The fourth week of the year was not one that reeked of profits. It actually reeked of something else, but we won’t go there.
I was looking at 3 entries this week and a 4th horse turned up ready to run and I went with it. We did lose one horse this week which was ALWAYS CONFLICTED. The 6-year old entered into a $3,000 claiming and left the race in the possession of someone else as he was claimed. I placed him into a dirt race, the first time he walked the soil in his 37 race career. He was the 2nd choice with bettors at 3/1 and ran rather flatly, pretty much 4th position in the field of 13 throughout the race with a speed of 86. This was his 4th start in a sprint, so maybe longer would have been better. Still the speed number was his lowest since being a 2 year old. In 4 races with the stable his best finish was a third. He departs leaving behind 10 BP’s and a G-card.
ANCESTRY NULL joined the stable last month through a claim and has the ability to run on both dirt and turf. I placed her on the dirt in a $15,000 starter allowance race at a distance of 8.5f. A short field of 6 saw her drifting off to the fifth spot early on but she had no problem moving up to take the lead and win in the final quarter mile with a 102 speed. She is the rose between the thorns of runners this week. We earned 30 BP’s and an F-card and a G-card.
I had lots of hopes with BRED TO CHALLENGE. He’s the horse that was bred with the Lope De Vega share I acquired at the end of 2018 and bred to a mare with the Galileo x Kris S. bloodline. Bred to Challenge had his first start in a 5f MSW and was the second choice at 7/2 in the 13 horse field. He took a mid-field position in the early going but disappointment came as he had no late drive, finish fifth overall, three strides off the winner. Did get 10 BP’s and a G-card but the outcome was a big let down.
Recently acquired SKORPIOVENTOR made his debut for the stable running on a good dirt track. He stayed at QLD and at the 7f distance, the same as the race he was claimed from. That race was also a good surface and the only difference was this race was with $35,000 claimers opposed to the previous tag of $7,500. He started the race slowly and moved up a few spots by the end of the race. The position game was not by effort but by horses tiring and dropping off behind him. A poor outing, finishing 6th. We’ll look for better placement next time in lower claiming tags and for a drier track surface. No BP’s from this one and a sole G-card.
50 BP’s is ok for the week, largely coming from one horse. 1-F card and 3 G-cards advance the card total to 4 F’s and 4 G’s (Editors Correction, accumulated cards are at 1-E, 5-F and 7-G) and a total of 388 BP’s.
With the open spot in the stable as a result of Always Conflicted being claimed, I have moved NIANG from the farm to the stable. He’s been resting at the farm for a while and has done well for the stable in the past in a mix of allowance and claiming races. Speeds, for the most part have been in the 100+ range and I’m happy to have him back in the lineup.
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