Friday, January 27, 2012
PICTURES OF THE DAY
Monday, January 23, 2012
VA-BRED RACE WINNERS
Blueskiesnrainbows (c, 3yo), English Channel - Cho Cho San
by Deputy Minister. B - Edward P Evans. Santa Anita, 1/20/2012, str alwc,
$18,000, 8 f, 1:36.91. ($33,000, yrlg, 2010, keesep)
Catale Key (f, 4yo), Mineshaft - Key Causeway by Giant's
Causeway. B - Edward P Evans. Sam Houston, 1/22/2012, alwc, $12,540, 5.5 f,
1:04.81. ($7,000, yrlg, 2009, keesep)
Valued Assets (g, 5yo), Value Plus - Shallows by Cox's
Ridge. B - Donna M Hayes. Sam Houston, 1/22/2012, mdn sp wgt, $11,040, 5.5 f, 1:05.90.
SIEGEL ELECTED VRC CHAIRMAN
Stuart Siegel of Richmond, who was appointed to the Virginia
Racing Commission in 2009, was elected chairman and that regulatory agency’s
January meeting.
A former Thoroughbred owner and breeder, raced 1988 Cicada
Stakes winner Turn To Money among others.
Siegel raced and bred horses at Running Cedar Farm in Goochland, has served as the chairman of the board of S&K Menswear since 1977 and is the former chief executive officer. The forty-two-year-old discount men’s wear company closed its retail outlets in 2009.
Siegel raced and bred horses at Running Cedar Farm in Goochland, has served as the chairman of the board of S&K Menswear since 1977 and is the former chief executive officer. The forty-two-year-old discount men’s wear company closed its retail outlets in 2009.
Seigels prior business experience and his knowledge of the
industry made him a natural choice when former chairman Clint Miller was not reappointed
by the Governor.
VRC APPROVES BREEDERS FUND PAYMENTS
The Virginia Racing Commission approved the a resolution at
the January meeting which included the following:
The Thoroughbred Sub-Committee of the Virginia Breeders Fund
voted unanimously to recommend the following expenditures from the Thoroughbred
portion of the Virginia Breeders Fund for 2012:
1. $325,000 for the year-end breeder and stallion awards
based on the results of races run in 2011;
2. Approximately $700,000 for the 100% owner’s bonus program
and restricted race supplements of 25%;
3. $131,000 to partially fund the purses of six VA-bred
Stake races to be contested during the 2012 race meeting at Colonial Downs;
4. Approximately $65,000 for breeder’s bonuses based on 10%
of the 100% owner’s bonuses earned;
The final VTA report concerning Breeder and Stallion Awards
for 2011 will be submitted to the VRC staff for approval and funding by tomorrow,
Tuesday, January 24, 2012.
EVANS LEADING BREEDER FOR 2011
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| BUSTER'S READY |
2011 Leading breeders of Virginia-breds and their leading
earner:
Edward P. Evans, $2,553,428, Buster's Ready
Lazy Lane, $1,099,494, Hot Summer
Morgan's Ford Farm & partners, $926,045, Redeemed
Audley Farm, $830,699, Wardelle
R. Larry Johnson & Legacy Farm, $545,557, Victor's
Cry
Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III, $538,020, Seaside
William Backer, $509,442, Her Smile
Mr. & Mrs. Bert Firestone, $388,662, Winchester
Atkins Homes, $263,019, Camp Victory
Donna Hayes & partners, $254,759, Big D
Lady Olivia at North Cliff LLC, $245,477, Tirion
VA Tech Foundation, Inc., $216,499, Big Notion
Mede Cahaba Stable & Stud LLC, $203,263, Complete Zen
Carolyn Nicewonder Beverly, $199,769, Powder Mountain
Mr. & Mrs. C.W. McNeely III, $176,548, Aster Cornith
Althea Richards, $156,222, Boxer Shorts
Corner Farm, Jill & Ned Moore & Partners,
$145,141, Free Entry
James S. Carter & partners, $140,757, Water Of Life
Bryan R. Baker, $117,807, Valter
Chance Farm, $110,720, Lunar Mist
David Ross, $105,887, Classy Zip
Dixie Noffsinger, $103,245, Leobuster
Hart Farm, $101,210, Sugadadeze
Magalen O. Bryant, $96,732, Deputy Fling
Mr. & Mrs. Sam Rogers, $90,900, Silver Tie Affair
Keswick Stables, $87,908, I'm Unforgettable
Albert Coppola, $85,954, Virginia Cavalier
Heidi Overfelt, $70,804, Cobbley's Breeze
PICTURES OF THE DAY
Monday, January 16, 2012
PICTURES OF THE DAY
VIRGINIA-BRED WINNERS
Elegant Peace (f, 5yo), Full Mandate - Swan Ruby by Rubiano.
