Posted by Avram Freedberg
You’ll be watching the Kentucky Derby (5:45) when it’s post time for Hear The Footsteps at Belmont (5:49). We will sneak into Belmont for that race in between other engagements. It’s not the Run for the Roses, but I hope he and we make it to the Winner’s Circle!
Katy’s Office Girl’s race overfilled for Sunday. She didn’t make it but they hope to schedule a similar race for Wednesday. Will keep you advised.
Have a nice weekend!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
We're racing!
Posted by Avram Freedberg
As you know, Ahvee’s Destiny did not race in Kentucky. She was in a race but she chose to tour the beautiful Keeneland oval, rather than race competitively. Hopefully, she will show up and race at Pimlico on May 14th, the day before the Preakness.
In the meantime, Hear the Footsteps will run in his first race on Kentucky Derby day. However, he’ll be running at Belmont, not Churchill Downs. He may be one breeze short. However, we need to see how he runs because, if he runs well, he will be entered in a NY Stallion Stakes race on May 23rd. He’ll be going 6 furlongs on the Turf.
Katy’s Office Girl will be going in her first race on Sunday, May 2nd, also 6 furlongs on the Belmont turf (Do you see a pattern developing?) against New York breds.
The following weekend will see Conseated Lady return to the racetrack on May 8th. Can you guess the distance and surface? It’ll be in a $25K claiming race but I doubt anyone will claim her after her last two awful performances.
Then, Holy Blitzer, a winner of a cheap claiming race, will return at a much higher level in an allowance race at… that’s right, 6 furlongs on the grass (Grass = Turf) on Sunday, May 9th. We want to see how she does on this surface with a look forward towards running her at a longer distance. Since, we didn’t want to lose her running her cheaply at this time, we are protecting her but making it very difficult for her to prevail.
We’re going to try and make the Sunday races but it’s a very tough season for galas, Bar Mitzvahs and weddings. We’ll be rooting for them from wherever we are!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
As you know, Ahvee’s Destiny did not race in Kentucky. She was in a race but she chose to tour the beautiful Keeneland oval, rather than race competitively. Hopefully, she will show up and race at Pimlico on May 14th, the day before the Preakness.
In the meantime, Hear the Footsteps will run in his first race on Kentucky Derby day. However, he’ll be running at Belmont, not Churchill Downs. He may be one breeze short. However, we need to see how he runs because, if he runs well, he will be entered in a NY Stallion Stakes race on May 23rd. He’ll be going 6 furlongs on the Turf.
Katy’s Office Girl will be going in her first race on Sunday, May 2nd, also 6 furlongs on the Belmont turf (Do you see a pattern developing?) against New York breds.
The following weekend will see Conseated Lady return to the racetrack on May 8th. Can you guess the distance and surface? It’ll be in a $25K claiming race but I doubt anyone will claim her after her last two awful performances.
Then, Holy Blitzer, a winner of a cheap claiming race, will return at a much higher level in an allowance race at… that’s right, 6 furlongs on the grass (Grass = Turf) on Sunday, May 9th. We want to see how she does on this surface with a look forward towards running her at a longer distance. Since, we didn’t want to lose her running her cheaply at this time, we are protecting her but making it very difficult for her to prevail.
We’re going to try and make the Sunday races but it’s a very tough season for galas, Bar Mitzvahs and weddings. We’ll be rooting for them from wherever we are!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Back from Kentucky
Posted by Avram Freedberg
Rhoda and I were both stressed on Friday night in anticipation of our big trip the next day. We weren’t even sitting together on some legs. We had to get up around 4AM. Flight connections were tight. It was costly. Etc. Etc. However, the flights turned out fine. And it wasn’t bad to leave cloudy, rainy and chilly weather for the warmth of Charlotte, NC (brief as our stay at the airport was) and sunny Lexington, KY. We were afraid it was going to be chilly there but it was perfect!
We were greeted at the airport by Kevin, a very pleasant African-American, who was piloting a van from Keeneland Racecourse. He drove us the few minutes to the track, took us to the Racing Commission office, so I could get my photo taken for my Kentucky State’s Owner’s License and then accompanied us to Barn 22 where Ahvee’s Destiny (and Canadian Ballet) were being housed.
