NEWSLETTER UPDATES
May 9, 2008 RACING UPDATE
NO SIR ENDER CAT
No Sir Ender Cat has been entered on Tuesday at River Downs in Cincinnati in a $5,000 maiden claiming race for fillies and mares 3 and up, going 6 furlongs. Jockey Edgar Paucar has been named to ride. If the race is used and No Sir Ender Cat gets in we'll send another update with the race number and time.
CACTO CANTO
Cacto Canto returned from training on Wednesday in some discomfort and favoring his right leg. No problems were immediately visible and his leg has no heat or filling. The vet checked his hoof and found no problem. Right now the thinking is he may be just have a bruise. He's going to have a few more days off and if the problem is not cleared up then they will take x-rays.
SWEETSOUTHERNKITTY
Trainer Ralph Nicks said he was pleasantly surprised by Sweetsouthernkitty who shipped into his barn at Churchill Downs earlier in the week. Nicks said she galloped with two very well bred 2 year old fillies and "went right with them" with ease.
KITALPHA HAS THE BIG HEART
Here's an excerpt from Steve Haskin the Senior Correspondent for the Bloodhorse regarding the big heart theory as it related to Secretariat, Big Brown and Kitalpha. Kitalpha is the stallion the Thoroughbred Racing Nation recently acquired breeding rights to. Our mare Conway Kitty who seems to be turning out some very promising runners is in foal to Kitalpha.
Haskin writes; Marianna Haun, has studied Thoroughbred genetics for the past 15 years and has been working with Dr. Fred Fregin, who's been measuring horses' hearts for 40 years. Haun's second book is about to published, titled, "The X Factor: Solving the Mystery of
Secretariat's Heart."
Haun called to say that Big Brown has inherited his broodmare sire Nureyev's heart, one of the most superior she's ever come across, and she had no doubt he would easily get the mile and a quarter of the Derby.
"My work began because of my quest to understand the amazing heart found in Secretariat at his autopsy," she said following the Derby. "When I saw Big Brown, I recognized the similarity or family resemblance in him to horses expressing the Nureyev X chromosome. In measuring thousands of horses, we have learned to recognize family characteristics that travel with certain heart lines. We had identified this Nureyev X with its family resemblance and the extraordinary heart in his daughter Miesque and her sons. Big Brown bears a strong resemblance to Miesque and to Nureyev. This indicates that his dam, Mien, gave him the X chromosome she inherited from her sire. He is inbred to the Northern Dancer line which carries both speed
and power from both his sire and dam. When the genetic spin of the wheel gives you those elements, combined with a heart the size of Secretariat, the results of the Kentucky Derby are not
surprising.
"When we measured Miesque's son, Kitalpha, we found the largest heart Dr. Fregin has seen in more than 40 years of measuring. It was the same size as Secretariat's. Kitalpha bears a very close resemblance to his dam, Nureyev, and to Big Brown. So we know that the extraordinary heart of Nureyev is beating in Big Brown."
THOROUGHBRED CLUB INVITES YOU TO HONOR MOTHERS WITH SUPPORT OF OUR MIMS RETIREMENT HAVEN MOMMATHON
Our Mims Retirement Haven and My Racing Heart, a Louisville Thoroughbred Club Foundation, are joining`together to honor mothers everywhere!
In honor of Our Mims, Calumet's 1977 Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, and the other beautiful mares of Our Mims Retirement Haven, OMRH is teaming up with My Racing Heart and the Louisville Thoroughbred
Club to hold the very first MOMMATHON, a special fund raising effort to support Thoroughbred mares in retirement.
Life at the Our Mims Retirement Haven is pretty good for the ladies who live there. Iza Valentine, Jamra, Timeless Sue, Hana Bride, Princess Royale, Little Miss Porter, Bel's Starlet, Cruella, and Blue Viking are
constantly showered with all the love, attention, proper care, and carrots they need. But their barn could use paint and the fencing needs updating.
While honoring our own special moms with flowers, lunches, etc., don't forget the moms, grandmoms, and great grandmoms of Our Mims! You can help out by making a donation for MOMMATHON '08 at EADS HARDWARE in
Paris, Kentucky. All funds collected at the store will go toward the purchase of items to be used to "fix up around the Haven." Ask for Ed, Scott, or Matthew at EADS, and please refer to the OUR MIMS account #579.
We'll be painting and fixing up very soon, so please make your donations today!
Here's how to contact the store:
Eads Hardware:
301 Commerce Dr # 1
Paris, KY 40361
(859) 987-6630
April 16, 2008
PREVIEW PARTY SPIRIT CONTINUES TO RATCHET UP
The excitement around our April 26 Preview Party at the Derby Museum continues
to build. With the exception of Gary Stevens who is pretty confident about his top Derby selection, the racing analysts who will join our Preview Party are finding this year’s race particularly challenging to figure out. By Party Time though, they will have some strong opinions and their behind the scenes insight will be very helpful. Great auction items are continuing to roll in for our auction; we’ll probably have more auction items than people. Street Sense, Fusiachi Pegasus, and Empire Maker halters top the list of racing memorabilia.