B - Norine Bradshaw & James Bradshaw. Laurel Race Course, 1/13/2012, mdn
clmg, $5,700, 8 f, 1:40.37.
Fingersnapper (f, 5yo), Domestic Dispute - Dance In Flight
by Meadow Flight. B - Great Oaks Farm.Laurel Race Course, 1/7/2012, clmg,
$5,700, 7 f, 1:27.71.
Flipofthecoin (f, 4yo), Songandaprayer - Proof Positive by
Editor's Note. B - Morgan's Ford Farm. Laurel Race Course, 1/11/2012, clmg,
$6,840, 6 f, 1:12.29. ($130,000, wnlg, 2008, keenov)
Luciano's Soul (g, 4yo), Perfect Soul (IRE) - Lady Nadine
(GB) by Alzao. B - Lady Olivia At North Cliff LLC. Laurel Race Course, 1/11/2012,
mdn clmg, $5,700, 8 f, 1:43.96.
Mint Martini (f, 4yo), Boastful - Mintess by Kris S. B -
Bryan R Baker. Tampa Bay Downs, 1 /11/2012, mdn clmg, $7,500, 6 f, 1:12.99.
Montana Fields (f, 6yo), Pulpit - Exceptionally by El Prado
(IRE). B - Audley Farm. Portland Meadows, 1/4/2012, clmg, $1,870, 6 f, 1:14.34.
($67,000, yrlg, 2007, keesep)
Robin's Big Birdie (f, 4yo), Birdstone - Code Woo by Lost
Code. B - Foxcroft Farm. Laurel Race Course, 1/6/2012, mdn clmg, $5,700, 7 f,
1:27.91.
Saint Will (c, 5yo), Saint Liam - Gold Mover by Gold Fever.
B - Evans Edward P. Fair Grounds, 1/15/2012, clmg, $14,304, 6 f, 1:10.56.
Spring Hill Farm (c, 3yo), Smart Strike - Colonial Minstrel
by Pleasant Colony. B - Evans Edward P. Gulfstream Park, 1/14/2012, mdn sp wgt,
$24,300, 7 f, 1:24.51. ($60,000, 2yo, 2011, keenov)
Sugadadeze (f, 3yo), Silver Train - Love Scene by Not For
Love. B - Hart Farm. Tampa Bay Downs, 1/6/2012, clmg, $11,220, 6 f, 1:12.70.
($6,000, wnlg, 2009, ftmdec)
Water Of Life (f, 5yo), Hennessy - Shoreline by Unbridled. B
- James S Carter. Gulfstream Park, 1/5/2012,
$15,300, 6 f, 1:11.47. ($62,000, wnlg, 2007, keenov; $105,000, yrlg, 2008,
keesep; $170,000, 2yo, 2009, ftmmay)
BACK FROM HAITI
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| MY HAITIAN FRIEND HAS A SHIRT FROM BARBARO'S KY DERBY |
This village in northeast Haiti is 70 air miles from Port-au-Prince but it takes 8 hours to get their by car. One of the first things I learned about Haiti is that there are large mountains in the interior of the island– up to 8,500 feet tall. By way of reference, ski town Park City, Utah is at 7,500 feet. So, you've heard the saying "you can't get there from here"? Well, you can't.
