A Collection of Horses

For years, I have had an Equibase Virtual Stable, which is abounding with a wide variety of horses. Every type of horse from a low-level claimer to a multiple grade one-winning champion can be found in my virtual stable. Why don’t I remove those claimers from my stable? Because they have their own unique stories and reasons for residing in my stable, which make them incredibly fun and interesting to follow.

Here’s a look at several lesser-known horses that are in my Equibase Virtual Stable:

Autumn Eyes: This daughter of Stormy Atlantic caught my eye with an easy debut win at Churchill Downs in November of 2009, which landed her a spot in my stable. The beautiful chestnut never contested in a stakes race, but did manage to impressively win an allowance at Gulfstream Park in February of 2010. She last ran in September of 2012 and has not recorded any recent works, but remains in my stable. She has been one of my favorite horses to follow.

Bill of Rights: A full brother to Colonel John, I met this gelding while visiting Bill Casner’s ranch. Standing outside the gate to a pasture, I watched as Mr. Casner himself rode the gelding – nicknamed Captain Chaos – around prior to watching the gelding stand on a vibration plate in the Casners’ barn. The next day, Bill of Rights shipped to Oaklawn Park. The bay has steadily recorded works at the Arkansas track and is preparing to return to the races. He has not raced since December of 2011, having only raced four times, never finishing better than third. Hopefully, he will improve and find the winner’s circle.

Bill of Rights on a vibration plate
Photo by Mary Cage (iPhone photo)

Cherry Pink: Cherry Pink found herself in my stable after I saw her in the saddling paddock at Lone Star Park, when the blaze-faced chestnut locked eyes with me. Being the unashamedly horse crazy girl I was (and still am), Cherry Pink became a horse I loyally follow. The daughter of Pure Prize has competed at the stakes level on three occasions, but has never finished better than sixth. Cherry Pink is surely one of the hardest-knocking horses in my stable, having raced since 2008, making 58 starts.

Cherry Pink
Photo by Mary Cage

Dover Heights: Capturing my attention while schooling in the Lone Star Park paddock in the spring of 2012, I later attended the colt’s first race in anticipation of the commencement of his career. Much to my delight, Dover Heights won his debut. The beautiful gray son of The Cliff’s Edge has made two starts since then, including a good second-place finish in an allowance. But since finishing seventh in his third start, which came last July, Dover Heights has yet to record a work. Nonetheless, I will keep my eye out for this stunning Thoroughbred. Read more about Dover Heights in my article “Dover Heights: Love at First Sight.”

Dover Heights
Photos by Terri and Mary Cage

D’ Wildcard: Yet another incredibly hard-knocking horse, D’ Wildcard caught my attention as a trainee of Lon Wiggins, former trainer of Miss Fifty. The son of Forest Wildcat has proven to be a model of consistency at Churchill Downs, finishing in-the-money in six of nine starts there, four of which resulted in wins. The chestnut has never raced in a stakes event, but has managed to earn more than $175,000. A horse who began his career in 2007, D’ Wildcard made his most recent start on February 28 of this year.

Explosive Argument: A beautiful bay filly, I added Explosive Argument to my stable after meeting her at Lone Star Park last summer. Impressed by her conformation and enchanted by her beauty and personality, Explosive Argument has been an exciting horse to follow. Just three years old, Explosive Argument has made five starts, three of which have come this year. Her first two starts as a sophomore resulted in easy victories, which ensued in a fourth-place finish in her first stakes try on March 16.

Explosive Argument
Photo by Mary Cage (iPhone photo)

Fast Eydie: When visiting Claiborne Farm for the first time in 2007, I became a big fan of Eddington, who I hoped would prove himself as a valuable sire. This daughter of Eddington was born in 2007 and caught my attention with a dominant win in her second start, a maiden special weight at Golden Gate Fields. Fast Eydie has spent most of her racing career on the Northern California racing circuit, making 22 of her 30 starts at Golden Gate. Her most recent race – and perhaps her final career start, as she hasn’t posted any current works – was a win over Miss Oops in a claiming race at Del Mar.