Christian, Ahvee’s groom while Jeobani is away in his Central American homeland, took Ahvee out of her stall. She was a little nippy but she let me stroke in back of her ears. She looked great! We took some photos of all of us with her, stroked her a little more and then Kevin took us to the Clubhouse Will Call window to get our tickets.
Keeneland is a beautiful facility, first built by John Oliver Keene as his family home and sold in 1935 to make the race track in 1936. It’s constructed of magnificent stone, much of it limestone, quarried from the property. So, it’s pretty majestic. And, it was crowded, like Saratoga can be. The paddock area has a stall area and a walking circle area. All very pretty with balconies overlooking as well the throngs of race goers crowding the ground level.
After buying a Keeneland hat and some jockey cards (like Baseball player cards), we went up an elevator to the Lafayette Room, a small, elegant dining area, where the hostess, Missy, welcomed us and set us up with everything we would need; from box seats, if we wanted to go outside for the race, to programs and Paddock passes. A little while later a “host,” named David, greeted us and told us he would return to take us to the paddock before our race and to the box seats. All in all, it was quite a greeting. At the New York Racing Association tracks, we’ve never been treated quite like this.
The course itself is beautifully landscaped with the latest electronic visual aids. However, it is laid out differently than any other race track we’ve been to. At most tracks, the “Clubhouse” entrance is at the finish line end of the homestretch. The Winner’s Circle is proximate to the finish line; not so at Keeneland, where both areas are near the head of the stretch. Rhoda worried that getting from the box seats to the Winner’s Circle was a long haul. I said it’s a problem I hope we’ll be happy to have. Also, the top of the stretch is not parallel to the stands, so some sight lines are difficult. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful track and a beautiful day.
Joe DiGeso, one of the Obviously New York Stable partners who own Canadian Ballet, was also attending, so we sat together and had a bite before his guests arrived. We were all very excited and anxious. Let’s put it this way, when I find it difficult to eat, you know I’m anxious!
When Dave took us down to the Paddock, my adrenaline was on “high.” Ahvee looked beautiful in the paddock. We met the Jockey, Rajiv Maragh, who’d never ridden Ahvee’s Destiny before. So, I was surprised when he asked me why I wasn’t wearing my silks. I told him I’d be wearing them, if he got us to the Winner’s Circle!
Finally, we lead the horses through the tunnel to the race track and I looked at the odds board. Ahvee’s Destiny was 7-1. Wow! I didn’t think we’d be seeing odds this high on her, so I was happy to place my big bets and proceed to the box. The horses were lining up. Since we were in post #1, we went in to the gate first. Rajiv had been told by Linda to get her out of the gate fast. The bell rang… but Rajiv did not get her out fast. She was 6th out of 7 and never improved her position. Boy, were we disappointed… no winning tickets to cash, no Winner’s Circle photos and we had a plane to catch, since the schedules called for us to run back to the airport, so we could make it back home that night. I was in a bit of shock. I felt the tears well up… but I had to focus on getting back to the airport.
We went to the front of the Clubhouse, where Kevin was waiting to take us back to Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport. Linda called to tell me that she was unhappy That Rajiv didn’t get her out of the gate fast. She doesn’t like being in the back. Linda called her a timid horse. I know she doesn’t like dirt kicked up in her face from the horses running in front of her. The race was won in Stakes record time by West Ocean, trained by Todd Pletcher who may have 6 horses in the Kentucky Derby in two weeks.
Even though the flight from Lexington to Charlotte was delayed, they made up the time and our flights home were on time. It was lovely day on one level, obviously disappointing on another. For those who are wondering, our friendly rival, Canadian Ballet finished 4th.
Ahvee’s next race will probably be down in Baltimore next month before the Preakness in the Very One Stakes. Last year that was the exciting race that saw the first four finishers separated by a nose, a head and a nose. We finished third. Ballet finished 2nd. Smart & Fancy was the winner.
Ahvee’s Destiny will be coming to Belmont. We look forward to visiting her and feeding her some carrots. We still love her very much!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Rhoda and I were both stressed on Friday night in anticipation of our big trip the next day. We weren’t even sitting together on some legs. We had to get up around 4AM. Flight connections were tight. It was costly. Etc. Etc. However, the flights turned out fine. And it wasn’t bad to leave cloudy, rainy and chilly weather for the warmth of Charlotte, NC (brief as our stay at the airport was) and sunny Lexington, KY. We were afraid it was going to be chilly there but it was perfect!
