Hope springs eternal....

Another racing season is about to begin and I can't help looking through rose-colored glasses.

I have waited patiently for a home-bred War Machine colt and I'll finally have one racing this year when the 17 hand dark brown sprinter Ultron springs into action.

In the first two War Machine crops, I had just one foal each season. Rogue, the filly out of Dragon Flyer, and Domino, the filly out of Sharp Cat. Rogue has been a solid contributor and looks to have a strong campaign in 2012. Domino had just 6 races as a 2yo, compiling a steady mark of 6-1-1-1.

Finally, in the third War Machine crop in 2010, this strapping colt was born out of Otsego's beloved and mercurial mare, Nova. With such noteworthy parents, we feel Ultron is a good bet to be a fast, front-running contender.

He'll train for awhile yet, even though he is ready to race now. We have an aversion to 20-horse fields and unfortunately, those are simply a fact of life for 2yo's early in the season.

Keep your eyes open for this one though. The blood doesn't get any bluer, and his name is TIGHT.

2012 Foal Roundup. Results: Magical.

Seven foals. The biggest yearly crop, by far, in the history of Otsego Farms. Five colts and 2 fillies. Three milers, two classic, and two distance.

Azrael (2012), 16.1 hand bay colt
By Nightwing out of Affirm Gal by Affirmation

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse is ok in mud.
This horse prefers hard turf.
This horse prefers soft turf.
This horse is of average soundness.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse looks like it can run at classic distances.


Captain Britain (2012), 16.1 hand bay colt
By Union Jack out of Flawless by War Chant

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse dislikes hard dirt.
This horse dislikes soft dirt.
This horse is poor in mud.
This horse prefers hard turf.
This horse is good on soft turf.
This horse has physical problems that may lead to alot of injury downtime.
This horse obeys its jockey and is flexible in its pacing.
This horse likes a lot of distance.


Deep Magic (2012), 16.1 hand chestnut colt
By War Machine out of Isca's Revenge by Revenge

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse prefers hard dirt.
This horse is ok on soft dirt.
This horse is poor in mud.
This horse is good on hard turf.
This horse is ok on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse appears to be primarily a miler.


Kit Fisto (2012), 17.2 hand chestnut colt
By War Machine out of In Spirit by Bellbuster

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse is ok on hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse is good in mud.
This horse is good on hard turf.
This horse prefers soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse likes a lot of distance.

Moondragon (2012), 17.3 hand brown filly
By Moet out of Monsoon by Storm Cat

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse dislikes soft dirt.
This horse is ok in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse is good on soft turf.
This horse has physical problems that may lead to alot of injury downtime.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse appears to be primarily a miler.


Quasar (2012), 16.3 hand dark brown colt
By Revenge out of Nova by Housebuster

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse prefers hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse is ok in mud.
This horse is poor on hard turf.
This horse is poor on soft turf.
This horse is of average soundness.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse appears to be primarily a miler.


You Know My Name (2012), 17.2 hand light gray filly
By Union Jack out of Shattered Record by Black Shatter

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse is ok on soft dirt.
This horse is good in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse is poor on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse looks like it can run at classic distances.

Light gray colt aims for Kentucky Derby

In a press conference this week Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber announced that the 3yo colt Shatterstar will be on a 2012 schedule that will include the Kentucky Derby, and may include the Preakness and Belmont if all goes well at Chrchill Downs.

"He hasn't raced on dirt yet, but he has had an extensive amount of training on it, so we think he'll do just fine," responded Webber when he was reminded that all five career races by Shatterstar have been on turf.

"He hasn't gone past 8 furlongs yet either, but I think he can manage that also", Webber snapped with a hint of irritation at the reporter who mentioned Shatterstar's inexperience on dirt.

Shatterstar, who is by Otsego stable icon Nightwing, and out of Shattered Record, has been in-the-money in all five career races.

The Six: Veteran racers have Otsego owner optimistic for 2012

With a half dozen proven veteran racers at their disposal in 2012, the connections at Otsego Farms are virtually brimming with confidence.

Otsego has some up-and-coming 3yo's (Shatterstar and Rich) and several exciting 2yo's as well (Ultron, Titanium, Huntress, and Starfire) but the brunt of the heavy lifting is expected to be handled by the six veteran racers listed below.

