I visited Gainsborough today on a new Horse Country tour, offering a chance to see the farm’s mares and foals. In fact, it was the first ever tour for Horse Country to see the mares and foals there. I arrived a little early and chatted with the tour guides, never expecting Dan Pride to stop by and offer me an Essential Quality hat as a gift for being the first visitor of this tour. That was so kind and unexpected. He even asked if I didn’t mind he’d worn it once. I certainly didn’t – I have an array of horse hats only to display, not wear. Also, Essential Quality won the first Belmont I ever attended and I even thought that Dan Pride had once worn the hat and offered it made it an even neater bit of racing memorabilia for my collection.

Then the other tour guests arrived, and we saw the barns that had housed stallions before they moved to Darley at Jonabell, including one barn that had never housed a horse since they did move over to that farm after it was built. The former breeding shed had lifesize fiberglass horses depicting Elusive Quality and Quiet American, since it was in that location that Real Quiet and Smarty Jones were conceived.

Across from the breeding shed was the barn Elusive Quality and Quiet American resided in while the property had stallions.

The tour guide told us that they expect about 62 foals this year, and approximately half of the mares go to Darley stallions and half go to outside stallions. They have an adviser who matches the mares to stallions on pedigree as well as conformation, hoping for that ideal foal. After that, we went to meet some new arrivals and their dams.

Delightful Quality and her colt, a full sibling to Essential Quality, shared a paddock with another mare and foal. Her colt did not seem like he would be gray like his Belmont winning sibling.

He was not shy about company, but a filly in another pasture took the prize for being most gregarious. Her dam is fine, but had colicked after she gave birth and had to have surgery, so her filly is with a nurse mare.

One of the broodmare barn staff mentioned that foals with nurse mares get so much attention they always expect it, and this filly certainly did! She actually did seem to be showing off when she raced around the paddock, and also tried to stretch her neck as far through the fence as she could to be scratched and patted.

The mares affectionately called “the Golden Girls” have their own field, all being retired from having foals, with a few mares more due to join them after having their foals this year. This field includes Away (Eight Belles’ dam), Bedazzle (who one visitor said apparently is the oldest living dam of a Derby winner), and Hatoof, who is 33.

Walking through the foaling barn, we met a filly who was less than 12 hours old. The chart outside her stall noted that her dam, a half sister to Street Sense, foaled standing up.

After the Gainsborough visit, I stopped by Keeneland. Preparations were under way for the upcoming meet, some of the trees are in bloom, and the Breeders’ Cup statue stood sentinel again.

While this day was chilly, these are definite signs spring is trying to take hold!

The 2022 Keeneland January sale began a day later than originally scheduled, necessitated by up to 9 inches of snow dumped on the area late the week before, to ensure the safety of horses and people traveling to the sale.

I have a long-standing habit of attending sales, seeing progeny of horses I enjoyed watching race and in some cases the horses themselves I watched race. This time, I specifically attended for a horse I never saw race (though she is by American Pharoah, whose progeny I have enjoyed following both because he’s from a favorite sire line of mine and to see how they perform for the first Triple Crown winner in my lifetime). While her race career ended up being undistinguished after two races, American Heiress still does and will continue to hold a special place in my heart. For through MyRacehorse, she is the first horse I ever got a chance to have a small ownership stake in and a lot of what drove that I was smitten with her from photos online and couldn’t get the chance to buy in out of my mind. I bought a microshare and then met her late in her yearling year. She is incredibly sweet and my connection to her grew.

Along the route to her racing, from frequent My Racehorse updates, I learned a lot about preliminary horse training that I had never known before.

I saw her once more at two, when she had begun initial training on the track. It didn’t work out to attend any of her races, so my next chance to interact with her was at this sale.

I went on the preview day of January 10, the day that would have been when she originally sold. She was quite popular with potential buyers, out of her stall to be viewed frequently the short time I was there. Right after I arrived and she was on the way back to her stall, she stopped before she reached it and looked at me, and her show person commented on how she was looking. I couldn’t resist then asking to pat her, and he kindly paused to let me. He probably realized how American Heiress (or Luna, as I think of her) does love attention, and it certainly seemed she was seeking that. Another person working for Taylor Made, her consignor, attested to Luna still having that incredibly sweet nature and wanting to love on everybody and I was so happy to oblige and have that moment one-on-one.

