Undeniable urge to sell a horse... again.

I have a fever.  Just like producer Bruce Dickinson, (yes, the Bruce Dickinson) who said "Guess what?  I got a fever.  And the only prescription is more cowbell."  Instead of cowbell, I have the fever to sell a horse.

Every once in a while, I get this itch.  It's overpowering and unexplainable.  I'm going through it right now.  I've been scanning my roster on a daily basis, trying to find a sacrificial lamb to satisfy my primal urge to sell.  In reality, I've got a couple underachievers who are starting to get under my skin.

Captain Britain isn't doing himself any favors by throwing out PSR's in the 75-85 range.  He'll have his 6th start this weekend and he better improve.

Nebula has produced fairly well in her career at Otsego Farms.  With a current record of 16-3-3-4 and steady PSR's in the 90's, you'd think she would be safe.  But this will be her last year racing and I'm not sure that I want to keep her as a broodmare (although that is still under consideration).  I prefer mares with a little better stamina, so if she goes, that will be the reason.

I picked up Art of Seduction as pure speculation.  His high stamina was in direct contrast to his reputation as a sprinter.  I've stretched him out and his PSR has improved with every race, but I'm not sure if he'll ever pan out.  His grace period is about to expire.

I'm trying to not be hasty, but when I get in this mood, something usually happens.

Warp Factor Ten, Nighthawk to debut

Colts Nighthawk (Nightwing x Flawless) and Warp Factor Ten (Run Missy Run x Nova) will both make their first appearance this weekend, highlighting a big week of racing at Otsego Farms.

"I try to find a reasonable field for their first race", Otsego owner Jim Webber responded when asked why it took so long to get the first 2yo's on the track.  "I prefer to insulate my young horses from the chaos of a 20-horse field for as long as possible."

Miler Nighthawk will run in the 5F J.F. Meynink Stakes in a 8-horse field, while Warp Factor Ten will compete in the 5F JFK stakes in a 9-horse field.  "We haven't figured out yet if WFT is a sprinter or a stayer.  Hopefully this race will shed some light", Webber said.

4yo colt Machine Gun will shoot for his third straight win in the $1,000,000 Santa Anita Handicap.  Webber commented, "He's going 10F for the first time, so we're anxious to see how he does."  Machine Gun will face off against another War Machine product, Southern Belle (out of Southern Charm) in what should be an interesting sidebar to this race.

In a race that was discussed at length in the PF Forum, Methy Bus takes on top-flight competition in the 12F Caulfield Cup.  Two Thousand, Druido Supremo, Run On Sentence, and Molecular represent the main obstacles to overcome.  Notable was the late scratch by Isca's Dawn causing Webber to comment, "One less thing to worry about, you know?"

Thoughts that have crossed my mind in the last 24 hours...

• Captain Britain is dangerously close to being shipped out.  He has not progressed much since winning his first race and our training staff thinks his potential may be limited.  He'll get one or two more starts to get himself sorted out.
• I really was quite pleased with the first run by 3yo Mocha Milkshake.  He doesn't mature until age 4-5 and I was a little leery throwing him out there.  He performed pretty well, finishing 4th with a 79 PSR.  Definitely encouraging.
• I recently had an inquiry about the purchase availability of War Machine or Union Jack.  This came from a well-respected stable that I would love to help out.  After thinking about it for a couple days I've come to the realization that I just could not part with either one of these stable icons.
• I think that Methy Bus may be the best 12F horse in the game right now and I think he'll prove it by winning the Caulfield Cup next weekend.  What makes this statement even more preposterous is that Methy Bus has never run at 12F.
• I think I made a mistake buying Spy Vs Spy from Endless Vista.  She was sired by Memcay, so I thought she might also be slow to mature, which would explain her lack of productivity.  Unfortunately, I discovered that she matured quickly, so what you see is what you get.

Broodmare shuffle?

An email discussion I had with another stable recently got me thinking about broodmares.

