One week...

Posted by Avram Freedberg

It’s hard to believe that only one week of our Saratoga adventure has passed. We have been flying since Ahvee’s Destiny win last Monday. We’ve done so many things, seen so many people and hosted many friends and family. We’ve had guests almost every minute.

We take everyone to see the horses. Until this morning, there were four of our brood in residence. However, it was found that Conseated Lady had a “meat-cleaver” fracture in her rear right leg. This should not require surgery, if all goes well. She has been sent to Florida and will be hand walked for 60 days and turned out for 60 more days. Hopefully, the fracture will calcify and heal by itself. Only time will tell. She will not race in 2008.

We take carrots with us to the stable and usually get to see one or more of them work out. They all love their carrots. Only Conseated Lady did not eat them one day because of her condition. But even she started downing them with gusto before she left. We feed them by putting the carrot on top of our outstretched hand, so the horse can eat the baby carrot without grabbing a finger in the process.

Rexy worked out on the grass in an average time but she didn’t get in to her race. So Linda has put her in a Maiden claiming race ($35K is the claiming price) on Wednesday going 6 furlongs on the dirt. Hopefully, this lesser race will give her a chance to win.

Ahvee’s Destiny has been nominated for a race the last day of the Saratoga meet but will more likely point for a five furlong turf $200K Stakes race at Philadelphia Park the weekend before Rosh Hashanah (Sept 27).

Arielle’s Song, the two year old who recovered from a lengthy bout with Pneumonia, seemed to be making great progress in her training. Linda was going to breeze her (timed workout) late last week but she refused to get onto the main track. She was training there successfully when given some mild tranquilizer but when the medicine was removed for the breeze, she apparently got very anxious. Back to square one.

We’ve squeezed in trips to Congress Park, Yaddo Gardens, geysers and Springs, galleries, Racing Museum & Hall of Fame and, of course, Saratoga Race Track, including the Travers Stakes won by Colonel John by a nose hair and a race in which a friend of ours had her horse beat the track record but lose to someone even faster (both were trained by Linda and finished 1,2). I even went bowling with Bob Fox of Racing Legacy radio segments who tutored me. My first game was 105. By the fourth game, I bowled 210. Haven’t done that since I was a young whippersnapper!

Lots of fun dinners with old and new friends, including a heated discussion with another horse owner and the rest of the dinner guests. Love this guy since he makes me seem totally non-abrasive and mellow! Thanks to (in order of guest appearance), Johnna, Allen, Linda E., Joyce, Larry, Jonathan, Donny and Pam. It’s been a great week.

Root for Rexy!

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