Defending distance

I've never been partial to sprinters.  Maybe it's the smaller purses.  Perhaps the races are a little less glamorous.  For some reason, they seem a little less masculine to me, and as you all know, I'm all about masculinity.  Whatever the reason, I'm firmly entrenched in the Classic and Distance castle with a wide moat surrounding me, the drawbridge pulled up, and longbowman manning the towers.

I breed primarily for distance.  I buy primarily for distance.  Consequently, I pay particular attention to the Stamina for every horse I breed or buy.  Based on the Stamina Rating, and in my experience and opinion, horses generally fall into these broad categories:

65-67  Sprinter

67-69  Miler

69-71  Classic

71-73  Distance

73-75  Endurance

Individual horses may have success in the adjacent category, either up or down, depending on the other characteristics they possess.  However, regardless of their other strengths, it is safe to assume that a horse with a 66 Stamina Rating is not going to win the 10F Kentucky Derby and the 12F Belmont would be completely out of the question.

In the 65-67 class, I only have a total of three horses:

Xtra Gold 4F - I bought based on talent, knowing exactly what she was.

French Twist 3M - Bred as a sprinter/miler, so no surprise here.

Mona Lisa 3F - Random factor raising it's ugly head.

In the 71-73 class, I have nine horses:

Crossbones 6M, Methy Bus 6M, Refractor 6M, Alphabet 5M, Astrapios 4M, Crackerjack 4M, Battlestar 3M, Hollands Best 3M, and Zombieslayer 3M.

Every one bought or bred for distance.  I'm sure my new 2yo crop will add a couple more to that list.

I have dabbled a bit with the sprinting class in the past few years, matching broodmares Nova and Nebula with sprinting sires, but I think they are both capable of throwing Classic+ as well, as evidenced by my decision to match them both with Union Jack this past breeding season.

After this season, Refractor and Alphabet will most likely retire and it's possible that both will stay on as stallions.  That would give me five monster distance studs (War Machine, Nightwing, Union Jack) which is more than I need, to be sure.  But how do you let any of those guys go?

What It Takes

My first article at the Otsego Insider. The site's fearless leader, Jim Webber, has already made the "exciting announcement". Various Photo Finish players, like Karen and Donny, have chimed in on the subject. Chelsey is already talking about deadlines. Deadlines?!?! What have I gotten myself into?! Great. Now I have to come up with something to write about. Not to mention the fact that it has to be at least a little interesting. These people want to be entertained! I'm in soooooo much trouble.

The Breeding Gnome has struck

Source: lolroflmao.com via Gail on Pinterest

2016 Breeding Pairs

Six of the 10 foals born in 2017 will feature Otsego Farms stallions.  Three will be sired by War Machine, two by Union Jack, and one by Nightwing.  The other four spots will be handled by Memcay, Pluto, Sinking Fear, and Kostya.

War Machine x On The Prowl

We are excited about newcomer OTP.  She was a speedy, early maturing type, and we think she'll be a magnificent match for War Machine.

Colt - Hella Good

Filly - Hella Good

War Machine x Affirm Gal

This pairing produced the nice distance colt Zombieslayer in 2014.  We like what we've seen in limited racing, so we thought we'd give this match another go.

Colt - Galahad

Filly - La

War Machine x Sovereign Belle

A one-year mare swap with Foxies Lodge brought SB over to pair with War Machine.  She had a solid career, but has proved to be a producer in the breeding shed.

Colt - Double Infinity

Filly - Double Infinity

Union Jack x Nova

This is a departure from our usual breeding strategy.  In this case we match a turf stayer with a dirt sprinter/miler.  In Jack, we trust.

Colt - Jackanova

Filly - Jackanova

Union Jack x Nebula

Departure from usual breeding strategy, part two.  Both Nebula and Nova prefer dirt and have better than sprinter stamina, so we're hoping for fast, classic-type racers.

Colt - Three Rings

Filly - Three Rings

Nightwing x House of M

This one has us very excited.  M was a true talent, with speed and stamina.  War Machine wasn't an option, since he sired House of M, so we decided to let the old man have the honors.

Colt - Moon Knight

Filly - Trouble

Memcay x Ace Of Grace

AOG has the chops for 16F and when we acquired a free breeding to Memcay, it seemed like a perfect match.  This one will probably go long.