I've got nine at the moment with House of M waiting in the wings to fill the spot as number ten.  She may retire at the end of this year, but if she doesn't, I'll need to secure a lease on a mare; as my plan calls for 10 foals in the next breeding season.

In assessing my band of mares... I'm pretty satisfied.  For the most part, they are Classic or longer distance.  The exceptions being Nova, who can actually handle up to 9F but was more successful as a sprinter, and Domino, who has produced a couple of very nice foals.

I prefer long distance horses and have been trying to slowly accumulate mares of that nature.  False Demon, Shattered Record, Affirm Gal, In Spirit, Arctic Fox, Second Strike, and Ace Of Grace all fall into the distance category.

I am a little disappointed in False Demon.  She has a very nice AR and looks to be a perfect match with War Machine; in fact, I bought her specifically to pair with the Triple Crown champion.  Unfortunately, both of her two offspring sired by WM have been disappointments.  The 2yo colt Trebuchet will make his debut some time this year, but is extremely finicky on surfaces; so much so that we actually fear for his ability to make a start without scratching.  The 1yo filly Anck Su Namen also hates dirt and is a sprinter no less.

False Demon's most recent foal, newborn Blue Fairy, by Nightwing, looks much more like we expected.  She projects as a dirt-loving distance filly. 

Anyway, the point of this ramble is that I would consider some kind of mare swap for the next breeding season because I'd like to get some new blood into the stable.  I really haven't got anything particular in mind but if you are thinking along the same lines, drop me an email and maybe we can work something out.

Deep Magic heads Down Under

Deep Magic, 3yo colt bred and raced by Otsego Farms, has been sold to FDL Lodge.

His breeding created high expectations; which have not been met up to this point in his career.  Sired by War Machine out of the superb mare Isca's Revenge from Smokey's stable, the connections at Otsego Farms thought they had a match made in heaven.  "They (War Machine and Isca's Revenge) were both speedy, classic distance horses who loved dirt.  We felt this pairing had absolutely everything going for it", Otsego owner Jim Webber stated. 

However, Deep Magic has been slow to show off his talent.  Six races into his career, he sports a record of 6-0-2-1 with earnings of $72,500. 

With stall space a concern, Webber felt compelled to move Deep Magic in spite of the fact that 3yo filly Moondragon was sold to Formosa Farms just a few days ago.  "This gives us a little breathing room, stall-wise", Webber continued.

"Finlay has the golden touch.  Perhaps he and his people can get a little more out of Deep Magic.  We wish him the best", Webber said as he held up a glass of Dom Perignon.  "Cheers!"

Otsego Insider eclipses 20,000 page views

October 2011 will mark the 5th year of publishing for the Otsego Insider, and I just noticed that the view counter stands at 20,074.  Yay!

A couple years ago, as the counter approached 10,000, I stated that I would give a free War Machine breeding to the reader who emailed me a screen print proving that they were the 10,000th visitor.  Mike Noble of the now defunct Noble Farms was the winner.  (Miss ya Mike, you grouchy old bastard!)  I would have done the same thing at 20,000 if I had noticed sooner.

I appreciate those of you who come in and read. 

Domino solidifies her spot as Otsego broodmare

Otsego Farms breeds for distance.  

You can take one look at the stallions and figure that out.  Or, you can look at the broodmares and what you find will also lend weight to the above statement.  Unless of course, you look at Domino.

She was a sprinter/miler, sired by War Machine out of Sharp Cat.  She never had much success on the track and eventually was sold to Golden Acres.  A few short months later Otsego owner Jim Webber, having expressed regret at having sold her in the first place, repurchased her and shipped her back to Michigan.

"I'm not sure why I continue to reserve a spot for Domino.  My Head Trainer tells me she'll never produce a stayer", Webber mentioned in a recent interview from his on-site gymnasium.  "But I feel that she has some intrinsic ability that will manifest itself in quality foals."  

