $7,500 MC at 6f on the same day since the long races aren't filling. At least this way we'll give her a chance to see what she can do with some distance if the race fills - and if not- she can get a little more experience at the shorter distance and possibly earn another check...
I was out to see her today -she looks great and feels great - I took her out grazing for a bit...
Its hard at the end of the season- That race on the 15th should've filled - everyone thought it would've -but we did hold on the entire month of September trying to get her some distance without dropping her down in level - so maybe if this $15k MC race on the 17th fills -she'll have a chance to show us what we were hoping to see back in September.
I just want her to finish up clean this season, get a couple more races under her belt for the experience - preferably and obviously the distance is better since we think the horse will do better there, but with her learning curve - we wanted to keep her ego intact and keep her at the bottom - but...I asked my trainer today- cheap and short - or raise her up a bit and give her distance?? - he said the distance would be better for her...so we'll try to get her in there on the 17th.
Keep a good thought for her during this week. The weather on the 17th is supposed to be good - but its supposed to be wet, rainy with some snow on the 16th.
We hope to enter her on the 17th - $15k MC at a mile and 70 and "if" her into a $7,500 MC at 6f on the same day since the long races aren't filling. At least this way we'll give her a chance to see what she can do with some distance if the race fills - and if not- she can get a little more experience at the shorter distance and possibly earn another check...
I was out to see her today -she looks great and feels great - I took her out grazing for a bit...
Its hard at the end of the season- That race on the 15th should've filled - everyone thought it would've -but we did hold on the entire month of September trying to get her some distance without dropping her down in level - so maybe if this $15k MC race on the 17th fills -she'll have a chance to show us what we were hoping to see back in September.
I just want her to finish up clean this season, get a couple more races under her belt for the experience - preferably and obviously the distance is better since we think the horse will do better there, but with her learning curve - we wanted to keep her ego intact and keep her at the bottom - but...I asked my trainer today- cheap and short - or raise her up a bit and give her distance?? - he said the distance would be better for her...so we'll try to get her in there on the 17th.
Keep a good thought for her during this week. The weather on the 17th is supposed to be good - but its supposed to be wet, rainy with some snow on the 16th.
Pie, you're taking good care of her
Your patience will pay off. It took us over a year to get our NY bred filly seasoned enough to come back to NY, after quite a few tries out of town.
4 seconds and 2 thirds from 11 starts, and she finally broke her maiden at Belmont last month. It was well worth the wait. She was learning more every time, and gaining confidence.
Good luck and I'll keep my fingers crossed.
4 seconds and 2 thirds from 11 starts, and she finally broke her maiden at Belmont last month. It was well worth the wait. She was learning more every time, and gaining confidence.
Good luck and I'll keep my fingers crossed.
What a crap shoot this game is...I don't know how anyone successfully campaigns any horse anywhere...its a hoot
we put her in for the 17th...MC $15 going long, and if'd her for the same day, MC $7,500 going short, just like we planned...Ha! plans...yeah right....
the long race didn't fill...but 2 long races that would've been perfect for her had she been a COLT or GELDING - that were never even in the condition book to begin with were written for the day....and she ended up an also eligible, the 13th horse, for the race we "if'd" her into.
so, basically, she didn't make it into either race on the 17th...LOL
So, I called my trainer to tell him just put her in on the 19th..dirt cheap again, $4k MC, going 5 1/2f if we have no choice but run her short...and then I'll bring her home - and he tells me that NO - they had 4 or 5 horses for that long race on the 17th - so they re-wrote it for the 18th -so he's going to enter her for it on the 18th and hopefully it'll fill.
So, yesterday - he enters her for it- and it fills - but not at a mile and 70- it fills at 6f. So now she's entered in a $15k MC (we took the 4lb allowance and dropped her tag to $13k) at 6 f. Its a better race, only 7 entries instead of 12 - and only 2 look to be like they might be contenders....plus with the impending snow, slush, rain and wind that we've got coming in the next 2 days, we might lose a couple to weather....and my horse - though she hates to have the mud in her face - seems to prefer the slop to the fast track.
So, right now - we're going in the 4th race at Finger Lakes on the 18th, with a $13k tag, 6f and likely in the mud. Keep a good thought she gives it her best shot. We'll probably bring her home after this.
we put her in for the 17th...MC $15 going long, and if'd her for the same day, MC $7,500 going short, just like we planned...Ha! plans...yeah right....
the long race didn't fill...but 2 long races that would've been perfect for her had she been a COLT or GELDING - that were never even in the condition book to begin with were written for the day....and she ended up an also eligible, the 13th horse, for the race we "if'd" her into.
so, basically, she didn't make it into either race on the 17th...LOL
So, I called my trainer to tell him just put her in on the 19th..dirt cheap again, $4k MC, going 5 1/2f if we have no choice but run her short...and then I'll bring her home - and he tells me that NO - they had 4 or 5 horses for that long race on the 17th - so they re-wrote it for the 18th -so he's going to enter her for it on the 18th and hopefully it'll fill.
