To see my last update on Dharma, click here.
Showing posts with label Oil Money's Dream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oil Money's Dream. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2014
Dharma (Oil Money's Dream) at her first show
I visited with Dharma and her owner at their first show together yesterday. Of course, my camera came with! It was wonderful to see Dharma again. She looks beautiful and was relaxed and happy at the show. She clearly loves jumping and she and her owner made a wonderful team.
To see my last update on Dharma, click here.
To see my last update on Dharma, click here.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Happy 10th Birthday, Oil Money's Dream
 |
| April 7, 1979 Daily Racing Form & Santa Anita race program featuring the San Jacinto Handicap, which Hot Oil won |
 |
| Hot Oil, Limerick's sire |
A few weeks ago, I found a Santa Anita program from Saturday
April 7, 1979 for sale online. It featured that year’s running of the San
Jacinto Handicap, which Limerick’s sire Hot Oil won. When I mentioned to the
seller why I wanted this particular program, he said he had the Daily Racing
Form for that day as well--would I like to purchase it, also? You bet I did.
Both items arrived in the mail today. Coincidentally, tomorrow
is Limerick’s birthday, and today is the birthday of another special mare that is also closely related to Hot Oil--a maternal granddaughter,
Oil Money’s Dream.
This past Saturday--May 11--was an anniversary of sorts; one I
had been thinking about in the weeks and days leading up to it. On that day last year, I made public my plans to purchase Oil Money's Dream. Purchasing a horse is typically a straightforward deal--you find a horse you like within your budget, you visit and/or ride that horse, you have a vet check done, you consult with your trainer or an experienced, trusted friend, and if the horse passes all the tests then he or she is yours once you hand over the check. This was not the case with Oil Money's Dream.
On May 11, 2012, I wrote:
 |
| Trainer Owen Rainwater saddles Oil Money's Dream at Arlington Park, June 13, 2010 |
On May 11, 2012, I wrote:
"[In 2009, after seeing IL-bred Oil Money's Dream race at Arlington Park] I added her to my Virtual Stable and began following her. She would
finish in the money sometimes, and it was cool to see a 'niece' of
Limerick's running. In early 2011, I found out that Owen Rainwater, her
trainer, passed away. [In another coincidence, I later found Rainwater's obituary and his date of death was May 11, 2011] I wasn't sure what would happen to the mare. A few
months later, I got a notification that she was at Mountaineer under
Bart Baird. She won her first race with him.
I hoped she would be okay there, despite the track not having the most stellar of reputations. A few months went by and I didn't receive any more notifications. Then in February, I received a single workout notification for her at Mountaineer. She did 3f in 39:20, ranking 28 out of 33 for the day.
After that day, she was entered in races nearly every other week, starting in March.
March 5: 5k claimer, finished 7th, beaten by 9 lengths
March 16, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 3 lengths
April 6, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 8-1/2 lengths
April 24, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 11 3/4 lengths
Each race had 7-8 horses on average. This mare was clearly tiring, and she was being over-run, particularly for a nine year old mare. While it's not uncommon to see geldings being raced up to this age, it is unusual to see mares still on the track when they are approaching double digits in age.
I began to worry about this mare."
I grew tired of worrying and decided to see if I could do something. I was drawn to this mare--this long-faced chestnut with large, soulful brown eyes and a crooked skinny blaze--this mare I had watched from afar for years but had never met. There was a powerful pull coming from within that I could not deny. This drive was something I would reflect upon over the next few months: where had it come from? Why this horse? The sentimental attachment--her being a relative to Limerick--surely played a large role. As did the visible downward spiral she took through the claiming ranks. But she wasn't the first horse in my Virtual Stable to end up in cheap claimers, and she wasn't the last. Perhaps it was something I saw in her as I watched her on video in the paddock or in the post parades--a quiet obedience, her large brown eyes barely hidden by the blinkers she always wore. Whatever the reason, I let this invisible force drive me towards attempting to help her.
