Look Ahead: Dubai World Cup

The Dubai World Cup 2010 will have the smallest field in its history with only 5 entrants, and this is the only year in which a 3 year old has not been entered. This field is also unique as it only has one male entrant against the four females.

The Dubai World Cup had its inaugural race in 2004, when Revenge was the winner. As I said earlier, at least 1 three year old has been entered, before this year; but only 1 three year old has managed to capture a win - the legendary War Machine who would later become the first Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year (2006).

A year later, in 2007, the first filly walked into the winner's circle Madam De Francais the 2006 Fillies Triple Crown Winner. Since then, fillies have dominated the World Cup. With Pegasus Song winning in 2008 and Broken Dream winning in 2009. Pegasus Song recorded the fastest time for the World Cup of 1:58.28 which is also the Track Record.

For 2010 we have 2 past winners of the Dubai World Cup - last year defender and Canadian Triple Crown Winner 5 Year Old Broken Dream (pictured right) trained by Long Island Hayburners and 2008 Winner, 3 time BC winner, 3 time Eclipse Champion 6 Year Old Pegasus Song for the Gorforwand Stables.

Also in the field is the 6 year old stallion Lazy Loper from the illustrious Bonai Farms who ran 2nd in the last two Dubai World Cups to Broken Dream and Pegasus Song. As a thre year old Lazy Loper won the United Arab Emirates Derby. Lazy Loper has had prolific career with a record of $12,732,500 43-22-11-5 placing him 9th for overall career earnings.

The youngest and most inexperienced in this race is DrivingMissDaisy a 4 year old filly from FDL Lodge who has trained past Dubai winner Madam De Francais. This filly has a career record of $810,100 28-4-6-3 and this season has a record of 3:0-1-0-2 bringing home $80,000.
Rounding out the field is the five year old filly Mystic River who is trained by Alydar Stables. She has a good career record of $3,487,500 32-13-6-5 with notable placings in the Hong Kong Mile last year (2nd) and as a 3 year old placed 2nd in the Breeder's Cup Distaff behind Pegasus Song.

For me the choice is clear on the winner - Pegasus Song. At 6 years old she is looking sharper than ever, and if she can keep it up for the year she will be well on her way for a Champion Older Female and perhaps Horse of the Year.

Earlier this year she won the Santa Anita Handicap with an amazing record time of 1:57.23 beating Lazy Loper by a length who came in with an impressive time of 1:57.40. These two six year olds are showing us what it really means to have a long peak and the skill of veteran racers.

Broken Dream has a record of 2:1-0-1 for the season, racing in two 9 furlong races with her best time clocked in at 1:46.47.

DrivingMissDaisy lost earlier this season to Mystic River in the 7 furlong Santa Monica Handicap. Mystic River found her 2nd win in as many starts in the 9 furlong Santa Margarita Handicap winning in a time of 1:46.03.

Matt's Prediction of Finish:

1st: Pegasus Song
2nd: Lazy Loper

3rd: Broken Dream
4th: Mystic River
5th: DrivingMissDaisy

This year will be a year of the veterans as 6 year olds Pegasus Song and Lazy Loper go 1-2 in the richest race of the year. Broken Dream will finish off the top 3, a game filly who perhaps is starting to lose her spark at 5.

December: What makes it so special?

December; it is the time for de-stressing from the past year and looking to the new one with fresh hopes. It is a time spent with family and loved ones during the holidays. The snow is out blanketing the trees, egg nog by the fire, and many other grand and wonderful traditions around this time of year. By many it is considered one of the best times of the year. In fact, it has been proven that suicide rates actually go down during the holidays because of time spent with the family; however, it is also proven that because of that very reason it is why depression rates actually increase… however, this isn’t a Health or Psychology forum…



In horse racing December (and a few months before… namely November) brings about the decision of the champions for the year. Who is the best? But, on our PF calendar we are not in December. We are in the Spring, looking forward to Dubai, Santa Anita, and in a few weeks time the pinnacle of spring the Kentucky Derby!

So why am I still talking about December? This is why…

December for college students means the dreadful finals. A time when professors decide that for students sleep is a commodity that they just cannot afford. It is a time when tempers run high, stress is a norm, and coffee is like oxygen.


One just has to love the air of a college campus at December. Thus, this is where I am; stuck learning things that really have no point. Who really cares about derivatives and anti-derivates? Perhaps only our Statman… Or does anyone really learn anything in Organic Chemistry, except how not to sleep?


December. This is the only excuse that I offer to you. I have about 5 drafts that I started for you to read. A few recaps, a preview of Dubai, Kentucky, and a few other odds and ends. Instead, here I am at 12:20 AM procrastinating on studying yet again, by giving you a dull piece to read about why I’m not writing an article. I sense the irony… I also sense the overload of caffeine and the very sleep deprived self.



But, at the end of the final week(s); there is a bright spot. Winter Vacation, and the start of a new term. So until then, I bid you adieu. Until I recuperate from this study coma that I find myself in.

A Perfect Ending

We decided to go to Australia this weekend to the Caulfield meeting for making our way back to the Stats for the inaugural G2 Revenge Stakes at Shenadoah Downs. There were two races at Caulfield that caught our attention from the Pre-Race Card – The Caulfield Guineas (G1) and the Caulfield Stakes (G1).

The first race on the card was The Guineas a test of 8 furlongs for 3 year olds with a purse of $500,000. There were 6 colts entered for the 8 furlong race, but for me there it was a 3 horse race between – World Record Holder and Eclipse Champion Run Missy Run (Missy’s Bridle x Pharien) from Golden Acres, the talented Quick Step (Troll Tower x Golden Ballet) trained at Moose Hollow Farm, and the lightly raced Perfect Picture (Handsome Man x Change of Scenery) owned by Hopeful Farm.

Also entered was Bellfast Lad (Bellbuster x Classy Lassy) from Elite Thoroughbreds, Just Cause (Giant’s Causeway x Ha Ha) from Spartan Racing Stables, and Light Granite (Kingston Town x Macedon Lady) trained by Port Pirie Racing Stables.

Run Missy Run never ran worse than 3rd in his last 11 races, including big wins at the Golden Slipper Stakes (2 years old) and his World Record performance earlier in the year. He is looking ever impressive and was the clear favorite to win the Guineas going off at 3/5. The bettors backed Troll Tower colt Quick Step and sent him off at 5/2. He managed to win a G1 last year and a strong 4th in the Magic Millions. In his last start Quick Step managed an impressive win in the slop at a mile. The bettors sent out the very lightly raced (only 2 previous lifetime starts) Perfect Picture at 5/1. He raced only one as a two year old where he won running away, and placed 2nd in a 6 furlong race earlier in the year.

At the start Bellfast Lad broke the fasted and began a duel for the lead with Light Granite early in the race. Perfect Picture broke badly and his jockey wasn’t rushing him and he fell back to 6th early on. Run Missy Run positioned himself perfectly in 3rd waiting, with Just Cause and Quick Step between him and Perfect Picture.

Light Granite won the early duel and was holding about a length lead over Bellfast Lad. However, both Run Missy Run and Perfect Picture were not to be left behind. Run Missy Run was splitting the leaders going in between, and Perfect Picture was going wide. Quick Step was behind Light Granite and Run Missy Run on the inside, content to wait to make his bid with Just Cause tailing him a few lengths behind.

As they entered the turn Perfect Picture had taken the lead from Light Granite with Run Missy Run on his heels. Quick Step had slid past Bellfast Lad on the inside, still stalking the leaders. Just Cause was 6th, but still within striking distance.

As they travled around the curve Perfect Picture held a 2 length lead as Run Missy Run inched into second. Quick Step had fallen directly behind Light Granite and had to be pulled up slightly then taken around. Bellfast Lad was getting a small breather for the homestretch, with Just Cause a length behind.

With just 2 furlongs to go Perfect Picture held a length over Run Missy Run and was running well within himself (pictured right). Quick Step went wide and was starting to make up ground having nearly caught Light Granite who was third. Bellfast Lad and Just Cause were trying hard, but with little to show for it 6 and 7 ½ lengths off of Perfect Picture.

In the final drive Perfect Picture and Run Missy Run hit another gear and started to pull away from Quick Step who had overtaken Light Granite in a few strides. Perfect Picture was slowly increasing the daylight between him and the Golden Acres colt.

With less than a furlong to go Light Granite had begun to fall back fast, while Quick Step had started to close the distance between him and Run Missy Run. However, Perfect Picture ran under the wire by himself 3 lengths ahead of Run Missy Run with a time of 1:34.33 which was a new Track Record.