So, yesterday - he enters her for it- and it fills - but not at a mile and 70- it fills at 6f. So now she's entered in a $15k MC (we took the 4lb allowance and dropped her tag to $13k) at 6 f. Its a better race, only 7 entries instead of 12 - and only 2 look to be like they might be contenders....plus with the impending snow, slush, rain and wind that we've got coming in the next 2 days, we might lose a couple to weather....and my horse - though she hates to have the mud in her face - seems to prefer the slop to the fast track.
So, right now - we're going in the 4th race at Finger Lakes on the 18th, with a $13k tag, 6f and likely in the mud. Keep a good thought she gives it her best shot. We'll probably bring her home after this.
well, I certainly appreciate the interest - but right now..this filly just keeps improving. You have to understand - we knew going into it that this fillies attitude- not bad, not hard head - just take a little late maturing - throw in their a little know it all, blend in the right amount of "you can't make me" - and thats what this filly is like. - we knew that was going to cause us some trouble with her- but - so far - given all that- I'm not complaining.
Her first two starts - we just throw them away - because the trainer was right - she is a $15-$20k horse - but there was no way we could've started her there - and both of us didn't put enough stock in what we know about the horses disposition to realize that until we had already started her at that level - and she did NOTHING.
So, then the next two starts - both at bottom level $4k MC -$8k purse - one going short - which confirmed the horse needed distance - and the other going long - which confirmed she liked the distance - and she took 4th in both - and showed that she is a closer - both times - and both times - she's still learning to maneuver the other horses, pick her spot and decide how badly she wants to be in front.
Then this last race- a 6f race- but $15k MC - she took 4th by a length to the #3 horse, and went from losing the race by 9+ lengths, to losing by less than 5 lengths. Not at $4k - but at $15k. I call that an improvement. She should've gotten 3rd -she finished "with interest" - and if it was at her distance (a mile and 70) - she would've won.
Two things about Charlestown -the first is - if I were to sell her to you - you'd keep running her and this filly has been in training since I sent her to the farm on 12/18/2004- she needs to take some time off or she'll break down...IMO............
And second...in a very weak moment- I looked at the Charlestown condition book to see if I could keep her running for another week or two- you don't have ANYTHING there that I would put this filly in that I would guarantee she would win at. Charlestown is writing about as many and as frequently - Maiden or MC distance races as Finger Lakes has been for the past 60-90 days.
So, again, I'm hedging with my trainer right now about bringing her home this week or waiting and seeing til mid week about where to put her next week - but I won't run her again at $4k - not when she nearly took 3rd at $15k on Friday. There is a nice MSW on the 29th going long at FL to close the season. I'm looking at that possibly for her. Or just bring her home. Let her rest. And see what happens as a 4YO.
Please do keep in touch with me though..things are always changing
Her first two starts - we just throw them away - because the trainer was right - she is a $15-$20k horse - but there was no way we could've started her there - and both of us didn't put enough stock in what we know about the horses disposition to realize that until we had already started her at that level - and she did NOTHING.
So, then the next two starts - both at bottom level $4k MC -$8k purse - one going short - which confirmed the horse needed distance - and the other going long - which confirmed she liked the distance - and she took 4th in both - and showed that she is a closer - both times - and both times - she's still learning to maneuver the other horses, pick her spot and decide how badly she wants to be in front.
Then this last race- a 6f race- but $15k MC - she took 4th by a length to the #3 horse, and went from losing the race by 9+ lengths, to losing by less than 5 lengths. Not at $4k - but at $15k. I call that an improvement. She should've gotten 3rd -she finished "with interest" - and if it was at her distance (a mile and 70) - she would've won.
Two things about Charlestown -the first is - if I were to sell her to you - you'd keep running her and this filly has been in training since I sent her to the farm on 12/18/2004- she needs to take some time off or she'll break down...IMO............
And second...in a very weak moment- I looked at the Charlestown condition book to see if I could keep her running for another week or two- you don't have ANYTHING there that I would put this filly in that I would guarantee she would win at. Charlestown is writing about as many and as frequently - Maiden or MC distance races as Finger Lakes has been for the past 60-90 days.
So, again, I'm hedging with my trainer right now about bringing her home this week or waiting and seeing til mid week about where to put her next week - but I won't run her again at $4k - not when she nearly took 3rd at $15k on Friday. There is a nice MSW on the 29th going long at FL to close the season. I'm looking at that possibly for her. Or just bring her home. Let her rest. And see what happens as a 4YO.
Please do keep in touch with me though..things are always changing