Time to catch up!

Well, over the years I've had various reasons for not updating  the blog. I have a little more time now so keep an eye out for advice on training and coping with the  new challenges in the racing industry! 

Its been a while since I have posted.This is mainly because I have found it so easy to post on face book...I'm heading to Saratoga with a Super Saver gelding in August 2016. He is a New York bred.
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UPDATE FROM OHIO

Its been a while since Ive written though I have been working with the horses. Beauty, when pushed, came up with a hot tendon…not bowed but if I were to continue putting pressure, I think it would. She hadnt shown much speed and I found a good home for her. After all the work it was clear she would nt hold up to the rigors of racing!
Prediction continued galloping and going to track weekly. At first she bore to the outside and I had to send her with a pony on the outside of her to hold her in.
Secret was training well though we again always had to send a pony with her to go to track. She would argue and fight the rider…her nature was contrary. She did useful works and was ready to look for a race. She must have heard me say lets look for a race since she promptly put her leg through the fence and was out for months.
It seems she always finds a way to foil me! Eventually we got her going and I loaded them both up and headed to Ohio.
The trip went well and horses arrived safely. Big problem at the track was Secret. She went ballistic everytime we took Prediction out to track. She would kick the wall and carry on and damage her shoes! To correct the shoes we needed to sedate her…what a difficult filly! She would work well when against other horses and was very hesitant to run when sent alone..(not easy to always find company.) I put her in a race and she was competitive for about half the race. My plan was to continue using races to get her comfortable until she found her spot. She was getting better at the track and she was not a good candidate for shipping in and living at the farm. She was very thin skinned. She was never off her feed and ate hay like a horse.
My friend in Presquisle had an empty stall and because of the hassle everytime I tried to train Prediction, I thought she would do well there…where she didnt need back shoes and might really like that surface. I took her up and left her…she seemed to be okay for a short time and then became ill. It remains to be seem how she will fair…she has not adapted well to her new site. Im waiting to hear and will pick her up if it doesnt work out!

We have been to the track every Sunday and there have been improvements. Beauty breezed a mile yesterday and clocker got her in middle of breeze …five furlongs in 1:04 and change…she was pretty consistent the whole way. With that breeze, I finally put on shoes and will put a jockey on her next sunday and break form gates and look for a race. I had turf shoes put on and that might help her even on the dirt for the breeze.
Prediction went with blinkers for the first time and seemed to be a little easier to handle. Rider feels she hasn't "awaken" up to her speed yet but I think we keep going to track on weekends and gallop at farm in between…she is young and big…time will tell.
You can see snippets of horses on my Facebook page…Janet Delcastillo

Catching up with horses

Just letting you know we have been going to track once a week with Prediction and Beauty. That darn Secret has managed to twist her hock after being almost recovered from laceration a month ago. I think she heard me say that we were ready to go back to track so night before she again twisted ? maybe her hock. In any case she is again lame. I am continuing with antibiotics and am hoping that there is no infection.
So with Secret on the bench, we are looking to start Beauty first as she is training well. She shows no speed and our plan is to try her on the grass in first race. She might be better on grass and Florida has restrictions as to who can run on grass. (Maidens 16 to 25 k). So if I start on dirt cheaper she won't be eligible.
Prediction is hard headed and difficult to guide when on track…maybe just insecure..so we send her with pony and do easy gallop until she is comfortable. We go at least two miles and then go to gates.
Patience is a virtue! The filly is large and may need time to grow into herself. She is only three.

We went to Tampa Bay Downs today with Beauty, the now four year old filly and Prediction, the now three year old. Beauty got her gate card last week but shows no speed. My plan is to gallop her an easy mile and in the second mile let her breeze out to full speed down the lane. She did that today and we will escalate the breezes until she becomes more fit in that second mile. I think three or four trips and then we look for a mile on the turf. We can hope that the turf might move her up a little and we want her fit enough to try the mile in her first race. If she showed any early speed I would approach this differently and use shorter dirt races but she seems to need distance and if we try dirt under 25k we will not be eligible for turf races. So we can try to see how she does on turf before dropping her in price on the dirt. That is a problem we all have here in Florida. Other tracks allow horses better chances to try turf even though they may have started in cheaper dirt races.

Since Prediction was all over the track and hard to guide in last trip (tongue was over bit), we tried different bit and dropped noseband on farm and planned to also add a tongue tie at track. She has not been a problem to handle at the farm and has been controllable  but was a different animal at track. I don't want her getting bad habits and found a rider willing to work with me at track. He will take time to let her figure it out. Today she galloped two miles very easy with pony at side and then went to gates where she waited and watched activity until her turn to be walked through the gates various times. Once done she then galloped another easy mile and came off track cool and collected. She was on track more than half an hour and was not rushed.

We will follow the development of all the fillies…you will see how much time it may take to get the horse to the races soundly!
Next week Secret, the trouble maker, should be ready to go back to the track. She will be ridden a few times on farm and then back to the track!