Bellfast Lad came home 4th behind him was Just Cause, with Light Granite finishing a very fast fading 6th.

*Matt’s Notable Mention: Okay, so maybe I had to go to Australia to see Perfect Picture run because I was his breeder; but still an excellent 3rd run for this colt. I actually didn’t think that he was going to pull off the win – I had the finish of Run Missy Run and then Perfect Picture and Quick Step battling for 2nd. But the added furlongs seemed to do him some good – a 9 point PSR jump and his biggest purse to boot. Light Granite made a good run, until he hit a wall in the last few furlongs. I want to say that it was the injury that made the jock pull him up – he is slowly getting better with each start though. He should do better the next time out (and maybe a G2?).

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I was going to post this as one long recap of 3 races - with a nod towards a 4th - however, due to some computer problems I hope to post the others later this week.

Good Luck and Happy Racing!

Two Year Olds, Passports, and other Thoughts...

Okay so this post was going to be titled "Two Year Olds Try to Navigate 16 Furlongs"; however, it has turned itself into an Editoral about many other things. Forgive the tangents that go off of this article, my mind is 100 places right now. I do hope that when reading this you will be able to find some sort of entertaining/thoughtful thread that will make it worth reading.






On February 2, 2010 (game time) 20 two year old colts and fillies will try to navigate two miles at Shenandoah Downs. They will race around the oval track not once but twice in February. They will be asked to go further than most horses ever will, and for some this will be their first starts.


There are only 17 races 1,142 that ask a horse to go 2 miles. 17 for the entire year. This Starter Allowance is the first of the year, and trainers are asking their young two year olds if they can go around the track twice. It is unthinkable. Most horses will not be able to do well at this distance when the are at their peaks. But in February, a two year old is not ready to handle 16 furlongs.

23 stables have entered their 2 year olds with 27 entrants. Not all will race this saturday, but all their owners thought that they should have a shot at trying to find their way through all 16 furlongs. It is a duanting task for any horse - let alone a young 2 year old.



People say that they want reality for Photo-Finish - what with the sending horses around the globe in less than 2 weeks. However, we must look at the realism of sending a 2 year old to the post for a race that is 16 furlongs. I do not claim to be an expert on real life horse racing, but I have to believe that in February most two year olds would not be ready to race - let alone trying for 16 furlongs.


I do know some trainers that have been hesitant to send their 3 year olds to the Kentucky Derby, because they believed that May was too early to send their 3 year olds at 10 furlongs (granted KYD would be run at the very highest levels).

If you want some real life examples - 2006 American Champion 2 Year old Street Sense. As most of you know, Street Sense won the BC Juvenile in 2006 and in 2007 went on to win the Kentucky Derby.

His first race came in July 9, 2006 in a madien at 6 furlongs where he came home second. His next race was at 6.5 furlongs and was also a madien which he won. I might also note that Street Sense raced only 5 times in as many months as a young juvenile - his lowest time between races was 22 days. So REST is something that these trainers also keep in mind.

However, there may be another reason why these trainer's are so keen on sending out their juvenile racers to this particular race. It is the first race in the Global Classic Challenge which is a contest for the top 2 year old classic racer. There are big prizes to be won from this challenge which could offset the cons for entering this race.

I do not wish to step on anyone's toes. But there have been some heated discussions on the forum talking about realism of travel time - to me this is the bigger problem. We do not have enough races on the card to make "Time/Region Zones" for some horses. Some horses can only compete at 5-6 furlongs on dirt. Which makes it very hard for some trainer's to find a full schedule for them. If "Racing Passports" were put into effect, I have to believe that this job will be that much harder.

It would also mean that G1 horses may trickle down the slopes in the G2/G3 races - just because it fits their schedule and trainer's not wanting to/can't send them to another contitent. Some people have argued that this is the problem - sending G1 horses around the globe to compete in every $1 million + race. Yes, it is a bit disheartening to see the same G1 horse compete in every big race; however, to a smaller stable who has a string of G2-G3 horses it would be devastating to see that same G1 caliber horse entered in the $150,000 G2 race.

Wouldn't it be better to have the top caliber horses racing against eachother? Until we have enough races to off-set this, then I do not see how Passports will be feasable for smaller stables.

Like I said above, I have gotten on a bit of tanget and I hope that you will excuse me.

Getting back to the two year olds, I for one will be watching their race to see how these youngsters fare. To see who has anything close to fast fractions in the last mile or so....

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Click on the Global Mail link to read an excellent article about the horses entered in this race.

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Matt's Notable Mention: I would love to hear feedback from trainer's about their thoughts on 2 year olds and 2 mile races - esp. those who have 2 year olds entered in this race.

Also, thoughts on Passports as well... seeing as how I did get on a bit of a tangent.

Also, here is my disclaimer. I do not mean to offend anyone by my posts. I am just telling one man's opinion. I apologize if I have offended someone, please do not take these comments personally. If anyone would like to contridict me on anything, I would love to hear it and you could write an article that will be published unedited.

Legendary Racer Honored at Shenadoah's First Graded Stakes

On March 6, 2010 history will be made in Photo Finish. The greatest horse to ever set foot on the tracks will be honored in the first race named in his honor - G2 Revenge Stakes. In addition it is the first Graded Stakes race held at Shenandoah Downs - the lovely establishment in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.

The setting couldn't be better for this inaugural race, nor could the timing of such a race. It is G2 race restricted to 3 year olds at 10 furlons on dirt with a purse of $300,000. It is only 2 months from the Kentucky Derby and we expect that this race may become a popular test for our young three year olds. We are assuming that the racing stewards are hoping to attract some bigger name horses with the start of (possibly) more Graded Stakes Races.

Currently Shenandoah Downs has 121 races on the card with the largest purse - besides the Revenge Stakes - at $128,000. There has been a rumor as of late that the stewards are planning more graded stakes races for the following season - and that this race is a test of sorts.

However, it also calls to the attention of the namesake - Revenge. He was a brillant golden chestnut colt who appeared out of nowhere in his 3 year old season. To a handful of players who were around to see this colt race he quite literally broke the mold. He had an amazing record of $9,960,000 18-14-1-1 and to this day still holds 4 World Records from 9 furlongs to 12 furlongs.

However, I will let Joe the Trackman tell you about Revenge in an archived post from oure predecessor The Racing Rag (partly because he did such a good job and I hope that new readers will be inspired to read some archived articles... and because it is exam week and I don't have time, so I thought why waste such a good resource).

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Unraced as a 2YO, Revenge made his debut in the 1 1/16m mile Fountain Of Youth Stakes (Race 77) at Gulfstream Park (gr. 2). After leading most of the route, he fell behind another 3YO making his debut, a gray colt from Australia named Bold N Free. The Aussie, of course, went on to win an Eclipse Award and would earn a reputation for tenacity in the stretch, but in this race he could not rally against Revenge, who charged past in the final 100 yards for an impressive 1 ½-length win. The time of 1:41 established a track record.

Next up was the 8-furlong Gotham Stakes (Race 101) at Aqueduct (gr. 3). The colt hated the muddy track, but he had only one other horse to beat, and he came away with an easy second victory and looking very much like a Derby horse. The connections at KRF had him on the Derby train again 20 days later, again in a match race (they were too common in those days), this time in the 9-furlong Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Race 121) at Keeneland (gr. 1). His time of 1:49.21 set a track record and gave him an easy six-length victory over a colt named Celtic Cat. The big news was that KRF owner Karie McBrian experienced every trainer’s nightmare when her super 3YO came back limping. He would need 10 days of rest and theraby before he could begin working again. He was back in training on April 23 at Keeneland, but the Kentucky Derby was then just 10 days away, and McBrian decided she could not have the colt fit enough for the big race. Instead, she set her sights on the Preakness.

Many observers believed Revenge would have defeated Spanish Midnight in the Derby. True, the KRF colt had run only three times that spring, and in only one of them had he faced even a modest test, but his performances in the Preakness and in the Belmont Stakes were so spectacular that even the most unbiased observer would have to concede that he in all likelihood would have taken the Derby, too, and thus been the first 3YO TC winner in Photo Finish history. This is not to disparage Spanish Midnight’s victory in the Derby, who was fast enough and tough enough to win despite sutaining a serious injury that would keep him recuperation for almost three weeks.

So what did Revenge do in the Preakness? He clocked a time of 1:51.58, good enough for a world record, and notched a Power Speed Rating (PSR) of 138! In the Belmont? He covered the 12 furlongs in an astonishing 2:21.80, setting another world record and duplicating his 138 PSR.

And he was not finished.

