I haven't melted yet!

But I have neglected this blog for a while now...just no time or energy to write. Especially no energy. The heat has been absolutely brutal and leaves me sleeping most of the day...which I hate, but alas.

Not too much has been going on, just the same old daily routine. Stormy has recently decided that he IS a good boy after all, and has been a pure joy to gallop. We make sure we start off with no other horses around us, he picks up a nice easy gallop on a loose rein, and I just have to close my fingers a bit if he gets tough and he comes right back to me. Then he pulls up like a gentleman and walks home on a loose rein. Quite a difference from the plunging, bucking horse from two weeks ago. Whatever made the change, I'm grateful for it.

Blue came out of his race in great shape and tugged me around today as we jogged a mile. No more jog days for him, he gets too antsy and just wants to run through the bridle..not easy to prevent on a seventeen hand monster with no mouth ;) I think with more time he's going to be a decent racehorse. He definitely has the heart.

Kazzie finally had a good day today. I try to keep the bit in her mouth the ENTIRE gallop (much to my arms' dismay) and keep steady contact on BOTH reins, keeping her head straight and focused on where she's going rather than on who is beside her. It worked really well today and she actually galloped like a racehorse, using her hind end and trying to focus. I was really proud of her...she has a lovely, powerful stride when she is actually trying. I was ready to hand her over to the freelance rider who will be taking S's place for the next week but now I think I'm going to stick with her and see how much better she can get.

Big weekend for the barn coming up. Lion runs tomorrow night in Indiana, and then Ella, Diva and Butters run at Ellis on Saturday. Hopefully we will have some good luck and get a win...or four. :) Jingles for all of the kiddos. God Bless!

When you have a Bad Day...

...then the vet comes and injects blood into a shin and things are all smiley again :)

I knew it would be a Bad Day before I even woke up. Had this absolutely terrifying dream that I won't type out for fear it comes true...got to the barn exhausted and not prepared to face the (long) day ahead. We went from having maybe ten horses go to the track (with all of the others walking because they had run) to only having 3 walkers and 18 horses going to the track. Not to mention it's humid and gross all morning and I was grumpy because I left my bandanna at home.

Soooo...Diva was extra tough today and will be getting the joy of a figure-8 on tomorrow. This may make her tougher, but at least it will keep her mouth closed so I have SOME shot of getting her to relax and gallop *ahem* normally. She wears me OUT. Then Butters had to jog again (more on this subject in a minute) and he was a complete jerk...at one point he launched himself and kicked out at a poor innocent horse standing out and almost hit her. Way to go, Mr. Dressage Pony. You can do levades. Next was Orange, who galloped beautifully and then decided to make a right-hand turn right into another galloping horse when I was pulling up. He has done this to me twice now...it's almost like he doesn't see the horses galloping to his inside and it scares him...but I have to find a way to anticipate it, because that behavior is NOT okay.

Then came Blackie, who was her usual bubbly self and bucked around beside Jack, who just happened to take off on the turn for absolutely no reason. This would be the first of several bad incidents involving Jack. Next was Stormy...thank the good Lord that he is running tomorrow and I won't have to get on him for at least four days. He is over the top right now...I can barely get him out of the barn without him jumping around. Then he gallops like it's the funniest thing in the world to bound around out of control, then I have to hold my breath until he's back in the barn because he's ready to explode at any second. He is sitting on a huge race though, I can feel it.

Flash was next, and he was actually fairly decent today...he pulled me around but finally relaxed and galloped well. This ride was marred by some jerk who thinks asking me out while galloping is appropriate. I try to be nice to people, I smile....and it gets me into situations like the above. Give me a break. Thank goodness Flash turned around and jogged away quickly.

After break, the real "fun" began. First with Ella, we are just pulling up when a loose horse runs straight at us. I whipped Jack around and the horse missed us by inches....way too close a call for me. Now Jack's all riled up for Lion, the worst POSSIBLE horse to be riled up for. She was bloody insane today...she hasn't done anything in two days and she let me know it. Naturally Jack fed off of her energy and tried to take off on the turn....then coming off the gap she jumped up and away from me and Jack bucked and took off the other way. Thank Heavens I kept a hold of her but then proceeded to get after Jack the entire walk home...which made me feel horrible because it really isn't his fault. Darn it.