So we flew into Santiago, Dominican Republic which looked like a wild west town when we arrived and like the U.S. with armed guards when we returned. That is how much one's perspective changes after a week in Haiti. Santiago seemed dirty, primitive and dangerous on arrival and well-organized, clean and down right orderly when we returned. I even got used to the guys with the big guns guarding the hotel, the neighborhood restaurants, and my favorite, the valet parking.
 |
| THE CHAOS JUST INSIDE HAITI |
Terrier Rouge is about an hour away. It is a fairly large town (20,000 in the region) which lacks both running water and electricity. It is located about 30 miles from Haiti’s second largest city Cap Haitien.
"Cap" is located on the water pressed up against the mountains. It was not impacted by the 2010 earthquake, but it is quite similar to Port-au-Prince in its sprawl and poverty. Over 200,000 people and not a stop sign or traffic light to be seen which makes it the most chaotic place I’ve ever been. Not to mention dangerous. An earthquake of any scope would devastate the place. Especially the houses hanging precariously from the hills above the city…They would simply roll down the mountain into the sea port.
 |
| NEAR TERRIER ROUGE |
Pere Bruno is one of those amazing people who quietly changes the world. His school is a project done in partnership with Bethlehem Ministry, Inc., a non-profit organization out of Atlanta, created for the sole purpose of aiding Haiti's poor. He was recently quoted saying, “if you have faith, and do not doubt, you can say to this mountain jump into the sea. And it will." After spending a week with this man and seeing all he has accomplished and all he aspires to accomplish in the future, I believe him. If Pere Bruno decides the mountain is moving, it’s going to get wet. And, in typical Pere Bruno fashion it will happen calmly and deliberately with minimal fanfare.
 |
| PERE BRUNO (Center, beard, white shirt) |
Construction has begun on a high school adjacent to the Ecole St. Barthélémy and the first $70,000 of the $200,000 needed to complete the project has been raised. Currently, Ecole St. Barthélémy is educating and, more importantly, feeding 700 students per day. To attend, students need $250 in tuition and a uniform. Uniforms and backpacks have been donated by various entities and some students are sponsored.
 |
| HAPPY STUDENTS |
That said, they are making great strides. The power lines are up in Terrier Rouge although nothing runs through them. Ironic at best. About six miles down the road, a new university opened on January 12th – the two year anniversary of the Port –au-Prince earthquake. Both the presidents of Haiti and the Dominican Republic visited the area while we were there (lots of helicopters which is odd for Haiti) as did former U.S. President Bill Clinton. That said, the primary mode of transport remains horses (ponies really and donkeys)
 |
| TERRIER ROUGE |
We saw many amazing things, places and people and had a wonderful grounding experience. One of our treks was up the mountain to a very remote village that previously had a broken well. The Warrenton Rotary raised $2,000 last year to get the villagers a new well, so we went to see how it was doing. The residents were delighted to see us and explained (not to me, I don’t speak Creole or French) that the new well had all but wiped out Cholera there and generally improved the health of everyone. We were very welcomed guests, and I left there resolved to build some additional wells in other local villages…
On the second anniversary of the 2010 earthquake we attended a moving service at the school before heading off to do a food drop at two isolated villages. The night before we had repackaged over a ton of food in to individual bags for distribution to those in need - rice, beans, oil, pasta and salt herring. A community leader distributed chits to various needy folks and they were lined up waiting for us when we arrived.
Both of these villages, Phaeton and Paulette, were both "company towns" for a factory that manufactured rope from a local plant. When synthetic rope became less expensive to produce the factory went out of business leaving it's employees with no way to make a living. As a result, the overwhelming majority of the food was distributed to elderly people who once worked for the rope plant. This is something Pere Bruno does whenever he has the extra cash to buy the food and it is very moving to see and always leaves at least one volunteer in tears and the rest not far behind...
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| WAITING A TURN IN PHAETON |
Both of these villages, Phaeton and Paulette, were both "company towns" for a factory that manufactured rope from a local plant. When synthetic rope became less expensive to produce the factory went out of business leaving it's employees with no way to make a living. As a result, the overwhelming majority of the food was distributed to elderly people who once worked for the rope plant. This is something Pere Bruno does whenever he has the extra cash to buy the food and it is very moving to see and always leaves at least one volunteer in tears and the rest not far behind...