In the 10-furlong Hollywood Gold Cup (Race 206) his PSR was a whopping 146! On that fast Hollywood Park dirt he clocked a 1:55.66, another world record. In the 9-furlong Swaps Stakes (Race 233) his time of 1:45.57 meant that he had set four world record in as many starts!

But it couldn’t last. In the 9-furlong Haskell Invitational (Race 259) at Monmouth Park (gr. 1), he returned to earth, finishing third – his firsrt defeat -- behind Spanish Midnight and King Midas. Revenge was merely superb in his final starts that season, winning the Visa Travers Stakes (Race 284) and the Super Derby XX (Race 334). In the Breeders' Cup Classic (Race 382), Revenge again succumbed to Spanish Midnight, who won by a neck over his archrival (why is Spanish Midnight so ignored by breeders?).

Revenge's connections were very careful in selecting his races during his 4YO season. They gave him a long rest and did not send him out until the Dubai World Cup (Race 517) at Nad Al Sheba. This was arguably the strongest field in Photo Finish history. It certainly was, at the time, a meeting of giants. Despite being the high-weight at 126 lbs., Revenge went off as the 6:5 favorite (Spanish Midnight was second favorite at a distant 5:1). Giving six and eight pounds to his nearest competitors but running on the kind of dry, fast dirt track that he loved, Revenge proved his dominance on that long Dubai straightaway, by outrunning and outlasting the best horses in the world and earning his richest purse.

After his victory in the World Cup, Revenge continued his excellence. He won three of his final five starts, setting another world record and two track records. He showed poorly in the Breeders’ Cup Classic that year (Race 809) but finished up his career with a win in the Cigar Mile (Race 827). He had compiled a record of 18-14-1-1 $9,960,000, and the folks at KRF decided it was time to send Revenge to the breeding shed.

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I for one am thrilled that this idea has been taken up so well by everyone. I thought it would be an easy way to add races in areas that are laking, and it would be nice to honor some of the legendary horses of past.

With the first being the G2 Revenge Stakes I am anxious to find out just how many owners will send their Revenge babies to participate in this historical event.

But I am also looking for the G1 L. Brown Handicap...

The Song Still Rings Strong

G1 Donn Handicap 9 Furlongs 3 Year Olds+

By Post Position:
1. Zephyrbab 3 Year Old Colt Owned: FDL Lodge
2. Pegasus Song 6 Year Old Mare Owned: Goforwand Stables
3. Beamington 5 Year Old Male Owned: Olmo Dorato
4. Isca’s Revenge 5 Year Old Mare Owned: Smokey’s Stable
5. Rolling Thunder 4 Year Old Male Fender Stable
6. Venezia 4 Year Old Mare Owned: Port Pirie Racing
7. Hold That Train 4 Year Old Mare Owned: Parklands


Over the weekend 7 horses walked to the post for this 9 furlong test. For some it was to prove that they are still champions, for others it is a test of things to come. In this field we have 6 horses that have earned over $1 million (the three year old is trying to prove himself).

This field was packed with some high class horses, but it was the 6 year old mare that ran across the wire first. After winning 4 Eclipse Awards, 5 Breeder’s Cup Races (Juvenile Fillies, Distaff – 2007, 2008, 2009), the Dubai World Cup, Kentucky Derby, and Santa Anita Handicap (twice), Pegasus Song is coming back for more and looks to be in top shape for her 2010 campaign.

The five year old winner of the Belmont, double BC Endurance winner, Beamington was a fast closing 2nd and looks like he is also in for another stellar year. Whereas Isca's Revenge looks like she has seen better days with her 5th place finish behind Venezia and Hold That Train.


All the horses broke well from the gate, and Pegasus Song was sent to the lead early her jock pushing her to get to the turn first. The black colt by Bold N' Free Venezia was not be left behind, and they soon began an early duel for the lead. With Isca's Revenge sitting just behind the leaders content to wait, and a few lenghts back Rolling Thunder, Hold that Train, and Beamington waiting to make their move. Zephyrbab was some 8 lengths back and falling further behind.

By the time they entered the backstretch Venezia was in the lead by over a length, with Pegasus Song holding on to third. Isca's Revenge, Rolling Thunder, and Beamington had started to move up on the leaders and Isca's Revenge had taken over 2nd from Pegasus Song with Hold that Train along side Pegasus Song and Beamington a length behind in perfect position.

As they traveled down the backstretch, both Venezia and Pegasus Song's jockeys were giving their mounts a short rest in preparation for the duel ahead. Hold that Train was starting to make his move on Isca's Revenge and they battled for 2nd on the heels of Venezia. Beamington and Pegasus Song were sitting about 3 lengths back waiting for the second turn to make their moves. Rolling Thunder and Zephyrbab were some 9 and 10 lengths back.

As they entered the final turn for home Pegasus Song got a touch from the whip and began making her move with about 3.5 furlongs to go with Beamington on her heels. In front of them was Venezia who held on to first, Hold that Train who held a short lead over Isca's Revenge.

Down on the inside Pegasus Song passed Isca's Revenge and made her move for the leaders. Beamington was forced to go outside of the leaders. With less than a furlong to the finish Pegasus Song caught Venezia and in the last few strides Beamington also caught her finishing the 9 furlong test strong.

Hold that Train beat the filly Isca's Revenge to the wire, and Zephybab moved passed Rolling Thunder who finished last.

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Matt's Notable Mention: Everyone talks about Smart Money being the all-time great for staying in the elite strings for the longest - but this mare just might take that crown from that legend - or at the very least she should be his Queen. This mare was your Champion 2 Year old (winning the BC Juvenile in Track Record time) and although she didn't win Champion Older Female last year she did win the Santa Anita Handicap with a time of 1:57.79 and has won the Breeder's Cup Distaff 3 times in a row (and holds the Track Record).

It will be interesting to see how sharp this mare stays at 6 years old. No one has defended their BC title for 4 years in a row. And maybe if she does still impress at 6 years old more owners will be less likely to pre-maturely retire their horses... but that is a topic for another article.

The $20 Question

Yup thats right - $20 whole dollars, not a cent more or less. And the significance you ask 0f such an exact amount? Simple - thats what it would take from each player each month to turn Photo-Finish from a game that is fitted in around The Steward's real life (yup apparently she has one!) to a game that is run as a full time job and would enable her to dedicate more time and effort (if thats at all humanely possible!) to turn the game into what we all know it can be - simply put THE best racing simulation game on the web.

There is a basic equation - $20 per month x 90 players = $1800 pm or $21,600. The figures in black and white that would allow The Steward to dedicate herself to getting the game to a standard WAY beyond the current level. ie more automated and able to run quicker and faster with less down time.

It is appreciated and understood that for some of the players, $20 a month is a sum that is way beyond their reach and in discussions with other players, both contributors and non-contributors, the creation of a two tier system would be the fairest way forward. It would not be fair to expect people who DO contribute to fund the game for the benefit of those who do not pay up (for whatever reason). It would of course be discussed and put to votes and a majority decision and not simply based on one persons demands or the will of the few.

For others, $20 is a small amount that could be easily achieved by simply having one less latte, a pack of cigarettes or a couple of pints of beer! (Depending on your vice!)

Some players are already contributing this (and more) every month and therefore this wouldnt affect them at all. Others have a sudden urge to contribute a substantial sum at or around breeding time in order to get the right pairings but dont feel that its worth them contributing smaller sums on a regular basis to the same value, even though it can work out to be as much as 6months "contribution".

Others play the game because its free and thats the way its been always been run and thats the end of that. Thats entirely their decision and up to them.

What are the current benefits of contributing?

For each $25 (yes $5 more) you get either an extra stall or a guaranteed pairing of your choice come breeding time. It also enables stables to expand beyond Size 2 (ie 10 stalls). Thats pretty much it. I know of stables who havent expanded beyond Size 4 but who have over 60 stalls. This is simply their way of helping with the game whilst at the same time expanding to meet their expectations.

A regular donation of $20 a month would allow the contributing players to have the same benefits as above and perhaps more depending on their level of contribution. For those who felt that they couldnt contribute they would not be able to expand beyond Size 2 which is perceived to be a level that enables players to play the game well without over reaching their ability to manage the stable.

I am sure that this suggestion is not going to find favour with many players but take a minute to sit down and work out exactly what $20 can buy you at home or work?

It is frustrating for all players and especially The Steward not to be able to dedicate quality time and expertise to a game that is universally loved and respected, especially when there is such a long period of time between races (which is not the fault of anyone it just happens). I have heard that some players play the game simply because its free and that if they had to "pay to play" then they would leave - even though these same players are in a position to contribute. A case of having their cakes and eating them?