Luckily, the morning began to turn around with Kazzie, who is my light. :) She is learning SO fast. She backs up calmly and professionally and stands out as long as I want her to. She's not above playing around a little bit but she really tries and is galloping so much better....switching her leads and everything. She even managed to keep up with Sought today! Tomorrow will be a huge test for her, she has to go by herself AND before break! She can do it, though. Ahhh, I just love her. :)

So after Jack was bathed and linimented up, I held Stormy for a much needed sheath cleaning and then held Butters while his shin was shock-waved and then some version of IRAP therapy was done to him. It was neat, I had never seen it done before. He now has to jog for another 10 days...which makes me want to hide in a corner somewhere, but hopefully we can prepare a wee little cocktail for him every morning.

A new baby came in today around lunchtime, and we are all set to claim a filly tonight! Keep your fingers crossed! Long day tomorrow, as most Saturdays tend to be....a million horses to get out (and a bunch of breezers) and then Storm runs in the last race. Jingles for the big horse! He deserves it!

So, it's been awhile. Things have been hectic and insane and, well, hot and humid too. The good news is, all of the horses are doing great.

Nugget had his first start on Monday and ran a courageous 3rd. We are tickled pink with him and will look for a turf start next. He has been nominated to the Cradle!! Hopefully things will continue progressing with him. He did lose a bit of weight but he ran his hiney off.

BoldBold is now my favorite boy in the barn, hands down. He has put on SO much weight and has an apple bottom, which I tease him about frequently. He is galloping like a stakes horse and is generally just playful and happy all day long. He runs SUNDAY (eeek!!) and I cannot WAIT.

Butters was recently involved in a legal dispute and today we got word that he is indeed staying with us. The Lord has been so gracious to us through this process and I'm so blessed to get to continue riding this big nerd every day.

And last but not least, Kazzie has been improving by leaps and bounds. She goes right to work and focuses for MOST of the ride, and today finally started to gallop up into the bridle a little bit despite the heat and the beachy track. She is just a stunning looking filly, although she hasn't appeared to shed any pounds yet. I have faith in her, though!

Jingles for Stormy on Saturday and BoldBold and Flash on Sunday! Should be a really fun weekend!!

Cheap Drunk

Kazzie, that is. Between the heat and the tranq, she had a difficult time making it around the eeeennnntttiiiireeee racetrack. However, she still managed to throw in a few well-timed bucks and spooks, and also refused to walk home without the aid of a patient observer who led us over the horse-eating mats. She did start off really nicely today, which was encouraging...she stands until she simply can't stand anymore, and then she just wants to GO...but once I ask her to go, she decides she's fat and lazy and would rather stop and just go home. She wore me out today...managed to pull a hamstring on the pony earlier in the morning so by the time I got off of her...PHEW. She stood like an angel for her bath, though...and got to move over to the Big Kid barn today, which she seems to really like. She has a jolly ball and a hay net and, as of 7 p.m. had managed to keep her bandages on. This means I'm not going to get to rub her anymore but I definitely enjoyed the last few days. We'll see how she is on Monday, after her day off tomorrow...hopefully she'll remember what she's learned!

Orangeman continues to win me over...although he was a little naughty to gallop today (wanting to pull himself up) he is just such a sweet horse. We would have had an incident-free morning if not for Asmussen's white pony galloping pell-mell for us, which resulted in Orange freezing up and backing to the inside rail...and then snorting and sweating the entire way home...but we will work on his relaxation in the future. He is a joy to ride and to be around.

Ella ran her heart out tonight to finish 4th...she went to the lead today and showed a lot of heart and class and refused to give up.

Day off tomorrow..I will miss the kiddos but I could use the time to worship and also to ride my own horse. And then we'll be gearing up for a super busy week/weekend with at least one horse in almost EVERY day until Memorial Day. Should be fun!!

And to close, a couple of Kazzie pictures from today:
"Helloooo there! Hi! I'm Kaz! Can I give you kisses? Please?"
Doing what she does best, licking her feed tub completely clean:God Bless!!

Gold star for Kazzie!