Colt - Twin Flame

Filly - Twin Flame

Pluto x Arctic Fox

AF has churned out some nice looking colts in the past three years by Otsego stallions.  We thought an opportunity with an outside stud of Pluto's calibre might pay dividends.

Colt - Admiral Boom

Filly - Dream Girl

Sinking Fear x In Spirit

Another free breeding awarded via the Survival Contest.  IS has been very successful as a broodmare for us and this looks like a very nice match.

Colt - Jax

Filly - She Bangs

Kostya x Domino

We have loved the look of the sprinters that Domino has produced in the past three years.  Former Otsego Farms racer Kostya should sire another sprinter.

Colt - Tesseract

Filly - Tesseract

Just for fun...

Hello? How did I forget about this little filly?

Well... Natalia is really not very little.  At 17.2 hands this 3yo light gray filly is actually bigger than her poppa, FDL's stud stayer Braveheart.

She showed up in my stable this afternoon, completely unannounced.  I had to call my Accounting Department and ask them what the Hell was going on!  Evidently, during the auction I made a bid early on, then promptly forgot about it.  Even after the auction ended, I hadn't realized that I had won.

It was a sweet surprise, let me tell you.  I see something in this filly.  She's big and strong and has decent speed to go along with improving stamina.  Plus she seems to have the will to compete, finishing second in two career races (both at 8F), at odds of 6/4 and 9/4.

What suprised me was that I threw out a low-ball bid, figuring I'd never get her.  I was too busy monitoring my other bids (mainly Alphabet) to notice that I snagged her for just $21,000.

Nice.  It made my day!

A history of the Kentucky Derby and Otsego Farms

The Kentucky Derby is probably the race that American stables covet most.  In the 14-year history of this race here at Photo Finish, Otsego Farms has sent five colts to run for the roses.

2004 Kentucky Derby

In the 2004 Derby, just the second in PF history, Nightwing made the start in a tough 15-horse field. 

There have been some strong fields over the years, but top-to-bottom, this one may have been the deepest.  Along with winner Thunder Arctic, the field also contained legendary horses such as Dansilver, Dubai Gold, Chatterbox (the only filly in the field), Congenial, Blushing Approval, Vampirical, and Troll Tower.

Nightwing went off at 11-1 and finished a very respectable 5th.

2006 Kentucky Derby

This was the year that War Machine won the Derby, then continued on to win the American Triple Crown.

He was the 9-4 favorite, but had to contend with some stiff competition.  Among the 12-horse field were illuminaries such as Smart Money Golden Tombi, Star Studded, Dancing Delaware, and Big N' Rich.

War Machine had to deal with an off-ish track that was only rated GOOD; the only race in the 14-year history of the Kentucky Derby that was not rated at FAST.

2007 Kentucky Derby

Doomsday was unloved by the punters, as evidenced by the 29-1 odds, making him a definite longshot.  There were many that questioned the appropriateness of this entry.  However, with a record of 4-1-2-0 at the time and coming off a 2nd place finish in the Arkansas Derby, the connections at Otsego Farms felt he had earned a shot.

This was an exceptionally top-heavy field with superstars Pegasus Song (who became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby), Lazy Loper, Take A Gander, A Bus, and Braveheart all participating.  Doomsday was not up to the task, finishing 10th in the 12-horse field.

2008 Kentucky Derby

Turf stayer Union Jack was a last minute entry in the 2008 race.  He had three previous attempts on dirt in his 10 races leading up to the Derby and his 10-6-1-0 record was definitely worthy, but we had misgivings nevertheless due to his marked preference for turf.

He was fairly well-received by the oddsmakers with a 9-1 line at post time, but finished down the pack in 7th in a large 19-horse field.  Union Jack drew the unfortunate post position of 19 in the race that was won by a filly for the second consecutive year, Perfect Bell.  In fact, fillies finished 1-2-3 in this race, with Isca's Revenge getting 2nd and Case Closed finishing 3rd.

2014 Kentucky Derby

After a five year absence from the Derby, Otsego Farms sent Crossbones in 2014.  At 15-1 odds, he was not expected to contend in the congested 20-horse field.  This group was probably one of the weaker fields in Derby history, but had stars such as filly Isca's Dawn, Pluto, Mongoose, Nemisis, Spaceman, and Methy Bus.

Crossbones finished suprisingly well in 3rd place, behind filly Isca's Dawn (who became the 3rd filly to win the KD), and colt Mongoose.

