This week came with a little sad info. that is a reminder of the risks of the game and just how fragile the racing careers of horses are. Three champions, California Chrome, Lady Eli and Main Sequence all sustained serious injuries-illnesses this past week (read below). Chrome is at best done for the year, Main Sequence is done racing for good, and Lady Eli’s life is in danger. Of course, our thoughts and good wishes go out to all these great horses and their connections.
California Chrome Likely Out for the Year
California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year and dual classic winner, will likely sit out the rest of the year and may not race again because of a cannon bone bruise, trainer Art Sherman said July 12."He's probably out for the rest of the year," Sherman said. "It's three months, but that's almost the rest of the year, and if you're going to race him again, you have to get him back into training. If they decide to run him next year, he'll be fine... (The owners) haven't made up their mind, but I'll know in the next couple days."
Star Filly Lady Eli Battling Laminitis
Undefeated Lady Eli, most recently a facile winner of the $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT), is battling laminitis, according to her trainer Chad Brown and Jay Hanley, one of her co-owners."We're in a wait and see situation," said Hanley, who owns Lady Eli with Sol Kumin under their Sheep Pond Partners banner.
Main Sequence Retired from Racing
Tuesday, July 14, 2015 | Main Sequence |Flaxman Holdings’ Main Sequence (Aldebaran), 2014 champion turf horse and older male, has been retired from racing after a tendon tear was discovered in the aftermath of his seventh-place run in the GI United Nations S. July 5, Flaxman Holdings racing manager Alan Cooper said Monday. “Following Main Sequence’s poor performance in the United Nations [Stakes], a thorough veterinary examination was carried out last week,” Cooper stated in a post on the website of trainer Graham Motion’s Herringswell Stables. “A tendon tear was discovered and the decision has been taken to retire him. The 2014 Eclipse Champion Turf Male and Eclipse Champion Older Male has given his owners great pleasure throughout his career.
Back to Kenwood runners, with our best wishes for all these great champions above... On the subject of keeping horses sound and safe (while offering nothing but credit to the great job everyone associated with the great champions above have done with these exceptional runners!) we are justifiably proud of how many of the horses we have purchased the last four years at sales are still running today, how many races most of them have run, and how sound they have been. No champions from these bargain-priced purchases (yet!) but all have raced, 26 of 27 have won, 20+ have already earned more than their purchase prices, and none have died or sustained a career-ending or life threatening injury on the track. Credit goes both to our excellent trainers, and our ability to select sound horses with our sales process. We can’t guarantee all our horses will run, or win, or that none will get hurt, but these numbers speak for themselves. Sometimes these kinds of stats get lost in the day to day shuffle. If you win lots of races but also have lots of breakdowns and horses who never race, your overall finances will almost surely be terrible, even if you win the high percentage of races you need to in order to have a shot of success in this business. You need to win AND to keep horses racing sound and give them long, productive careers, a delicate balancing act to say the least for anyone in this game….
We have updated possible races for all our horses (see entries page), including our two year olds. Several of the boys could run at Monmouth Park Aug. 23rd for their debuts. As a general guideline the horses purchased earlier (groups 22 & 23 in March) will be ahead of the horses groups 24 (purchased in April) and 25 (purchased in May) since they have been training longer, but it’s NOT a race to see how can run soonest. The goal is a nice, safe, long, winning career for each horse! They are raceHORSES, not raceCARS, they will tell us when they are ready! Title Fight was precocious and started (and won!) sooner than usual. Some of the best horses will usually start and win later, like Kentucky Derby winner ORB and our own stakes winning Michael With Us, both of whom were maidens at two and only got good at age three. Our two year olds worked out during the week with Sky Ace, Awesome Papa Al, JW Racer, Mackinaw Pharoah and Hardrainsgonnafall breezing at Monmouth July 18th, and Sonny's Pharoah breezing at Penn National (see below). Title Fight came out of his debut victory great and after several days walking was back on the track Friday 17th and eager to train.
Now a note about some horses claimed - sold and their records since leaving our barn...First note the result of old friend Dance With Gio, who was 5th this week in New York. She has yet to win a single race since we sold her in January. Her owners have invested easily $20,000 + in the last 7 months to get about $10,000 in purses. Makes the $14,000 we sold her for look awful good. People hate to sell, privately or via claim, usually it’s the wise move! Next note that two very high profile, top trainers claimed My Little Darlings and Video Mov from us at Monmouth this spring. My Little Darlings was 2nd to last, beaten 14 lengths in her first start for her new connections (trainer David Jacobson, who is known for moving horses up off the claim) and has not been heard from since. They paid us $40,000 for her. Video Mov was claimed from us for $20,000 by the highest winning percentage trainer in North America, Jamie Ness, 5 weeks ago. He was 2nd yesterday for $12,500, and we claimed him back for a 40% discount (read below). He’s a nice sound horse, Jamie couldn’t win with him even dropping way down in class from what he paid us for him. Trainers and jockeys and owners and horses have hot and cold streaks, but when people can’t move horses up off you time and again you know you and especially your trainers are doing their job!
As mentioned above, on July 18th Kenwood welcomed Video Mov back to the barn, claiming him back for Kenwood and group #20 for $12,500 (he was claimed from us for $20,000 just over one month ago and we felt he was well worth having back with us at that bargain price). Scuba Sue, who we also claimed back off a fine winning race is ready to run, as is Big Apple Brit, Boardwalk Run, Jersey Jules and recent claim Huamantla, so the last half of July promises lots of racing action!
This notice is to inform you that one or more of your horses has worked out.
Sky Ace (2-Year-Old Colt)
Date: July 18, 2015
Track: MONMOUTH PARK
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 48:60 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 12/75 - See the day's workouts
This notice is to inform you that one or more of your horses has worked out.
Awesome Papa Al (2-Year-Old Colt)
Date: July 18, 2015
Track: MONMOUTH PARK
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 48:60 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 12/75 - See the day's workouts
This notice is to inform you that one or more of your horses has worked out.
J W Racer (2-Year-Old Colt)
Date: July 18, 2015
Track: MONMOUTH PARK
Distance: Four Furlongs
Time: 49:40 Breezing
Track Condition: Fast
Surface: Dirt
Rank: 46/75 - See the day's workouts