Fighting for Mo

Cholangiohepatitis. For most people, it’s just a big word. For Uncle Mo, it was a big problem. Cholangiohepatitis is a liver disease which causes inflammation of the bile passages and liver, irregularly causing hepatic failure.

Uncle Mo
Photo: Terri Cage

Two days before the Kentucky Derby, Uncle Mo was scratched from the prestigious race and was sent to WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky for recovery. For over two months, he stayed at the renowned farm, recovering from his illness while gaining about one hundred pounds. After some galloping at WinStar, the bay son of Indian Charlie returned to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn at Saratoga Race Course on July 11.

 

After three steady workouts, Uncle Mo fired two consecutive bullets and a near-bullet in preparation for the Foxwoods King’s Bishop Stakes (GI). Many doubted his connection’s decision to enter him in such a tough race for his comeback, but he was entered in the prominent seven furlong race regardless. He wasn’t the only talented horse in the field. Graded stakes winners Flashpoint, Caleb’s Posse, Dominus, and Justin Phillip were entered, as well as stakes winner Poseidon’s Warrior and graded stakes-placed horses Runflatout and Cool Blue Red Hot.

Sent off as the favorite, Uncle Mo broke from post seven, sitting a few lengths off the leaders down the backstretch before John Velazquez urged him to catch the front-runners around the far turn. On a track that was favoring inside runners, Uncle Mo surged on the far outside, taking the lead just before the eighth pole.

However, Caleb’s Posse was coming with his run on the outside. Uncle Mo was all out up front, but Caleb’s Posse caught him right at the wire, winning by a nose. Yet the 2010 Two-Year-Old Champion Male galloped out past the winner after the wire. It was an incredible comeback for Mike Repole’s champion, especially when you throw in the fact that he lost a shoe during the race.

Uncle Mo winning the the 2010
Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Photo: Terri Cage

Nonetheless, Mike Repole – who won the Travers Stakes (GI) with Stay Thirsty in the next race – has since mentioned that the King’s Bishop might have been Uncle Mo’s last race. On the other hand, Todd Pletcher has made statements concerning the colt hinting at either the Kelso Handicap (GII) on October 1 or the Pennsylvania Derby (GII) on September 24. Stay Thirsty is also possible for the Pennsylvania Derby, but his connections seem to be leaning towards the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) on October 1. Plans are to keep the two separated.

Fans across the country hope that Uncle Mo will remain in training with hopes of making it to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships this November at Churchill Downs. After all, the colt obviously loves running and has already made it this far. Why not just keep running?

Of course, the well-being of Uncle Mo should be the first priority. However, if he remains healthy, it seems that the son of Indian Charlie should remain doing what he loves and was bred to do: race.

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Remember Me Rescue

Donna Keen desensitizing a horse
that came to Remember Me,
a Pollard's Vision gelding
named Pretty Drink.
Photo: Terri Cage

Located in Burleson, Texas, Remember Me Racehorse Rescue, a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation, focuses on the rescue, retraining, and rehoming of retired racehorses. It was founded in 2004 by Dallas and Donna Keen, who are successful racehorse trainers. In fact, Dallas Keen is the fourth leading trainer in Lone Star Park history. 

Since horses give so much to us, we must return the favor to them. And that’s exactly what Remember Me does. They have placed several horses in new, loving homes and continue to do so. In fact, I own a horse that I adopted through Remember Me Rescue.

The Keens are in it for the love of the horse. They treat horses with patience and kindness, earning their trust. At Remember Me, horses are desensitized to tarps, stairs, and many other objects that seem odd to horses and are retrained for occupations outside the racetrack. The Keens and those who work at Remember Me know just how to earn a horse’s trust and ready it for a new home.

Remember Me Rescue depends completely on donations and adoptions. The retired racehorses they help could not get the wonderful lives they deserve if it weren’t for donations.

Like I mentioned earlier, I adopted a horse through Remember Me. I honestly believe he is one of the smartest horses I have ever owned, if not the smartest. He is a very quick learner and is extremely willing to please. He is one of the many horses Remember Me has allowed to find a new, loving home after life on the racetrack.

Remember Me wants nothing more than for these incredible animals to find homes that will take loving care of them forever. They have horses available right now. Visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Remember-Me-Rescue/302643200025?sk=info and check out their website at http://www.teamkeen.com/ .

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Juvenile Spotlight: Secret Circle

One of my favorite things to do is find young horses that have the potential to be superstars. It is very entertaining and rewarding to "discover" two-year-olds before they go on to record prestigious victories. Juvenile Spotlights highlight some of the two-year-olds I have "discovered." Some Juvenile Spotlights feature horses right after they have broken their maiden or after they record their first major victory. Either way, I have followed these horses since before they hit the headlines. I don't do a Juvenile Spotlight on every two-year-old I "discover", but I try to feature as many as I can.