There were some hurdles. The mare, once stabled nearby at Hawthorne and Arlington, was now located nearly 500 miles away from me and I didn't have a horse trailer--or even a truck. In addition, I couldn't afford to keep a second horse, so I would have to find a permanent home for her. And the biggest hurdle of all: I didn't know how to get in touch with Baird. Even if I could, I would need to ask my husband to make all calls for me since I cannot hear well enough to make or receive calls. Would Baird perceive me as dishonest or shady if I would only communicate with him through my husband?
I was not discouraged. I asked a lot of people a lot of questions. I Googled endlessly. I brought up my idea to several people that I thought may be able to help me or offer advice. I found a way to contact Baird. One friend, Lori, offered to drive me in her truck and trailer to Mountaineer. Another friend, Christine, offered her invaluable re-training and re-homing services. With support and after endless discussions with my cohorts over instant messaging, I had a plan. In the meantime, I fundraised by selling homemade jewelry in order to cover the costs of purchasing, transporting and boarding this mare until she could be adopted out to a good home.
In the end, throughout it all, Baird was never in direct contact with me and would only work through a liaison, another trainer at Mountaineer. This trainer was reluctant to approach Baird, preferring to let him initiate contact. This made staying updated on what was happening very difficult, if not impossible.
On May 18, 2012, I wrote:
"I am still working to get this mare retired and back to Illinois. She raced on Monday, May 14 (Lim's birthday) and finished a game fifth. My hunch tells me that her trainer, Baird, will want to try running her once more (she is eligible to run just one more time at Mountaineer), but if at all possible I would like to purchase her from him before she runs again.
There's a lot of "hurry up and wait" in this situation--and waiting is hard to do."
Waiting was very stressful. I had trouble sleeping, and when I did sleep, I would often dream of Oil Money's Dream and my fragile plans to get her. I knew that as soon as Baird gave word that he was "done" with the mare, I would have to be at Mountaineer within a day or two. To make matters worse, I was told through our liasion that if I didn't get her quickly, he would sell her to another trainer at Thistledown Racino in Ohio, where she would run in even cheaper claiming races. If this mare slipped through my fingers, I would have to go through the process of figuring out where she was and who had her, and how to contact this person, all over again.
But waiting paid off.
On June 20, 2012, I wrote:
"Oil Money's Dream--or Dara, as I've nicknamed her--raced last Tuesday. She finished sixth but safely--just what I was hoping for.
From there, the wheels began turning--fast! Arrangements were made with Dara's trainer, and plans to pick her up on Thursday and pay him $1,000 cash quickly fell into place.
At 2:30am on Thursday morning, I awoke after a brief, restless night and drove to Urbana. From there, Lori and I drove her truck and trailer to Mountaineer Racetrack in West Virginia. It was 450 miles each way, and with the trailer in tow that meant a roughly eight hour trip one way.
We arrived at Mountaineer close to 3pm eastern time. I never met Dara's trainer--instead I worked with my contact at the track, another trainer. Money and paperwork exchanged hands, and then it was time to meet Dara in the flesh after watching her race for over three years."
I hoped she would be okay there, despite the track not having the most stellar of reputations. A few months went by and I didn't receive any more notifications. Then in February, I received a single workout notification for her at Mountaineer. She did 3f in 39:20, ranking 28 out of 33 for the day.
After that day, she was entered in races nearly every other week, starting in March.
March 5: 5k claimer, finished 7th, beaten by 9 lengths
March 16, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 3 lengths
April 6, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 8-1/2 lengths
April 24, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 11 3/4 lengths
Each race had 7-8 horses on average. This mare was clearly tiring, and she was being over-run, particularly for a nine year old mare. While it's not uncommon to see geldings being raced up to this age, it is unusual to see mares still on the track when they are approaching double digits in age.