                                                                 -----

So, in five attempts at the Derby, Otsego Farms has fashioned a record of 5-1-0-1. 

The only Otsego Farms horse that may be considered as a Kentucky Derby hopeful for 2017 is Battlestar (Nightwing x In Spirit).  His early schedule will be geared specifically towards the Derby and the Triple Crown.

Otsego Farms owner makes Oscar appearance

Jim Webber, owner of Otsego Farms, was in Hollywood last weekend at the Dolby Theatre to attend the 85th annual Academy Awards ceremony.

Concerning this photo with longtime friend, actress Jennifer Garner, Webber stated, "Affleck toddled off to the boys room, so I took the opportunity to say hello to Jen." 

Can you handle the truth?

Since the breeding season is upon us, I thought this article might be timely.  This is a reprint from the Otsego Insider, Saturday, October 18th, 2008.

These fantasy horses are very complex critters.

When a new foal is born, we are presented with a short AR which gives us rudimentary information about the new arrival. That information, plus what we can glean from studying the history of the sire and dam, is all we have to plan the new horses future.

Later, we gain more information by watching the horse race. Eventually, we develop a clear picture of the horses abilities and shortcomings. Sometimes this revelation comes quickly, sometimes it doesn't.

As I said, these fantasy horses are very complex critters. The small amount of information on the AR camouflage's the fact that there are many, many facets to the abilities and disabilities of each horse.

Here is a list of the attributes of each horse in the Photo-Finish game.

• Break Speed
• Early Speed
• Top Speed
• Long Stamina
• Ratability
• Running on Lead
• Handles Traffic
• Courage
• Soundness
• Curve Ability
• Durability
• Consistency
• Weight Stress Point
• Begin Peak Age
• End Peak Age
• Peak % at Age 3.3
• Running Style
• Acceleration
• Hard Dirt Ability
• Soft Dirt Ability
• Mud Ability
• Firm Turf Ability
• Soft Turf Ability

I imagine that many of these rating are intertwined when it comes to the horse performance on the track. For instance, a Poor Break Speed and the Far Back Running Style, may spell doom for a 5-furlong sprinter even if he has the most illustrious parents. Conversely, if all of the proper attributes fall correctly into place, you can have a superstar from relatively humble origins.

The attributes for each foal are determined by a mathematical breeding program devised by Photo-Finish Founder Laurie Brown.

Each attribute for the new foal is determined in the following manner:

• 30% probability of using the sire rating
• 30% probability of using the dam rating
• 25% probability of using the average of the sire and dam rating
• 15% random probability

NOTE: The above used to be 25/25/25/25, but it was tweaked to reduce the random element somewhat.

Some Photo-Finish participants adhere to the belief that breeding is pure luck. As anyone can plainly see, the random probability is limited to 15%. Therefore 85% of the foal attributes are determined solely by the sire and dam. Unequivocally, this means that it is better to use the best quality sire and dam you can and to trust in statistical probability to produce a high quality foal.

However as shown above, there are many attributes to be determined for each horse and it is possible that poor ratings in key areas can torpedo a foal's future on the track. These poor ratings can be a result of a random anomaly or because both parents had a common weakness that manifests itself in the foal.

Those who trust in "pure luck" and pick poor studs or severely mismatched breeding pairs are statistically more apt to fail. That is a fact that cannot be disputed.

Who will shine brighter in 2017?

Steel Halo and Elu Thingol were a couple of the best 2yo colts last season.  

Steel Halo had and eye-popping record of 7-6-1-0 and his $4.2M in earnings more than doubled his top competition.  Elu Thingol (what kind of a name is that anyway?) ranked 10th on the list of 2yo racers with a record of 5-4-1-0 and 683K in winnings.

They were both extremely successful, no doubt about that.  But which one will have the better overall career?  Perhaps a comparison of their base numbers at the end of last season may shed some light?

	Gate	Early	Top	Long
	Speed	Speed	Speed	Stamina	Kick
Steel Halo	84	91	91	70	712
Elu Thingol	74	88	88	73	724

What can we infer from these numbers?  My interpretations are below.

In the case of Steel Halo, you can see that he is a very fast starter.  If you watch one of his races, I am very sure that you will see him bolt out of the gate.  He has good early and top speeds, and stamina that is suitable, perhaps, for up to 10F.  But I believe his kick rating may limit his viability to 9F, maybe even 8F.