Eddington has been one of my favorite studs since 2007. He has not had tremendous success as a sire, producing just nine stakes horses - none of them graded winners - in his three crops of racing age. However, his sire, Breeders’ Cup Classic and Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled had much success as a sire, siring forty-nine stakes winners.

Eddington at Claiborne Farm

I had no idea who Eddington was until I visited Kentucky for the first time in 2007. I was blown away by Eddington when I visited the esteemed Claiborne Farm. Maybe it was his shining copper coat and refined head. Maybe it was the fact that he was one of the first grade one winners I ever touched. Nonetheless, I have been a fan of him ever since.

One of Bob Baffert’s two-year-olds could be Eddington’s first superstar. The colt’s name is Secret Circle. He is a bay colt out of the stakes-winning Dixieland Band mare, Ragtime Hope. Ragtime Hope’s dam, Good ‘N Smart, has produced one stakes winner other than her, Really Polish, who is also grade three-placed. Secret Circle’s full brother, Eddington Limit, has raced solely at Woodbine, recording one win and one second in five lifetime starts. Secret Circle could add to the black-type horses in his pedigree.

If he did, he most definitely would not surprise Baffert or anyone who saw his maiden win at Del Mar on July 23. Sent off as the favorite in a field of ten two-year-old maidens, Secret Circle led the whole way under jockey Rafael Bejarano, crossing the wire first by seven and one-quarter lengths. Bejarano was so impressed he even pumped his fist as they galloped out past the wire after an easy hand ride.

2009 Champion Two-Year-Old Male
and 2010 Champion Three-Year-Old Male,
Lookin at Lucky
Photo: Terri Cage

Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, the colt is a possible contender for the Del Mar Futurity (GI) on September 7. He will be one to watch not only throughout his two-year-old season, but his three-year-old season as well. After all, his connections had the 2009 Champion Two-Year-Old Male and 2010 Champion Three-Year-Old Male in Lookin at Lucky and have a top three-year-old this year in Haskell Invitation (GI) winner Coil. As of now, he may just be an impressive maiden winner, but Secret Circle is on many watch lists, including mine.




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Juvenile Spotlight: Sweet Swap

One of my favorite things to do is find young horses that have the potential to be superstars. It is very entertaining and rewarding to "discover" two-year-olds before they go on to record prestigious victories. Juvenile Spotlights highlight some of the two-year-olds I have "discovered." Some Juvenile Spotlights feature horses right after they have broken their maiden or after they record their first major victory. Either way, I have followed these horses since before they hit the headlines. I don't do a Juvenile Spotlight on every two-year-old I "discover", but I try to feature as many as I can.

Sidney's Candy
Photo: Terri Cage

On July 31, grade one-winner Sidney’s Candy won the Fourstardave Handicap (GII). On August 20, his little brother, Sweet Swap, impressively won a five and one-half furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar. Though Sidney’s Candy is now owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, he began his racing career with the Craig Family Trust and John Sadler. His two-year-old full brother, Sweet Swap, is with Sidney’s Candy’s original connections.

Both are chestnut sons of Candy Ride (ARG) out of the Storm Cat mare, Fair Exchange. In Sidney’s Candy’s second start, he set a track record for five and one-half furlongs at Del Mar in 1:02.71. Nearly precisely one year later, Sweet Swap won his debut in 1:03.76. Though almost exactly a second slower, Sweet Swap was very impressive in a field full of first-time starters.

Needless to say, the two-year-old colt has many hopes pinned to him. His full brother is a graded stakes winner on dirt, turf, and synthetic and a breaker of two track records. Though Sweet Swap may not have the same success as his older brother, he very well may be a future superstar.

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Zenyatta: The Queen of Horse Racing

As soon as we were presented with the opportunity to give an informational speech of our choice in speech class, my mind immediately wandered to horse racing. However, that subject was too broad to give a brief speech over. My mind then zoomed in on Zenyatta. This is the speech I wrote for that assignment. By the time I was done giving my speech, basketball, football, and hard-core metal fans in my class had become fascinated with the great mare.

On April 1, 2004, a Thoroughbred filly was born. Yes, it was April Fool’s Day, but this horse is no fool.

Her name is Zenyatta.