I began to worry about this mare."
 |
| Oil Money's Dream at Arlington Park, June 13, 2010 |
I grew tired of worrying and decided to see if I could do something. I was drawn to this mare--this long-faced chestnut with large, soulful brown eyes and a crooked skinny blaze--this mare I had watched from afar for years but had never met. There was a powerful pull coming from within that I could not deny. This drive was something I would reflect upon over the next few months: where had it come from? Why this horse? The sentimental attachment--her being a relative to Limerick--surely played a large role. As did the visible downward spiral she took through the claiming ranks. But she wasn't the first horse in my Virtual Stable to end up in cheap claimers, and she wasn't the last. Perhaps it was something I saw in her as I watched her on video in the paddock or in the post parades--a quiet obedience, her large brown eyes barely hidden by the blinkers she always wore. Whatever the reason, I let this invisible force drive me towards attempting to help her.
There were some hurdles. The mare, once stabled nearby at Hawthorne and Arlington, was now located nearly 500 miles away from me and I didn't have a horse trailer--or even a truck. In addition, I couldn't afford to keep a second horse, so I would have to find a permanent home for her. And the biggest hurdle of all: I didn't know how to get in touch with Baird. Even if I could, I would need to ask my husband to make all calls for me since I cannot hear well enough to make or receive calls. Would Baird perceive me as dishonest or shady if I would only communicate with him through my husband?
I was not discouraged. I asked a lot of people a lot of questions. I Googled endlessly. I brought up my idea to several people that I thought may be able to help me or offer advice. I found a way to contact Baird. One friend, Lori, offered to drive me in her truck and trailer to Mountaineer. Another friend, Christine, offered her invaluable re-training and re-homing services. With support and after endless discussions with my cohorts over instant messaging, I had a plan. In the meantime, I fundraised by selling homemade jewelry in order to cover the costs of purchasing, transporting and boarding this mare until she could be adopted out to a good home.
In the end, throughout it all, Baird was never in direct contact with me and would only work through a liaison, another trainer at Mountaineer. This trainer was reluctant to approach Baird, preferring to let him initiate contact. This made staying updated on what was happening very difficult, if not impossible.
 |
| Oil Money's Dream at Mountaineer on May 14, 2012 |
On May 18, 2012, I wrote:
"I am still working to get this mare retired and back to Illinois. She raced on Monday, May 14 (Lim's birthday) and finished a game fifth. My hunch tells me that her trainer, Baird, will want to try running her once more (she is eligible to run just one more time at Mountaineer), but if at all possible I would like to purchase her from him before she runs again.
There's a lot of "hurry up and wait" in this situation--and waiting is hard to do."
Waiting was very stressful. I had trouble sleeping, and when I did sleep, I would often dream of Oil Money's Dream and my fragile plans to get her. I knew that as soon as Baird gave word that he was "done" with the mare, I would have to be at Mountaineer within a day or two. To make matters worse, I was told through our liasion that if I didn't get her quickly, he would sell her to another trainer at Thistledown Racino in Ohio, where she would run in even cheaper claiming races. If this mare slipped through my fingers, I would have to go through the process of figuring out where she was and who had her, and how to contact this person, all over again.
But waiting paid off.
 |
| At last, we meet. |
On June 20, 2012, I wrote:
"Oil Money's Dream--or Dara, as I've nicknamed her--raced last Tuesday. She finished sixth but safely--just what I was hoping for.
From there, the wheels began turning--fast! Arrangements were made with Dara's trainer, and plans to pick her up on Thursday and pay him $1,000 cash quickly fell into place.
At 2:30am on Thursday morning, I awoke after a brief, restless night and drove to Urbana. From there, Lori and I drove her truck and trailer to Mountaineer Racetrack in West Virginia. It was 450 miles each way, and with the trailer in tow that meant a roughly eight hour trip one way.
We arrived at Mountaineer close to 3pm eastern time. I never met Dara's trainer--instead I worked with my contact at the track, another trainer. Money and paperwork exchanged hands, and then it was time to meet Dara in the flesh after watching her race for over three years."
 |
| Finally heading back to Illinois |
I wondered what she was like for most of the 8-hour drive to Mountaineer. Was she kind? Was she quiet? Was she moody, like Limerick could be? Was she sound after 7 years of racing?
It didn't take long to have my questions about her personality answered. From the start, she she was unflappable, sweet, attentive, curious, kind, and easy to handle. In short, she was everything I had hoped for--and more. I boarded her in Woodstock for one and a half months and visited her every weekend. She was very easy to fall in love with, and I did just that.
