Barn Report - Sunday, March 7, 2010

A nice, warm, sunny spring morning at Belmont this Sunday. Now that the weather’s getting better, Steve and I are looking forward to having more partners join us on Sundays to check out our horses and enjoy the backstretch.

We watched Talking Blues gallop strongly around the training track. The exercise rider said that our boy was full of run and even had to be held back a bit. Bruce Brown said that Talking Blues is coming along well – though, in typical Blues fashion, not quick – and now needs just a steady string of gallops and some breezes to regain his sharpness. Nice weather will definitely help.

While we were at the training track, we got to see Bruce’s horsemanship and ability in action. He had to run out onto the track, practically in the path of the galloping horses, when one of trainer Pat Kelly’s horses broke down on the track, throwing the exercise rider into the rail. Bruce immediately ran out on the track, helping the NYRA outriders control the horse traffic, and tending to the injured horse (who unfortunately had to be put down on the track). Gutsy, selfless work by our trainer.

We also watched Strings and Arrows have an easy jog on the training track, with trainer Leah Gyarmati in the saddle. Leah has convinced NYRA racing secretary P J Campo to put up an extra for Strings and Arrows – NY-bred maiden special at one mile and seventy yards – for Saturday, Match 13^th. Entries will be taken on Wednesday, March 10^th.

Bagavond, our turf specialist, has been working down at Diana McClure farm in Virginia, where the snow is still on the ground, but he’s been training in their big indoor arena.

Diana emailed us on Bagavond’s progress so far:

“Bagavond is doing great, he has gone back into training and his ankles are holding up well. It is supposed to be 50 degrees today + tomorrow! We can't wait, we still have lots of snow everywhere!”

The plan is still to bring Bagavond back to New York sometime around the end of March, or the beginning of April. Steve was out at Aqueduct yesterday, and said that it didn't look as if the turf course there would be ready anytime soon, so we're most likely looking at sometime in May, at Belmont, for his first start of the season.

Our partner Peggy Rees Smith stopped by to visit Iguazu at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida. Here’s Peggy’s on-the-scene report

“Tim and I saw Iguazu this weekend. Stopped at the barn yesterday late morning, and he was firmly in his late morning nap, curled up on the floor, with lower lip drooping in relaxation, and no acknowledgment of our presence. Glad to see he is so at ease!

“This morning, I showed up early, and he was awake, alert, and with his head over the door. I was allowed to baby him - scratch him under the halter, & pull some sawdust out of his mane, then give him a carrot, and he gnawed on the wide end, pleased to get a good taste, but still spitting out the skinny end as he just couldn't get his teeth around it. I took some pictures, waited until the exercise boy took him out, and watched his gallop.

“He appears to be a healthy, happy horse, and still blooming.”

Thanks, Peggy.

The new Castle Village Farm claiming partnership is going to be even better than we’d hoped. We are now looking to claim at the $25,000 level. That should significantly expand the possibilities that we’ll be able to claim a horse with real potential. It is not too late to join this partnership. If you’d like to become a partner, give me a call at 888-989-RACE [7223] or email me at CVFSales@gmail.com.