The Six are listed below:

Stowaway, the speedy white 6yo male is back for his final season. He is coming off a very nice season with a record of 9-2-5-1 and a World Record under his belt.

The 5yo male Big Slick returns after posting a 11-2-2-4 mark and consistently hitting the 100 PSR level.

Recently acquired 5yo male Petenwell hopes to continue his fine career with Otsego in 2012. He had 3 victories in 2011 and still has the steam to compete in 2012.

Eminem hopes to make his 5yo season a success after finishing in the money in 9 out of 10 races last year. His speed is still evidenced by five 100+ PSR races in 2011.

Newly acquired 4yo Kostya will return to form with a lighter workload this season. This is a professional racehorse who still has talent.

And last, but certainly not least, stable favorite A View to a Kill is expected to have a big season in 2012. He finished 8-3-2-1 last season and showed flashes of brilliance.

The Six. Our 2012 hopes are pinned primarily on them.

Huntress seeks prey. Applications being accepted during 2012 racing season.

Conversation that took place at Otsego Farms recently between an Australian stable owner and Jim Webber...


"Jingoes! Who is that fine little filly over there, Mate?"

"The chestnut? That's Huntress."

"By Big Easy out of Shadowcat, right?"

"Very good, my friend. I'm impressed."

"You think I'm a few sandwiches short of a picnic? She looks like a corker Mate."

"She is. She'll do any surface and definitely has at least 10 furlongs in her."

"Struth?"

"On the book brother. Looks like she'll be ready early too."

"She for sale?"

"Nope."

"Let's head to the pub for a schooner Mate. I'll shout. We can talk about Huntress...."

"You're buying? Sweet, I'll have the Ferrari brought around."

"There'll be Sheila's, right? We better scrub up."

"You got a one track mind pal. Remember what happened in Japan?...."

OMG. No Mas on the names already!

One month and several incarnations later, I am finally putting the 2012 foal naming marathon to rest. This is it. I'm done. Stick a fork in me.

I have had naming epiphany's, then become disillusioned and made changes more times than I care to remember. I don't recall having this much of a problem in the past. So, without further ado, these are the chosen and final names for all 2012 foals....

Union Jack x Shattered Record
Colt - You Know My Name
Filly - You Know My Name

Union Jack x Flawless
Colt - Captain Britain
Filly - Buffy the Slayer

War Machine x In Spirit
Colt - Kit Fisto
Filly - Shaak Ti

War Machine x Isca's Revenge
Colt - Deep Magic
Filly - Deep Magic

Nightwing x Affirm Gal
Colt - Azrael
Filly - Oracle

Moet x Monsoon
Colt - Maestro
Filly - Moondragon

Revenge x Nova
Colt - Quasar
Filly - Andromeda

Broodmare Monsoon back to Otsego Farms

Monsoon (pictured above), the 7yo brown broodmare who produced the current Otsego racer Sabretooth, has returned to Otsego Farms via auction.

Otsego owner Jim Webber stated, "I really didn't want to sell her previously, but we had a stall crunch and she was the odd horse out. We're very pleased to get her back, especially at that bargain price."

Monsoon was reacquired for $10,000. This breeding season, she will pair with Moet, the sprinting sensation from Foxies Lodge.

Otsego Farms also bought Flawless, an 8yo broodmare with the stately bloodlines of War Chant x Azeri.

Auction Report: Otsego brings home 4 racers

Otsego Farms struck gold in this years Photo-Finish auction.

Owner Jim Webber sipped a glass of Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque champagne and simply smiled as the bell sounded at 3pm ET. Later he said, "I had a little bad luck at the auction last year and was determined to do better. Strangely enough, I didn't spend as much as anticipated, but still acquired all four racers I wanted."

The horses that were purchased were:

Kostya, 4yo colt who is a talented sprinter with GR1 ability.
Rich, speedy 3yo sprinting filly who was sired by Moet.
Titanium, the imposing 2yo filly sired by Dubai Gold.
Glymera, 2yo filly who we feel could be a real sleeper.

Webber continued, "Kostya? Are you kidding me? For a lousy $251 grand? I'm in."

He then said his farewells and stepped over to his waiting limousine. As the driver opened the rear door for Webber, a pair of graceful legs came into view. Now wait just a minute! Was that Amanda O'Brien of Bally Doyle? Nah, couldn't be.....