Elu Thingol is a mediocre starter, which is OK for a racer with stamina of 73.  I believe his average kick rating may hold him back a bit, but he should be capable of at least 12F.  His speed ratings of 88/88 are right in line with what I'd expect for a 11-12F horse.

Keep in mind that these horses may not be mature yet and there may be some change in these numbers.  I have not seen their AR's, but based on what I see here, I would say that Elu Thingol is the more unique talent, and I would expect him to outperform Steel Halo going forward.

I was curious to see how these two stack up against War Machine at the end of his 2yo season in 2005:

	Gate	Early	Top	Long
	Speed	Speed	Speed	Stamina	Kick
Steel Halo	84	91	91	70	712
Elu Thingol	74	88	88	73	724
					.
War Machine	73	89	91	71	897

Good luck to Cold Steel / Steel Halo and Laurabelle / Elu Thingol in 2017.  We'll see who shines the brightest.

She ought to produced a Hell of a good foal...

On The Prowl is a horse that I have wanted for a long time.

Maybe it is the name that captured my fancy. They do that once in a while. In the past, I have been known to buy horses just on the strength of their name! Not the greatest strategy I have ever employed, I must admit.

Perhaps it was her breeding.  Dawn Patrol x Magnificat is a potent combination, and the fact that she is snow white nicely sets her apart nicely from the rank and file.

More than likely it was her early career exploits.  She came out of the gate winning; setting a World Record in her first start!  If that doesn't grab your attention, nothing will.

However it happened... I was transfixed early on and followed her for her entire career. 

Over the years, Chris Campbell, owner of Smokey's Stable, and I had a few brief discussions regarding On The Prowl, but nothing ever came of it until just recently.  Frankly, I'm not even sure how it came about.  We were just chatting via email one day and the next thing I knew, I had traded Shattered Record for On The Prowl, even up.

On paper it looks like a pretty even trade.  Shattered Record had a very respectable career and had ability on different surfaces and distances.  Plus, she is out of Lady's Secret, making her a granddaughter of the great Secretariat.  I was pretty attached to her, but even so, was glad to make the swap for a horse I had desired for many years.

So, best of luck to Chris with Shattered Record.  As for me, On The Prowl will start off by pairing up with War Machine.  Who else?  The foal, colt or filly, will be named Hella Good.

Just thinking aloud...

I was analyzing my racing roster today and came to the following conclusions:

1. It's entirely possible that 6yo male Refractor has peaked and may slip a bit this year.  His PSR's were still strong last season, but he seemed to have lost his nose for the wire.  Regardless of his performance this year, he will join War Machine, Nightwing, and Union Jack as a breeding stallion after the 2017 season.
2. 3yo filly Mona Lisa has the slowest Gate Speed in my racing string, which in my opinion, is the kiss of death for a sprinter.  She was uninspiring as a 2yo and will have a very short leash this season.  She is even slower at the start than Crossbones, who is notorious for bumbling and stumbing out of the gate.
3. Not counting the sprinters, newly acquired 4yo Acquarella may be the fastest horse in my stable.  This guy earned over $1,000,000 last season and was picked up for a song at the auction.
4. I gave up on 4yo filly Boudica after a couple disasterous early performances, even though I knew she was a late maturing type.  I had second thoughts and bought her back late last season for $100.  In six career races, she has never finished better than next-to-last, and yet, I feel that she will turn the corner and be a productive racer in 2017.  I figure I'll get my $100 back, at least.  :)
5. The slowest horse in my stable is 3yo colt Vinyasa, whose AR prophetically reads, "Unfortunately this horse does not have a lot of speed".  However, he also has the highest Kick rating, surpassing even Refractor and Astrapios.  I think this bodes well for the future, especially since Vinyasa has a long peak and his Stamina should continue to improve.
6. Fastest horse at Otsego Farms?  That would be 4yo filly Xtra Gold with a Top Speed of a blazing 94.  French Twist, 3yo colt,  is second fastest, clocking in at 93.
7. I've got three stallions already (see #1 above) and in another year or two, I may have six.  Refractor will definitely stay on, and I'm thinking seriously of keeping both Methy Bus and Alphabet as well.  They are both supremely talented and I think they would be successful as studs. 