And he may be right.  Domino has borne two foals, both of whom are drawing compliments from the connections at Otsego Farms.  Fillies Brick House (2014) sired by Machete, and Tricky Woo (2015) sired by Yeager, are both projected as multi-surface sprinters with above-average speed.  

"I'm very satisfied with both of these fillies", Webber grunted as he finished his 50th push-up, concluding his 2-hour daily workout.  They may change my mind about breeding sprinters."

Make way for Refractor

BC Endurance Champ - Refractor

I've got three top distance stallions; Nightwing, War Machine, and Union Jack.

My carefully planned stable calls for three stallions.  That's all I can house, and frankly, that's all I need.  Refractor though, is making a strong case to be kept.  However, keeping him means that one of my other boys have to go.

But, how do you dump a stable icon like Nightwing?  How can you possibly send a Triple Crown winner like War Machine packing?  Can you sell off an up-an-coming stud like Union Jack?  The answers are: you don't, you can't, and absolutely not.  So, when another sensational racer with huge potential as a stud comes along, you just gotta make room!

Refractor has proven that he is one of the best 16F racers in the history of Photo-Finish.  You simply do not ship out a horse like that when his racing career is over.  Luckily, Refractor is a late maturing horse with a peak that is projected to last a couple years, so he will race this year and next for sure.  After that, he'll stay on and join up with the other fella's as another premier distance stud for Otsego Farms.

Bet the farm on this one folks.

If I were a participant in the Survival Pool this week, I'd pick Refractor in the 16F Diamond Stakes.

Granted, it is a tough field with headliners such as Druido Supremo and Pluto in attendance, but Refractor is fully mature and primed for a victory.

Fortnightly and Superb Thinking are both solid competitors, but have bit off a little more than they can chew in this race.  They are certainly qualified to compete in a GR2 race such as this, but with the scarcity of 16F races they will probably continue to bump heads with the top guns, which does not bode well for them.

At first glance, you wonder why Thunder Storm is in this field against such salty competition.  He has had a fairly undistinguished career up until this point until he sparkled with a 110 PSR at 16F a month ago at Shenandoah Downs.  The connections at Alba Chiara thought that was enough to take him out of the kiddies pool and throw him in the deep end with this race.  Unfortunately, he'll be intimidated and dominated, finishing no better than 5th.

Quake is an interesting filly.  She's never run at less than 16F and has put up some decent PSR's while doing so.  She faced similar competition in the Breeders Cup Endurance last year and actually forced the pace for most of the race before running out of gas in the final couple furlongs to finish a disappointing 8th.  More of the same in this race I suspect.

That leaves the big three, Druido Supremo, Pluto, and Refractor.

As good as Pluto is, Refractor has his number, beating him handily the last 2 times they've met at 16F by a combined 9 lengths.  Druido Supremo and Refractor have split the last two meetings, but with Refractor now fully grown and mature as a 4yo, he will be exceptionally tough to beat at this distance.  In fact the slowest time he has ever registered at 16F is 3:17.40.

GR2 Diamond Stakes 16F Turf

1. Refractor
2. Druido Supremo
3. Pluto
4. Quake

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

Even though it's just the beginning of the 2015 season, I'm already starting to get the dreaded itch to dispose of a few horses.

My 2yo's last year were a very satisfying and at the same time unsatisfying bunch.  I got a few wins and a lot of placings even though none of them had more than four starts.  That seemed pretty dang good to me.  And yet, when I dig deeper into some of these horses, I'm not seeing the potential for breakouts as 3yo's.

Captain Britain won his first race and had us thinking he was the real deal.  Unfortunately, after a few more less-than-inspiring starts and a review of his HRF stats, it looks like he may have average talent at best. 

Moondragon also won her first start, then has disappointed ever since, showing mediocre speed and questionable stamina.

Deep Magic, Kit Fisto, and Xtra Run have all hit the board in at least half of their races, but have weaknesses that may severely limit their upside.

