My husband and I went to Keeneland on Saturday for the stakes races that day, mainly the Shadwell Turf Mile. Being fans of both Sidney's Candy and Gio Ponti, we wished to see these guys in person.
I have never been to Keeneland for live racing before--I am an Arlington Park girl all the way through!--but thought the track was very beautiful, particularly the paddock area. Big old trees always win me over.
And of course, I took a lot of photos.
The rolling hills of Lexington: the best view from a car, ever!
An earlier race.
Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes: Dances with Ashley (6, chestnut) and eventual winner Holiday for Kitten (5). All following photos from the same race until noted.
Musical Romance
Shotgun Gulch
Diamond Song
Promised Mandate
Switch
Above and below: First Lady Stakes; Wasted Tears (8), C.S. Silk (7) and Gypsy's Warning (10).
All following photos from the same race until noted.
Eclair de Lune (11)
Wasted Tears (8), Gypsy's Warning (10) and Eclair de Lune (11)
Bay to Bay (1)
Cherokee Queen (2)
Category Seven (4)
Wasted Tears
Above and below: Shadwell Turf; Tajaweed.
All following photos from the same race until noted.
Above and below: Sidney's Candy
Dance and Dance (IRE)
Zoffany (IRE)
Gio Ponti and Society's Chairman waiting behind Zoffany.
Above and below; Gio Ponti
Society's Chairman
Wise Dan
Get Stormy
Sidney's Candy going back to the barns
Overall, it was a wonderful day. We were up over $600 by day's end! My husband was disappointed that Sidney's Candy came in third but it was a thrill to see Gio Ponti win. I've long been a fan of this hard-knocking horse--he is nothing but a professional, and gives it his best each time.
The Shadwell Turf was to be Gio Ponti's second to last race (the Breeder's Cup Mile being the last). After the race, I leaned on the rail and watched as he was taken to the winner's circle, then untacked, sponged down with water and led past me. By then, it was just him, his groom and the late afternoon sun, but I watched until he was led to the gap in the rail and out of sight. At that moment, he wasn't a multi-millionaire, or even a race winner. He was just a horse--just a horse on his way to a clean stall and supper. It was almost an intimate moment, and knowing that I would only see this guy run one more time, I had a lump in my throat.
What a beautiful picture.
1 comment:
One of the owners I work for had a horse in for a stakes on Friday. I think every race fan needs to go to Keeneland in the fall, just a stunning scene. Morning gallops are also fun to watch there, has a great view of the sun, and when you catch the fog it is just blue grass beauty that can't be matched anywhere else.
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