Otsego Farms 2017 Preview

Using the strong 2016 season as a springboard, Otsego Farms is anticipating an even more successful 2017.

Owner Jim Webber gave the following quote at his annual pre-season press conference.  "We've got a very strong core of veteran racers, some up-and-coming younger racers, and a bunch of promising 2yo's."

6yo males Refractor and Methy Bus will lead the way, with 4yo colts Astrapios, Jack the Ripper, and Crackerjack, plus 4yo filly Xtra Gold lending solid support.

Webber commented, "We're expecting a bounce-back season from Refractor.  Astrapios should blossom as a top-notch distance threat.  Rip will continue to improve, and Methy Bus will continue to be the quiet, dangerous racer that he has always been."

Big things are also expected from 3yo colts Battlestar, French Twist, and Vinyasa.  "Battlestar in particular has our rapt attention," Webber continued.  He has unbelievable stamina and could see 16F later in the season."

2yo colt Steel Lion (War Machine x Ace Of Grace) and 2yo filly Tricky Woo (Yeager x Domino) appear to be the top candidates among the new racers.  Webber predicted, "Steel Lion is the total package and projects as a 10-12F racer, and Tricky is just plain fast.  She likes to run from behind though... not my favorite strategy for a spinter, but it's what she does.  We'll see how it works out."

Otsego Farms is also extremely pleased to announce the acquisition of 5yo male stayer Alphabet.  Webber gushed, "I've wanted this horse for years and I could not be more pleased that he now wears our blue and gold livery."

With the quartet of Refractor, Astrapios, Alphabet, and Battlestar, Webber thinks that Otsego Farms has assembled the strongest team of 16F racers in Photo Finish history.  "All four have Excellent stamina and having that many in one barn is almost unprecedented."  Otsego Farms actually has a fifth horse with Excellent stamina in untested 3yo Hollands Best.

New broodmare On The Prowl is a welcome addition, plus House of M and Nebula also join the ranks in the breeding shed, providing some fresh blood.

All in all, things are looking good for 2017. 

Cautiously optimistic...

Change comes quickly in the horse racing racket. 

I've had seasons when my veteran racers looked productive and my youngsters showed promise.  Then disaster strikes as inexorably as the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.  All of a sudden, you realize that your string isn't as good as you thought, and you start planning for next season.

Right now, I'm feeling pretty good.  My lookouts have their binoculars trained on the horizon and they are reporting clear sailing ahead.

My veteran racers are rock solid and that is beyond contestation:

• Refractor - He has failed to hit the winners circle for 3 consecutive races, but that is because the competition is fierce, not because he has lost a step.  He has averaged a 117 PSR in those races.  We expect him to continue to be extremely productive well into 2017.
• Methy Bus - Has been in the money for 17 consecutive races.  He's a big time competitor who is always a threat to win any race.  With his expected long peak, he'll certainly be around for at least another season.
• Ettore Fieramosca - From off the scrap heap, he has become the epitome of consistency.  He's not a collector of big purses, but he hasn't finished less than 3rd for me since I've owned him and has 6 victories to his credit.  He probably won't return in 2017, but we're enjoying him now.
• House of M - This mare stacks up 100+ PSR's like firewood.  She is a moneymaker who I can count on to bring home a check every time she runs.  The breeding shed beckons in 2017, but she'll continue to run successfully for the remainder of this season.
• Shatterstar, Xtra Run, You Know My Name, Crossbones - Not marquee producers by any stretch of the imagination, these horses are honest racers nonetheless.  I can typically count on them to be in-the-money on most occasions.

My younger racers show tremendous potential:

• Astrapios - This colt could possibly be the preeminent 2-miler as soon as next season.  His recent 3:17.06 at Colonial Downs announced loud and clear that he is a force to be reckoned with.
• Crackerjack - Steady progress has culminated with a recent GR1 win at the Prix Lupin.  His deep lungs are still developing, making him as 12F candidate with the potential to go 16F in the future.
• Jack the Ripper - He looks extremely steady like his sire; he's probably more of a classic racer though.  His consistency is already a topic of conversation at Otsego Farms.  We expect him to be in-the-money in every race.
• War Factor Ten - Has finished 1st or 2nd in eight of eleven career races, and has only missed a check once.  He's not showing the blazing speed that we expected, but certainly has a nose for the wire.
• Xtra Gold - We purchased this filly from Glenmore Park for a cool $4M, not only for her considerable racing skills, but for her future as a broodmare.  She is fast, and consistent, and a winner.  Gotta love that combination.
• French Twist - This 2yo colt has shown incredible poise and speed by winning his first two starts in very crowded fields.  His raw tools and other intrinsic abilities bode well for the future.

