September Newsletter
September is the Keeneland yearling sale. A single adjective to describe what the past few weeks mean for our family operation is impossible. It is the culmination of two years of work. Two years attending to every need for each horse…dreaming about how they will present themselves, hoping the prospective buyer can discern in their glance the unlimited potential with the athlete in front of them.
When it works, it is exhilarating, when we miss, it is very disappointing. Thankfully, this year we had more hits than misses and with the past three weeks behind us, we can take a moment to be thankful. All told 42 yearlings have found new homes while 10 were retained by their breeder for another day in the sun, either at a future sale or winner’s circle.
For our own broodmare portfolio, it was a sale that didn’t quite live up to expectations. We entered six and retained three to carry forward. As it goes, we withdrew one the week before the sale because she started going through a growth stage and the sale wasn’t going to be her day to shine. Another, when she got to the sale she didn’t cooperate and hardly presented herself with any confidence. The final was plenty popular, but when the dust settled those who had done their due diligence (had a veterinarian exam the horse) failed to show up, because the opinion of their veterinarian didn’t give them the confidence to move forward.
Ah the beauty of the game that it is never black and white but played in the grey area where the finish line is the only true mark.
So our crop has returned to the farm for a few weeks before heading south to Ocala. There they will start to learn to be ridden and lead us to the next crossroad, whether they should be considered two year old sales candidates, or straight to the race track.
Saturday was the last day of the sale and what a curtain call that night as SEIZE THE GREY stormed home to win the Pennsylvania Derby, his second Grade 1 of the year! Sadly, I was by myself to cheer him home as I picked up Covid from the sale and was on the mend. While racing is best shared with others to exchange hugs and high-fives, winning Grade 1 races is the epitome that can frankly be enjoyed anywhere! It was quite a race and defining moment in his career, where the critics can’t claim that he is only a horse who prefers an off track. He proved he belongs with the best of his generation.
The Pennsylvania Derby kicks off the closing weeks of the racing season with the final prep races before the Breeders Cup. This weekend we turn our hopes and attention to California with TRIKARI (Oscar Performance’s first Grade 1 winner) taking on older horses in the City of Hope Mile (G2). I think it’s a very wise move for the Amerman and Motion team to ship TRIKARI west to see if he likes the surface and how he handles the older competition. If he runs well he will be in California and have 5 weeks to train upto the Breeders’ Cup mile. In addition we have TUMBARUMBA, hopefully, running at Churchill Downs in the G3 Ack Ack. He has been a victim three times this year of sloppy racetracks and scratching from running, because of his disdain for the wet surface. Hopefully, the weather holds off and he isn’t left at the alter once more.
Next weekend we will celebrate the opening of Keeneland’s fall meet and the Fall Stars weekend at Belmont at Aqueduct…we hope to see RED CARPET READY, RAGING SEA, and several others make their final starts on the road to the Breeders Cup…just writing these sentences give me goosebumps of anticipation and appreciation for what an incredible year it has been for our farm. We hope to see you at Mill Ridge soon.
Sincerely,
Price