First thing this morning, after I set the tack, I went down to the barn where Kazzie is to check on her and see if her bandages had survived the night. Well, they hadn't. She was laying on one of them and the other was buried somewhere deep. Sigh. She was still sleeping...at least until I had to pull the bandage out from underneath her, which woke her right up. Goofy girl. Ran back to the main barn to get the morning started...all the horses were lovely today, especially Butters. Finally it was time to go back over and get on the Freight Train. We decided to send her in the loose ring snaffle today, as the ring bit was a bit strong for her little baby mouth. It was a good decision. Everything was SO much BETTER today! She did have a little blooper backing up, and decided that the trash cans lined up by the first turn were simply too scary to continue...she backed up and then did a 180, almost getting me off over her shoulder, but I hung on. Finally got back to the wire. SHE STOOD OUT! Yay, Kaz! At least until she decided she was ready to go...then there was no arguing with her. So off we went, slightly ahead of Sought. I felt a little more solid on her, so I stood up on her right away and just focused on staying behind her motion, keeping my leg on and keeping a feel of her mouth. Sought caught up and passed us, and Kaz let out several big bucks...and then promptly realized she was exhausted. So from the 3/8th's pole on, I had to really urge the buffalo on....she instantly regretted her fast start! We made it back around, though, and she stood and turned around perfectly. What a good girl! Got back to the barn, untacked her and then gave her a bath. She wasn't keen on standing on the mats, so I just bathed her on the gravel. She was very good for her bath, didn't move a muscle and wasn't touchy or anything. She walked, got some down time, and then I headed over to her barn to do her up and give her lunch.

She isn't shy about food, that's for sure. Gave her lunch and she was content to stand like an angel while I brushed her and put her bandages on....WITH WrapLast this time. I coated them in it, so hopefully they will still be on her in the morning. With a kiss and a goodbye, I left her to finish munching.

Also wanted to mention Orange today..got to ride him for the first time and I think I might be in love with him. He has this huge fuzzy ears that are lopsided the entire time he gallops. He makes me smile.


:) Then again, they all do.

God Bless!

Stop? Go? Left? Right? WHA?

I could just hear these questions being screamed by our newest addition, Kazzie, as we attempted to gallop around the daunting track this morning. Actually I could hear them long before we even left the barn. She is a beast of a filly, built like a brick s*** house, and easily 300 lbs overweight at this point. She questions everything, has to stop and look, and is generally just a big goober about life. We went out with S and Sought, somehow managed to back up...naturally when we got to the wire, someone starting banging around in the grandstand, which put us on the inside rail staring up at the stands with the biggest eyes in the world. Sigh. Managed to turn around and got going into a little gallop, which quickly turned into a slam-on-brakes stop, then a gallop towards the inside fence, then another stop, then a really fast gallop to catch up with Sought, then another duck inside, then some nice jolting bucks...weeeeee. She made it past the gate at a jog, then back to a gallop, and by the end I was at least "posting the canter", not quite trusting her enough to actually stand up on her. Made it to the 5/8th's pole, pulled her up...EEEERRRKKKK....tried to turn her around, she froze up in the middle of the track, then decided she didn't want to leave just yet....spun around and took off the other way...finally got her back to Nat who caught her and led her enormous prancing self back to the barn. Phew, made it.

Impossible to get mad at her though. Not a mean bone in her body, ears never went back, and although she constantly hesitated she DID make it around in one piece. Obviously tomorrow will be a telltale day of whether or not she learned anything. Since she's an extra horse and our grooms are all booked, I get to rub her for a couple of days...which makes me happy, because I like to have everything to do with her, so I can get inside her head a little bit. She happily munched on lunch while I brushed her and did her up, stood very well for everything (except for hoof picking, which she will need work on). Hopefully she will remember the track tomorrow and be a bit more willing to gallop on and listen to me. We shall see!

God Bless!

Ups and Downs

Churchill has been nice and sloppy for the last few days, thanks to the seemingly never-ending rainfall we have been experiencing. On one level, rain is a good thing...on another level, it's depressing, cold, and makes cleaning tack much less fun. The good news? The track crew have actually been doing a good job maintaining the slop, and the horses have been traveling well over it.

Storm has been relishing his training lately and is eager to go out every morning. We have started going off the upper Romans gap, which seems to control his explosive nature on particularly busy mornings. At this gap, he is off the horse path quicker and therefore has less time to react to pounding hooves behind him, and then we have a nice leisurely walk back home. He has been a perfect gentleman. Naturally, he managed to hurt himself in his stall this morning...nothing major, thank God, but a freak thing that only he could manage to do. ;)

Flash has been training like a true beast. After his fast work last week, he has been tugging me around and prancing and acting silly whenever he finds the opportunity. Very excited about his attitude change and how solid he feels while galloping. He WANTS to train, which is a big difference from a month ago.