I will always have a place in my barn for horses that run in G3 or Stakes races.  After all, someone has to fill those race cards, right?  However, I've got my eye on a couple horses and I'll need some free stalls.  Therefore, I envision at least two of the above-mentioned horses getting moved in the next few weeks.  Sale or swap; I'm listening.

Let's get this party started!

With just two entries, my first week of racing was inconsequential.  I sent out a couple second stringers, so there was not a lot to get excited about.

This week however, I'm rolling out a couple established horses and several up-an-comers.  The fields are large though and the talent is deep, so it's hard to tell how things will go.

3yo filly Xtra Run will try her hand at 6F after a successful 5F race in November.  She put up a 86 PSR in that race finishing in second place.  Her extremely slow starts continue to be a concern and I would prefer to put her in a longer race to compensate, but she just doesn't have the stamina at this point.  Her AR states that she prefers distance, but with a stamina rating of 66, that doesn't hold water.

I'd like to think that 3yo colt Azrael, perhaps my best younger racer, will be on the path towards the Kentucky Derby.  The new qualification process could be problematic for me though because Azrael will have to qualify earnings-wise, and I don't always chase the largest purse, preferring to enter races that I have the best chance to win.  He'll be running in the 8.5F Holy Bull Stakes and a good showing will keep him on the road to the roses.

Stable stalwarts House of M and Crossbones will both run this weekend and should contend in their respective races.  House of M is running at a pet distance, so she should be a handful.  Crossbones is stretching out a bit to 10F.

3yo's Deep Magic and You Know My Name both run this week as well.  Deep Magic is coming off 2 consecutive second place finishes, but has been unimpressive.  He may be fighting for a stall if he cannot show significant improvement very soon.  YKMN has won 2 of her last 3 races and appears to have enough ability to contend in F&M races.

On a side note, we have acquired 4yo filly Spy Vs Spy (Memcay x Inside Information).  While browsing Endless Vista, she caught my eye.  I have not seen her AR yet, but I'm hoping she is a late bloomer like her sire.  I watched one of her previous races and noticed with amusement that her HRF stamina is rated as POOR.  However, with a raw stamina score of 70, I would conclude that the POOR rating may be inaccurate.  By way of comparison, War of the Lilies, who recently finished 2nd in the 10.5F Japan Cup Dirt, has a raw stamina score of 68.  In any event, with her light racing history and blue-blooded parentage, I figured she was worth a chance.

Stall issue...again.

Having 58 stalls and 58 horses is uncomfortable.

There is a horse that I would like to acquire, but with no available stalls, I am handcuffed.  To make matters worse, I am currently not inclined to sell any of my horses, except for a foal I recently acquired in a trade for broodmare Baby Greyhound.  Even at the risk of offending Tia from Circle F, I must dispose of my recent acquisition.

The filly Just Deserts (Perfect Goer x Revotic) is available for a cup of coffee.  Frankly, her AR is not very good, but as we all know, a good AR is not a prerequisite for success.  If anyone is interested I'll transfer her over for next to nothing.

I'm hoping to close a deal on another horse in the very near future, so I need that stall immediately.  If interested, post here.  First post (if any), gets her.  If no takers, she'll go to EV if/when I get the other horse.

Broodmare will be shipped to new home

Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber announced that thirteen year old broodmare Baby Greyhound has been traded to another stable in a transaction involving a yearling filly.

"We picked her up with the intention of keeping her for a few years, but the emergence of House of M, who will probably be retiring at the end of 2015, makes Baby Greyhound expendable," Webber explained.  "We had an inquiry from an established stable about her availability and an agreement was reached."

When asked for more information on the transaction, Webber was noncommital.  "We'll announce the details when the new season is underway.  The yearling we acquired is not a top prospect, but we'll work her out and see what we've got."

Baby Greyhound produced just one foal for Otsego Farms, newly-born colt Jackhammer; who's sire was Union Jack.