More about Secret

Since Secret heard me talking about looking for a race, she immediately injured herself! Today she is doing "Physical Therapy"…walking for an hour to keep hock lose and healing. She won't go to track this sunday but probably will next week!
Well take Beauty and Prediction to do long gallops. I think Beauty has gate card so it is just making sure she is fit enough to try a mile on the turf in first race...

A NEW UPDATE FOR 2015!

Susie is on the fillies. It is now january of 2015! The fillies have been going to the track to learn the routine. Secret went with me to Ohio this summer and was ready to run when she managed to tear herself up in the trailer. She is truly a difficult child! I never got her going in Ohio as she needed to heal from tearing her hind leg and lacerating it to tendon. Fortunately she has recovered well. Beauty, the Indian Ocean filly, was turned out for the summer to grow. She is now breezing at Tampa but shows no speed so we will aim for training her for distance, with hopes that she can stay. We plan to try her on turf when she is ready…that may make a difference.
It's frustrating that we have to do the ground work and foundation before we know if we have a real runner but that is typical of this business. We can at least try to keep them sound in the process of training.

The three fillies are just galloping at farm and loading in trailer to get used to that. After gallops they walk through pretend gates so when at track they will be used to going in small places.

I have been posting the works of the three fillies' training at the moment on face book and on my website. But I want to put updates here also. The three files are all two year olds and are galloping at the farm. By middle of January 2014 we should start going to track. I will bring you up to date.

Keep an eye out for my new website at this same address... backyard racehorse.com/Users/janetdelcastillo/Desktop/Janet Pub photo.jpg

It has been a while since the last update. I tuned up the horses..Pi and Duffy. Duffy, though beautiful and finally full grown, has shown no inclination to run. He did the slow break and I waited to see a strong finish in a mile race and he just didnt have it. I tried him on turf, long, short, with different jockeys, and different strategies and no luck. He could go to a cheaper track and might have a chance but I don't want him to end up running at the bottom races until he can't any longer. So I think he will be useful in another career. The whole group of geldings has been a real disappointment. All of them had a fair start and were never pushed and have raced many times soundly but have not proven to be useful. Pi, now a mare, can't make any money here in Florida though she has tried at Tampa. She is sound and may have a shot up North. It's time to regroup... I have a group of four fillies that are now two and they have just been broken and will do a little bit durning the hot summer but will not be ready before the Fall. I'll keep you updated!

Well I havent written in a while since I'm still having technical problems with photos etc. To bring yiu up to date: I have two horses running at Tampa BAy Downs at moment. Pi was off for almost a year with a twisted hock...done while frolicking in field. I wasnt sure she would make it back to racing and I will soon put up pictures of injury and healing process.She seems to be back to self..next few races will tell whether she can win that second race. I let Duffy off for summer and hoped that he would mature and be more interested in running, this, his five year old year. He is a big 17 hand gelding and I think needed time to grow into himself. All the other horses from that group were given away or deals made as they were not proving to support themselves. Leaveme a Roan is to be a pony horse...the best he ever did was a second on the grass at River Downs. He would not be competitive at Tampa so I left him in Ohio. International Guy was training very well in Charlestown butI couldnt stay up there for summer..(was there two weeks) and made a deal with a nice young trainer and his owner. He has been hitting the board and I hope to see a win soon. Zulu Prince was a disapointment so another deal was made and he finally broke his maiden in PA which was a good deal as he was PA bred. Hasnt done much since and our winter season at Tampa is pretty tough...well see..I wish him well..as with all my horses he left my barn very sound so if the spot can be found where he can compete he might pay his way. I tried Zaamtime a few times but she showed no interest in wanting to run and now has a fabulous home with girls who love her. If my horses show no ability to pay their way after I have tried them Long, short, grass, etc, then, since my home is Florida, I try to place them where they have a chance or can be riding horses. Some Thorouoghbreds are not meant to be riding horses but so far I have had luck finding homes for mine. I will be better at blogging now so come back and check in!

Duffy does a strong mile

Duffy seems to be waking up.. He did a very strong mile and is becoming more aggressive.
I need to get another rider out here so horses can work together. Tampa opens soon so maybe then well get some jockeys! Meanwhile Susie Jacobs is doing a great job!

Second break red filly

So professional for such a young filly !

Red filly -2year old goes to gate

After solid two and half mile gallop red filly goes to break!

To gate again-same morning

I like being able to bring horse back for second break the same morning. This is the advantage of a training center... At Tampa Bay Downs the gate crew wouldn't let us do this... So if horse broke crooked we couldn't correct it right then and have him come right back... I've never understood that !
Every crew is different... At Delaware they were very accommodating and would let us repeat same morning!

Destiny gallops then gate work

Oct 27 destiny did a two and half gallop and now goes to gate. She walked through and now goes in with front closed

Location:Sunset Cove Dr,Winter Haven,United States

Duffy is finishing stronger

Last season Duffy plodded along and showed no kick at end of race. I've asked Susie to teach him to finish strongly .. He tends to roll into the speed and needs a long race.. Hopefully a kick at the end. This season he must show something ... He will be five in January!

Filly goes to real gate first time

We had her walk through and stand then we closed the front. This filly is very solid and calm... Unbelievable for a two year old!