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| EVERYBODY LOVES BALLOONS |
While in Cap Haitien we visited the Kay Anj (Angel House) Orphanage established by four folks from Haymarket, VA. It was, as all visits to orphanages are, both inspiring and distressing at the same time. This particular place is a wonderful oasis in the middle of a hillside slum. I feel badly about calling the area a "slum" since everyone seems to be doing the very best they can, but I don't know a better word to describe it. The children were sweet and loving and leaving them was difficult. To read more about this amazing project, click here.
As guest of the school, we had deluxe accommodations – electricity (solar and generator), running water (no hot water), three square meals a day, briefly sort of cold beer each evening, an all important ceiling fan…and, yes, believe it or not, WiFi! So we were hardly roughing it. Cell phones worked perfectly in not inexpensively.
Outside the compound was a very different story…
That said, one of the great things about the projects tackled by Pere Bruno is he knows his limitations. He thinks globally and acts locally and he only tackles the mountains he knows he can move so efforts in Terrier Rouge, at the school and farm and the clinic all produce achievable goals and eventual results.
That said, one of the great things about the projects tackled by Pere Bruno is he knows his limitations. He thinks globally and acts locally and he only tackles the mountains he knows he can move so efforts in Terrier Rouge, at the school and farm and the clinic all produce achievable goals and eventual results.
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| WAITING THEIR TURN AT CLINIQUE ESPERANCE ET VIE |
Each well costs about $2,000. If you would like to help, feel free to send a contribution to T.A.H.'s “Wells of Health and Hope,” at 38 Garrett Street, Warrenton, VA 20186.
To read more about Terrier Rouge, click here and here.
For more info about the school, farm and clinic, click here and scroll down a little or here.
-- Glenn Petty
-- Glenn Petty
Friday, January 6, 2012
VA-BRED CHAMP WINCHESTER RETIRED
A Virginia-bred sired by Theatrical, who was a grass
champion for Bert Firestone and Allen Paulson, Winchester was produced from
Irish group winner Rum Charger (by Spectrum).
Winchester captured the 2011 Sword Dancer Invitational
Stakes at Saratoga. He earlier won the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap over
champion Gio Ponti and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes over
Paddy O'Prado, both at Belmont Park in 2010, and the 2008 Secretariat Stakes at
Arlington Park.
Winchester, who was stakes-placed in Ireland, was retired
with 15 top-three finishes from 25 starts and earnings of $1,587,098. In what
was his final start, he finished third in the W. L. McKnight Handicap Nov. 26.
He was trained in North America by Christophe Clement.
Winchester can be inspected at Miacomet Farm near
Georgetown, Ky.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
RAPID REDUX WINS RECORD #22
Monday, January 2, 2012
FOX PHOTOS OF THE DAY
Eclipse Award-winning photographer Douglas Lees shot these on New Year's Eve with Orange County Hunt.
VA-BRED RACE WINNERS
Just Like Juliet (f, 2yo), Shakespeare - Biding Time by
Seeking The Gold. B - Evans Edward P. Fair Grounds, 12/29/2011, mdn clmg,
$13,608, 6 f, 1:12.23. ($7,000, yrlg, 2010, keesep)
Lady Rococo (f, 4yo), Louis Quatorze - Sure Can Purr by Tale
Of The Cat. B - Ross David A. Penn National, 12/26/2011, clmg, $7,200, 5.5 f,
1:05.91.
Officer Lusk (f, 3yo), Value Plus - Sabbath Day Point by
West By West. B - Coppola Albert P. Turf Paradise, 12/30/2011, mdn clmg,
$3,300, 5 f, 0:59.21. ($10,000, yrlg, 2009, keejan; $5,000, yrlg, 2009, keesep)
Saint Will (c, 4yo), Saint Liam - Gold Mover by Gold Fever.
B - Evans Edward P. Fair Grounds, 12/26/2011, clmg, $8,208, 5.5 f, 1:04.26.
Successful Bluff (c, 2yo), Successful Appeal - Shy Lil by
Lil's Lad. B - Hart Farm. Golden Gate Fields, 12/29/2011, str alwc, $10,980, 6
f, 1:11.07. ($35,000, wnlg, 2009, keenov)
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