Starfire ready to shine in 2012

She's not the most celebrated newcomer in 2012, but the 2yo bay filly Starfire is ready for the limelight this season.

Her stablemate Ultron (War Machine x Nova) has undoubtedly received most of the attention, but this little lady is illustriously bred and is ready to step out and make a name for herself.

By Nightwing out of Shattered Record, Starfire is a full sister to the up-and-coming 3yo Shatterstar (5-1-2-0). As a result, expectations are big.

Trainers say that she'll mature early, so we'll probably see her entered in about 6 races in 2012, which is a full load for an Otsego 2yo. Her preferred distance is 8 furlongs and she can handle both surfaces very well.

"We loved what we saw when Shatterstar was born in 2009, so I decided to try the same breeding combo again in 2010", explained Jim Webber, Otsego Farms owner. He continued, "The dam, Shattered Record went to War Machine in 2011 (War Hammer), and she'll see Union Jack this year. After that, she may very well be back to Nightwing again depending on the results we see from both Shatterstar and Starfire."

By the way, the name Starfire follows our usual "Superheroes of Racing" format, and is courtesy of the heroine from DC's Teen Titans, who is pictured above.

Otsego racing legend inspires Rock hit

To breed or not to breed: that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune by acquiring unraced horses and veteran racers.

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles by simply breeding a multitude of foals myself.

I have always considered Otsego Farms to be primarily a racing stable. Illustrating that fact is my less than prolific 18 total foals produced, even though the 2012 racing season will be my 10th in Photo Finish.

I bring this up because I am on the threshold of changing my breeding strategy. Under my current system, I breed few horses and I have to constantly replenish my stable with racing-age horses. Frankly, it's a bit of a grind because it's not always easy to acquire talented veteran racers. For some reason, people don't always want to give them up. Unraced 2yo's are a rare and sometimes expensive commodity as well. So, every year, I find myself scrambling to secure a stable full of solid racers.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that it may be best to ramp up foal production to around 10 foals per season, give or take. This would ensure a steady stream of racers. With this kind of influx, I wouldn't have to constantly be on the lookout for racing stock.

I like the idea but I'm still thinking about it. There are many factors to consider. I'll sleep on it.

To sleep: perchance to dream of Photo-Finish domination......

2011 Racer Report Card

Here are grades and brief comments on my current racers based on their performance in the 2010 season:

Affirm Gal (10-1-2-2) - Won her first race with a sterling 110 PSR then slumped the rest of the season, ultimately showing her age. Will be off to the breeding shed with an appointment with Nightwing. Grade: C+

Union Jack (7-0-2-1) - Failed to get a win in a season for the first time in 5 years. In retrospect, he should have probably been retired at the end of last season. Will begin his stud career immediately. Grade: C

Stowaway (9-2-5-1) - Another solid season from the sprinting veteran, who set a World Record at 6.5 furlongs in the process. Grade: A-

Big Slick (11-2-2-4) - The maturation process continued in 2010. He hit 100+ PSR in 6 of 11 races and just missed on a couple others. Grade: A-

Eminem (10-1-1-4) - Consistently speedy but win-hungry. We anticipate a successful 2012. Grade: B-

Mister Fantastic (9-1-4-2) - Still showing signs of immaturity, but is improving. Has one more season to show his stuff. Grade: B

Petenwell (9-3-0-1) - Raced under the colors of Smokey's Stable in 2010 and was very solid racing strictly in Grade One and Grade Two races. We'll drop him down a level for his 5yo season. No grade because he didn't race at Otsego last season.

A View to a Kill (8-3-2-1) - Full grown, strong and ready to rock as a 4yo in 2012. Big time potential and a chip off the old block. Grade: A

Hex (12-1-1-2) - Keep him on grass at 11 furlongs and he throws up PSR's in the 90's. I'll take that in low level races. Grade: C

Immortal (8-1-2-1) - Talented filly who finds a way into the money. Will race another season or two before becoming a broodmare. Grade: B-

Rogue (10-1-4-2) - She's getting better every season. One more season at Otsego, then to another stable to continue career as racer or broodmare. Grade: B

Domino (6-1-1-1) - Decent debut for this celebrated filly. Hopefully, the speed will blossom as a 3yo. Grade: C+

Sabretooth (5-0-1-0) - Needs a little more time and a lot more distance. We expect serious improvement next year. Grade: C

Shatterstar (5-1-2-0) - We love this guy. Runs like Dad and has plenty of talent. Prefers the grass, but could be a Derby contender nevertheless. Grade: A

Tombstone (5-0-1-0) - Shows flashes of ability. We like his chances. Grade: C-

Exciting acquisition announced....

