Patches of mist settled over horse farms around Lexington, rendering the horses pastured there as shadowy images glimpsed in silhouette. The castle a little bit past Keeneland truly did look like something out of a storybook, appearing to almost rise out of the fog lying around the rolling field surrounding it, with the earliest hints of a pink sunrise illuminating its turrets.

The mist that enveloped parts of Lexington gave way to fog so thick the highway ahead disappeared into it rapidly, reminding me of the Preakness conditions 2 weeks ago, when Justify prevailed after being pressed hard by Good Magic for much of the race and then holding off another batch of pursuers nearly in the shadow of the wire.

It was definitely no coincidence Justify was on my mind, with even foggy conditions drawing my thoughts to him. His trajectory through the first two races of the Triple Crown, with less-than-ideal conditions and how he’s revealed, whatever may yet unfurl in New York at the Belmont Stakes, has revealed he is extraordinary. Even while he raced a bit greenly in the Preakness, he has still shown a tremendous amount of talent, particularly for a colt who didn’t begin racing until February this year. What also struck me, prior to the Preakness, was how incredibly muscular he is, with a bulk that seems to belie the fact that he is 3 years old.

The purpose of the drive I took through the thick fog, the other reason Justify was on my mind as he’s been particularly since the Preakness as the questions swirl about what he may yet show he’s capable of a week from today in the Belmont, was that I was driving to Churchill Downs to watch him train during the special time set aside specifically for Belmont horses.

While I attended his Derby and saw him train prior to the Derby as well, with a limited number of horses training for the Belmont on the premises, this was the most time I had spent in proximity to Justify, providing the opportunity to note details I had never seen before..

One was the look in his eye. The other was how he came off the track after his gallop looking fired up. He seems like he will be tough to beat. Yes, the questions swirl – will stamina be a limiting factor? Will inexperience or two possibly tiring track conditions in the Derby and Preakness have taken their toll? Will one of the fresh Belmont contenders play spoiler?

Those are the unknown factors. What is certain is Baffert is confident in the way Justify has trained and that he is not dropping weight. What I observed myself is that he still appears to be full of energy and training strongly.

It was great to be at the track again, among others who gathered primarily for Justify, though Tenfold, Bravazo, and Free Drop Billy also trained at Churchill this morning.

Justify walked the shedrow under Baffert’s barn, already saddled and wearing the neon saddlecloth embroidered with his name, while waiting for the time set aside for the Belmont contenders only to train. It was a thrill to suddenly catch a glimpse of him upon arrival, this horse I drove up specifically to see and that intrigues me as much as he does, for all the possibility he represents, for the aura of greatness that he may well be on the way to claim.

A dad waiting outside Baffert’s barn with his young daughter answered her question about what Justify looks like, saying he has four legs, and pausing before delivering his punch line, that the horse is pink.

 His daughter was old enough to realize a horse can’t be pink, in all probability, questioning increduously, “Pink?”

 The exchange made me smile, as did the beautiful morning spent at the track, and the kinship felt by being among people all gathered to see this horse.

His pony Sunny escorted him to the track, with Justify appearing to tower above him. I took a spot where I watched the Derby and all the other races that day, though thankfully it was not in a downpour this time. Justify ran by twice during his gallop, the first time he went by causing a lady to murmur that he was “poetry in motion.” All chatter stopped as he went by, everyone soaking in the sight of him running by, possibly trying to assess how the gallop indicated what he may do in a week’s time, as best a gallop can reveal what potential lies within a horse to unfurl a winning effort in a race.

This is definitely the kind of horse to make one dream, given all he’s already accomplished in such a short time.

Following him back to the barn for his bath, he stood calmly, while nearby Sunny stuck his nose in a bucket of water and lifted the sponge in it out with his teeth. He appeared to have a bit of a playful demeanor now that he was done accompanying Justify to the track, trying to grab at the towel used to dry him after his bath, and toying with his lead shank.

The training session set aside for the Belmont horses was rather short-lived, with much fewer on the grounds than Derby horses. I was grateful that Churchill had set aside this training time, giving me a specific time frame to aim for to see Justify along with anyone else who hoped to see him, since I drove up from Lexington the same morning he galloped.

 Afterwards, I visited the Derby museum for the first time this year, primarily to see the collection D. Wayne Lukas had donated to them and their famed racing fillies exhibit.

