Thursday, June 28, 2012

Marq Your Bible-All Systems Go for First Race

June 30, Race 5 at Colonial- Maiden Claiming $25,000. He has posted at 15-1 for his morning odds. Its a full field of 14 horses and there are some good horses in the race. Horse number 7 for example-Big Dutch: By War Chant out of Dutch Girl, by Holy Bull) and #9-Mott: By Artie Schiller out of Divine Diva, by Theatrical (IRE).

The above picture is Marcus' sister Prepare the Way when she made her first start at Laurel Park in 2009. She had post time odds of 70-1 and ran like a 70-1. But she look good doing it! She improved over time.

Thus, whatever happens in this first race, I am happy Marcus has made it to the track. Diana has done a wonderful job getting him into racing condition and we could not be more pleased.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Marq Your Bible-Gates His Gate Card!



The bay colored horse on the right is Marq Your Bible with his most awesome trainer Diana McClure. The big new is that "Marcus," as we call him, just got his gate card today! The plan, at the moment, is to enter him in a race at Colonial Downs. Marcus is by Marquetry and out of Red Devillette (by Oh Say). Marquetry (now living out his life at Old Friends) is sire best known for producing sprinters. His two best off spring were Squirtle Squirt and Artax, both Eclipise-awarding winning sprinters. However, as my wife continues to remind me, the female side of any horse must be taken into account. A seemingly obvious fact that escapes many in the thoroughbred business. In this case, Marcus' dam, Red Devillette, excelled at long distance races. We currently are racing Marcus under a partnership (hi Mom!). He was born at Perfect Peace Farm LLC and we still have his mom and one of his sisters.

Friday, June 22, 2012

And My Name is Not Chuck!


This is blog is more than comments and rants on horse racing.  It is also about living in the country and running a thoroughbred race horse & welsh pony farm.  The photo here is one such example.  This guy/girl, groundhog/woodchuck showed in our backyard, chowing down on white clover and has returned on three other occasions.  My children have name the animal "Nutcracker."

Thus far, I have gotten at least four unsolicited offers from people who wish to eliminate Nutcracker with a .22 rifle.  Maybe we should get Bill Murray and some plastic explosives? All joking aside, the danger of groundhogs, of course, is that they create holes in the ground big enough to snap a horse's leg, but too small for them to see.  Thus far, I have not located his home base. 

The issue with using firearms is that it seems everyone who owns a firearms, thinks they have the shooting and hunting skill of a Marine Corps sniper.   There are a number of things, bigger, more fragile things, that it could be hit other than the groundhog.  My wife (a.k.a the farm's Lone Equine Professional) has come up with a more effective and more humane solution: chocolate Ex-lax.  Groundhogs hate dirty dens (don't we all? I hope.)  The Ex-lax would cause him to "soil" his soil.  He would then get up and leave.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Frog Lickin Horses-New York Times

The New York Times in its ongoing smear campaign against horse racing has published a report about the use of exotic frog venom as a pain killer in horse racing.  Lets say from the start that the people who have been busted for this should be thrown out of the sport. And unlike what many in the New York Times' "ITS AN OUTRAGE!!!" comment section believe, offenders HAVE been thrown out of the sport for this type of infraction.  Giving a horse pain killing drugs is a horrible, horrible crime.  But that's not why they publish or comment on these stories now do they?  They most certainly don't research the story and they really don't care about the animals.  They just see something they see as outrageous, get a grenade, throw it in the closet, and run.

Take this comment about the story from Barry Petchsky of Deadspin.com.  "There's some weird counter-intuition at play when it's argued that thoroughbred racing has its doping problem under control because there are so many positive tests. But with so much money at stake...."

Well,  Barry, according to published accounts, the number of positive tests nationwide is less .4%.   If you only include serious drug offenses that actually one would consider cheating, its less than .05%.   Is that "so many" Can other sports claim that? Oh wait...they don't have a comprehensive drug testing program now do they?  So, how can you come after us when we (and maybe Olympic sports) are the only ones actually doing any testing? BTW...I would like to where "so much money" in horse racing you are talking about.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Triple Crown 2012-Its the Media's Fault

I took a few months off from blogging (formely I wrote Notes From the Farm) on horse racing and no intentions of returning just yet.  However, during this Triple Crown season, I witnessed numouerous gems from the sports media during their annual attempt to write about the sport.   Above in the blog's nameplate are actual words used by sports media during this Triple Crown season.

 In short, a number of things were said in which the writer, if one can actually call them that, never even attempted to research the subject article.  The writer simply gathered a bunch of gernades, threw them into the glass house, and ran.  We won't see them again until March 2013. Sally Jekins of the Washington Post wins this year's award. Needless to say, the industry's leaders, namely the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (a.ka. the"NTRA") have said nothing in horse racing's defense.