It was a beautiful moment of connection that I hoped to have before she changed hands and lived a more private life as a broodmare.

I came back the next day to see her sell. It felt like seeing her get a chance to shine on stage, maybe because I never got to see her race. I thought it would be emotional because of the connection I feel with her, but it was not.

The sense of it being like a chance to see her shine, which I wanted for her, caught me by surprise, but perhaps it shouldn’t for that’s all I wanted for her. She did bring the first six figure price of the sale (though not that many horses had sold by the time she did), going to Springhouse Farm for $180,000. They are local to Lexington, so perhaps I will see some of her progeny race in this vicinity one day, which I told the My Racehorse racing manager was my hope now regarding her, prior to the sale. He was on-site to take video of her in the walking ring for the My Racehorse website, as an investor update.

So that felt like it neatly closed the book on my investment in her, though I know she will be special to me all her life. And I am curious to hear who the first stallion she goes to will be, but I am actually glad it was not overly emotional to watch her go, for that would have meant difficulty accepting what was to be. And I have found myself lately in a better place about doing that, and this became one more example of that.

I rarely fly into my local airport in Lexington, so I loved seeing the nods to horse racing in the form of stallion advertisements within and the horse statues outside, as well as the unbeatable view of Keeneland and Calumet from the sky, which I craned to see. I couldn’t remember if I had ever known Calumet has a training track, never visible from the road, so I enjoyed that aspect of discovery from the overhead view.

It struck me upon exiting the area of the airport reserved for flight passengers how it was like a symbolic exit from one year to the next, as the days of 2021 were nearly gone. Even with a few years recently that have been challenging, it was also a reminder there’s always reason to hope. And these stallion ads did represent hope for the future, of what their foals may be.

A few days later, I paid a visit to Silver Springs and Spendthrift, looking in on a few horses I’ve invested in through MyRacehorse and a few they own that I haven’t, like Vow. It was good to round out the year with horse time, always restorative to me. A few barn cats tagged along, enlivening the tour further with their presences.

Then it was on to Spendthrift, primarily to see Authentic, who I believe each of the three of us on the tour had invested in. Before going to the stallion barns, we paused outside of the breeding shed, noting that 2020 stakes winners conceived at Spendthrift had recently had their names added, including Authentic.

Recent rains had left mud irresistible to each of the stallions, just being brought up from their paddocks upon our group’s arrival to have a meal in their stalls. Mud did not distract from his eye-catching appearance. He presented himself well. I approached after a few moments, tentatively reaching out a hand to have a personal interaction. A lot had changed for me since I saw him previously in May, and I had forgotten he had a kind nature. Still best to approach a stallion without assuming, but he sniffed my hand without causing me concern he’d nip.

Our guide, the MyRacehorse concierge, related once more how this U-shaped barn was built for insurance purposes, to fulfill requirements to house a horse of Nashua’s value, and was sometimes called “the Nashua Motel.” While Authentic does not reside in that barn, it makes a glorious backdrop for him during the time he stood there for our visit. His barn is magnificent too, with its elegant craftsmanship seen in the fine wood and the lights that hang within. It frames trees that offer a pleasing symmetry near the breeding shed, catching my eye even without their leaves. Given how unseasonably warm that day was, it wasn’t too far-fetched to almost expect leaves to be budding! It did make the visit more pleasant than one may expect for late December.

All was quiet, as expected in the interim between breeding seasons, and yet the stalls that would receive mares paying a visit to be bred were already filled with shavings. On the cusp of a new year, and the universal birthday of all this hemisphere’s Thoroughbreds, the expectation of what would be and the rhythm of life on the farm continued.