Diva is one work away from her first race, and she has been very aggressive in her training, wanting to go straight down to the rail and go as fast as she can. Naturally, that isn't the goal, so I've been working extra hard to keep her in the "slow part" of the track, giving and taking on her mouth and saying "No ma'am, no ma'am, no ma'am" every time she wants to fight with me. You can see her little ears flicking back towards me constantly, and for the most part she will relax with time and gallop around quite nicely. D. Wayne Lukas himself gave her a hard glance this morning and seemed to like what he saw. She is really blooming at the right time and keeping it together mentally..I'm quite excited about her.

Butters continues to maintain a very high level of professionalism for such a high-spirited young horse. Yesterday, a horse flipped over right beside us and was loose, and Butters calmly waited for me to stop him and check on the rider...I can always count on him to keep his cool. And he's learning to relax galloping, although it's a day-by-day process. Will have his first work under a jockey as soon as this weather clears up.

Nugget is in on Thursday! I just have to get him through ONE more day of training! It's always nerve-wracking the last couple of days coming up to a race, especially an important one. This horse is a home-bred and the owners are so excited about him, as are we. This race will really be a crucial one for him, potentially dictating the rest of his 2 y/o career, which we obviously hope is a lucrative one. Keep your fingers crossed for him! Also please keep BoldBold in your thoughts and prayers as he continues to battle whatever kind of infection/sickness is bugging him.

And on a parting note, we have two new kids in the barn! Kaz is a half-sister to Ali and Blackie, and looks JUST like them, a big fat bay. We also have Orange, who is way too cute for words and seems to be a sweet boy. Look for updates on these two as we start taking them to the track on Thursday!

God Bless!

It's not all champagne and roses...

Today was one of those days that truly tested my strength and patience as a person. Without the Lord, I would be a useless human being on days like today (well, actually, on any day...but ESPECIALLY on days like today). It went from a balmy 80 degrees yesterday to 40 degrees and really windy today...naturally, the horses reacted by erupting into sillies whenever possible. As did everyone else's. It suddenly seemed as though every horse in America had inhabited Churchill Downs and that they were all around me every time one of my kids decided to throw a happy fit. And I reacted by shutting down emotionally and just wanting to go home.

Stormy was pretty well behaved, actually. He's always my big horse and I love him for it. We did have a tough gallop, though, because we somehow got stuck in a pack of horses who egged him on...luckily, he even pulls like a big horse, so he's easy to hold. He's switching leads better than ever and relaxing so much better into his gallops. I LOVE that horse.

Sought was next...she was *such* a brave little lady as we navigated the very full jogging path of "evil" horses who couldn't keep all fours on the ground. She looked at them with big oogley eyes, not sure what to think or how to react, so luckily she just kept jogging. We finally made it around and she decided to freeze in the gap and rear up for approximately two straight minutes. I had to just sit and wait for her to finish her fit, and then she finally took a deep breath and walked off calmly. I was frustrated, no doubt, but she's impossible to be mad with.

Flash seems to be feeling more like his old self every day, and the cold wind didn't deter him at all today. He drug me around and felt very solid underneath me, with no ill effects from his work. Now that I've worked him a couple of times, I think I've figured him out and next time will not hesitate to get after him...he is a very lazy work horse, and he has no excuses soundness wise, so I think I have him figured out now!

Dancer was good, although a bit hairy coming off the track...never met a horse who hated and yet loved other horses so much. He's another one that I can't possibly get mad with. Love him to bits and pieces. Then came Butterlicious, and he may have been the first horse all morning that truly got a smile out of me. He galloped like a total pro! Wind and all, nothing bothered him. He relaxed and grabbed the bit and was better than ever with his leads. His class comes out more and more every day and I am really excited about him. What a good looking horse he is, too. He gets to start going to the gate next week.

Finally was BoldBold. Big test for him today, the gate. He had a lot of trouble with the gate in his first race and today was to see where we stand with him. He let me know right away how he felt about this idea...by doing a quick 180 when he caught sight of the gate. Trembling, he let the outrider lead us up and into the gate. He started shaking all over and looking around and freaking out...my poor boy. They really did a number on my baby boy...but we will work through all of his confidence issues and get him back on track. He did break, which surprised me...deep down he knows what to do, they just threw too much at him at once and he lost every ounce of confidence he had. He broke fast and straight, and once he heard my enthusiastic "Good BOY!!!" he pricked his ears and galloped like a big horse...then pranced the whole way home. I LOVE THIS COLT.