I am not saying that it will be mandatory for EVERY player to contribute but to enable the game to expand and progress in a way that we all want something has to happen and no one wants it more than The Steward.

So - next time you are out take a look at what is in your purse/wallet/bag and if by the end of the day you still have $20 - why not send it to The Steward?She would appreciate it more than Starbucks, Wal-Mart, the local pub or the sweet shop! You could do it as a "giving it up" exercise and who knows what you might save/lose?! For that $20 you could lose 10lbs by not having the extra portion of chocolate or that 3rd pint?!

I hope you appreciate the reasons for this report - its not to say that the game cannot go on the way it is but dont keep complaining that the game isnt being run the way YOU want it - all for the very small sum of $20.

(Just for clarification - thats $20 US dollars or £10 GB!)

Wanted: Writers of any kind

The Racing Recap is looking for full-time, part-time, ANY-time writers. It doesn't matter what you write about... okay no love notes to Jim, Amanda, Bill, or Laurie - I don't care how much you love them (or want to steal their horses). But anything else PF related is a go.

If you want to submit the occasional article (FREE OF CHARGE) then drop me an e-mail at shahmat_amal@hotmail.com or to Nancy Newmarket via Amanda. And we will be happy to post it for you.

Don't worry about your article being too short or too fluffy or having too many mistakes. If you want an unprofessional-who-will-probably-miss-quite-a few-mistakes; then I'll be happy to look it over for you. But any article is better than no article at all.

Just write it in a word document, and attach it by e-mail and you'll see your name in print in a few days. It's that easy.

But, if you want to bypass that step, and want to become a member of the super-secret-super-exclusive-Recap-Staff then just apply by sending me an e-mail. The application process is pretty tough.... just send me an e-mail with your name and stable and e-mail address that you can be contacted at. And I will do the rest. Of course, you will have to go through a government-style screening... DJ and Amanda call tell you all about it. It was a tough process, but almost painless.

So just type of a few words. It's not too hard. If you want to remain anonymous that is fine too. Say what you really want to say without the threat of retribution.

So write. Review. Send.
You know you want to.

*I would like to extend a special invitation to the editors/writers of The Global Mail and The Undercard to become full-time staffers of The Recap.*

Good Luck. And Happy Racing.

Who is M. Schwartz?

Okay. I have been gone a long time, and most people probably (a) don't remember me (b) have never heard of me.

So I thought it was time to do a little introduction before the start of the season.

My name is Matt Schwartz Jr. I go by either Matt or Junior - take your pick I'll respond to either one.

I am 19 years old and I am going to a local community college in the middle of nowhere in Indiana. Although, I am a full time student, I have recently taken over my family farm, and am the unofficial manager. But, I plan on transferring to the University of Michigan in the near future (with no idea as to what I am majoring in)

I used to own the stable (in PF) Farees Ameer Stables. Most have probably not heard of that either. I only played for about a year the first time, and came back for a few months the second time. Most notably I owned Sumalo’s Charm, Secret Saint, and Fly So High. When I quit the first time I was on my way to the big times with Fly So High… alas my stables closed before she made a big splash.

Writing is a passion of mine, even if I am not great at it. Horses are my other passion. Managing The Recap, after the amazing Joe left, lets me blend those passions – and I hope it’s a little entertaining for you as well.

I try not to be politically correct. And now that I don’t actually have horses invested in the game, I feel I can remain impartial and perhaps give a different perspective.

So there you have it. I wasn’t a great player, but I have watched the game on-and-off for about 5 seasons now and had a couple decent horses.

If you have any questions... post them and I'll answer (to a certain degree of course).

Take my word as pure truth… or take it with a grain of salt (or brandy if you prefer).

Good Luck. And Happy Racing.

M. Schwartz

Kentucky Derby Hopefuls

Who are the early favorites to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby? Here is a list of horses that had PSR's of 90+ for 9 furlongs and up.

New Player's Guide: Racing Season

Racing. It is the heart of Photo-Finish (although some of our overzealous breeders may not think so). And with the new foals due within the next few hours or days, we are drawing ever nearer to it.

This is how most of the stables make the majority of their income. It is sets the tone for the Post-Season activities (auction, breeding season). A stable must succeed here and this is where many of the dreams of a stable come true: Winning a Triple Crown, Breaking Revenge’s World Record, earning Horse of the Year, a Year-long duel between two top horses, a juvenile bred and trained by you winning the Dubai Juvenile.

How do you succeed in the racing world when you only have 2 – 5 racers, and the big establishments are boasting well over 20 racers for this season? Some people may get lucky and get that multi-million dollar horse in their first set of racers. Most are not.

Here is how you succeed at racing.

First of all, you have in your line-up approximately 2 – 5 racers (unless you are a bigger stable… then round up to 20… the basics work for you too). If you followed my Auction tips you would have picked up maybe 1 or 2 proven G2/G3 older horses. If you did that then you are good to start building up that bank account. They may not win every time out, but 7 out of 10 times they’ll come home with a check.

First of all, don’t be tempted to race your horse just because you can. It is okay to go without a racer for a week or two. It may seem like some stables are racing a horse in nearly every race… truth be told they are. But they have 4 or 5 times as many racers as you, and even more money to spend.

Place your horses accordingly. Just because your colt or filly may be doing well at 9 furlongs on dirt in a $75,000 G2 race, doesn’t mean he or she will do as well in a $200,000 G2 race. Go where your horses’ strengths are. If you bought a solid money-maker try him or her at a few distances farther out of his or her comfort range, but if he or she is not doing well – GO BACK TO WHAT WAS WORKING.

Too many new players are hoping to get the next Secretariat. It’s not going to work.
Secondly, GIVE YOUR HORSE ENOUGH REST. I can’t stress this enough. These horses need their rest. Give them at least 14 days before his or her next race. They’ll thank you for it by giving more the next time out.

Most horses do best when they are rested between 14-21 days between races. And make sure that if your horse in injured or sore, that they get additional rest.
In addition, we’ve had a few weeks since the racing season. Our horses haven’t. Check the dates of their last race. Last year a few horses went to the post for the first time in the new season on only a couple of days of rest.

Thirdly, if your stable is getting threatening notes from your accountant that you are nearing the red, then maybe you should sell that foal or yearling that you are holding on to. Or perhaps that 2 year old that you are hoping will pan out at 4.

Sell them to a stable that has the time and money to manage them and wait for them to mature or become of racing age. All they are doing is eating up your finances and not bringing in any cash. IF you are getting low on funds, you will probably be able to find a sympathetic well-off stable.

For my final word of the day. Take a look at Amanda’s Past Performances. See how your horses are doing and have done. Check out those PSRs (hint: the higher the better). If you don’t have the game, those data sheets are your best friend.

Good Luck! And Happy Racing!

Blinkers, Rollers & Shadows

No its not a list from the local hair salon, they are just some of the choices players as trainers can face when trying to focus their runners to the game in hand, ie running as fast as they can for as long as they can! Whilst the game currently doesn’t allow trainers to put equipment on a horse, many trainers use them as workout or training aids, and my inspiration for this article is based on seeing the methods used by Amanda O’Brien of Bally Doyle who is trying to focus one of her 2yr olds debuting this season on the matter in hand – rather than his current game of “how much flesh can I get in one bite”?! The colt (what else!) in question is her regally bred A View to A Kill (barn name Killer) who is trying desperately to live up to his name.

Lets start with the simple choices – your horse carries his head a little high or has a tendency to lose concentration if he spies something on the track below. This easiest solution to this is to fit a "shadow roll” (or as its known in Europe, a noseband). Both are the same, being a roll of sheepskin strapped across a horse's nose on the bridle’s noseband. Its cheap, quick and simple and some trainers swear by them and in some countries, you can recognise a particular trainers horse simply by looking at its racing equipment. An example of this is the UK trainer, Andrew Balding who runs all his horses in “nosebands”, a habit he picked up from his father Ian Balding. So if you see “SR” or “NB” in the racecard, this is the explanation.

OK, so that didn’t work. What else can you try? Next stage is usually a visor or blinkers, which is made up of a headpiece to which are attached eye cups that limit the horse's vision to prevent distractions. The difference between a visor and blinkers is that visors have a small cut in them to enable the horse to have a little more vision for what is coming from behind than the blinkers which restricts the horse to merely seeing what is in front. There is a school of thought that horses fitted with blinkers are “un-genuine” but that is not usually the case, it merely focuses their mind on the job in hand. For many years, horses running with blinkers in the US have had the headpiece (and cups) coloured to match the jockeys silks. One of the most famous horses to have this in recent memory is of course Secretariat. (see below). And I doubt you will find many people saying that this horse was un-genuine! The shorthand in the racecard is “V” or “B” depending.