Petenwell, the 4yo dark gray colt bred by Smokey's Stable, has been purchased by Otsego Farms in a cash transaction announced by both stables today. This classic distance veteran racer is by Dawn Patrol out of Madcap Escapade, and is an exciting addition to the Otsego racing string.

Commenting on the purchase, Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber said, "Chris and I met at the Casino in Greektown and hashed out a deal on Petenwell. I was looking for a classy veteran and Petenwell fit the bill perfectly. I also dealt with Chris earlier this year on the Isca's Revenge breeding deal, and he has been more than generous in both cases. We'll remember that. He'll get taken care of in the future, that I guarantee."

Webber was referring to Smokey's Stable owner Chris Campbell and the broodmare lease of super-mare Isca's Revenge who will pair with War Machine at the conclusion of this season.

Petenwell has competed primarily at 9-12 furlongs on both turf and dirt. Three Grade One victories and 13 races with PSR's over 100 in 24 career starts highlight a solid resume'. Plans for 2012 call for racing primarily in Grade Two races.

Does anyone else agonize over foal names? Or is it just me?

I have named, reconsidered, and renamed my five forthcoming foals a dozen times. You may ask, why does he vacillate on something as trivial as a name?

I've commented on this blog and in the forum that names are very important to me. So much so, that I have actually purchased horses based on their names alone. The most recent example of this propensity of mine was the acquisition of the 2yo filly Katana. I am known as Samurai Jack in many fantasy sports leagues and as soon as I saw that Katana was available, I coveted her. It seemed to me that destiny was beckoning.

I have been all over the map on names for the War Machine x Isca's Revenge foal. First I chose strong Superhero names, as is my custom. Later I decided on a more whimsical approach, picking Admiral Boom and Cat Ballou, both names from the silver screen. As of yesterday, I have changed my plan once again, picking the Narnia-inspired Deep Magic as the name, regardless of sex.

I'll definitely stick with the Star Wars Jedi names, Kit Fisto and Shaak Ti for the War Machine x In Spirit foal. But I am reconsidering the names I picked for Union Jack x Shattered Record. Caius Britainnicus and Britainnia have lost their luster.

I'll think of something. It's what I do.

Racing roster for 2012

The 2011 racing season has been deemed a success.

We've had strong results from veteran racers such as Confederation, Stowaway, and Big Slick (pictured at left); exciting performances from up-and-comers like A View to a Kill, Mister Fantastic, and Rogue; and encouraging moments from youngsters such as Shatterstar, Sabretooth, and Tombstone.

With these horses forming the vanguard of our 2012 racing string and throwing in the likes of Eminem, Immortal, and Domino, and it's easy to see how we can be optimistic about our prospects for 2012.


With the exception of Confederation, all of the above-mentioned racers will be back in 2012. Joining them will be the following 2yo's:

Huntress (Big Easy x Shadowcat) - Classic distance multi-surface filly.
Starfire (Nightwing x Shattered Record) - Full sister to Shatterstar will run around 8 furlongs on all surfaces.
Katana (Sovereign Sword x Go Dancing) - Turf sprinting filly.
Ultron (War Machine x Nova) - Dirt sprinting colt who is pictured at left.

Additionally, we'll attempt to secure a couple veteran racers at the year-end auction to round out our roster for 2012.

2012 Stable Makeover Continues....

Veteran racers True Ensign and Confederation (shown above) have both been sold in stall management transactions. True Ensign was sold back to Eureka Racing Stables and Confederation was shipped to Godolphin17.

Otsego Farms had planned on selling True Ensign back to Eureka at the conclusion of this season all along, but the sale of Confederation was a bit of a surprise. He has been running very well and was definitely in the mix for 2012.

When asked about Confederation, Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber responded, "I have nothing but respect and admiration for that horse. In fact, he is one of my favorites. It was a business decision, pure and simple." With five or six incoming foals and their eye on a couple horses in the annual auction, Otsego Farms was in the unenviable position of having to make room.