When I went to Churchill Downs with a friend a few days before the Derby this year, the aim was to see as many of the Derby contenders as possible during morning training since I wouldn’t be attending the track’s signature race. And it truly was Medina Spirit that left the biggest impression on me that day, because of the opossum that ran across the track as the colt galloped down the stretch. It was a comical moment, one for the pantheon of memories of rarely seen events at racecourses. And for those who believe in omens, maybe that marsupial was a good luck charm as Medina Spirit went on to victory in the Derby. I thought how funny that the horse who was joined on the track by an unexpected animal was victorious. And I loved hearing the elation of his breeder in articles–a dream come true surrounding the colt she had always believed in, giving him a value beyond his first auction price of $1,000.

What also stood out to me that morning I saw him train (if he saw the opossum at all) was how he took it in stride, revealing a mentality that should be able to handle the pandemonium of a Derby day. It did seem to provide a glimpse into who he was, as an individual.

The controversy that went on to surround Medina Spirit, leaving the status of Derby winner on his record still in doubt, has been well-documented and I think on a day when the horse unexpectedly died of a reported heart attack after a workout is not necessary to rehash. I believe his life should be celebrated, and what he meant to people. That includes his breeder, and her colt deserves acclaim. 

What impressed me about Medina Spirit after his Derby was indeed his spirit. He is the epitome of heart, and the world needs individuals like that. It is inspiring. All he knew was he wanted to go out there and try each time. 

I know the questions surrounding Medina Spirit are likely to stay attached to his name, even when a legal conclusion is reached regarding his status as a Derby winner. And perhaps this will lead to real reforms, to benefit future racehorses, and be part of his legacy.

But today I remember him for that spirit. Who he was as an individual matters more to me than the rest.

Rest in peace, Medina Spirit.

Breeding the Racehorse, by Federico Tesio

As one who has long had an interest in pedigree research, I was glad to discover my local library had a copy of this book, so I could peruse some thoughts a renowned individual had about top racehorses. While the preface said that the book would not provide any insights into some type of formula for producing top-notch racehorses (which, with certain nicks aside, may not be truly possible and is reflected in the adage “Breed the best to the best and hope for the best”), it was still interesting to read Tesio’s observations. He had attempted to investigate Thoroughbred production from a scientific standpoint. Therefore, he considered this book more about heredity’s effects and that the Thoroughbred was a perfect resource for that study, given how meticulously records about the breed have been kept.

The conclusion of his I found most interesting and had not yet considered was that the Thoroughbred can have a variety of colors and even physical appearances (within limits – no draft-horse types!) as far as build and height goes because they are hybrid animals, specifically bred by man, whereas animals who have always lived in the wild will not have such a variety of appearances. His example was brown bears will always be brown and polar bears will always be white. 

Tesio also examined how coat color is inherited, assessing which coat color is likely to be dominant and what colors are likely to be seen in horses of two different coat colors. As part of my degree curriculum, I took a course in equine coat color genetics and Tesio’s findings about what the progeny of horses of two different coat colors are likely to produce was in line with what I learned there. He also noted that Thoroughbreds with gray coats are less common than bays and chestnuts since the three foundation sires of the breed were bay and chestnut. He described a gray coat as “not itself a coat, but a pathological discoloration of the only two basic coats which are the bay and chestnut. It is a strange disease of the pigmentation.”

After that, Tesio often referred to a gray horse as one having a disease that resulted in its coat color. I don’t recall in my coat color genetics course what I learned about the likelihood a horse would be gray, as it’s been years since I was in that course, but I found Tesio’s reference to a gray horse’s color being a disease or a horse inheriting the disease of gray coloration an unusual way to describe it. What I have found with a little more research is that gray is definitely a result of the horse gradually losing pigment; but to call it a disease at times I found confusing as it doesn’t seem to fit the definition of a disease. He found that Brownlow Turk and the Alcock Arabian appear to be responsible for the gray color in Thoroughbreds. I have heard that the Alcock Arabian, born in 1722, did introduce that color to the breed.

Regarding markings, Tesio said they are also found in a multitude of combinations since the Thoroughbred is a hybrid largely shaped by people’s choices in breeding. He pointed to penguins as an example of how animals not bred for specific characteristics by humans don’t have this variety – that bird is always black with a white front that is centered. 

