She looked like Ahvee’s Destiny today. After only 4 days rest, she ran faster than the winner of Wednesday’s race. Because there was a lack of speed, Linda sent her to the front. I don’t know that I agree with this strategy. She seems better stalking the leader(s) and coming on for the win. Certainly, we’ll be able to do that in Philadelphia on September 26th when Canadian Ballet will streak for the lead.
Today, however, she lead going into the stretch and fought gamely all the way to the finish. She was passed by two colts and came in third losing by ¾ of a length. The race was very fast, just one tick (1/5 sec.) off the track record! That’s the Ahvee’s Destiny we know and love. Yes, we would have been ecstatic with a victory but seeing her perform so well and with so much heart warmed our hearts!
Despite the fact that both Linda and Todd Pletcher had several chances today, the score remains: Linda-20, Todd-19. Tomorrow Todd has the edge with 5 possible race winners vs. Linda’s 4, plus, Todd has several favorites and multiple entries. And, tomorrow’s results will decide the championship. My fantasy is that Conseated Lady, who is entered in the final race of the Saratoga meet, puts Linda over the top. Considering how she ran a few weeks ago, that is probably just a good fantasy. Let’s hope Linda comes into the last race ahead of Todd Pletcher, whose horses haves started more than twice the number of races as Linda’s horses. GO LINDA!
Goodbye Saratoga 2009! BTW, if any of our guests are missing eyeglasses, let me know ASAP.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Sunday race for Ahvee's Destiny
Linda Rice is embroiled in an exciting race of her own. She is the leading trainer, as computed by number of wins, by one, as of tonight with two days of racing left. Achieving this accomplishment would make her the first woman trainer to win the race for leading trainer in any meet in New York EVER. So, she’s pulling out all the stops… and all the horses out of the barn. Ahvee’s Destiny will race on just 4 days rest, something she’s never recommended before. However, she assures me it will not hurt our horsie queen, nor will it impede her effort to run in the Philadelphia race on September 26th. Therefore, we’re going… all of us. She will run and we will schlep to Saratoga once again to root her on.
It really has been very exciting to watch Linda compete for this position. Over the last few days, we look at all the entries between her and Todd Pletcher, who is in second place. We watch the results on a race by race basis. Todd runs many more horses. His horses have more than double the “starts” of Linda’s horses. But percentages don’t count, only the number of victories. A few days ago, she was in the lead. Then Todd tied, took over the lead by one and then by two, but Linda had two late winners yesterday and re-tied the score. Today, Todd took the lead. Then, Linda came back with two victories to take the lead once more. All her groupies (like us) are not doing their work, not paying attention to their homes and not feeding their children. It’s crazy!
Ahvee will be in the 5th race coming out of post 3 with John Velasquez riding. Some people are worried that John (who is Todd Pletcher’s #1 rider) may not try very hard because of his relationship with Todd. They think he may not have tried hard last Wednesday when she ran a very unlike Ahvee’s Destiny type race. It didn’t look that way to us. He’s a great rider.
Stay tuned to this channel for further bulletins.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
It really has been very exciting to watch Linda compete for this position. Over the last few days, we look at all the entries between her and Todd Pletcher, who is in second place. We watch the results on a race by race basis. Todd runs many more horses. His horses have more than double the “starts” of Linda’s horses. But percentages don’t count, only the number of victories. A few days ago, she was in the lead. Then Todd tied, took over the lead by one and then by two, but Linda had two late winners yesterday and re-tied the score. Today, Todd took the lead. Then, Linda came back with two victories to take the lead once more. All her groupies (like us) are not doing their work, not paying attention to their homes and not feeding their children. It’s crazy!
Ahvee will be in the 5th race coming out of post 3 with John Velasquez riding. Some people are worried that John (who is Todd Pletcher’s #1 rider) may not try very hard because of his relationship with Todd. They think he may not have tried hard last Wednesday when she ran a very unlike Ahvee’s Destiny type race. It didn’t look that way to us. He’s a great rider.
Stay tuned to this channel for further bulletins.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The fantasy, the fear, the future.
As Rhoda said, “if we can go to Florida, Baltimore, etc. to see her run, we can go back to Saratoga.” And so we went, accompanied and supported by our friend, Rob. It was a beautiful day to take a ride in a car or on a horse. When we arrived, we felt like we had come home.
I was nursing this fantasy… if she won this race, then won the big purse in Philadelphia, Linda would enter her in a 6 furlong stakes in Canada called the Nearctic Stakes and boasting a purse of $500,000. In 2 short months, she could establish herself, doubling her purse money won and showing the pundits that she could run a little longer and a little faster than even the likes of Smart and Fancy and Canadian Ballet. It was a nice dream. When race time approached, we headed down to the paddock to watch her being saddled up. Smart and Fancy was the favorite. Canadian Ballet was second choice. Ahvee’s Destiny was 4 -1… but she would show them all in just a few minutes.