I believe that 10 of these horses will be back for 2017, and with others that are still maturing, I feel that I'll be in good hands next season.

Now, I just need my lookouts to keep a weather-eye open for icebergs. 

Hello?...what is that off the starboard bow, Mate?

Otsego Farms on brink of major sell-off?

We're a third of the way through the season and patience is starting to wear thin for a few horses who have not performed up to expectation. This weekend will be the acid test for four horses who are fighting to maintain a stall here at Otsego Farms.

4yo colt Azrael has been on the bubble for a few weeks now.  In fact, he found himself on the sales page a week ago, but gathered no interest, so he was brought back on board for one more chance.  He's actually a decent racer who has recently spun off  a couple bad showings.  If he performs well today, he'll stick around for awhile longer.

3yo colt Trebuchet, is surface picky and has shown mediocre ability so far.  He is a product of the War Machine x False Demon pairing that has been disastrous so far.  FD was acquired because of her seemingly perfect compatibility with stud War Machine.  Unfortunately, two tries produced Trebuchet and Anck Su Namen, who was so disappointing that she was shipped out after just one race.

4yo colt Mocha Milkshake has a slightly longer lease because of his late maturity.  A big, strapping black colt by Memcay, out of Gourmet Girl, MM has actually performed fairly well with a record of 6-1-0-2,  He's not progressing much though and owner Jim Webber has mentioned his name a few times as a potential sale candidate.  Trainers say that he may not mature until age 5, and that fact has stayed Webber's hand up until this point.

3yo colt Samurai Jack is a sentimental favorite at Otsego Farms.  He is out of Affirm Gal by Union Jack, a couple of favorites in our breeding system.  He is also named after Webber's fantasy football/baseball teams for the past 20 years, the Samurai Jax, but even that will not be enough to save him.  A bunch of PSR's in the 60's has put a target on his back.

Odds are that at least one of the aforementioned horses will hit the sales page today, with Mocha Milkshake being the least likely.

Week 15/16 results...

Weeks 15 and 16 of the Photo Finish 2016 season were very successful for Otsego Farms.  All nine starters finished in the money, although it must be mentioned that a couple of the horses benefited from small fields.  No matter how you slice it, a record of 9-3-3-2 is noteworthy.

Seven year old veteran Shatterstar pulled off a win, and in so doing has fashioned a career record of 46-11-13-7 so far.  Interestingly enough, his sire Nightwing had a career record of 46-11-13-5.  Eerily similar wouldn't you say?  Nightwing though, being strictly a GR1/GR2 type, has 5 times the career earnings.

Ettore Fieramosca, the 5yo sprinter who was picked up for $1000 last season picked up his 13th career win.  He has had a record of 7-4-1-2 since being acquired by Otsego Farms and shows no sign of slowing down even though he is supposed to have a short career peak.

Rising stable star Astrapios, looks ready for prime time after demolishing the field in a 16F allowance.  His time, an eye-popping 3:17.06 was a track record, the second in his last three races.  The connections at Otsego Farms are ready to throw him into the deep end of the pool, saying that he'll face off against Sunshine's Pluto and even stablemate Refractor as soon as his next race.

Methy Bus, Warp Factor Ten, and Jack the Ripper all finished second with nice performances.  Warp Factor Ten came out on the short end of a dead heat with Dark Knight's 4yo male Running Riot.

Fossett and 3yo filly Boudica both finished 3rd with Boudica's showing being attributable to a 3-horse field.

Juggernaut, finished 4th and now has a career record of 5-0-0-0.  This colt has sound bloodlines (Jenny's My Gal x Shattered Record), but is maturing slowly.  He has shown improvement though and we're not giving up on him.  We think he'll break out in his next race, which will be at a minimum of 10F to 12F.

Proposed sale rescinded. False Demon to stay on as broodmare?

Citing "second thoughts", Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber pulled broodmare False Demon from the sales page early this morning.

"She had not received a bid, making it completely legal for me to change my mind", Webber explained in a short phone conversation this morning.  "I was wavering on my resolve anyway, and when I saw that she had not drawn any interest yet, I took it as a sign that maybe she should stay."