Fleeter: Another horse that is in my stable due to affiliation with Miss Fifty, Fleeter was purchased alongside Fifty out of the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. While visiting Fifty at Churchill Downs in 2010, I was able to meet Fleeter and watch him train. Since then, the son of Northern Afleet has become a fun horse to keep track of. Though he did not break his maiden until his seventh start, Fleeter has proven to be rather consistent, finishing in the top three in twelve of his twenty starts. Although the bay gelding has never competed at stakes level, he has had many good allowance-level performances. The five-year-old recently made his twentieth start on March 9, finishing third in an allowance optional claiming at Tampa Bay Downs.

Fleeter
Photo by Terri Cage

Gold Star Alert: This horse is undoubtedly one of my favorites in my virtual stable. A six-year-old gelding, he has raced 50 times without ever winning a race. But Gold Star Alert – or 99 as those who know him personally call him – is the first racehorse I’ve known personally. I’ve gone to watch him train, I visited him at the barn prior to his first race, and I’ve watched him race in person on several occasions. 99 has finished in-the-money ten times, even coming within a head of winning, but has never crossed the wire first. The six-year-old – who I have known since he was a two-year-old – is still racing, having made his most recent start on March 8, a sixth-place finish at Sam Houston Race Park. He may be halfway to Zippy Chippy’s record, but 99 is a horse I’ll never forget.

Gold Star Alert (99)
Photo by Terri Cage

Hy Danger: This son of Forest Danger immediately caught my eye when I first met him, for he greatly resembled Zenyatta. But he quickly became more than a Zenyatta look-alike, as he captivated me with his incredibly kind personality. I have eagerly followed Hy Danger’s journey, having watched him being saddled and ridden for the first time as a yearling and having seen him train amongst the top racehorses in the world at Santa Anita as a two-year-old. Now three, Hy Danger recently acquired his first victory, easily winning a maiden claiming race at Sam Houston Race Park on March 9. I will continue to eagerly follow this sweetheart!

Hy Danger
Photos by Terri Cage

Lusterdust: A stunning gray, I met Lusterdust on the backside of Lone Star Park in the summer of 2011. Not only was the son of Unbridled Energy very handsome, but he had a very kind personality, thus landing him a place in my virtual stable. After being claimed at Del Mar, Lusterdust surfaced on the eastern side of the country, competing at lower-level tracks there, most frequently Penn National. Though he was successful there at first, Lusterdust began turning in poor performances in cheap claiming races. He last raced on December 4, 2012, finishing last in a $5,000 claiming race at Penn National. Where he is now is a mystery, leaving me to hope that this sweet, beautiful horse is safe and happy.

Lusterdust
Photo by Terri Cage

Miss Oops: A mare who spent a good part of her career on the Northern California circuit, Miss Oops got her name from her crooked legs after being purchased for the low price of $3,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. But the daughter of Olmodavor has proven to be a very productive racehorse and also very popular at the claim box, as she has won thirteen times and has been claimed out of four consecutive races and five races total. Miss Oops has found her best stride with trainer Dallas Keen, having acquired three victories while in his barn. I met this sweet mare at Santa Anita during the 2012 Breeders’ Cup and was able to lead her to the paddock on race day prior to her second-place finish in an allowance on the Breeders’ Cup undercard. Miss Oops is unquestionably one of my favorite racehorses and I will continue to keep track of her. You can read more about her in my article “Miss Oops: She’s No Mistake.”

Miss Oops
Photos by Terri Cage

Night Tide: One of the most accomplished horses on this list, Night Tide was graded stakes-placed as a two-year-old when in the barn of Bob Baffert. Claimed by Dallas Keen at Del Mar in 2012, I met Night Tide while at the 2012 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. A handsome bay son of Malibu Moon, I was able to watch Night Tide be scoped by a veterinarian and was allowed to view the scope. Due to his good looks and laid-back personality, I soon added Night Tide to my stable. The striking four-year-old has not run incredibly well as of late, but I will hold onto the hope that he will improve.

Pryce’s Posse: This son of Posse was one of my selections at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. I enjoy following my auction picks and Pryce’s Posse has certainly been one of my favorite selections to keep track of. He was a rather successful juvenile, placing in a pair of black-type races. Most recently, the gelding has been competing in allowance and claiming races on the East Coast. But what is most special about this four-year-old is the story behind his name, which I stumbled across on BloodHorse. You can read it here.