We were greeted at the airport by Kevin, a very pleasant African-American, who was piloting a van from Keeneland Racecourse. He drove us the few minutes to the track, took us to the Racing Commission office, so I could get my photo taken for my Kentucky State’s Owner’s License and then accompanied us to Barn 22 where Ahvee’s Destiny (and Canadian Ballet) were being housed.
Christian, Ahvee’s groom while Jeobani is away in his Central American homeland, took Ahvee out of her stall. She was a little nippy but she let me stroke in back of her ears. She looked great! We took some photos of all of us with her, stroked her a little more and then Kevin took us to the Clubhouse Will Call window to get our tickets.
Keeneland is a beautiful facility, first built by John Oliver Keene as his family home and sold in 1935 to make the race track in 1936. It’s constructed of magnificent stone, much of it limestone, quarried from the property. So, it’s pretty majestic. And, it was crowded, like Saratoga can be. The paddock area has a stall area and a walking circle area. All very pretty with balconies overlooking as well the throngs of race goers crowding the ground level.
After buying a Keeneland hat and some jockey cards (like Baseball player cards), we went up an elevator to the Lafayette Room, a small, elegant dining area, where the hostess, Missy, welcomed us and set us up with everything we would need; from box seats, if we wanted to go outside for the race, to programs and Paddock passes. A little while later a “host,” named David, greeted us and told us he would return to take us to the paddock before our race and to the box seats. All in all, it was quite a greeting. At the New York Racing Association tracks, we’ve never been treated quite like this.
The course itself is beautifully landscaped with the latest electronic visual aids. However, it is laid out differently than any other race track we’ve been to. At most tracks, the “Clubhouse” entrance is at the finish line end of the homestretch. The Winner’s Circle is proximate to the finish line; not so at Keeneland, where both areas are near the head of the stretch. Rhoda worried that getting from the box seats to the Winner’s Circle was a long haul. I said it’s a problem I hope we’ll be happy to have. Also, the top of the stretch is not parallel to the stands, so some sight lines are difficult. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful track and a beautiful day.
Joe DiGeso, one of the Obviously New York Stable partners who own Canadian Ballet, was also attending, so we sat together and had a bite before his guests arrived. We were all very excited and anxious. Let’s put it this way, when I find it difficult to eat, you know I’m anxious!
When Dave took us down to the Paddock, my adrenaline was on “high.” Ahvee looked beautiful in the paddock. We met the Jockey, Rajiv Maragh, who’d never ridden Ahvee’s Destiny before. So, I was surprised when he asked me why I wasn’t wearing my silks. I told him I’d be wearing them, if he got us to the Winner’s Circle!
Finally, we lead the horses through the tunnel to the race track and I looked at the odds board. Ahvee’s Destiny was 7-1. Wow! I didn’t think we’d be seeing odds this high on her, so I was happy to place my big bets and proceed to the box. The horses were lining up. Since we were in post #1, we went in to the gate first. Rajiv had been told by Linda to get her out of the gate fast. The bell rang… but Rajiv did not get her out fast. She was 6th out of 7 and never improved her position. Boy, were we disappointed… no winning tickets to cash, no Winner’s Circle photos and we had a plane to catch, since the schedules called for us to run back to the airport, so we could make it back home that night. I was in a bit of shock. I felt the tears well up… but I had to focus on getting back to the airport.
We went to the front of the Clubhouse, where Kevin was waiting to take us back to Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport. Linda called to tell me that she was unhappy That Rajiv didn’t get her out of the gate fast. She doesn’t like being in the back. Linda called her a timid horse. I know she doesn’t like dirt kicked up in her face from the horses running in front of her. The race was won in Stakes record time by West Ocean, trained by Todd Pletcher who may have 6 horses in the Kentucky Derby in two weeks.
Even though the flight from Lexington to Charlotte was delayed, they made up the time and our flights home were on time. It was lovely day on one level, obviously disappointing on another. For those who are wondering, our friendly rival, Canadian Ballet finished 4th.
Ahvee’s next race will probably be down in Baltimore next month before the Preakness in the Very One Stakes. Last year that was the exciting race that saw the first four finishers separated by a nose, a head and a nose. We finished third. Ballet finished 2nd. Smart & Fancy was the winner.