Call 502-552-3153 to make a reservation.
RACING UPDATE
No Sir Ender Cat had a disappointing 5 fu5long work on Saturday. She was timed in 1:04 which is not bad but she was very tired as she finished up. In the early part of the work she set blazing fractions. She’s working toward an expected maiden start in 3-4 weeks.
Sweetsouthernkitty and Century Song galloped together and both looked very strong. This weekend they are expected to be allowed to run on for the last quarter mile of their work. That’s a promising sign that both are almost ready to begin breezing.
Also out on the track were Cacto Canto and Seventeen Shamrocks. Both just jogged around the track and it was hard to tell much about them. Cacto looks physically impressive although he may be a little overweight.
At Highpointe Training Center Mutak is galloping every other day and the reports on him continue to be positive. He’s moving well and showing no ill effects from his injury.
BREEDING UPDATE
French Reign delivered an impressive colt by Sky Classic at 10:30 pm Monday night. Both Frenchy and her colt are doing very well. Dr. Mike Johnson said the delivery went so smoothly he believes they will be able to breed French Reign back on her foal heat in about seven days. She is booked for rebreeding to the exciting young Sunday Silence sire Silent Name.
“Little Charming”, Charming Mom’s colt by Harlan’s Holiday developed a severe case of diarrhea as well as a urinary tract infection last week and was shipped to Rood & Riddle Clinic in Lexington on Friday. After several days of strong medication he’s looking and feeling much better and returned to Johnson & Johnson Farm on Tuesday.
Conway Kitty our first mare to be bred this year has checked in foal to the very exciting new sire Kitalpha. This week we learned some more good news about Kitalpha when it was determined he carries the same X Factor chromosome patterns and large heart as Secretariat. Apparently this trait is being passed on through his dam Miseque. This could be a very key factor in the success of Kitalpha’s offspring.
CONTEST ACTION
ROAD TO THE ROSES FANTASY CHALLENGE
Terry Koontz Booker T Stables continues to lead the way in our Road To The Roses Fantasy contest and is now odds on to take down the top prize. Jan Landow and her Mingo Palace stable are looming boldly in the second spot though only 6 points out of first. Dan Woerner holds down the third and fourth positions and can’t be counted out. It looks like its all going to come down to the Derby. Good Luck to all.
PREDICT THE COLTS
For the first time ever colts we have more colts than fillies coming out of our breeding program this year. The current count is 3 colts and 2 fillies with one more unknown to come. Those in the running for the top contest prize and the number of colts they predicted are:
Donna Logsdon – 3
Bob Bradley – 3
Clara Waggoner – 4
Chuck Walker – 4
Roger Sinkey – 4
Rick Pyles – 4
Elisa Holmes – 4
David Krebs – 4
DERBY HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE
We’re offering two Derby Handicapping Challenge Opportunities
CONTEST ONE –
Prize – A 1% Ownership Interest In The Filly No Sir Ender Cat With all expenses paid through 2008.
Challenge – Earn the highest payout on a $100 Derby investment. You are limited to a maximum of 3 different bets. Win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and or superfecta bets will be accepted. Bet increments must be in whole dollars.
CONTEST TWO –
Prize - $100
Challenge – Use any number of horses to Predict the Derby winner and Last place finisher. The person who uses the fewest number of horses wins.
Send your entries to info@thoroughbredclub.org by 1:00 PM Derby Day
WELCOME NEW-RENEWED MEMBERS
Joe Petito – Champions
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/EVENTS
Saturday April 12 – Workouts at Skylight Training Center – No Sir Ender Cat
scheduled to go 5/8ths, Cacto Canto, Sweetsouthernkitty, Seventeenshamrocks,
and Century’s Song to gallop. Mutak jogs at HighPointe training center.
Monday April 21 – Justin Vitek fund raiser at the Kentucky Derby Museum with
comedian Mark Klein.
Friday April 25 – “Riders Up” Derby presentation and other fun at the Polo Fields Club House in Louisville. Join us to learn some Derby handicapping techniques and angles. Free hor’dourves, cash bar. Free, email us for directions. The Program begins at 6:30 PM.
Saturday April 26 – 9:00 AM at Skylight Training Center join us for complementary beverages, muffins, coffee & donuts as we see our racing team prepare for racing action.
Saturday April 26 – Kentucky Derby Preview Party and Charity Auction with Gary Stevens, Steve Haskin, Jill Byrne, Jean Cruget and John Asher at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Entertainment by Jerry Green & Friends.
Sunday April 27 – Preview the next generation of Champions (yearlings and babies at Johnson & Johnson Farm in Shelbyville, then join us for a classic Kentucky country lunch at Claudia Sanders Dinner House.