And to top off the excellent end of the morning, ROCKET is BACK. He ran in the 1st race today and under a hand ride from Calvin, he won. The call was amazing.."And he is in CHARGE! Ready's Rocket is BACK!" Thank you, little big man, for our first win of the meet! He always comes through. What an incredible little horse he is. We are very blessed to have him in the barn.

And I am very blessed, even on rough mornings like today where I just want to throw my hands up and go home. My Lord always gets me through tough situations and then reminds me of how truly blessed I am to have these horses and these people in my life. I don't want to imagine my life without them.

Big Horse.

I am so blessed. Beautiful day, a barnful of amazing horses, and incredible people to work with. And yet, the Lord chose to bless me "extra" today by letting me ride Stormy. We worked a half in company with S, on Bold, and the feeling this horse gives me is just...unlike anything I've ever felt. He goes on cruise control, and all I have to do is sit against him and wait for his big kick down the lane...I've never had to smooch to him or show him the stick, he does it all on his own, so easily that he feels like he's just out for a normal gallop. Everything about him makes me happy.

On other random notes, quickly as I am desperate for sleep--

1. Blackie runs tomorrow, Ella on Friday and Rocketman on Saturday. Should be a good weekend for the barn and our morales!
2. GemGem was a rockstar at the gate today, flopping like a champ. Aside from his rearing stunt in the barn, he was the utmost professional.
3. Flash is finally starting to feel a little more like his old self...showing more spunk and happiness than he has since he came back to the track. He works tomorrow, hopefully he'll be dragging me to the pole. :)
4. Goldie went in a figure 8 and tongue tie today and it didn't seem to affect her for the better OR the worse...so I guess that was a bust...BUT she did gallop beautifully today, and works tomorrow...I want her to make it, darn it! I will keep brainstorming for her but hopefully she will redeem herself tomorrow.
5. Dancer managed to lope all the way up to our gap nice and relaxed with no spazztastic moments until AFTER we got off the track..when he managed to get someone dumped on the concrete. Atta boy.

Some of Nat's latest beautiful pictures:
Diva...
And BoldBold:

'Til tomorrow!!

The roses were sweet...

The day after Derby is always a little like the day after Christmas...you spend so much time getting built up for this 2 minute race, and then it's just...over. Churchill becomes a ghost town, all the media and rabid fans leave, and it's "just" another day at the track. Nevertheless, this week has reaffirmed how much I truly love my job, and how blessed I am to have it.

To recap a few of the highlights of our 48-hour stint in the track photographer's booth:

1. Jane Fonda has chimps.
2. "That's not REALLY Secretariat."
3. "You can just plug it in at the Lobster Shack..."
4. "Oh wow, look at that one. I love that one. That one is gorgeous. Baby, do you want one? Um...no..."
5. Appoint holding business cards like a champ. "Um, hello?" "Appoint! Is that you!?"
6. Gnochi, mac and cheese, cajun shrimp, free drinks and delicious Derby pie...it pays off to be a media employee at Derby!
7. Yate's Black Cat.

There were lots of other good times, however they're all blurred together. So exhausted. Calvin is incredible. Crisp broke my heart because she had such a bad trip in the Oaks but still ran as hard as she could, and I still adore her. Lucky ran his heart out as well...heck, they all did. Thank God they all came home safely and will fight another day. As will I, tomorrow, provided Stormy doesn't kill me after three days off!