False Demon, 12yo dirt specialist (prefer, prefer, prefer) has a celebrated bloodline with Kentucky Derby winners Fusaichi Pegasus (sire), and Seattle Slew (maternal grand sire) in her lineage.

"She's a tough, dirt-loving, distance horse, and I finally thought, why should I sell her?"

Five year old House of M will retire at the end of the 2016 season and will certainly be ushered in to the breeding program.  This creates the need to clear a spot. 

"We'll figure something out..."

"Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated" - Refractor

5yo Superstayer Refractor of Otsego Farms got quite testy recently with condescending reporters crowding around his stall.  The questions were coming at the big bay racer in rapid fire fashion.

"Are you washed up?"

"How do you feel about getting beat three times in a row?"

"Are you injured?"

"Is management to blame for your inability to win?"

Refractor shook his head, bared his teeth and responded, "No.  Pissed off.  No.  Maybe."

He continued, "My PSR's have been 110, 120, and 119, so it's not like I'm slowing down.  Honestly, I felt a little over rested and sluggish at the Diamond Stakes.  The Metropolitan was a debacle; I'm not fond of short races.  I hope Mr. Webber doesn't race me at less than 16 furlongs again. At the Melbourne Cup, I was the favorite and ran a 3:17.49 for God's sake.  That would have been good enough to win easily last year, but just wasn't this year.  Pluto had a career race and the filly Wherewouldwebenow had no weight on her."

"Mr. Webber is gonna feed me well and give me some rest.  I'll win my next race, I don't give a damn who they throw out against me.  I do hope that Pluto will be there though.  I have a score to settle with that pretty boy."

Just rambling...

Interesting factoid:  Since I have had my own studs, I have bred 45 foals.  Thirty of them have been by Otsego Farms studs War Machine (13), Union Jack (9), and Nightwing (8).  All of the remaining 15 have been single use studs with the exception of Jennys My Gal, who has been used twice.

I recently sent an unsolicited email to another owner offering to buy their horse for $1,000,000.  They didn't deign to reply.  I dislike that and consider it a discourtesy.  I always remember that kind of thing...

In a year where I've had quite a few disappointments, the first race win by 2yo French Twist (Deux Francais x Nova) was extremely satisfying.  His AR hinted that he might have the right stuff.  Hopefully he can realize his potential.

Three year old colt Astrapios, looked very handy indeed by finishing 3rd in the Caulfield Cup this weekend.  I didn't really expect him to win, but with Hagrid's Backhand being perhaps over her head distance-wise (she wasn't) and Molecular being on a short 14-day rest, I thought he might pull off an upset.  He looked very strong at the end, lending further credence to my opinion that he will be a 2-miler in the future.  In fact, his next race will be at 16 furlongs.

I won the Survival contest to start the season!  My choice, was a horse that I have been watching, Planet Fiftyone.  He had a patsy field and looked like a no-brainer to me.  Turned out I was right; then Iron Mike missed his pick, giving me the win.  I can use the 750k, and a spot to Sinking Fear will be very welcome.  I see him as a perfect match for my mare Ace Of Grace.

After selling Anck Su Namen and Kit Fisto last week, 4yo colt Azrael has hit the sales page this week.  He's not really a bad racer, but I'm looking for some new blood and he has not shown me quite enough to keep his spot.  I've got another 3-4 horses who are on the bubble as well.

Underwhelming 3yo crop has owner contemplating change

Unhappy with the performance of several of his homebred 3yo racers, Otsego Farms owner Jim Webber has begun the process of finding new homes for some of them.

"Of the nine, I'm only satisfied with two at this point.  Warp Factor Ten (9-5-1-1) has been outstanding, and Jack the Ripper (5-2-1-0) will undoubtedly prove to be the most successful of the crop.  The others have been very disappointing", Webber commented recently while attending Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami.

Of the others, Charlemagne probably has the best chance to stick.  He appears to trending upward and those in the know suspect he'll pan out eventually.  Crackerjack, Samurai Jack, and Trebuchet have looked ordinary at best and Juggernaut has performed very poorly.  The filly Bouduca has been an unmitigated disaster, even if you take her relative immaturity into account.

"Of the five on the hot seat, I suspect I'll sell two or three of 'em", Webber stated.