Red Sandy: While attending the 2008 Rebel Stakes, this son of Yes It’s True jumped into my heart with an impressive maiden score. Not only was he a son of one of my favorite stallions, but he greatly reminded me of a horse I owned at the time named Randy – who I had nicknamed Sandy Randy due to his affinity for rolling in the sand. Thus, my twelve-year-old self fell in love with Red Sandy, who I eagerly continued to follow throughout his career. A tenth-place finish in the grade two Lexington Stakes and a fourth-place performance in the Barbaro Stakes was the best he could muster at stakes level and he spent the rest of his career primarily in the claiming ranks. Red Sandy has not raced since September of 2011, but he remains in my stable in case he surfaces again, as I sometimes worry about his whereabouts.

Rys Alley Cat: Rys Alley Cat has resided in my stable since a photograph I took of him prior to his try in the 2011 Lone Star Derby, which is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken. A photogenic son of Tale of the Cat, I have tracked Rys Alley Cat’s progress since that day. He has steadily competed at the allowance level, most recently winning an allowance optional claiming at Sam Houston Race Park on March 15.

Rys Alley Cat
Photo by Mary Cage

Smoke’n Al: His name will not be associated with the greatest racehorses of all-time, but this son of Albert the Great has had an effect on Thoroughbred racing history. In 2011, Robby Albarado had been slated to ride Animal Kingdom in the Kentucky Derby, but on the Wednesday prior to the Derby, Albarado was bucked off a first-time starter that proceeded to kick him once the jockey was on the ground, thus leaving Animal Kingdom’s connections to find a new rider. The first-time starter that had injured Albarado was none other than Smoke’n Al. Needless to say, Smoke’n Al did not make his first start that day. I have known of the dark-colored gelding since he landed in the barn of Dallas Keen and even though he once narrowly defeated Dover Heights, I have remained a devoted fan of him. Though I lightly kept track of Smoke’n Al before then, he did not secure himself a place in my stable until I spent several minutes with him at the 2012 Breeders’ Cup, standing outside of his stall and playing with him as I waited to lead Miss Oops to the paddock. He had a fun personality, throwing a fit and becoming angry any time I took attention off of him but being very kind and affectionate whenever I pet him. Smoke’n Al won his most recent start, romping in a claiming race at Sam Houston on a night when he, Hy Danger, and Miss Oops all visited the Sam Houston winner’s circle.

Smoke'n Al
Photo by Donna Keen

These horses have been unbelievably fun to follow and are certainly some of my favorite racehorses. Their names aren’t distributed over pages of The Blood-Horse, their races are often only available to watch online, the tracks they race at aren’t always glamorous, and the purses they compete for aren’t always lavish, but their personalities and their stories make them more than worth following. These horses aren’t the underbelly of the racing industry; they are the heart and soul of it.

Dover Heights: Love at First Sight

Standing along the rail of the saddling paddock as the fourth race approached at Lone Star Park on May 12, 2012, I focused my attention on the horses strolling into the paddock for the approaching allowance race. I was completely unaware of the fact that the horse that would impress me most would not be one of the entrants, but rather one of the schooling horses. As I watched the horses file into the ring, my eyes took in a breathtaking gray colt. It was love at first sight.

Dover Heights
Photo by Mary Cage

With his neck arched, the charcoal-colored Thoroughbred pranced into the saddling paddock beneath the cloudy sky, immediately drawing my attention to him. My eyes were glued to him as he marched around the paddock with magnificence, outshining every other horse in the paddock. A well-balanced athlete, the gray Thoroughbred possessed a long, beautiful neck that tied in well to his robust shoulder. He was a stunning individual.

Fortunately, alongside my mom and my best friend as I stood watching the beautiful colt were Dallas and Donna Keen. Donna knew the trainer of the horse – Cash Asmussen, brother of champion trainer Steve Asmussen who was the champion apprentice jockey of 1979 – and contacted him so that I could know the horse’s name. Once she informed me that his name was Dover Heights, his name – which he shares with a beautiful coastal suburb in Sydney, Australia – was etched in my mind.