Sloppy

The track was absolutely repulsive today...I didn't even make it off my first horse without getting splattered with mud. In case you've never had the pleasure of that experience, it hurts, and it puts me in a bad mood almost immediately. Goldi just jogged today since she's still getting over her weird illness/heat stroke the other day...she was not the good little girl I thought she would be and yanked my arms out...at least we only had to go one round. She's a little stick of dynamite and she doesn't back off until she's back in her stall...not the most pleasing characteristic to have when there's infinite walls of horses in front of you. Alas, we made it. Flash was next, and although he likes the track to be a little wet, pure and utter slop is not his cup of tea. Actually, I don't think it was any of my horses' cup of tea (except for Stormy, who I will get to later). Flash couldn't get a hold of the track to save his life and this just furthered my mood. Diva was next...by this point my very good friend K had arrived for her first backside experience :) Diva, typical after a day off, was full of it. So full of it that she managed to lock her right jaw and pull me towards the rail the entire gallop...eventually to the point where she tripped and almost fell because she was so busy arguing with me. She's quite sure she knows best and isn't keen on listening to my opinion...but she walked home very politely. Then came Allie who basically came out of her stall breathing fire. Trying to go on the gap, we were run into by another horse and that was the only excuse Miss Thang needed to erupt. By erupt I mean broncing like a rodeo horse and rearing straight in the air only to land and spin and do it again. I finally got her moving forward and now had to contend with her "water buffalo" huffs and puffs and her tail straight up in the air. She settled down but had a particularly hard time with the slop. Such a stinkwad. Next was darling little Gem, who has really become one of my favorites lately. He was the picture of class today, absolutely perfect despite the scary track and all the staccato hoofbeats on the front side. He doesn't seem to love the slop either but he did his best and I was very pleased with him. Ella ponied today and was wonderful...it was nice to not have to fight with her and just let her enjoy her training time.

At break we went up to watch the Derby and Oaks horses. I am more high on American Lion than ever. He reminds me very much of Barbaro, he is training fantastically and has a beautiful stride that just floats over the ground. The slop didn't seem to bother him at all. Lucky continues to impress me and had a nice relaxed gallop today. He does everything with so much class. Super Saver worked under Calvin today and really impressed me...he's not a flashy horse but he is special to watch. Lion replaced Dublin in my tri today as Dublin bolted shortly after beginning his gallop and ran off the gap, scattering camera crews and fans. Whether this has been a problem with him before or if he just started it, it's not a good sign. Devil May Care continues to impress with her graceful way of going and worked very impressively. Either race she runs in, she will belong.

After break I galloped Stormy, and he was the only horse who really relished the slop today. He is always a joy to gallop and was an absolute professional today. Butters was surprisingly well behaved and classy today as well, although I felt like we were on a slip-n-slide the entire gallop. He stood out quietly and despite the marathon runners in the infield he focused on his job. He's matured quite a bit since we got him in the barn and I'm starting to really enjoy him.

Day off tomorrow, and hopefully the track will be a bit better for the kiddos on Monday! :)

Speeding ticket!

Stormy's first work back was today! We got a bit of a speeding ticket, but he was CRUISING. I never had to ask him, he did it all on his own and galloped out like a champion. He has such a long, powerful stride...you feel like you're not flying, but you are. He is so incredible! He takes my breath away. If he were a man, I would marry him. Hopefully he comes out of the work well and can move forward from here.

It was fun riding under the lights this morning. Since we started training early (thanks, Derby horses) we got to train under the lights they use for the night races. It felt like being in Dubai :) And had a really, really good gallop on Flash, Butters and Bold. And Goldie, too, to think of it. Goldie started off really relaxed today and galloped around like a superstar. Flash loved the wet track and galloped like a champ, although I somehow managed to burn him on his side...I have no idea how. Couldn't figure out anything that could have done it, but I felt terrible...cried a little bit...he is the sweetest horse in the barn and I hurt him. Hopefully using the black "rub" pad on him will help from now on. Butters (Margy's new name) was much, much better today...stood pretty well and started off MUCH more professionally, relaxed into his gallop and did everything right. And Bold put a big huge smile on my face...he walked back until I asked him to jog, stood out at the wire for about five minutes without any fussing, walked off and then galloped around nice and easy. He just needs a lot of reassurance and sweet talking...but he is such a good soul...I really like him a lot and all the other people in the barn do too! I want him to make it, just like I want Stormy to get back to the races...projects keep me going :)

Time to go watch the Lexington...day off tomorrow, but I can't wait to get back to the barn on Monday morning!

Crisp continues to impress the hell out of me. She is training like a monster. She acts a little nervous until she settles into her gallop and then she's a total professional. She seems to like the track fine, although we'll see how she works over it. Also saw Beautician and Champagne D'Oro this morning, both are beautiful fillies but didn't train as impressively as Crisp did. Also got a glimpse of Paddy O' Prado, who had a nice and relaxed gallop before break.