 As a gatherer of racing facts and one who is immensely interested in racing trivia and history, seeing Lukas’ Derby trophies side by side made it possible to note when the horseshoe on them was switched from being open side down to open side up. I particularly noted that because I read years ago how the Derby trophy used to have the horseshoe open side down for quite a while, until the realization struck that according to superstition, that is bad luck, and the horseshoe was placed open side up.

 Yet it seemed on the trainers’ Derby trophies, the trend had not been observed as quickly as on the large Derby trophy always seen on TV. It wasn’t until Lukas received a trophy in 1999, for Charismatic’s victory, that the horseshoe was right side up. Yet all his Oaks trophies, even the ones that predated his earliest Derby one, had the horseshoe open side up.

 It was also interesting to see items I didn’t know trainers are given that he had to commemorate victories of horses he trained, like a small replica of the canoe in the Saratoga infield that is painted each year in the colors of the Travers winners, awarded to Lukas for Will Take Charge’s victory in that race, and that he also collected memorabilia with ties to significant racing history, beyond those he achieved.

I also went on the Churchill Downs walking tour for the first time, learning a few more history tidbits I never knew before.

 I wrapped up my visit viewing the famous fillies exhibit.

Justify’s Belmont

Being near Justify reminds me of the Helen Keller quote, in a slight paraphrase, that the most beautiful things must be felt with the heart. While she also said they can’t be seen, the sentiment that deepest meaning arises from emotional connection holds true in many cases.

So it was with Justify, most of all on a quiet morning on the Churchill Downs backside a week before the Belmont, when I felt I really got to know him, taking in his calm demeanor and powerful frame, and what TV cameras and photographs can only partially reveal. This was a near indefinable quality that emanated from him, a sense that he is truly exceptional. I once did not know what to make of him, bursting onto the scene and being hyped as a near “wonder horse” with light racing experience, and so it did surprise me when he won the Derby, a race that has unnerved even more experienced horses, between the huge throngs of people present, all the noise and the large field to thread their way through or in some cases get stymied by. It was the first inkling that perhaps the hype had indeed not been hype. His connections probably knew Justify had the caliber it took to contest the Derby. Not questioning that. The disbelief that was hard to suspend was that a horse could achieve what he has by essentially throwing out all the known “rules” of how a horse wins a Kentucky Derby.

The Preakness victory, later described as him not bringing his best effort, and still winning, and how he subsequently trained leading up to the Belmont both proved to me that in spite of his light racing experience (which did show as he raced a bit greenly in the Preakness, not too unexpected for only his fifth lifetime start) is when it became evident to me what Bob Baffert had been suggesting all along. This horse has the potential to be one of the greats.

Knowing I would not be able to attend his Belmont and that he seemed to have  an incredibly legitimate chance to win the Triple Crown , compelled me to attend his training session early in June, to have another experience witnessing his run for glory.

As I stood near him as he left the track after his gallop that day, seemingly not even breathing hard, that is when I sensed some of what lies within him that has made it possible for him to achieve what he has done. When I reflected on that, it was the morning of Belmont day, and however the 1 ½ mile Test of the Champion unfolded for him, I would always remember I was in the presence of an exceptional horse.

There was a good feeling among many people about his chances to capture the Triple Crown. He trained like a powerhouse around the Belmont surface. While the race would reveal what no training session could, he appeared more than ready for the task ahead. His energy and strength levels had remained consistent and even appeared to increase. His muscular build is incredible to see, almost seeming to indicate he is older than three. He had also faced his stiffest challenge in a race in the Preakness and had not been found wanting. Heart, courage, and an ability to dig in to prevail should serve him well.

He does have what it takes, as long a stamina isn’t a limiting factor, a question in some circles.

As remarkable as it is he is at this juncture, having only begun racing in February this year, he seems to have an incredibly realistic shot at the Triple Crown.

I believe it is his to capture because I saw him train that morning at Churchill, and because at every step along the way, he continued to show what he was made of. May the next steps, the marathon distance of the Belmont, be his proving ground as it was always intended to be.

And, as is well-known now, he did indeed come “roaring home” and prevailed, further cementing what American Pharoah had shown me. Everything does not have to be perfect or by the book for a Triple Crown winner to occur. He won the Triple Crown because he is exceptional, just as I had seen June 2. Still, in spite of having thought he had what it took, until that moment when he burst out of the gate and was able to stretch a front-running style to a wire-to-wire victory, the questions had to be answered and answered them emphatically.