Tesio went on to discuss nicks he found success with or noted others found success with but also wrote that “generally this is first discovered by chance, then other breeders follow up the initial success until that particular cross becomes the fashion.” Therefore, while he noted he did find success with crosses following that pattern of nicks, his introductory sentence about that quoted above suggests that luck may have a greater role than formula. What he concluded truly led to success in the Thoroughbred as a racehorse was breeders giving more merit to horses that won instead of appearance, retaining only accomplished individuals for breeding. 

One other study Tesio wrote about that I found intriguing was about the possibility of success being able to be carried in a male line through generations, seen through the lens of the Epsom Derby. He believed energy (represented by winning this top race) had a limit at which it could be passed on, and that limit seemed to be three generations. While the Epsom Derby has a history tracing back to 1780, it still made me wonder (even with less possibility for three generations to have won), if our country’s own Kentucky Derby would show this theory to be true. But then, there are also so many vagaries of breeding (not the least of which is whims of breeders, which Tesio alluded to when writing of nicks), that maybe some horses never even had a chance to have three generations vie for Derby success, even if it’s not a reflection of them not being capable of three horses from different generations of the same male line being able to win the Derby. And really, it does seem extraordinary if any male line was able to have a winner of the race and sire a winner of it who sired the winner himself, statistically speaking. So maybe that is a real anomaly instead of an example of what energy transmission is possible. Worth a debate!

While some of Tesio’s book was a touch archaic, as may be expected given the time elapsed since it was written, overall I found his insights worth pondering and that they did add to my knowledge of horse heredity. I am glad my library carried this book; I had always wanted to read it someday but thought I’d have to seek out my own copy.

Keeneland kicked off the next to last day of its fall meet with weather that was better than expected. Rain didn’t begin until near the end of the day’s card. It was the last day I would attend until spring, and it was wonderful to be back after spectator attendance was off limits last October. I soaked in all the Keeneland ambience and atmosphere that always resonates, and yet there was one aspect of the day that had not been part of any other day there.

A horse I had invested in was racing. While he was running in a claiming race, the caliber of the race didn’t matter. The horse and what he represents did. When I invested in him this summer, it was because I was still here to do that, to look ahead to more days and more horse racing, soul’s passion.

When I stood in the paddock and watched him circle it before being saddled, it was the first time I’d been able to go to one of his races and it struck me how a horse can mean so much more than his monetary value or what he may do on the track. I will always think of him as a hope horse, with all the optimism my purchase fostered. When he did walk around near me, I had eyes only for him.

I talked to a few other investors nearby, and one of them spoke of how good a horse is for the soul. Ah, you see, he knew that the individual can mean so much more than his level of competition. It also was my first opportunity to hear about Biko in person, how he gets a little fidgety being saddled and how he was gelded after an injury.

We followed along as he went to the tree with the number four matching his saddle towel. He was calm again now that the saddling was over. As I watched him walk around the tree before Brian Hernandez, Jr. was given a leg up, it struck me how even with a small stake in a horse nothing can bring the feeling of excitement and anticipation like knowing a horse you’ve got an investment in is about to race. Again, that hope I was reaching for when I bought in back in July!

Moving to the rail near the winner’s circle, our group of investors watched the screen as the horse directly beside Biko on the inside broke through the gate early, and the woman beside me joked that they could eliminate them all and then there would just be Biko. She hinted at that since the horse who tried to start the race early ended up being scratched by the veterinarian. He may have just sustained some cuts but better to err on the side of caution!

Brother Brad was favored in the maiden claiming race and no other entrant was a match for him, as he won by daylight. However, Biko put in his best effort yet and it was exciting to hear track announcer Kurt Becker mention that Biko was still trying as he improved his position from about fourth fairly late in the race to slip up on the rail and take second.

Before the race, I tried to gauge the chance he’d be claimed and concluded it wasn’t likely as he had not been in the money yet in his career, but I was mistaken. Possibly his works had looked better than at any other time in his career; very possible, since he had been tabbed for a start at Churchill Downs but was training strongly enough to be ready before Keeneland wrapped up their meet.