Mmmm, so you are still having problems but now it seems that the horse is making “gurgling” noises when he runs or is putting his tongue over the bit stopping him from making full use of his lungs? That’s OK – we have a couple of cures for that too! Lets fit the horse with a Tongue Tie, which is simply a cloth or leather band used to tie down a horse's tongue to keep it from interfering with breathing. Although it has been known for trainers to utilise something a little less “technical” and many a horse in the UK has been seen with one leg of the trainer’s wifes’ tights (pantyhose) wrapped around instead! The reason is probably because the nylon is lighter and gives a bit more and can be easily cut off if necessary. Some trainers also add a “figure 8” which does what it says – it goes in a “figure 8” around the nose and over the lips and keeps the horses’ mouth closed to stop it from taking on too much air or being able to take a pull at the reins. Its commonly noted in the race card as “F8” under equipment used. It can also be referred to as a "flash" noseband.

WHAT – you are trying to tell me that none of this is working?! What kinda horse do you have?! Oh, right its getting a bit vicious on the track and you cant fit the F8 as it drives the horse insane and you get nothing done. Drastic times calls for drastic measures. The last bit of equipment that I can suggest is a mesh nosecover, which clips on the front and back of the bridle and covers the horses mouth whilst leaving it enough space to “mouth” the bit but stopping it from taking chunks out from his opponents. Its not intrusive to the horse in any way and some horses in time learn not to bite and this can then be removed. So far “Killer” is responding well to this treatment but Amanda has advised me that he will be lead down to the start with this on him and it will be removed prior to the start of the race. So you have all been warned!

Phew. I hope that helps a little if you have a horse that you know can run but is a little, how can I say, shy of fulfilling his full potential.

Of course, each of the above can be tweaked, for example many horses in Australia run with eye shields rather than blinkers and this involves replacing the cups with solid mesh over the whole eye, and has now been adopted in the UK following the exploits of Choisir the Australian sprinting star who came over and won at Royal Ascot.

Sheepskin nosebands have now progressed around the bridle too and are commonly used on National Hunt (ie jumping) horses who don’t need their line of sight reduced with the application of blinkers but by adding the sheepskins to the sides of the bridles, trainers have found that horses are more focused and happier. Not sure it will catch on elsewhere but so far its working!

Yup that’s pretty much it I think in the way of training aids and equipment – and if you truly believe that none of this is working, then its off to the vets for the big chop for the colts or pack the filly off to the breeding shed!

Auction Numbers And...

Contains a bit of an editoral
-------------------------------


Not to step on the "stat man's" shoes.... but here are some early Auction Numbers from the first half.

125 - Racers sold
$156,510 - Average Price
$10,000 - Most Common Sale Price
$15,000 - Median (Middle) Price
55 - Racers sold for $10,000
60 - Racers sold for $10,000 or $11,000
104 - Racer Sold for $100,000 OR LESS
21 - Racers sold for MORE than $100,000
2 - Racers sold for $5,001,000
9 - Racers sold for more than $500,000

Okay... so those few high numbers are really pulling up the average. I took out the top four (2 @ $5.01 Million and $800K and $851K).

New Average: $65,378

But 104 out of 125 sold for $100,000 or less. That is 83.2%.

And I really wouldn't reccomond buying a horse for more than $70,000 if your a newbie... and 101 horses sold for $65,000 or less. (Although many older vets picked up some nice racers for pennies).

With too many horses being bred each year, with not enough stables or races for them, the world of Photo Finish is quickly becoming a buyer's market. The large breeding operations are simply breeding too many foals each year. And those who can not pay for the expansions at the end of each year they are forced to sell either their racers (which can be solid money makers, and those who have not hit their maturity yet) or their young prospects.

Simply put the demand for horses is not growing fast enough to keep up with the supply.

Here I was going to insert some data to back up my claim (and every good argument needs one); however, I don't have enough information to provide you with facts.

I can tell you that last year we bred 440 horses, which is down from the year before at 489. But the 2007 crop (year born) there are 422 horses. In 2006 there were only 273. And people wonder why this year (when 2007 was 2) the juvenile racers were so crowed.

In 2005 there was 251 horses born. 2004 boasted 175 foals. 2003 there was only 135 horses born. 2002 there was 109 foals. In 2001 a mere 103 horses born. And 2000 there was 100 even horses. Other than horses created only for breeding no other racers have been born.

But this brings us to problem number 2 with too many foals born. With more foals each year, that means more fillies and when they retire more broodmares. It is a circle that will continue to spiral until something stops it.

With that said, keep this in mind: Our stable numbers and races have increased. However, (though I do not have numbers... %racers/stable) they have not increased with the number of foals born each year.

So please keep that in mind as breeding season looms.

End of Season: New Player's Guide

With the upcoming Auction and Breeding Season it may get a little hectic for new players who have never been through this process. So I'm here to shed a little light on this - sometimes confusing - process.

End of Season Report - 2009

This should have already been sent in to Laurie! It includes information such as: Horses being sent to Auction, Retiring Racers, Stallion Stud Fees, and if your stable will be expanding for the upcoming Racing Season.

If you haven't sent it in by now - Shame on You (not to be confused with Shame on Me the 2006 colt by Fool Me Twice or his half brother Shame on You)

End of Year Public Auction - 2009

The Auction - a place where the rich spend all their money and the poor look for a homely face so that they can become the rich.

Remember those End of Year Reports? Well those horses that you decided to send to the Auction... they end up here: In the Auction Ring. Except, in Photo-Finish it is a little different.

A list of every horse going to Auction will soon be made avaliable. It will have a link that will take you to the horses' page (pedigree and race record). There are NO Ability Reports - unless the owner posts them on the Forum or on their stable's website. Many stables will offer this report to prospective buyers.

To the new, young, and smaller stables you will see some horses at the Auction sell for prices in the millions. Every year this happens - the established and veteran stables (or those with money) will have bidding wars on just a few horses. My advice to you: don't get caught in a bidding war with a large conglomerate - they do have more money than you.

Every year there are many horses that will sell for around $10,000 - which is the average min. bid. Do your homework. Don't just look at the unraced yearlings, 2 year olds, or even 3 year olds. There will be that 4 or 5 year old G2/G3 racer that will only get a few bids by those who have taken their time to do research. Amanda's Past Preformances are a good place to start.

Another bit of Unsolicited Advice: Don't spend all your money on one horse. Being a new player (since this is the End of Season: New Player's Guide) you need to build a band of dependable racers - not just one or two with three babies waiting in the wings. All the babies do are eat, sleep, and cost maintenance fees. But before they can race, you must build your funds to make it past the year.

Okay, now you have done your homework. You have a list of 20 or so horses that you would like to see in your stable (even though you only have room for 2 or 3). Now what? You can't be at the end of each horse's bidding time. That's okay... Photo Finish has a proxy system. All you have to do is put your highest bid and it will do the bidding for you. It's like having your own representative for every horse. Note: Do not put a high bid on all twenty horses... remember you only have room for 2 or 3.

The Auction End Times are on three different days - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Look to the Forum for the offical days and end times (Tentative: August 31 - September 2).

Note: It is the past owner's responsibility to deliver ARs to the new owners.

Breeding Season - 2009/2010

The Breeding Season - it gets bigger and bigger each year (with more and more two year olds making their debuts in overcrowed races). With more stables owning their own broodmares, and stables expanding to well over 50 stalls and purchasing mare rights so that they can breed more than 15+ foals. It is a tempting part of the game for any new player to be apart of. However, I would advise caution to new players about breeding foals.

As stated above, although it is nice to have foal bred/owned by your stable. They won't do much for another two years. Before they earn a dime, they will cost you $12,000 alone in fees, not including the price to breed them. Although that may not seem like much, it can be when a good dependable money maker can make your stable ten times that in a single season. And once that foal becomes a yearling it will cost you more than money - it will cost you a stall.

But, I dare say that most people reading this will not listen to the above. So here goes:

After the Auction it is Breeding Season time. If you donated cash to Laurie then you get a free breeding and can pick from the list stallion and mares (or use a list mare and a PF Stallion).

If you haven't already, start lining up studs from player-owned stallions. Many of the top name stallions are booked months in advance and their avaliablity may be limited. HOWEVER, all is not lost. There are many baragin breeders that go used year by year... some are multi-million dollar winners, BC Winners, or even Eclipse Winners that go unused because of the popularity of a handful of stallions.

