August

Here it is September and racing is almost over here at Yavapai in northern Arizona.  Almost all of my horses are home except the one running Labor Day and the one in New Mexico.  It has been hot and humid with lots of bugs and although some places in Arizona got lots of rain – I was not one of them.  So it has been back to irrigating and fixing sprinklers.

The last third of the season has been ok but not wonderful.  I seldom bet but got bored one day and split a Pick 4 ticket with the guy at the neighboring table.  Neither of us had ever done it before but it was only for 50 cents.  Lo and behold we hit it for $109.00.  Playing the next day with track money we hit again for $280.00.  Unbelievable – just call me the pick 4 queen.  But, alas, our luck didn’t last because the third time we tried it we were to cheap to hit the all button in the quarter horse race and for about another 10 dollars we could have had $800.  Oh well. 

I am finally picking up some boarders but I will lose a bunch when the meet ends and people move back to Phoenix.  The pastures are looking pretty used and will probably appreciate a rest.  I got in two yearlings from the New Mexico sale and both arrived sick.  Worse, you can’t catch them.  They must have tranquilized them for the sale.  It took over a week for us to get a halter on the Devon Lane and now he is dragging a rope so we can get a hold of him.  It will take awhile but he’ll learn.  Now for my horses.

Crown Secret has been turned out since she won her last race and will stay that way until next spring when I have to decide whether to race her or breed her.  I would much rather race her as that is my favorite part of the industry.  Besides, she was a May foal and I hate to breed her as a 3 YO.  She pulled a check ligament and they don’t heal well so I may have no choice.  The vet wanted to put her on 30 days stall rest, then 60 days with very limited exercise and only then could I start back with her.  It sounded like a lot of work for something that can be controlled by drugs since this is not a new injury and she’s been doing just fine.  I will ultra sound her in March and see how it looks before I make any final decision.

Nae Doot is a WINNER – something I was beginning to despair of ever happening.  My trainer Chad Story worked miracles and he came flying home in his last race to win by two.  It was a pretty bad field but he did it well.  I can’t pin Chad down on whether he will take him to Phoenix for the first part of Turf Paradise or whether he gets to just rest until next spring when he will get ready for Yavapai again.  The early part of the meet at Turf is usually pretty easy as most are Yavapai horses and those that were resting all summer aren’t fit.  If he goes to Phoenix he will come back up here in late November for the winter.

Barilla finally got to the races after all kinds of problems and ran really well to be second in her very first race.  She went off the favorite in her next start and ran well for part of the race before stopping in the stretch like she hit a wall.  Chad thinks it was the lasix as she had never had it before, but it turns out she was coming down with horse flu and by the time I brought her home she was running a high temperature and coughing.  That may have had something to do with it as well.  I put her on sulfa along with two yearlings that shipped in and she seems fine now – out in the pasture with Nae Doot.

Cash Receipt has enjoyed his vacation and I think will make the trip to Phoenix in a few days.  Newton‘s Theory is back in training and is at Zia Park in NM and should make it to the races by November if everything goes all right.  FD Icy runs Labor Day in the last Futurity of our season and will be going farther than he has ever gone.  Hope he does well and at least gets a part of it.  He ran a couple of weeks ago and was a well beaten second but that was by design as we were looking at the bigger picture.  I didn’t want him to have a hard race with the Futurity coming up in two weeks.  We will need some luck and I hope the bug boy can hold on to his stick – he’s been having some problems with that….but then he is a bug boy!

That’s about it.  Matt is glad the season is about over and I am sad.  We had our attendance problems but didn’t have to cut the purses although there were a couple of day cancellations due to the weather.  I have it on good authority that we will be back next year so that is something to look forward to.  I am off to Minnesota for a couple of weeks to relax by the lake, zip around on the Jet Ski and take in the sights.  I am driving, which sounds long but there is much to see along the way so I will be fine.  Poor Matt gets to take care of the property, horses, dog and cats.  He will be busy!   See ya, when I get back in late September.