I didn’t even mind that he’d been claimed and that my association with him was over in terms of financial investment, for the link of how he is an example of hope remains. And the stroke of luck of him being ready to race sooner than expected meant I got to see him and see him up close in the paddock, meet some nice people who also invested, and feel all the excitement of what might be and of experiencing his best race yet. That is priceless.

I can’t say yet what occurred that led me to need to reach for that hope to invest in him, but I am making strides and days like those and the spirit of an animal can move us beyond self and to the elemental forces of nature.

I am grateful to Biko and to Keeneland for the experiences they provide. And I will check in on Biko on Equibase from time to time. While my investment in him was only a few months long, I’ll still want to see how his story unfolds.

The Secretariat Festival launched its final day of this year with a farm tour to Darley at Jonabell and Old Friends. While Darley doesn’t have ties to Secretariat directly, it still has the mission to produce top-notch racehorses like the Meadow Stable star. The woman in charge of stallion marketing (I didn’t catch her name) provided history of the farm and Godolphin in general before leading the group out to the stallion paddocks.

She described Sheikh Mohammed as a lifelong horse enthusiast who started riding Arabians at a young age, and was inspired by the history of the Thoroughbred tracing to the three Arabian stallions from the Middle East, which led not only to his investment in Thoroughbreds but also to naming his operation Godolphin as a nod to the Godolphin Arabian and the farm in Kentucky Darley in honor of the Darley Arabian.

Bowman Mill Road which the Darley property sits on was named for its settler, a man named Bowman, who was a friend of Daniel Boone and built two homes in the 1800s that still stand on the farm. John Bell operated the farm from the 1950s until Sheikh Mohammed purchased it in 2001 and then the renovation began. Wooden barns were replaced and the office was built, which now houses an impressive collection of trophies. One of the more recent additions is Mystic Guide’s Dubai World Cup trophy, which was a trophy I think I had never seen before, even in photos. I also liked seeing the collection of saddlecloths from Essential Quality’s graded stakes races, especially as being at big races had largely been off-limits last year and I got to attend his Belmont.

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The stallion marketing manager also mentioned that racing is Sheikh Mohammed’s hobby and they try to keep it fun for him, as he has a lot of responsibility in Dubai. It was interesting to hear about some of her marketing tactics for the stallions, which could include how to convince people to breed to a stallion they have in one price range instead of a lot of others in the same price range. Also, she mentioned that they would share information with breeders about mares in a stallion’s book to help them decide if they wanted to have a yearling who was among the top in a sale for that sire, where with another stallion that yearling could have been one of the lower tier horses.

Then we went out to the stallion paddocks, where they are turned out at this time of year from early morning until about noon, with the exception of Medalgia d’Oro, who likes to be inside and will let his groom know when he wants to come in, after only a few hours. It struck me that any older individual would probably like his indoor comforts better after a little while outside!

Street Sense was in a pasture catty-corner from Nyquist, and Hard Spun directly across from Street Sense. It was the first time I’d seen their stallions out in their pastures, and I like to see them in their leisure time for what it can reveal of their natures.

Street Sense was a little aloof until Nyquist got attention, and after rolling in the mud a few times he came over to the fence line. Nyquist was playful, grabbing the lead rope over his fence line in his mouth. Hard Spun was most interested in grazing.

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Speaking of the fences, it was the only time I’d seen that type at any farms in this region, and it is essentially a rubber material made by Centaur Fencing. While more expensive than wood fences, it is practically maintenance-free and also safer if the horses happen to run into it than a wood fence could be. Each fence has an electric wire along the top so the stallions don’t chew it.

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Moving along to Old Friends, the group went back to the mare paddocks to meet Groundshaker, the last racehorse bred by Penny Chenery. The mare by Quiet American, foaled in 2011, raced twice before bowing a tendon. For a while, she was a mascot at Meadow Stable; while they considered her being a broodmare, they decided to go the mascot route. She shares a paddock with Private Charm, a look-alike daughter of Silver Charm’s.