Ahvee’s Destiny will be coming to Belmont. We look forward to visiting her and feeding her some carrots. We still love her very much!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Giant's Causeway
Posted by Avram Freedberg
Giant’s Causeway was a wonderful racehorse and is now a wonderful sire. This stakes race, the 8th race with post time at 4:43PM, is named after him. There is Canadian Ballet and some other tough horses too, especially West Ocean, who set a racecourse record in her last race. She gets better and better. Hope Ahvee’s Destiny does too!
We’ve never been to Keeneland. So, we’re schlepping there for Ahvee’s race… and I do mean schlepping; two flights and 4 hours in each direction, all in one day. Plus, it means canceling a night out with close friends. Seems crazy even to me… but what we won’t do for a little excitement! Hopefully, Ahvee’s Destiny will make it exciting. We do love that horse!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
Giant’s Causeway was a wonderful racehorse and is now a wonderful sire. This stakes race, the 8th race with post time at 4:43PM, is named after him. There is Canadian Ballet and some other tough horses too, especially West Ocean, who set a racecourse record in her last race. She gets better and better. Hope Ahvee’s Destiny does too!
We’ve never been to Keeneland. So, we’re schlepping there for Ahvee’s race… and I do mean schlepping; two flights and 4 hours in each direction, all in one day. Plus, it means canceling a night out with close friends. Seems crazy even to me… but what we won’t do for a little excitement! Hopefully, Ahvee’s Destiny will make it exciting. We do love that horse!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
We're goin' to Kentucky!
Posted by Avram Freedberg
No, not to the Kentucky Derby, but to Keeneland on April 17th for a $100,000 purse running against fillies and mares, including Canadian Ballet. It’s a pain in the butt to get there from here, especially last minute… but we’re going to try. It’ll be even tougher on Ahvee’s Destiny. She has to ship from Florida to Lexington, KY tomorrow and find herself in new surroundings. We know that Rajiv Maragh will be her rider, also for the first time (Johnny V. is riding in a million dollar race elsewhere and C.C. Lopez is injured. They both have won more than once on her).
In short, she’s got a tough road in front of her, no matter what post position, she gets. First race of the year against top competition, long trip, new race track, new jockey, etc., etc. I’ll let you know post time, post position, etc. when I find out. Go Ahvee!
Hear the Footsteps breezed 5 furlongs in 1:02. It doesn’t compare to stakes winner Wall Street Wonders’ :59 and change but it was ok, nonetheless. He should start soon at Belmont.
Holy Blitzer breezed 4 furlongs a few days ago. Linda is looking for a spot for her. I’m hoping she’ll try her at a longer distance. Of course, you know how much Linda loves grass…
BTW, did you see the front page story on how the Addams Family Musical is defying the critics and selling tickets galore? It’s got some good reviews and most importantly, good word-of-mouth. Go, Nathan!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
No, not to the Kentucky Derby, but to Keeneland on April 17th for a $100,000 purse running against fillies and mares, including Canadian Ballet. It’s a pain in the butt to get there from here, especially last minute… but we’re going to try. It’ll be even tougher on Ahvee’s Destiny. She has to ship from Florida to Lexington, KY tomorrow and find herself in new surroundings. We know that Rajiv Maragh will be her rider, also for the first time (Johnny V. is riding in a million dollar race elsewhere and C.C. Lopez is injured. They both have won more than once on her).
In short, she’s got a tough road in front of her, no matter what post position, she gets. First race of the year against top competition, long trip, new race track, new jockey, etc., etc. I’ll let you know post time, post position, etc. when I find out. Go Ahvee!
Hear the Footsteps breezed 5 furlongs in 1:02. It doesn’t compare to stakes winner Wall Street Wonders’ :59 and change but it was ok, nonetheless. He should start soon at Belmont.
Holy Blitzer breezed 4 furlongs a few days ago. Linda is looking for a spot for her. I’m hoping she’ll try her at a longer distance. Of course, you know how much Linda loves grass…
BTW, did you see the front page story on how the Addams Family Musical is defying the critics and selling tickets galore? It’s got some good reviews and most importantly, good word-of-mouth. Go, Nathan!
Best,
A.
Visit the Official Avram Freedberg website!
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