Once you have your mare, list or owned, and a stallion lined up you need to come up with a name for your baby-to-be. Make sure that the name hasn't been used, and decide on a colt and filly name (unless it is unisex).

Then Laurie will announce that she is calling for Breeding Reports. You will send your report that will include your stable name, the stallion (fees and owner) your mare (fees and owner if applicable) and the colt and filly names.

Once Laurie has recieved all the breeding pairs she will generate the foals using her program and send out their Ability Reports.

Note: Foals share a stall with their dams - regardless of list or player-owned mare (unless of course you do not own the mare)

And that will do it. After that you will have successfully navigated and survived your first End of Season Madness. And then it will be on to Racing Season... and the new champions will emerge.

Good Luck and Happy Racing!

STALLION SPOTLIGHT #6 - SUCCESS FOR ALL

Welcome back to another instalment of my Stallion Spotlight series and after a wonderful flight back from Australia, (Business Class is the only way to fly!) I am now closer to home and visiting the recently established Pumpkin Pastures, which is on the boundary line between Worcestershire and Herefordshire at the foot of the Malvern Hills,

Here comes Luke Griffiths, the owner of this stud. Morning Luke and thanks for letting me visit. Good morning to you too Nancy, and thank you for coming.

Luke, can you tell me a little bit about the stud and what the grounds consist of? Of course, whilst we may not be up there with the likes of Whisperwood etc we like it! The farm consists of a mixture of open hills and woodland, and there is a section of the gallops runs alongside a well maintained pumpkin patch that regularly throws up award winning produce (not to mention the contents of a very fine pie).

Mmm I can agree with the pie statement! Lets get down to the serious business of my visit – Success For All, your foundation stallion. Can you tell us all a little bit about him? Well he is by Affirmed Success out of All Along by Targowice and his race record was $1,706,000 from 39 races, with 8 wins and 13 places. Not the greatest of records but a solid performer on his day and he was a fantastic all rounder. His AR claimed he could run on any type of surface at any distance between 5 and 12 furlongs and this was proven to be the case during his career. There hasn’t been much quicker out of the gates than him in the game and he was remarkably consistent in his efforts on the track. I’m glad to see that that consistency has passed over into his breeding career (he has produced some very attractive AR’s). I’m not sure how much of his achievements are down to his tendency to nibble on the pumpkins that grow alongside our stables gallops (hmm magic pumpkins?). He is a steady horse to breed with, no flashy histrionics in the shed and just a good guy generally (again the pumpkins probably help!).

I cant blame his obsession for pumpkins, having tasted your home grown stuff! What is his fee this year. Success is standing for a fairly reasonable $5000 until his foals hit the track and start cleaning up and then I will feel obliged to up the price (greed, it’s a terrible thing.

How many mares did he cover last season? Just 4, with two homebreds and one each for Sunset Ranch and Whisperwood. He also got 3 colts from that and we managed to get the only filly so hopefully the line will continue.

If you had to recommend a type of mare for your stallion, what would it be, considering he seemed to not have a preference in his racing days. Ah ha! Here lies his greatest strength. His AR states that he “prefers” all surfaces except mud which is “ok”. He proved this during his career with equally strong performances on dirt and turf. His AR also states that he can run anywhere between 5 and 12 furlongs and he was very successful between 5 and 9 furlongs. Unfortunately I never tried him over 9 furlongs as he was producing results below that and at the time I was a stable in its first year and was mostly interested in gaining some wealth, rather than seeing the extent of my best horse’s ability. Anyhow, I believe that this versatility makes him a great prospect for a large number of mares. So pretty much any type of mare for any surface or distance! He isnt fussy!

As he seems to be a very versatile type of stallion and mares of all types will be flocking to him, what kind of offspring do you think will be running? Again, I believe he will produce a wide variety of distances and surfaces and if you’re lucky an all rounder like their Dad. I expect that his foals will be able to compete at the highest level as did Success For All.

If you had to compare your stallion to a real life stallion, who would it be and why? Hmm, that’s tough! I think I’m going to pass on that question for now!

What do you see the future of your stallion to be – staying with you and establishing your stud as a good supplier of horses, or maybe just standing him for a few seasons to see what type he throws. He is very much my flagship and foundation stallion. He got the results when I first started playing and established me financially in the game. He was the very first horse I picked from Endless Vista Stables and therefore the first into my stable. He will never be sold and I intend to fill my stalls with his progeny, and anyone else’s that are interested.

What more can I say than its been a pleasure and an honour Luke, to be your guest and I hope that Success For All has plenty of “success” with his progeny. My pleasure Nancy, and please let everyone know that I have plenty of spots left for him this season.

Well that’s the end of another wonderful visit to a valued member of the game. Next up it’s a triple header with the renowned stable of Port Pirie! Catch you all later!

Stallion Spotlight #5 - MISSY'S BRIDLE

G’day readers, can you guess where I am today?! Well for those of you who don’t like playing guessing games I can tell you I have crossed the international date line and am currently resident in the town of Sydney , in the wonderful country of Australia. My series takes me to Golden Acres, established about 5 years ago and now one of the leading breeding operations in the game. The stud farm is on the outskirts of town but also close to the beaches which we have heard is where Steve Wilman, the stud owner, brings a lot of the horses on the farm down to splash!

Here he is – Hi Steve! Nancy, g’day and welcome to the home of Missy’s Bridle. Let me just snap his shank lead on for a moment and put him out in his pasture. Right where shall we start?

No time to waste hey Steve, I like it! Lets start at the beginning. Can you tell me the pedigree of Missy’s Bridle? I sure can Nancy. He is sired by the fabulous stallion Unbridled and is out of the unbeaten Missy’s Mirage (14-14-0-0) and, as you can see is a stunning chestnut with the biggest white face on the farm! His white nostrils won a few races I can tell you *wink*

Wow you are right – much more white on him that I first saw, with his two socks and coronets on each leg he would fit the old saying “four white legs keep him to the end”! So true Nancy so true, he is my star and there isn’t enough money around to make him leave this place. He is a great horse to be around, he has his quirks like all the best and is never far from his stable companion, a goat called Finbar. Whilst I wouldn’t say he is a total gentlemen in his stall, I can forgive him the odd nip and kick here and there, but in the breeding shed he is all focus and his handler reckons “MB” has to be one of the most professional stallions he has ever been around.

I am sure you could forgive him anything! What is his current fee? $20,000 at the moment which we think is a bargain considering that he has sired one of the hottest 2yr old colts around at the moment in RunMissyRun, who also runs for our stable.

Sounds extremely reasonable Steve and a good price to get a quick return on. How many mares did he cover last season? 12 and he consistently has an almost full book in each of the 3 seasons he has stood. Most of the mares were from outside stables and I am pleased to say most return each year.

Steve, if you had to recommend a type of mare for your stallion, what would it be considering that he gets such a large book. I would say probably a mare who was effective at or about 8f up but as for track types there doesn’t seem to be any preference but I would hesitate to send a mare who had a preference for the very shortest of trips.

As he now has three crops on the ground and more importantly representative on the track, what are the results so far? He has had one crop race and they are still only 2yr olds so I can’t really tell but from his 2 winners to date, my own foal (RunMissyRun) has won over $1million but I will have a better idea when all the foals from his first crop have hit the track and probably know even more after they run as 3yr olds. I personally like to breed a horse that will mature after its 2yr old days, so anything they do as 2yr olds I consider a bonus and then focus on their “derby” year.

If you had to compare your stallion to a real life stallion, who would it be and why? Not sure physically who he reminds me off but as for his performance as a sire I would have to say REDOUTE’S CHOICE who also sired a Golden Slipper winner in his first crop. If MB can copy this great stallion then I will be a very happy Aussie!

Where do you see Missy’s Bridle in the future of Golden Acres? Moving on or being the start of the revolution? I will be keeping him for quite awhile Nancy. He has thrown me a lot of good looking foals and from his 1st crop has sired a few winners and placegetters that have so far earned just over $2,000,000 and without him there may well not have been a Golden Acres to come to talk to. We owe him a lot.

I can see that you love him to bits and no wonder. And on that note Steve I am going to have to leave you and find my next “victim” sorry, interviewee but I have to express my gratitude to you for taking the time out to talk to me and our readers and look forward with interest to the offspring of your horse.

Thanks Nancy for letting me share this with you and the Rag readers. If anyone wants to breed to MB this season tell them to drop me a line and I will book them a place, but if they are a new stable I am sure that something can be arranged if they are a little short on cash.