2015 Foals Arrive

UGOTTHELOOK - filly by Take A Gander out of Shattered Record 

The 2015 foal crop arrived late last night, but with the temperamental nature of the site recently, information is sketchy at this point.

Ten foals were delivered - 6 fillies and 4 colts.  That is a change of pace for our stable which has produced a preponderance of colts in the past couple of years.  In fact, prior to 2015, 14 of our last 18 foals have been male.

Here they are in alphabetical order:

Big Bang colt  Dirt Miler.

Big 'N Rich x Nova

Blue Fairy filly  Dirt Distance.

Nightwing x False Demon

Galaxi filly  Turf Classic.

Jenny's My Gal x Affirm Gal

Jackhammer colt  Dirt Distance

Union Jack x Baby Greyhound

Numerator filly  Multi-surface Sprinter

Reichenbach Falls x Second Strike

PracticallyPerfect filly  Turf Distance

Union Jack x In Spirit

Steel Lion colt  Multi-surface Distance.

War Machine x Ace Of Grace

The Golden One colt  Dirt Distance.

War Machine x Arctic Fox

Tricky Woo filly  Dirt Sprinter.

Yeager x Domino

Ugotthelook filly  Turf Distance.

Take A Gander x Shattered Record

Beat those drums for Refractor

Desi Arnaz plays "Babalu" on the Conga Drum

Thinking about broodmares got me thinking about stallions as well. 

For the past several seasons, I've had 2-3 stallions.  Nightwing, War Machine, and later, Union Jack.  All three earned their spots as studs by having exemplary careers.  Even with Otsego Farms relatively small size, reserving space for three stallions has not put a crimp in my plans.

Enter Refractor.  It looks like this fellow may carve out a stallion-worthy career.  Once the Columbian-bred colt matured midway into his 3yo season, the was a four-legged wrecking-ball laying waste to the long distance racing circuit.  He finished the year on a 5-3-2-0 roll, with a World Record, a Breeders Cup Endurance title, and PSN's of 121, 122, and 120 in his final three races.

He will be firmly in his prime during the 2015 season and projects to have at least 2 seasons on top of his game, meaning he will most likely be a force in the 2016 season as well.

If he is able to maintain form for a while, I'll have to consider keeping him on as a stallion, and that will upset my stall plans, which are already stretched tighter than the skin on a Conga drum.  But it's a good problem to have, right?

Just thinking aloud about my broodmare situation...

I positively cannot have more than 10 broodmares in my stable.

I am currently at full capacity and I have a fine broodmare prospect in House of M who will probably be retired at the end of the 2015 season.  Since I am interested primarily in Classic and Long Distance foals, Domino is the mare who least fits my needs, so she might end up on the chopping block, even as she is preparing to give birth to a foal any day now.

However, I'm not real comfortable letting Domino go.  I sold her once before, to my good friend Steven of Golden Acres, and immediately regretted it.  He was kind enough to sell her back when he ran into a stall crunch himself.  She eventually became an Otsego Farms broodmare, and rewarded me with a beautiful chestnut filly, Brick House (sire - Machete).

As I said, I'm partial to distance horses, but I'll take a nice sprinter if I can get one, and Brick House looks like a nice sprinter.  Multi-surface capable, with good speed and acceleration - what's not to like?  If Domino were to throw another talented sprinter this year (sire - Yeager), I would have reservations about letting her go.  I might be inclined to keep her and match her with a succession of sprinting sires.

If this were to happen, and my plans were to change, I would have to choose another mare to go and that would be either False Demon or Baby Greyhound.  False Demon was acquired specificially to breed with War Machine, but their first two tries were both disappointments; colt Trebuchet (who will debut this year) and filly Anck Su Namun.  In her career as a broodmare, Baby Greyhound has had mixed-to-poor results so far.  Mixing things up, I matched False Demon with Nightwing this year, and Baby Greyhound with Union Jack, who has a history of producing quality offspring.