Three new horses in the barn this morning, including another "project" horse who is a total doll and really fun to ride. His name is Bold, he's a 3 y/o colt. I was cautious as always when getting on a new horse, but this one (although slightly nervous at first) was a complete professional who really listened and did as I asked. Here he is:

The other new guys are 2 y/o Value Plus babies, one a colt and one a gelding. They aren't named as of yet so we are called them Salty and Margy, after their dams. Both were lovely to ride and had nice strides. I rode Margy and Sas rode Salty:
And to tie up a lovely morning, Gem worked his second 3/8th's and not only cruised home ahead of his company but also got the bullet. So impressed with him and we are very excited about his future!Tomorrow should be a busy day, with 18 trackers and "special" training hours to allow a time slot for only Derby and Oaks horses to train. I love my job...I am so very blessed to work with these people and these horses and to get to watch the best 3 y/o's in the country train every day.

Got to watch Lookin' at Lucky work today. He looked like he was just on cruise control, and I later found out he worked in 1:01 and change...he looked slower than that, so I am fairly impressed. He seems to handle the track well. I think this is my Derby horse. Scold me if you wish, but I am infatuated.

Also caught a glimpse of what I think was Crisp, Sadler's Oaks filly. She is a big, impressive looking filly. She was definitely looking around, at the gate/front side, but who can blame her. She wasn't being bad, just checking out the sights.

And briefly saw Ice Box galloping...he looked like a tough one to gallop, but seemed to be on his toes.

As far as "my" horses, it was just a long morning...one of those mornings that started off badly and just got worse and worse. Luckily all the horses seemed to work well and tomorrow we'll have more working. Blackie didn't get into her race but Ella is in on the 19th. She'll walk until then thanks to the stupid Dantrium rules in Indiana...but I really hope she runs well. If I didn't have class, I'd be riding up in the van with her. I *love* her so much.

Got to see my ClanClan today which was the highlight of my morning. I can't believe what an iron horse she has become. :) Going to visit her in the barn tomorrow after I get done with work...and can visit Cash while I'm there.
Hopefully more Derby/Oaks spottings tomorrow!

Got our first look at Lookin' at Lucky this morning. He looks great, seemed to like the track (even though it was horrible today). He is a gorgeous man. I'm on the alert for Sidney's Candy tomorrow, hopefully I'll get to see him. This is so exciting!

My kids were all pretty good today...Stormy continues to confuse with his weird head tilt and heaviness on right rein. We're thinking a lot of his weird habits are probably due to just that, habit, rather than actual pain. He seems to do everything else right, switches leads when I ask and jogs home sound. He needs to learn how to speak English and tell us that everything's okay. It's possible there's something hidden in that gorgeous long gallop stride of his, so I'll have to pay special attention to that tomorrow.

Ella had a moment today that required me pressing the "restart button"...after a bit of jogging she calmed down and was able to lope around on a nice, loose rein. I am determined to get her to understand that slow and easy is much better than fast and fighting, especially when that fighting includes her pounding on her own legs. She's the neatest horse ever, regardless. When she stops and poses on her way to the track every day, there's not a person on the track who wouldn't think she was a stakes horse. She's got more class than I originally thought.

Last ride on Cash today :( She definitely made it a good one (haha, in typical Cash fashion). Gave her kisses and told her to behave herself for them...I can always go visit her, she's right across the backside.

I am so blessed to be in this job right now. I have so much passion for this and I love the people who I work for/with every day...makes it *almost* easy to jump out of bed at 4:50 a.m. The horses are just great to ride and be around, I love being at Churchill...God is just so amazing.

Roses

I can't believe it's 18 days until Derby! Soon the track will be transformed to a swirl of media and fans...I'm grateful we've had the chance to get used to a quiet track beforehand so hopefully Derby time won't upset our horses too much. We have a lot of old professionals in the barn but some younger kids too, ones that haven't seen much yet. A few that may be a little nervous about the cameras and crowds are Diva, Alli, Gem, and maybe the new babies that are coming in tomorrow. Of course, they always surprise you. They might enjoy the attention.

Flash worked today...his first work back. He was amazing...nice and easy to the pole, finished up beautifully, never had to ask him for much. We went in pretty much the exact time that was wanted, which is probably the first time I've ever gotten a time right. :) Yay. He's such a classy little boy. He seemed to cool out well, so hopefully he'll continue to move forward and get back to the races soon.