What an emotional moment it was, to hear he had won the Triple Crown. As a near lifelong racing enthusiast, and this being the second Triple Crown winner in my lifetime, how that moment felt that June 9 will likely linger with me for a long time. As it should, for the rare achievement it is, in a sport that is part of me as surely as if it were in my DNA to love it and be drawn to it.

Point Given Day at the Kentucky Horse Park

 

Denali Stud

Serena’s Song

Mill Ridge Farm

 

Horse Country hosted its second popular Meet the Neighbors series of tours on the weekend of March 9, opening up a variety of farms and other horse-related sites to central Kentucky residents for free.

I got a last-minute opening to attend the Darby Dan tour when a spot on the waitlist opened up, where I have not been in several years.

I appreciate that Horse Country tours often provide an opportunity to visit sites that I haven’t seen when booking a visit on my own. While I always enjoy seeing the horses, it is intriguing to get a glimpse of other parts of farms as well.

For the visit to Darby Dan, that included going inside the grand manor house. With the elegant horse portraits adorning the walls, a cabinet featuring silver trophies, and luxurious furniture around the room where our tour began, it very much seemed reminiscent of a home in England equally steeped in racing tradition and its earliest beginnings. It evoked that feeling of stepping back to that time just by walking through its door.

After an introduction to the farm and its history, the procession began to the stallion barn. I had hoped to see Shackleford, and did catch a glimpse of his distinctive large blaze through his stall door.

The stallion chosen to be led out for photos was Dialed In. He was magnificent to see, from the look in his eye to the incredibly well-developed crest on his neck.

 

Tale of Ekati was also outside, his coat gleaming in the March sun as he received a bath.

 

Then I made my way to Keene Ridge, where I had never visited. Farm owner Ann McBrayer began the visit with the story of English Channel, foaled at the farm after being purchased when he was carried by his dam. As would be expected with such an illustrious runner, he is a point of pride for the farm, and a blanket embroidered with his name is draped prominently across a chair in the office.

Nursery farms are not as common on tours as the many stallion farms that dot this region, yet I may enjoy them just a bit more. It’s not solely for the chance to see foals. It is to feel even closer to the cycle of nature, evident in mares of all categories, from maidens to those waiting to foal to those with playful foals at their sides, as well as weanlings or short yearlings romping through the fields.

McBrayer jokingly–though no doubt with more than an inkling of truth–that she sells beer and wine because she hasn’t figured out how to get the horses to pay for themselves. While the margin of profit can be slim for racing enterprises, that’s probably a bit tongue-in-cheek, though. Her passion for the horses in her care, most of which are from boarders, and the meticulous attention to detail speak volumes about her dedication.

So did her telling the story of finally getting a colt out of English Channel’s dam, after a series of fillies, and persisting in getting him to the track even when minor setbacks kept him from being entered in a sale. He looked like he had a chance at being a good runner, but that was not to be either. So McBrayer decided to give him a chance as a stallion, since he appeared to have potential and is English Channel’s full brother.

She also told the visiting group about a mare, Beat Your Feet, who was incredibly attached to her foal. One day they heard the mare neigh in the pasture where she was turned out with her foal, and she sounded panicked. When they went out to check on her, they realized she had suddenly gone blind and could no longer see her colt in the pasture with her.

They took her to a clinic, and she was found to have tumors in both eyes that were cancerous. The tumors were removed, and Beat Your Feet had to have her foal touching her during the whole procedure. The options for her were to put her on medication, or take her to a clinic in Ohio for more aggressive treatment, but her colt would have to be left behind. McBrayer knew she was too devoted to her foal for that to be an option.

Beat Your Feet returned to Keene Ridge, and her colt was fitted with a bell so she could keep track of him, a reverse of the well-known case of Begum, born without eyes, necessitating fitting her dam Rullah Good with a bell so Begum could find her when she was a foal.

Beat Your Feet lived until the day her colt was weaned, dying that same afternoon. McBrayer said it gave every indication she had stayed alive long enough to raise her foal, so absolute was her devotion to him.

McBrayer has a shadowbox of items from when Beat Your Feet was raising this colt, as well as photos of her in the clinic after her tumors were removed, which actually ended up being part of a TV show Animal Planet filmed.

Her foal, a 2014 gelding by Channeled, is named Big Bad Zin. At the time of the farm visit, he was expected to make a start near the end of the upcoming Keeneland spring meet.

Before going out to meet some of the horses, we took in a few of the sights around the farm. Two things that especially stood out were seeing the Keeneland grandstand from the farm, and the sign post showing the distance to various notable racetracks.