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Speaking of Silver Charm, he looks great in general, but particularly for a 27-year-old horse.

It was great to make some horse farm rounds again.

Keeneland hosted the first day of A Taste at the Races as the calendar page turned to October, designed to whet the appetite for the upcoming race meet. Any Keeneland aficionado doesn’t need extra incentive to look forward to that stellar meet but it’s still fun to get a hint of what is to come, and also spend time in one of my favorite places.

I received a reminder of a visit on this date to Keeneland last year via Facebook’s “memories” feature. The difference between now and then is that my only opportunity to experience Keeneland close to the race meet, since it was off-limits to most. I’m grateful this year, even with COVID restrictions still in place, that will not be the case.

Arriving at Keeneland today, I paused to soak in the ambience, helped by a lovely sky with an interesting cloud formation that seemed to mirror a tree near the sales pavilion. The track’s classic architecture sets the tone for a top-notch facility, every time, and never fails to capture my eye with its lines.

I walked through the entrance and noticed trivia questions related to horse racing had been placed around the trees in the paddock, the first time I’ve seen this there. I loved that, too, as it aligns so well with Keeneland’s motto of “racing as it’s meant to be,” by honoring the history of the sport. The first question I happened to see was about 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic, asking who the most recent Derby winner sold at Keeneland is. Given my association with Authentic through MyRacehorse, that made me smile.

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Before leaving the track, with the complimentary brown butter popcorn and a few new additions to my racing memorabilia collection, I paused at the new painting commemorating 85 years of racing at Keeneland and noted the fall colors had begun to make their appearance in some trees in the parking lot. Here’s to more lovely days and a stellar meet, kicking off in one week!

I read today that the Arlington Park property was sold to the Chicago Bears, and the Churchill Downs Incorporated CEO  Bill Carstanjen was excited about what that would mean for Arlington Heights. Perhaps a stadium coming to that region will be more lucrative than a racetrack. I won’t debate that or if it’s true or not.  Carstanjen further commented on the sale of the property by saying the proceeds might be used to build another racetrack in Illinois. Build another racetrack in Illinois when a beloved track is already in existence there? I admit I don’t know the whole story since I don’t live in Illinois about Arlington Park’s continued operation being feasible without assistance like slots. I’ve heard hints it may not be. I do know that CDI is adamant that will not happen so there won’t be competition with a nearby casino it has invested in, and that is what is the track’s death knell. 

Even if CDI has branched beyond the racing industry, racing is still their primary business. To hear that they will let another track be demolished so a casino can operate is a travesty. It doesn’t sit well to hear a CEO of this company say he is “excited” about a move that will be the end of Arlington. But to hear that the proceeds will be for another track, just so it is far from that precious casino? How could one think anything but that there isn’t much thought for racing if it becomes a hindrance to their other plans. That would be more understandable if they weren’t the operator of these tracks by design, if they operated in another industry and had a chance to acquire land racetracks are on. I can’t fathom selling lovely historic tracks to the highest bidder and undermining a racing circuit in the process.

But enough of that. First, the vent; and now to honor what Arlington will always mean to me.

When I visited, I was enamored immediately. I explored every bit of the track I could that was open to the public. I even went down to a basement level floor that seemed a bit more utilitarian that contained primarily offices. Yet even there the love of the sport and the homage to racing history shone. There was a large hand-made collage on one of the walls there filled with photos of horses. 

Touches of elegance, like embossed decor reminiscent of a master sculptor’s work, were also found throughout the facility.  There was so much charm and ambience. 

I watched some races at the head of the stretch, and a band played there between races, and kids ran around in the open grassy field. It was a thoughtful touch, providing entertainment beyond racing to hold the attention of those who may not be enthralled by an entire day of racing but would still like to see it. It was one more example of attention to detail that can make a day out memorable, for it shows people considered the whole experience from beginning, middle, and end. And that is what made me think of wanting to share this track with my nephew in late July this year.

I looked back at my photos from that visit today. That’s the first time it hit me strongly what this track being gone will mean when that becomes reality. 

