2 works and 2 Racers at Calder Yesterday

Here we are at Calder race course at7AM getting Spitfire Red ready for his breeze. Because he has had the back issue we are putting a double pad on him.

Both Spitfire and Tiny broke from the gates(video below). I told riders to breeze 3 furlongs as it has been a while since they worked. Tiny did 3 in 36 and out in 51. That was pretty good for first time on track. She came back and "corded" up...as you can see her muscles are tight, she might be a little sore tomorrow but should walk out of it and be ready to work again in a week or ten days.

As usual it is very hot and we cool with lots of water.

Spitfire worked out gates 3 furlongs in 39. Not very fast, but according to rider he still doesn't feel right in the hind end. I must figure out what is bothering him. It seems to be back related.

This video has the gate work and lead up to the race. Alex is still trying to figure out how to post the actual race here...

Both horses in same race make for a busy paddock time for me.

TS Fay is being good.

Waxed Poetic was very nervous in paddock-not unusual in a second life time race.

She was better once she was saddled.

In the walking ring.

Here comes Waxed Poetic.

Up you go!

To the track!

Wax better, listening to rider...

Right after race I like to hear what jock says...before they have time to think of excuses. Fay ran competitively until horses came up on both sides...she seemed to suck back at that time and coasted in last. Jock felt she needs the experience of race...that she was nervous when in tight with other horses. Could be- I expected to see more improve off the last race. She seems to have come back all right. We will see how she looks tomorrow. I will try her at same distance until I see a reason to escalate.


Wax poetic jock said she was lugging in. When we looked at her we saw that she caught her "quarter". That means that she hit her inside "ball of heel"of right front with her other hoof-either her front left or a hind hoof in the break. Since she warmed up good it might have been at the break.

Lots of hosing ...but Wax cooled pretty fast...she was slow to break and jock held her out as he didn't know why she was lugging in. But she seemed to try when he straightened out in the stretch. She passed TS in stretch and since her first race had been two furlongs a month ago and she had been trained lightly, she showed better fitness than I had expected.

When a horse hits itself, it can feel like being hit with a hammer- those metal shoes Hurt! In a day or two we will see how this looks!

It could cause what the jock felt...trying to get off right front she is heavy on the left front!

All things considered, it was a successful trip. The youngsters got some track experience and we are getting a better idea of their talents. If you are training from the farm and hauling in, it really can make sense to use races as works. It does not do anything for your stats, but Backyard racers measure things differently. Besides, at some tracks, they pay down far enough that an also ran can pay for the trip.