But then came the fear. She ran poorly. Was this an indication of a longer term issue? Could she be hurt? Would she be able to continue racing competitively? Would one of our jockey choices agree to ride her in Philadelphia (last year we got hurt by a bad ride from a jockey who was not one of our top choices)? Will she run well in Philadelphia? Maybe last year’s loss was not the jockey’s fault. Maybe it was like today’s race.
What will the future bring? I can’t be sure. What I do know is that we love that horse. She has created so much excitement and so many thrills for us. She will always be our special “Queen of the Stable.” Cricket would be proud of her. She has 9 victories and is a multiple Stakes winner. What a horse…. no matter what anyone else thinks!
We love you, Ahvee’s Destiny! Go Ahvee!!
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
I was nursing this fantasy… if she won this race, then won the big purse in Philadelphia, Linda would enter her in a 6 furlong stakes in Canada called the Nearctic Stakes and boasting a purse of $500,000. In 2 short months, she could establish herself, doubling her purse money won and showing the pundits that she could run a little longer and a little faster than even the likes of Smart and Fancy and Canadian Ballet. It was a nice dream. When race time approached, we headed down to the paddock to watch her being saddled up. Smart and Fancy was the favorite. Canadian Ballet was second choice. Ahvee’s Destiny was 4 -1… but she would show them all in just a few minutes.
But then came the fear. She ran poorly. Was this an indication of a longer term issue? Could she be hurt? Would she be able to continue racing competitively? Would one of our jockey choices agree to ride her in Philadelphia (last year we got hurt by a bad ride from a jockey who was not one of our top choices)? Will she run well in Philadelphia? Maybe last year’s loss was not the jockey’s fault. Maybe it was like today’s race.
What will the future bring? I can’t be sure. What I do know is that we love that horse. She has created so much excitement and so many thrills for us. She will always be our special “Queen of the Stable.” Cricket would be proud of her. She has 9 victories and is a multiple Stakes winner. What a horse…. no matter what anyone else thinks!
We love you, Ahvee’s Destiny! Go Ahvee!!
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Shakespeare in Love
It was a fabulous movie. One of the catch phrases was, “it’s a mystery.” Well, that applies to Ahvee’s Destiny’s awful race today. Johnny Velasquez said he had her perfectly positioned at the top of the stretch but when he asked her to go, she didn’t.
It’s downright depressing when your horse comes up empty. Linda scoped her after the race and she checked out fine. One possible answer is a “flipped palette.” Soft tissue flips over the trachea and impedes breathing. Happens sometimes, but who knows for sure. We can only hope for a better result next time out.
At least Linda and our friends from Obviously NY Stable won the race. The winning time was slower than the time of Ahvee’s Destiny’s last victory but she wasn’t up to it today.
One note on losing to a friend’s horse. There is a natural camaraderie and a natural competition with other owners. So, many feelings are filtered through the heart, brain, etc. Nonetheless, it must be said that Canadian Ballet is a superior horse. She’s a year younger than Ahvee’s Destiny and can run at slightly longer distances successfully. We tip our caps to Ballet and Obviously NY (and to Linda who remains in a tie with Todd Pletcher for the meet’s leading trainer) while biting our tongue because we want our “child” to get the top award. It was not to be, today. But, tomorrow, we’ll be cheering her on again!
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
It’s downright depressing when your horse comes up empty. Linda scoped her after the race and she checked out fine. One possible answer is a “flipped palette.” Soft tissue flips over the trachea and impedes breathing. Happens sometimes, but who knows for sure. We can only hope for a better result next time out.
At least Linda and our friends from Obviously NY Stable won the race. The winning time was slower than the time of Ahvee’s Destiny’s last victory but she wasn’t up to it today.
One note on losing to a friend’s horse. There is a natural camaraderie and a natural competition with other owners. So, many feelings are filtered through the heart, brain, etc. Nonetheless, it must be said that Canadian Ballet is a superior horse. She’s a year younger than Ahvee’s Destiny and can run at slightly longer distances successfully. We tip our caps to Ballet and Obviously NY (and to Linda who remains in a tie with Todd Pletcher for the meet’s leading trainer) while biting our tongue because we want our “child” to get the top award. It was not to be, today. But, tomorrow, we’ll be cheering her on again!
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Shes's running. We're going.
It’s a tough one but we’ll be there to root our baby on. Smart and Fancy… Canadian Ballet… and all the others… Ahvee’s Destiny is coming!
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
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