Back to Ocala to breeze. We are waiting for riders...
Waiting to break. We need gate card for Phontiffs wind. T S Faye is going in gates to get blinker approved as is Stack
Ready set -Phontiff is bay on outside T S Faye is in middle and Stack on inside.
And they are off! T S Faye breaks the best with Phontiff right by her and an instant behind Stack is on his way.
By breaking with blinkers I have the option to use them or not later on and do not have to worry about getting another card with blinkers okayed.
Charlie Camac (retired steward and starter from Calder) writes the
Gate cards-all three are okayed for blinkers!
Back to the barn-TS Faye worked four furlongs in fifty...an improvement from last week when she worked in 51 and change. We are looking to run her 4 and half furlongs if we can get in.
Stack worked 4 in 51 and galloped out strongest of all.
Phontiff worked four in 50 and change-my big question will be how are his shins-that is a pretty good improvement for him. I know OBS is a fast track so these times are not spectactular but each horse has personally improved. That is what we are looking for.
We hose agressivelly to cool them down. It was hot and humid and part of their panting is from the heat. The constant hosing brings down body temp faster.
We get as wet as they do!
When TS Faye was cool we then had her shod. Up to this point we have not put shoes on. That's Fl for you- soft and kind surface! She will have a few days to get used to them!
I notice that you are putting shoes on just before they are ready to race. Do you notice that the shoes cause a change in their stride? And can that change cause an increase in shin problems?
ReplyDeleteSince nothing ever works out ideally for us on the farm, we must do what we can when we can. (My farrier at the farm trims the horses-I use track farriers to shoe them...so that meant I had to have it done at OBS or the day of the race down in Calder). Though I dont shoe until a work or two before the targeted race, this time I had the filly shod in anticipation of running four days later. She does have time to get accustomed to the shoes and I am hoping that the shoes will improve her time a little.
ReplyDeleteIt is possible that her stride may change..it also depends on the track-I havent been able to breeze at Calder...five hours away and almost impossible to get permission to ship in except on Tuesdays..and you know I would have to travel half the night to be there and do that. Therefore I am running with hopes that she can handle the track and come out of it soundly-we have done okay breezes but who knows how that will transfer to the "real" track...we shall see!
the fact is...she is as ready as she can be in my circumstances..we have to try!