Gem was the gold-star winner for today. He was an absolute professional...stood at the gap, stood at the wire, started off nice and easy, galloped great, and walked home totally chill. So proud of him! N caught a picture of us walking home:

Just love him. :) Actually, I love all of them. Very much. Cash and Turfy leave tomorrow and I'm really going to miss Cash. She is such a bad girl, but she loves to gallop and she loves her job, and her personality just rocks. I wish her the best with her "new" people!

Heard a rumor that Lookin' at Lucky was shipping in this afternoon. So excited that I actually get to be a "part" of Derby this year! As much as I loved galloping at the training center, to be in the middle of all the action....the thought just gives me goosebumps!

Just had to post a little "brag" about two of the horses today...Ella and Flash.

Ella was a total superstar today. We got to the track relatively quickly today as opposed to most days...she likes to stop and look around about every five seconds...today we only had three stops and then she walked onto the track like she owned it. We met up with Brass Hat and she actually WALKED all the way to the 3/4 pole...she was SO good...then she decided it was time to get going, and jogged back to the wire. She actually turned around slowly (for her) and started off slowly (for her)...and although she was her usual charming self during her gallop, there were MOMENTS of relaxation where I didn't have to fight with her...and then she walked home like a champ. *So* proud of her.

Flash had another good day, so things are looking up for him. He hit the ground beautifully today and barely needed any warm-up time...then jogged out after his gallop perfectly. Hopefully we're back on the right track with him. Starting to think the track was just too hard the other day and he prefers a little more cushion.

I guess if I have to be completely covered in mud and nastiness, it's good that the horses can still make me smile. :)

Today was just one of those mornings where all the horses make me smile. Most mornings, at least one or two of the kiddos will make me want to claw my eyeballs out, but today...not so much. They were all wonderful in their own special ways. So, not to bore everyone, but I feel the need to just run through the morning, horse by horse.

Stormy: My big horse always starts my morning off right. He's getting so much better about bridling, and mounting, and walking to the track without broncing like a rodeo horse. I just have to always remember that he's cold-backed and hates when I land on his back after my leg-up, so I have to kind of hover above him before I sit...seems to work. He marches to the track like he owns Churchill Downs, sets one hoof on the track and immediately starts jogging. He is the only horse in the barn that I trust to back up without putting a foot wrong. He stands out like a pro, then we start off...he has the most amazing, ground-covering stride...does everything like a stakes horse. We have to get this big guy back to the races.

Flash: Babay felt much better today. Jogged one and galloped one...he was relaxed and hitting the ground beautifully. I want him to make it...he is so classy and so good about everything...he wants to train but he's polite about it. Hopefully tomorrow he'll have another good day.

Goldi: Hello, pixie. She is the smallest Medaglia D'Oro I've ever seen...possibly half the size of my MDO gelding. She is so fun to gallop...she starts off way too fast but then she comes right back and gallops around like a pony. One of Ralph Nicks' horses came up beside us and she never even got tough...which I appreciate.

Ella: I hate to admit it but I'm starting to like this filly more and more. She is so peculiar and tough to deal with but she's got personality and I like it. Now that I'm finally starting to get used to her somewhat strange galloping style, we're doing a lot better. Relaxation is just key for her.

Dancer: ...was SUCH a good boy today. Made it all the way around the racetrack galloping with the pony. Never got tense or hot or even looked at the gaps. S is going to start backing him off the pony and getting him to go by himself...will be exciting to see him progress. You can't not like him...such a big and handsome horse.

Cash: Backed up with Brass Hat today and tried showing off for him. She is such a flirt. She galloped around nicely...but that wasn't the best part...before we started out, one of McPeek's horses got loose and Cash helped herd him. She may have a future as a cow pony if racing doesn't work out :)

Gem: I tried testing him a little bit today and he came through with flying colors. We had four horses directly in front of us and I made him take some dirt in his face for a few strides, then a hole opened up in the middle of the pack and I shot him through it. He never even hesitated...once he was in the clear he started fooling around a little bit but he's doing everything else so professionally that I wasn't too worried. He is standing beautifully, starting out relaxed, and walking home like a gentleman. He is a classy, classy colt...

Alli: Fatty McFatterson doesn't enjoy the heat but she was willing. Stood out for a long time and just watched the other horses train...she is one of the few that will stand for as long as I want. When I was ready she just walked off like a total champ...she's really fun to ride...just has to get that weight off.

So that was my morning. Makes me excited to go back tomorrow and do it all over again. I'm so blessed to get to do this job every day...and to have these horses to get on...they are just the best kiddos in the world.