I’ve faced some challenging times lately. I haven’t paused to think of this track’s end more than fleetingly because there was already enough I was working through that was less than ideal, and that would hit me with another sense of loss. 

So I know what will remain are the memories of one perfect day there. No amount of corporate greed or demolition equipment can take that away. I will always be grateful I got to experience what Arlington Park was all about. It was everything a day at the races should be.

After an incredibly illustrious career that spanned years in a time when it is common to see budding talent in the racing world retire when they have only begun to come into their own, Monomoy Girl walked onto a van to begin the journey from Brad Cox’s barn at Churchill Downs to Spendthrift Farm in Lexington. But she gave every impression of not wanting to leave the racing environment, hesitating at the barn entrance and even retreating momentarily. It added a bit to the poignancy to the curtain call of her racing days, because a quick look at her stats shows if ever a horse loved to race it was her. Further study reinforces that, given that her competitive fire didn’t dim from one season to the next, and even long layoffs after setbacks didn’t alter her stepping right back into competition like she hadn’t left, most notably in 2020.

And it is a testament to the care of everyone involved with her, as has been noted elsewhere, that giving her breaks from racing contributed to her being able to stay at the top of her game, in addition to how racing was in her veins like one would hope it would be with any promising horse that arrives in a barn.

While 2021 did not play out as hoped, it didn’t matter, for it was wonderful to see the mare who had become known around her barn as the Queen return to the track.

She last ran in April, on the comeback trail once more after another break for minor setbacks. While she wasn’t going to be in the gate for the Breeders’ Cup, I eagerly awaited the news of where she would race and hoped it would be close to me. I had followed her career since she was a 3-year-old awaiting her turn to run in the Ashland at Keeneland and see if that led her to Kentucky Oaks glory, which it did. It was thrilling to see her victorious in her first race after her layoff last year, coincidentally on my birthday, and then finish that season with a resounding Breeders’ Cup Distaff win. Then Spendthrift bought her at auction and worked out an arrangement to lease a portion of her 2021 racing rights to My Racehorse to make available to shareholders. I jumped at that chance to be even in a small way involved with the horse I’d admired for years. And that is why I couldn’t wait for her next race this fall, to try to have the perks My Racehorse offers for shareholders that would probably mean more with Monomoy Girl than any other horse, like lotteries to be in the paddock prior to her race and other race day hospitality.

But then, it was over. While it was unfortunate her attempted return was cut short by a non-displaced fracture, the main takeaway was she would not need surgery and her connections did the right thing by her as they always did. Though they noted she may have been able to come back from that, she had raced longer than many of her contemporaries ever did, and she didn’t owe anyone anything. There is a moment, when retirement is sudden, that adjustment from hopes of what might be achieved yet have to be slowly released. It is bittersweet. But above all, there is gratitude for seeing such a bright star.

On a balmy fall day, when the wind blew briskly through the trees, Monomoy Girl walked forward to the van she had initially hesitated to approach. I have no doubt she had felt that competitive fire again and was not ready to walk onto another van without a race to help quell it. And when I saw that, I thought of the line from the song “Angel from Montgomery”:

“Just give me the one thing that I can hold on to”

That has been the racetrack for Monomoy Girl, and for those who admire her, know her, and care for her, she has been there “to hold on to,” about as sure a thing as the racetrack can have. And maybe in a uncertain world facing a pandemic, “one thing to hold on to” means even more.

This is not meant to sound like a eulogy for the star mare, though it may have veered to that territory. It is more that the emotion of seeing her leave the track caught me off guard for how she was reluctant to go. It is not a requiem for Monomoy Girl, at all. It is a gentle goodbye to the career she had.

She arrived at Spendthrift in the afternoon, looking phenomenal, fit and gleaming with health and appearing to crave the grass before posing tall and proud like the Queen she became known as. It will be a beautiful retirement, in the lush pastures and in the sun, running for her own whim.

And I look forward to meeting her when she acclimates, as Spendthrift has graciously offered to those who bought lease shares through My Racehorse. The curtain rises on the next chapter, which will include an Into Mischief foal if all goes as planned.