I hope you all enjoyed that visit to “Down Under” and my next article will be from the “home” country – and focusing on Success For All, who stands at Pumpkin Pastures.

Stallion Spotlight #4 - WHISPERWOOD

For my fourth article, I have come to the Stud Farm of Whisperwood, located in the stunning bluegrass country known as Kentucky! I am in Lexington to be precise and this time, rather than focus on one stallion, I have persuaded Ronda to let me “interview” all 6 of her studs!!

Hi Ronda – thanks for the invite. Can you tell me a little bit more about this operation? Good morning yourself Nancy and welcome to my humble little farm (wink!). Here at Whisperwood we have over 1,000 acres of green grass of which around 800 acres are rolling hills and fenced pastures. There are 10 separate 10 acre stud paddocks with plenty of open space between the Paddocks that are located behind the Stud barn. The Stud Barn has space for 10 horses, although currently we are just holding 6. We also have a 20 Stall Racing String Barn All of the stalls have a run out back so they can stretch their legs a bit without having enough room to do any damage. We currently have 18 of the stalls occupied. We also have vet rooms, hot walkers and all the necessary requirements to ensure that all the horses here have access 24/7 to top of the range facilities without having to rely on outside help.

Wow, sounds impressive. Shall we get ourselves over to the studs now? MMM, Lets start Ronda if we may with SWALEAWAY. Good choice Nancy, and as you can see, he is our gentle giant, standing at 17.2hh! His is the first stall in the Stud Barn and his feelings get hurt VERY easily. He is by Swale (a son of the great Seattle Slew by a Danzig mare, Versailles Treaty). You can’t miss his white face (and yes he is a white stallion!) begging you for a carrot or a peppermint. He is the first to hang his head over his stall door and whicker “good day” to you EVERY time you step into the barn. At feeding time he is a total gentleman and waits patiently his twice daily feeds. And he is such a gent that when he is groomed and or handled (mainly by me) we don’t even use a stud chain on him. He even goes into the breeding shed without a chain. He is a charmer too being a favourite with the ladies, always taking time to romance them first, the old romantic! And when the grandkids come over he is our ”pony” ride for the little ones and both my daughter Meghan and I take turns riding him over the trails surrounding our farm, although its usually Meghan than myself.

Moving on readers we come to the polar opposite in colour from Swaleaway, a coal black stallion standing at 16.3hh is in the next stall and goes by the name of DISCAY. We haven’t seen much of him around Ronda, any reasons? Yes Nancy, he has spent the last 2 years in training as a Eventer after not getting any more takers as a breeding stallion. When our homebred colt (that we had sold) Diascay’s Shadow became a Graded MSW in his 2yr season (this season), we decided to repurchase him to expand the farm. We are eagerly awaiting the upcoming breeding season as we plan to breed a full sibling to Diascay’s Shadow. Whilst he has been training for Eventing, I have been riding him in local Events where he has been cleaning up! It’s been such a blast riding a jumper again that we’ve added a cross country course and a Indoor Riding Arena to the farm. Either myself or my Daughter have been riding him almost daily. He’s a bit more pushy in the barn when it comes to feeding time than Swaleaway and has been known to take a nip out of his handlers if he thinks they aren’t feeding fast enough! And the farrier lives in mortal fear of him! So careful with those fingers Nancy!

Talking of danger, whose the little toughie at the end of this row? Haha, that’s WINNING LAD Nancy. Even though he only stands 15.2hh Lad is the roughest of our studs to handle. He gets his temperament from his dam (Winning Colors) he has been a challenge to handle from the day he arrived, being bred by Snowbank Farm. He’d just as soon take a chuck from you as look at you. The grooms carry a crop whenever he’s turned out for the simple fact they value their hide. It’s a shame but that’s the way he has to be handled. He’s the only stallion to have a run off of his stall that leads to his paddock. After turnout, the grooms work in pairs to get him back in. The first groom goes and opens the back stall door (then hides behind it!), whilst the other rattles the feed bucket and dives out the stall (I should by shares in the best stall chain manufacturer!) because he comes charging in, then the guys work together to get the stall doors closed.

I think we should move swiftly on whilst we all have our fingers intact, whose the stunner at the top end of this barn? You mean SUNDAY DANCER Nancy? Well he is our other “giant” and like Swaleaway who you met earlier, is also very well mannered. Even though he is not quite as friendly as Swaleaway he comes close. A carbon image of his sire Sunday Silence (although Sunday Dancer is registered as a Dark Brown colt) and seems to be following in his shoes. I have a quick story for your readers too. A while back, Sunday Silence’s owners stopped by the farm and were so reminded of their own boy they gave Dancer his sire’s halter.I have to say a few tears welled up!

That’s a wonderful story Ronda – you must have been quite touched. Whats he like around the barn generally? At feeding time he quietly awaits his feed while his next door neighbour (Winning Lad) raises a ruckus. The grooms draw straws to see who gets first pick of the horses to exercise, all the studs are ridden daily, and Dancer is always their first pick.He wil do anything (literally!) for peppermints. They are his favourite treat. When my son is home on leave, Dancer is the horse he always chooses to ride being he’s so good under saddle, especially Western. Dancer is always hangs his head over the stall door when he hears Daniel entering the barn.

Sounds like you have a great mix of horses in the barn – everything so far from gentle giants to mini terrors! Whose next? I think we should have a look at one of the newer studs in the farm, Nancy, namely RAMPAGE. He is of average height, being 16h and a son of Alydar and only added to our stud barn last season. However his first yearlings are looking pretty good. I have to admit that “Ram” is the snob of the barn. He’s very aloof towards the other horses but generally behaves himself with the grooms, as long as they are firm with him. Under saddle he needs a rider that isn’t afraid of him and know how to ride. He pretty much stands off and waits for you to leave his feed in the same manner a King looks at his servants, but so far we are pleased with his progeny.

Ronda, last but by no means least, who is in stall 6? This handsome chappy Nancy – this is Spleunker. He stands 17.2 and thinks he owns the barn. He has a very regal attitude towards everything he does but he’s not snobby about it. And yes you guessed it, another one who absolutely LOVES peppermint and is so very gentle when he takes it off the palm of your hand. He’s a gentleman under saddle and will go along very nicely as long as you know how to ride. At feeding time he will nicker and paw when he sees you coming but as soon as you open his door he stands quietly until you leave. I wish there were more like him too.


How much are your stallions standing for, I would imagine there is one there for every budget! Yes, you are right Nancy. They stand for the following fees (all live foal) – Rampage $5,000, Spelunker $10,000, Sunday Dancer $10,000, Swaleaway $25,000 and Winning Lad at $25,000. As Discay has only just returned to us, we are still unsure as to what fee to charge but if any of your readers are interested in using him, just tell them to email me and we can discuss it.

I am sure that at those prices there will be a few takers. How many foals did they each sire last year? In total there were 15 foals sired by my stallions, and all but 2 by our own mares. Three were sired by Swaleaway, two by Winning Lad, Sunday Dancer sired three, the same number as sired by Rampage. Spelunker was the leading sire here in figures, getting 4 mares.

With such a mix and range of talent in the barn, are there any particular types of mares that you would recommend sending to each stallion, or are they good for all types? And also why type of foals do you expect them to sire. No Nancy, if I had the luxury of being particular with the mares I would probably recommend the following:

Swaleaway - the mare should be sound to start with and preferably milers. The horse himself was very good between 1m- 1m 1/16th. However he was plagued throughout his racing careerwith injuries and soreness and in more than one race he ran on heart alone. Well from his first crop of 2 he has a MSW winning G1 G2 and G3 levels. Whilst his other 3yr runner broke his maiden a couple weeks ago making him a SpW. His second crop of 4 he got a another MSW and 2 of his other 2 2yrs are placed if I remember right..…

Discay – he isn’t fussy! Disacay’s Shadow’s dam was a sprinter so it will be interesting to see how he stretches out, as the AR shows him as a distance horse so time will tell. So far his offspring has won at both G2 and G3 levels.

Winning Lad – so far when crossed with mares by Octagonal he’s produced a Graded MSW, a Graded MSW with a Mr Prospector mare, and a SW by a Risen Star mare. So variety is the spice of his life. He is matching Discay with his runners, having winners at both G2 and G3.

Sunday Dancer – as he was a sprinter we have crossed him on mares that like to go the distance and hope that they can get in excess of 1m. Time will tell what his runners will be like but we would be hopeful of at least a G2 if not G1.

Rampage - right now anything that can run! As last season was his first crop it will be a couple of years before were sure what to send him to but I wouldn’t discourage any particular type or distance. I suppose I am being greedy in again thinking that he will sire horses that can run at the highest levels but you have to dream in this game!