Wednesday April 30 – Get the latest info on the Derby contenders and pretenders along with investment ideas at “Saddle Up For Derby Success” presented by Thoroughbred Club at the Chick Inn Restaurant.
Monday through Thursday April 28-May 1 – Louisville Thoroughbred Club Sausage Sizzle on the backside at Churchill Downs.
Thoroughbred Club Kentucky Derby Handicapping Contest Entries Close – May 3 at 1:00 PM Eastern
April 9, 2008
SEATTLE SLEW JOCKEY JEAN CRUGET TO JOIN PREVIEW PARTY
Among the treats in store for this year’s Kentucky Derby Preview Party attendees will be an opportunity to meet, shake hands and talk with Jean Cruget, the man who piloted Seattle Slew to victory in the Derby and Triple Crown 31 years ago.
What a great honor to have a legend like Mr. Cruget join with us to celebrate the 31st anniversary of Slew’s great accomplishment.
INCOMING EMAIL SYSTEM CRASHES
Spammers infiltrated our email service provider’s servers and crashed our incoming email capability sometime in the last week to ten days. If you sent a message in the last week or so to info@thoroughbredclub.org or tbracingnation.com it did not get through. Once we were able to get into the system we found more than 20,000 emails from “Guadalupe”. Guadalupe is either a big racing fan or a spamming criminal.
We believe the system has been repaired so start those messages, reservations, Club memberships, horse purchases etc. coming again. (but not you Guadalupe)
Thanks for your patience with the technology.
RACING UPDATE
No Sir Ender Cat looked a little sharper this past weekend breezing 4 furlongs in 49.2 seconds and galloping out 5 in 1:04. She laid behind her workmate a little after having trouble with the turn again, and then came on to pull even near the end of the work. Trainer Drury said they are trying to teach her to relax behind horses and finish strong. This weekend she’s expected to work 5 furlongs. If everything continues on track, Tom expects her to be ready to start in about 4 weeks.
Century Song and Sweetsouthernkitty continued to gallop very strong and look very good. After a few weeks more of solid gallops they should be ready to begin breezing.
SeventeenShamrocks is galloping a little easier than Sweetsouthernkitty and she also looking very sharp.
Cacto Canto arrived at the center of the weekend and has the first few days acclimating. He’s expected to be out jogging on the track this weekend.
Mutak has been cleared to return to light training. He shipped to Highpointe Training Center where they have both an uphill wood chip and poly track. Mutak will jog on the uphill to strengthen his hind end and not put heavy pressure on his front legs as he begins conditioning. He’ll jog every other day for a few weeks and then his training regime will be reassessed. He jogged on Tuesday for the first time and was said to be moving very well.
MORE FUN AT PREVIEW PARTY
Another fun feature at this year’s Preview Party will be an opportunity to sample some new chocolate blends from Coco’s Chocolate Café. Fred Moore the proprietor of Coco’s will invite you to offer some feedback about how well you enjoy these special new chocolate recipes. What fun!
Speaking of fun were also happy to let party goers know that Kimberly Warren, DVM from Burleson, Texas will be back at this year’s party. Kimberly was the winning bidder of the Smarty Jones halter offered at last year’s auction and the word is she’d like to add the Street Sense halter that will offered this year to her collection. Kimberly is a great Club member, enthusiastic with Thoroughbred spirit and she doesn’t miss any part of the great Derby week festival.
Also joining us from out of town is James Winters of Cheshire, Connecticut, Wayne Kwan from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Jeff & Christie Mallard from Hawthorne, California. Wayne is the savvy international handicapping guru who collected on a $70,000 Santa Anita Pick 6 on the night of last year’s preview party. Another in town guest will be Karen Scott. Karen is a talented handicapper who is working with us in developing our next training course “How To Quit Your Day Job and Just Play The Ponies”. Our Preview Party is a great celebration of Thoroughbred Spirit, filled with colorful racing personalities; we hope you’ll be able to join our local friends and others from around the country as we celebrate the spirit!
CONTEST CORRECTION
Our Florida Derby contest winner was James Winters, not James Higgins as earlier reported. Congratulations James!
Due to the email problems described above, last week’s “Strike Three” contest has been declared “no contest”.
BOOKER T SOARS TO THE LEAD
Terry Koontz and his “Booker T Stable soared to the lead in our Club’s Division of the Road To Roses Fantasy contest. Terry had a huge weekend to take command of the contest with a total of 125 points. Lurking in second place is Jan Landow’s “Mingo Place” stable who also made a bold move this past weekend. Former leader Dan Woerner’s “Mutakattack” stable fell to third place and still very dangerous. Expect more big moves this weekend with the Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby offering up lot’s of point opportunities. Good luck to everyone!
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
Bill Motley – Champions
Keith Henglein – Champions
A M Krebs – Winners Circle