 

Video of the foal in the photo above; the broodmare manager said it seemed figuring out how to lay back down had not yet been achieved. This foal was only hours old at the time this video was taken.

On the way back from Keene Ridge, I passed this barn with decor that caught my eye. I love a drive through the country, seeing all the foals starting to dot the fields, and unexpected sights like these, lending a pop of color to a weather-beaten structure.

 

 

 

I returned to Gulfstream the morning of the Pegasus World Cup, eager to see workouts at the lovely setting. I enjoyed being in the Florida warmth in January, the first time I’d ever been anywhere warm in winter, and also seeing the palm trees around the track and paddock. The track and its environs are a lovely setting for photos, and the atmosphere the day of the Pegasus World Cup was a lot of fun, with an amazing live band that loaned even more of a tropical feel to the day.

Morning workouts

La Prevoyante Handicap

Race 4, maiden special weight

Race 5, a maiden special weight

Won by Neepawa (not pictured)

Ladies’ Turf Sprint Stakes

Fred W. Hooper Stakes

W.L. McKnight Handicap

Hurricane Bertie Stakes

Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Handicap

won by Rainbow Heir

Pegasus World Cup

This was the race I came for, to see Gun Runner’s swan song as well, after thrilling to his Stephen Foster victory and its large margin of victory and his season-ending Breeders’ Cup Classic, as well as every race in between. I don’t often travel that far to see a particular horse race, but he was one that I wanted to do that for.

I didn’t know what the atmosphere surrounding this race would be, given its recent beginning, and of course having never been to it. The anticipation waiting for the horses to enter the paddock felt every bit as strong as that I’ve felt at any Derby I’ve been to, and the people thronging the paddock and in it increased markedly preceding the World Cup, just as it does for the Derby. While the crowd was understandably smaller than at the Kentucky Derby, it did still grow in numbers of attendees right before this race, just as at the Derby.

Gun Runner looked magnificent, calm, and collected as always. He had been going through his workouts prior to the race looking as strong as he had during his whole multi-race win streak. I was as confident as one could be that he’d close out his career with an emphatic victory, even given the vagaries surrounding racing and trying to assess ahead of time what a particular horse may do in a race.

Before, I had thought it was a little bittersweet to know this was Gun Runner’s last race and his last works–bitter because sometimes you just don’t want to see a good run end, even knowing something being finite makes it all the sweeter, ultimately; and sweet because there was one more opportunity to see Gun Runner do what he has done so well, and hopefully delight in another victory.

He entered the saddling area wearing his Breeders’ Cup Classic blanket, embroidered with his name. He didn’t walk around that area like several of the other horses, so I didn’t get another look at him until he entered the walking ring.

I was grateful to Gulfstream for creating a ticket option that limited access directly around the rail at the walking ring, so I had a chance to see Gun Runner and the other contenders up close without having to contend with finding a spot with everyone who had purchased general admission.

I had planned to watch the race by the grandstand, but since I had bought the ticket that allowed me rail access to the walking ring, I chose to see Gun Runner as much as possible there and then watched the race on the screen instead of fighting through crowds at the rail by the track. I did go over to be part of the celebration once he won, though and it was a thrill to celebrate his victory as it is anytime your favored horse wins, but even more fun surrounded by racing enthusiasts. I had thought I wouldn’t want to come all this way and still watch it on a screen, but since I got to see him beforehand and was still surrounded by excited people, it didn’t diminish the experience at all. There was a large group in the walking ring who celebrated wildly and I was so happy to see him win one more time and applaud the effort of a top-notch horse.

It was even better to get to see him up close and all the acclaim he received as he reached the grandstand again. It made the whole trip and being there personally worth it. It didn’t even feel bittersweet. It was just exultation and soaking in all that goes along with seeing an incredible runner win brilliantly and easily once more.

 

 

 

 

 

I arrived in Florida the morning of January 25, ahead of the Pegasus World Cup, for my first visit to this track.  I loved the architecture, as seen in one of the photos below, and the picturesque paddock and track.

Race 6

 

Race 8

The beach house, seen below, was another unique feature of Gulfstream, along with sand spread along the area of the grandstand where it was.

 

Race 9

 

Race 10

I mostly focused on the ponies prior to this race, including a sweet moment with a baby feeding one a peppermint. It seemed like a small hometown type feel with the way people interacted with the ponies, including a lot of racegoers that seemed to know them and their riders well. I love seeing that type of connection forged between patrons and the ponies, to find an element of being involved, in a sense, beyond just watching.

Race 11