       

Photo: Terri Cage

As a yearling, she was bought for the bargain price of $60,000, which is cheap for a racehorse. She was bought by Jerry & Ann Moss, who named her Zenyatta after The Police album, Zenyatta Mondatta. In fact, the Moss’s had won the Kentucky Derby earlier that year with Giacomo, named after Sting’s son, as Jerry Moss is a record producer who happens to be good friends with Sting. Many of the Moss’s horses have music-related names, but the Moss’s never could have guessed how famous Zenyatta’s name would become.

The dark bay/brown filly grew to be a monstrous size. John Shirreffs, Zenyatta’s trainer, slowed down the young horse’s training, not wanting to cause any permanent damage to her bones, muscles, or joints.

It paid off.

On Thanksgiving Day 2007, the gigantic filly made her racing debut as a near 4-year-old, a very late start for a racehorse. In the race for non-winners, Zenyatta effortlessly swept across the finish line at Hollywood Park first. A month later, she raced in her first allowance race. Again, she won easily.

After that, she took the racing world by storm, defeating champion fillies and mares such as Ginger Punch with ease. She’d run her undefeated streak to 8-for-8 coming into the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, the most prestigious race for female racehorses.

After the race, all the headlines said she’d made the championship win look too easy.

The popular mare took home the Eclipse Award for Older Female of the Year and was just beat out for Horse of the Year, though many believe she should have won that award as well.

The mare, who was 17.2 hands high – nearly 6 feet tall at the top of the shoulder – was known for running behind all the other horses for the whole race, until the homestretch, when she struck to the lead with style. With each and every spectacular race, Zenyatta gained more and more fans.

Throughout 2009, Zenyatta continued to wow fans by winning each of her races in a thrilling fashion. As the 2009 Breeders’ Cup approached, fans wondered if the wildly popular mare would race in the Ladies’ Classic, for females only, or the Classic, open to males and females.

The remarkable mare chose the Classic. She was the only female in the race. She would race against the most accomplished 11 male racehorses in the world – including the Kentucky Derby winner – putting her perfect 13-for-13 record on the line.

The grandstand shook with screaming fans as the incomparable mare soared to victory, becoming the only female in history to win the Classic.

Zenyatta now stood at the pinnacle of racing, but again, she was narrowly beat out for Horse of the Year by another outstanding female, Rachel Alexandra. Again, many people believed she should have won the prestigious award.

The Moss’s announced that the mare was retired, but Zenyatta acted like she didn’t want to quit. She continued to train and it was soon announced that she would continue to race.

Zenyatta easily won her comeback race, now with a perfect record of 15-for-15.

People began pitting her against Rachel Alexandra and a huge offer of $5 million for a race in Arkansas, the Apple Blossom, was made for the two to race together. After Rachel Alexandra lost her comeback race, Zenyatta and just four other horses entered the race.

Zenyatta had won the race before, back in 2008. It was on a dirt surface, which was different from the synthetic surfaces she normally raced on. Plus, it was in Arkansas and she’d only raced outside of California once, and that was when she’d won the Apple Blossom in 2008.

It was no trouble for her. She won the 2010 Apple Blossom by over 4 lengths, one of her biggest margin of victories ever.

Zenyatta continued to thrill fans as she won more races as she pointed toward the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic, held at the prestigious Churchill Downs in Kentucky. By the time the Breeders’ Cup rolled around, she’d gone undefeated in nineteen races, tying the record for consecutive wins.

Photo: Terri Cage

On that cold November night at Churchill Downs, I watched in person as Zenyatta fell just half a head short to the best male racehorse in the country. She passed him right after the finish line.

She’d been the best horse in the race and she’d run a better race than the winner. Zenyatta, a second-place finisher for the first time, got a standing ovation from her many loving fans.

Despite her loss, she’d proven doubters wrong in arguably the most spectacular race ever run by a horse that didn’t win. No other horse could have done as well as she had with the horrible trip she’d had throughout the race. And in hearts and minds of racing fans everywhere, she was 20-for-20.

Facebook pages were created by fans petitioning for her to win Horse of the Year.

She did. She beat out the only horse to ever beat her on the track to win the most prestigious award in all of horse racing.

Then she was retired. For real this time. She was seven-years-old, which is old for a horse to compete in a race.

She moved from California to Kentucky and was turned out to pasture at one of the most renowned farms in the country, Lane’s End. She was bred to Bernardini, one of the greatest racehorses of the past decade, towards the end of February, but the pregnancy unexpectedly ended. She was bred to Bernardini again on April 3 and has since been confirmed in foal. Though she’ll never set foot on a racetrack again, her offspring will capture the hearts and minds of race fans like she did.

And Zenyatta will be known as one of the greatest racehorses of all time and will forever be a legend.


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