So, one of those three (Domino, False Demon, Baby Greyhound) will be sold during 2015 to make room for House of M.  Who it will be depends entirely on how the new foals look.  Just a few more days...

Too long of a wait for 2015?

I think we'll all agree that Photo-Finish is an excellent horse racing simulation.  Yes, it has it's imperfections.  But they are being addressed on a case-by-case basis.  The game is a lot better now than it was 5 years ago.  There is progress on many fronts; from suggestions made by the rank and file and put into being by the sweat of Laurie's brow.

One fortress of concern however that has not been breached is the overlong off-season.  Three months is a period of time that will test the patience of even the most steadfast stable owner.

What can be done?  How can we bring this beast of an off-season to bay?

There are tasks that need to be done and they take time.  Perhaps, if we can cut out all of the fat, the best we can accomplish is cutting the off-season from 12 weeks to 8 weeks.  That would be a vast improvement.  I'd like to see it at 6 weeks.  Can this be done?

Suggestion One - Concerning Year-End Awards

Currently, Laurie makes the nominations then opens the voting process.  After the nominations are published, PF stable owners cast their votes and eventually the YE Awards are announced. 

I suggest a panel of 7 experienced PF owners with rotating membership that would make the decsions by vote.  These YE Award decsions could be made within a matter of days, saving a significant amount of time by removing the foot-dragging owners from the process.  This change could possibly save 1-2 weeks.

Suggestion Two - Concerning Year End Auction

This process can take up to 3 weeks from beginning to end.  First the time allotted to review the stock, then the auction itself, then the time to negotiate on unmet reserves, and finally the distribution of stock.

I suggest it be eliminated altogether.  Use the auction process during the year to buy and sell all horses, from breeders to foals.  Why not?  I see a potential savings of 3 weeks.

Suggestion Three - Concerning Breeding

This process consumes a month of Laurie's time and there is really no way to make a significant time savings with all of the manual labor that must be done. 

However, Laurie's idea of punishing owners who make mistakes by giving them a barren mare is OK with me.  This is a very important process and each of us should be willing to take a few minutes to make sure our information is completely accurate, rather than just haphazardly sending it in and expecting Laurie to sweep up after us.  Without her having to send incorrect spreadsheets back and wait for a revision, I would think that at least a week can be saved.

So, I envision a possible savings of 5-6 weeks if these suggestions were incorporated.  It seems that we could definately cut the off-season from 12 to 8 weeks and still give Laurie a little vacation as well.

Allright?  OK.  I'm glad that's settled.

Digging deeper to unearth a gem?

I took a look at the HRF statistics for my 3YO's as of their final race last season.  Without giving the actual numbers, here they are ranked from best to worst.

BREAK SPEED

1. Kit Fisto
2. You Know My Name
3. Deep Magic
4. Moondragon
5. Captain Britain
6. Azrael
7. Art of Seduction
8. Xtra Run

EARLY SPEED

1. Xtra Run
2. Moondragon
3. Azrael
4. You Know My Name
5. Captain Britain
6. Kit Fisto
7. Deep Magic
8. Art of Seduction

TOP SPEED

1. Xtra Run
2. Moondragon
3. Azrael
4. You Know My Name
5. Kit Fisto
6. Captain Britain
7. Deep Magic
8. Art of Seduction

STAMINA

1. Art of Seduction
2. Azrael
3. You Know My Name
4. Deep Magic
5. Kit Fisto
6. Captain Britain
7. Moondragon
8. Xtra Run

Interesting that Art of Seduction (AR says sprinter) has the highest stamina rating of the bunch.  His speed is poor, which again translates into him being a distance runner.

Azrael looks like the real deal to me.  His speed is good - just under the two sprinting mares Xtra Run and Moondragon, and his stamina is strong as well.  His prognosis is good for 2015.

Xtra Run is very fast, but has no stamina and her atrocious break speed is extremely problematic.  Even though her speed may be on a par with her sprinting peers, if she is 10 lengths down after the first furlong, the race may be over before she get stretched out.