With the knowledge that Dover Heights would make his first start the following week, I researched his pedigree. Much to my surprise, the colt had the same birthday, April 18, as my beloved Miss Fifty. It was as if I was meant to fall in love with the colt.

Though an official Kentucky-bred, Dover Heights was bred and owned by La Bahia Stud, Inc., a Texas-based breeding farm that produced the only two Texas-bred early 2012 Triple Crown nominations. Sired by The Cliff’s Edge and out of a daughter of Fastness, Fast Goat, Dover Heights is an outcross, as he has no inbreeding in his first five generations. This is believed by many to produce sounder horses and has been effective in producing such grade one winners as Alphabet Soup, Giacomo, and Lite the Fuse.

The Cliff’s Edge, a son of champion sprinter Gulch, was a multiple graded stakes-winning juvenile who won the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) and placed second in the Travers Stakes (GI) as a three-year-old. Since entering stud in 2005, The Cliff’s Edge has sired the graded stakes-winning Our Edge, the stakes-winning Cliffy’s Future, and Dave’s Revenge – an earner of over $245,000 who ran fourth in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI).

Fast Goat, the dam of Dover Heights, though a Kentucky-bred mare, descends from primarily Irish and English bloodlines. Her sire is the multiple grade one-winning Irish-bred Fastness, a son of the champion miler Rousillon. The dam of Fast Goat is the stakes-winning Irish-bred mare Capracotta, who ran in twelve stakes races out of the seventeen starts she made. To date, Fast Goat has produced the stakes-placed gelding Fast Track.

Notably, Dover Heights’ fifth dam is the group three-winning Caprera, who produced the group one-winning Romildo, the group three-winning Pevero, and the stakes-winning Starina. Being a direct descendant of Caprera certainly bodes well for Dover Heights, as other direct descendants of the lucrative mare include the group one-winning Albisola, the group two-winning Arbatax, and the group three-winning Stagelight.

Dover Heights
Photo by Mary Cage

Dover Heights was slated to make his debut on May 19, 2012 – Preakness Day – at Lone Star Park in a one-mile maiden special weight over the main track for three, four, and five-year-olds. However, he lost his jockey and ran off prior to the race and was a late scratch.

Rather, his first start came eight days later, on May 27. Present at the track, I watched as Dover Heights warmed up in front of the crowd under the hot sun, fluidly trotting before the grandstand, his coat a more rosy-gray than charcoal under the bright sun rather than a cloudy sky. He loaded easily into the starting gate for the six and one-half-furlong maiden special weight prior to breaking a bit poorly. Dismissed at odds of 8-1, the impressive-looking gray colt found a position mid-pack along the rail under Tony McNeil, settling several lengths off the leader. The pace-setter, Lac Seul’s Dream, began opening up on the field, instilling me with worry that Dover Heights would not be able to win the race.

Lac Seul’s Dream had a five-length advantage on the field as the Thoroughbreds galloped around the far turn, but Dover Heights began making his move, angling to the outside. However, as the horses turned for home, Lac Seul’s Dream appeared home-free, leaving the other six horses behind. But the five-year-old began to falter as the others began to rally, most notably Dover Heights. My excitement surged as the stunning gray colt I had fallen in love with two weeks earlier accelerated, cutting into Lac Seul’s Dream’s lead. With elation, I watched as Dover Heights crossed the wire a neck in front of the closing Konko Jones.

Dover Heights winning his debut
Photo by Terri Cage

Standing along the rail, I watched with bright eyes as the rosy gray colt jogged up to the winner’s circle to greet his connections. A roar arose from the crowd as the striking colt sauntered into the winner’s enclosure, holding his attractive head up high as cameras clicked. I couldn’t help but grin as the triumphant colt marched back to the barns, ready for the rest of his racing career.

Dover Heights further showed me how exhilarating it is to follow a horse from the beginning of its career, most notably before the horse even makes its debut. So go out there and fall in love with a horse like Miss Fifty, Hy Lime Time, or Dover Heights and relish the excitement of following that Thoroughbred throughout its career. I hope that Dover Heights’ debut was only the beginning of a thrilling journey.

Dover Heights
Photo by Terri Cage

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