Webber continued, "I thought about keeping Confederation and selling Stowaway instead, but after several heated discussions with my training staff, we concluded that Stowaway had a little more gas in the tank and was a better option for racing as a 6yo. Time will tell if it was the right decision."

These sales come on the heels of a transaction involving 3yo sprinter Deadly Force, who was sold to Sunshine Stables a couple of weeks ago.

A View to a Kill finishes strong 2nd in lucrative Japan Cup

Otsego Farms' 3yo stayer A View to a Kill (Bally Doyle; War Machine x Dancing Delaware), earned $1,250,000 by finishing second in the 12 furlong Japan Cup this weekend.

The entries included phenom Heat Seeker from FDL Lodge, Faldo from Olmo Dorato, Retribution from Spartan Racing Stables, and Chiknsmack's Silver Poetry. The field could have been much tougher, but many other champion caliber horses skipped this event to attend various Breeders Cup races.

Killer cruised along mid-pack until the final 2 furlongs, when he moved into second and stayed there, watching the 2/1 favorite Heat Seeker run away from the pack and win by almost 10 lengths. Faldo finished third, and the veteran Retribution came in fourth.

Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber was calm at the finish line, simply raising a fist as Killer crossed the finish line in 2nd. "We had hoped for a win, but realized that beating Heat Seeker was gonna be unbelievably difficult. We'll get him next year", Webber said as he marched off towards the winners circle to congratulate the FDL connections.

A View to a Kill will take the remainder of the year off, bypassing the Hong Kong races.

Dynamic Damsel Duo notch first victories

Rogue (pictured above) and Domino, our 3yo and 2yo chestnut fillies out of War Machine, both recently brought home their first wins.

Rogue, who has been showing much better form in the second half of her 3yo season, won the 8.5 furlong Boiling Springs Handicap on turf. She now has a record of 14-1-4-2 and has not finished worse than second in her last four races.

In her fifth career race, Domino won the KS Thoroughbred Assn Futurity Fillies at 5.5 furlongs on dirt. The track was sloppy, but Domino had no trouble, winning easily by over 4 lengths.

Both fillies will race again next season, joining 4yo colt A View to a Kill and 2yo colt Ultron in a four-headed monster of War Machine offspring sporting the Otsego blue and gold.

Nightwing quartet making waves

Four Nightwing (pictured above) colts are making a name for themselves this season, and in the process, making a name for their sire as well.

Daredevil (3yo - Bonai), Gournay (3yo - Yeguada Lore Toki), Goodbye COV (3yo - History's Own), and Shatterstar (2yo - Otsego Farms), have a combined 2011 record of 33-15-9-2.

Daredevil has had a monumental season, with a legitimate chance at HOY honors, but the other three colts have shown talent as well with 7 victories between them in 23 total starts.

Congratulations to these fine colts and their owners. We hope for continued success.

Two lessons learned, stable life goes on....

I've re-learned some lessons in the past couple weeks....

1) Do not discuss plans on horse sales and acquisitions with anyone but your most trusted allies.

I recently made the mistake of relating my plans regarding a horse that was available via auction, to a fellow PF participant. He relayed that info to another stable and a plot to thwart my acquisition was born. The whole tasteless affair has been resolved, but my reputation has been unforgivably besmirched on the forum. I'll remember this episode well and my future dealings with these two stables will be very limited.

2) Never give up too early on a well-bred horse with a nice AR.

Even though she is by my beloved War Machine, and half-sister to Union Jack, the 3yo filly Rogue had been a bit of a disappointment. She had not won a race in 13 starts and had put up acceptable but unremarkable PSR's. I grew restless and decided to sell her.

I had the common sense at least, to set a high reserve of $500,000. It was not met ($250,000 was the high bid) and Rogue stayed at Otsego Farms. She responded by winning her next race with a 97 PSR and pocketing $120,000. My confidence in Rogue has been restored, and while she may not be a superstar, she will be a solid entry in the underpopulated F&M races next year.

Also, Mister Fantastic, a slowly maturing horse, has started to come of age. Due to my impatience, I have debated selling him for the past season and a half. Having raced just 6 times by the start of his 4yo season, he was fresh and finally seemed ready to compete. MF has finished 2,2,2,1 in his last four races and is obviously gaining confidence in his own abilities.

I bred him and I'm very glad that I waited for him to mature rather than shipping him out after 4-5 mediocre outings.

Upward and onward!