Kit Fisto's relative lack of speed is partially offset by his quick starts.  His stamina is good, and should improve as he matures, so his modus operandi should be to get out front, put it on auto-pilot, and try to hang on until the end.

I am a bit concerned about Deep Magic's below-average speed.  He finished low both on early speed and top speed, and this is not an overly speedy bunch.  His stamina is a bit better than advertised though, so perhaps by running at 10F rather than 8F (as suggested by his AR) he can do better.

You Know My Name breaks well and has decent speed.  Coupled with her above-average stamina, it may be enough for her to build on her successful 2YO campaign.

Captain Britain (in spite of his decent showing as a 2YO) and Moondragon both look decidedly mediocre.  I'll be keeping a close eye on their progress in 2015.  If no improvement is made, they will be shipped out.

I hope you're not too attached to your heads.....

Wielding hooves like a pair of katana's and shooting glances as sharp as throwing stars, 2yo colt Samurai Jack hits the racing circuit for Otsego Farms this year.  Sired by Union Jack out of Affirm Gal, this handsome chestnut colt looks to follow in the footsteps of Captain Britain and You Know My Name, who were both sired by Union Jack and both scored victories as 2yo's last season.

Originally projected as our 4th best 2015 prospect, Samurai Jack has been moving up in the rankings due to excellent work on the track in training.  "Looks like he has a slight preference for dirt, although he'll run on turf as well", commented owner Jim Webber, who continued, "This is a quality racehorse, and I'd expect nothing less from a product of Union Jack."

Samurai Jack makes up one third of a triumverate of Union Jack colts that will compete in 2015, with the others being Jack the Ripper and Crackerjack.

A peek into the office of Jim Webber, Owner of Otsego Farms

Recent conversation between Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber and his Head Trainer:

HT: Do you have a few minutes to go over some horses Boss?

JW: Sure.  Let's do it.  Have a seat.  Would you like a Perrier?

HT: Thanks.  (Settles himself on leather couch and looks over notes.)

JW: Anything else I can get you?  No?  OK, let's get started.

HT: Shatterstar?

JW: He stays.  He's still serviceable King.  I want to race him one more year and then we'll see.

HT: (Nods head and jots down a note.)   Are we gonna send Kayson to any GR1 races this year?

JW: I know he's has disappointed in the GR1's so far King, but those 107/108/109 PSR's are going to start telling  very soon.  He's too darn fast not to win.  I want to see him in as many GR1's as possible.

HT: Uh huh.  Got it.  What about Machine Gun?

JW: That reminds me.  Excuse me King.  (Speaks into intercom to Secretary)  Celeste?  Please send Foxie four dozen roses and a $500 Gift Card to the Champagne Brasserie.  Thank you.  (Turns attention back to Trainer) I feel that Machine Gun will blossom this year King, but the clock is already ticking.  No more Stakes races.  GR3 or higher, OK?

HT: Gotcha.  We agree on Methy Bus?

JW: Right.  10F or farther until further notice.  He should have a monster year.

HT:  (Checks notes again) I want to race Refractor strictly at 16F.  Are we in agreement on that?

JW: Yes.  I want to own that distance King.  Is that clear?

HT: Crystal.  What about Art of Seduction Boss?

JW: You tell me King.  Is he a sprinter or not?

HT: He's no sprinter Boss.  I figure he should be running at 10-12F.

JW: Then make it so.

HT: (Smiles) OK Jean-Luc.  (Consults notes) What about Mocha Milkshake?

JW: That horse isn't going to be mature until he's 4 next year King, but not racing him is killing me.  Shoot for a debut in July and we'll see where we're at then.  Anything else?

HT: Just some odds and ends Boss.  Nothing we haven't already talked about.

JW: How's Juggernaut looking?

HT: He's a stunner Boss. 

JW: Excellent.