And finally Spelunker, there were 4 foals bred last year, and just one of them from outside sources. Pretty sure he can mix it with most mares but only time will tell again!


If you had to compare your stallions to real life stallions, who would it be and why? They can be living or dead. I am glad you asked that one Nancy, as having read your previous articles I am ready for you! I would say that Swaleaway is most like Seattle Slew, from all accounts he was another gentleman that was as kind as could be with a heart of gold. Discay is reminiscent of Seabiscuit, who was also ridden in retirement by his owner all over his ranch. I think its good for the mental well being of the horse to get out and about. And as for Winning Lad he is just like Hastings – a devil to train and breed and I think he reincarniated himself in Lad (just my luck!). No surprise that Sunday Dancer immediately makes one think of Sunday Silence, both looks and temperament and “Dancer” seems to have followed in Pop’s shoes. Rampage, mmm a bit trickier as he is a thinker but I would probably say Fair Play as he had two styles of running – when he wanted to he could but he didn’t always think you were worth his time or effort! I hate to compare any horse to Secretariat but that’s who Spelunker reminds me of. “Big Red” was very fast in his time and is well mannered at the farm but KNOWS how good he was and will remind you if you seem to forget, traits that Spelunker has in bucket loads!

And the future of Whisperwood Stud? Where you see the farm going in say 5 – 10 yrs? Hopefully to the top of the pile!!! No seriously, we have worked hard to get what we consider a good solid base of stallions covering all pockets, surfaces etc so I would be surprised if there were much selling or buying in of others. We also want to try to race the best stock but as the readers will know, working that out is worthy of a Masters Degree!

Ok well that pretty much finishes my visit and I have to say thanks to both you Ronda and your lovely children, especially Meghan for showing me around the farm. You certainly have your work cut out to keep 6 stallions busy and run a profitable racing stable!

Until next time folks – Thanks for reading!

Did you know? 10 furlongs

• 1:55.66! For those that haven't been around as long, that's the World Record for 10 furlongs on dirt set by Revenge in the 2003 Hollywood Gold Cup.
• Just to put that number in a little bit of perspective, Spanish Midnight finished second in that race. It was the 19th fastest time ever, 1:58.76, and he finished 19 lengths back! The second fastest time ever is Pegasus Song's 1:57.79, which is about 13 lengths slower. This year's winning time of the Kentucky Derby, 2:00.59, is about 30 lengths slower. It's just an amazing performance that will never be equaled...guaranteed.
• Thunder Arctic holds the turf record of 1:57.93. Even though it isn't unreachable (there are 6 other times within a half second of it), it's still been on the books since 2004.
• 10 furlongs has been attempted 780 times on dirt and 1,018 on the turf.
• It should come as no surprise to anyone (though with the number of entries these races always get, maybe I shouldn't assume) that the slowest times ever are from 2YO's. Except for VERY, VERY rare exceptions, they just aren't ready for these type of distances. On dirt, a 2YO colt by the name of Evidente, ran the slowest 10 furlongs of 2:12.32 in 2007. Another 2YO colt, Vivencial, holds the "record" with a 2:14.11 in 2008.
• Some more fun with perspective. On dirt, Thunder Arctic ran 2:12.25...for 11 furlongs. Just think about that, Evidente could have started a furlong in front of Thunder Arctic...and lost! For turf though, it's a little more amazing. The top 60 times for 11 furlongs are all better than Vivencial's time!
• To make the top-100 on dirt, you need to run 1:59.87 (Dansilver - 2005). On turf, 2:00.16 is the magic number (Blushing Approval - 2007 and Precious Elegance - 2008).
• On dirt, there are 21 horses that appear in the top-100 multiple times. Eight of the multiple-timers have 2 top-100'2: Braveheart, Broken Dream, Dancing Delaware, Dansilver (not too shabby, when 10 furlongs really wasn't his thing), Enlightenment (8th and 11th!), Perfect Bell, She's A Prize (probably a surprising name to most), and Troll Tower. Two horses appear three times: Hideaway and War Machine. The four-timers is a nice looking group: Isca's Revenge, King Midas (not bad for a horse that only raced 13 times in his career!), Revenge, Spanish Midnight, and Take A Gander. Two horses appear five times: Congenial (done in three separate years) and Thunder Arctic (the only five times he tried 10 on the dirt to boot!). There's one horse each with 6 and 7 appearances: Precious Elegance and Madam De Francais respectively. Appearing an incredible 9 times is Lazy Loper. What's even more amazing though, is that's not the best! Pegasus Song makes the list 10 times!
• 25 horses make the top-100 multiple times on the turf. Ten horses make the list twice: Flow Diagram, Imogen White, Jenny's My Gal, Memcay, Scenic Sheba (the only two times she's tried it, you're welcome Foxie!) , Secret Talent, Sir Empire, Sobriety, Spiritual (one of her two was a race in which she finished LAST of 6, talk about a loaded field!), and Troll Tower. The three time horses: April Carrot (she's come a long way, actually has the slowest time ever for 8.5 on the turf!), Fine Memories, Pegasus Song, Pefect Bell, Precious Elegance, Princess Royale, Smart Money, and Thunder Arctic (I was actually surprised to see him with only three, then I went and checked...it's out of only four tries, and the other one sits at 103.) Three horses with 4 appearances: Alytrain, Broken Dream, and Lazy Loper. She's A Prize has 5 of the top-100, and only two of them are from wins! There's a three-way tie at the top with 7 appearances: A Bus (oh yeah, those are the only 7 times he tried it!), Missmelodramatic, and Tranquil Scene.
• Thirteen horses appear on both lists. Lazy Loper (9 dirt and 4 turf) and Pegasus Song (10 dirt and 3 turf) lead the way with 13 each. Precious Elegance (6 dirt and 3 turf) is next with 9. A Bus (1 dirt and 7 turf) and Thunder Arctic (5 dirt and 3 turf) are tied with 8. She's A Prize (2 dirt and 5 turf) has 7. Broken Dream (2 dirt and 4 turf) has 6. Perfect Bell (2 dirt and 3 turf) has 5. Troll Tower (2 dirt and 2 turf) has 4. Three horses are tied with 3: Dancing Delaware (2 dirt and 1 turf), Memcay (1 dirt and 2 turf), and Sobriety (1 dirt and 2 turf). Hold That Train is the only one to do it just once on each surface.
• The most likely track to see a top-100 time on the dirt has been Churchill Downs with 17. Following right behind are Hollywood Park and Nad Al Sheba with 16 each. On the turf, it's Hollywood Park with 25 and Arlington International with 23.
• The most likely race to produce a top-100 time for dirt is the Hollywood Gold Cup with 16. On turf, it's the Arlington Million with 23.
• The fastest times per surface rating obviously start with Revenge's WR of 1:55.66 on a "fast" track. The best on "good" is War Machine's 2:00.08 (116th best). The best on "heavy" is New Millenium's 2:01.93 (352nd best). The best on "muddy" is also New Millenium's 2:04.35 (619th best). The best on "sloppy" is False Demon's 2:02.84 (478th best). The best on "slow" is Thunder Arctic's 1:59.38 (59th best).
• On the turf side of things, Thunder Arctic's WR of 1:57.93 was set on "firm". The best on "firm to good" is Perfect Bell's 1:58.62 (11th best). The best on "good" is A Bus at 2:00.01 (79th best). The best on "hard" is Alytrain's 1:58.00 (2nd best). The best on "soft" is Poker Run's 2:02.27 (439th best). The best for "yielding" is A Bus again with a 2:00.13 (98th best).
• Three horses sit in the top-100 lists with times achieved when they were 6YO's: Blushing Approval, Congenial, and Sir Empire.
• The horses that broke from the furthest outside post position and run a top-100 time both did it for the same stable. Case Closed broke from the 19 hole on dirt and ran the 74th best time. On turf, it was Dancing Delaware coming from post 15 to run the 44th best time.
• Case Closed is also the only horse to make one of the lists in an ungraded race.
• The breakdown per grade level on dirt is: G1 - 90, G2 - 8, G3 - 1, and ungraded - 1. On turf: G1 - 86, G2 - 13, and G3 - 2. I know that equals 101...there's a tie for the 100th spot.
• The breakdown per year for dirt is: 2003 - 7, 2004 - 12, 2005 - 6, 2006 - 11, 2007 - 23, 2008 - 25, and 2009 - 16. On turf: 2004 - 5, 2005 - 9, 2006 - 13, 2007 - 24, 2008 - 28, and 2009 - 22.