On August 6, 2012, I wrote:
It didn't take long to have my questions about her personality answered. From the start, she she was unflappable, sweet, attentive, curious, kind, and easy to handle. In short, she was everything I had hoped for--and more. I boarded her in Woodstock for one and a half months and visited her every weekend. She was very easy to fall in love with, and I did just that.
 | ||
| Grazing |
 |
| Giving her a bath |
On August 6, 2012, I wrote:
"One by one the pieces of the puzzle, which had once seemed scattered far
and wide, began to fall into place for Dara. I went from searching for
pasture boarding for Dara and staring at my budget, trying to estimate
how long I could afford to board two horses, to crying at work because I
knew Dara had found her home.
I cried out of happiness, gratitude, sadness, and everything in between. From the very start, I hadn't allowed myself to become emotional. I had been so sure that I would tear up when Lori and I retrieved Dara from Mountaineer, but I didn't. Each time we had cleared one hurdle, all I could think was "Okay, one down, how many more to go?" By my personal nature, I am very guarded with my emotions.
But now, with Dara finding her home at long last, everything came tumbling out."
That long-faced chestnut mare with the skinny crooked blaze and large, soulful brown eyes had finally found her home.
In yet another coincidence, the mother of Dara's new owner told me that her daughter had always wanted to get a chestnut mare and name her Dharma--and so, that became the new off-track name of Oil Money's Dream.
"We made plans to trailer Dara (now named Dharma) to her new home on Friday, July 27. Fittingly, on Thursday July 26 (my wedding anniversary), the story on Dara by Hersh was released online.
Retired racehorses: One fan does her part to find mare a home, by Marcus Hersh
I was blown away by how lengthy and thorough the story was. It was a timely tribute, and I hope it inspires other folks to take a chance on a racehorse--whether it's a horse they are following on the track that clearly needs a second career, an already-retired horse awaiting adoption, or a well-trained, older retiree that needs a new home.
Doing all this for Dara was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I wasn't alone. I couldn't have done it without the help of countless people: my husband, Christine, Lori (and her hard-working truck), Jackie E., Mary J., my parents, the many people that bought jewelry from me while I was fundraising, and countless others."
I visited Dharma in November and she was clearly enjoying just being a horse in a herd of horses, with young ladies to dote on her. I am planning another visit, hopefully for next month, and will get some new photos then.
Happy 10th birthday, Dharma--I'm so glad you are able to enjoy it.
I cried out of happiness, gratitude, sadness, and everything in between. From the very start, I hadn't allowed myself to become emotional. I had been so sure that I would tear up when Lori and I retrieved Dara from Mountaineer, but I didn't. Each time we had cleared one hurdle, all I could think was "Okay, one down, how many more to go?" By my personal nature, I am very guarded with my emotions.
But now, with Dara finding her home at long last, everything came tumbling out."
That long-faced chestnut mare with the skinny crooked blaze and large, soulful brown eyes had finally found her home.
 |
| With her very happy new owner |
In yet another coincidence, the mother of Dara's new owner told me that her daughter had always wanted to get a chestnut mare and name her Dharma--and so, that became the new off-track name of Oil Money's Dream.
"We made plans to trailer Dara (now named Dharma) to her new home on Friday, July 27. Fittingly, on Thursday July 26 (my wedding anniversary), the story on Dara by Hersh was released online.
Retired racehorses: One fan does her part to find mare a home, by Marcus Hersh
I was blown away by how lengthy and thorough the story was. It was a timely tribute, and I hope it inspires other folks to take a chance on a racehorse--whether it's a horse they are following on the track that clearly needs a second career, an already-retired horse awaiting adoption, or a well-trained, older retiree that needs a new home.
Doing all this for Dara was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I wasn't alone. I couldn't have done it without the help of countless people: my husband, Christine, Lori (and her hard-working truck), Jackie E., Mary J., my parents, the many people that bought jewelry from me while I was fundraising, and countless others."
I visited Dharma in November and she was clearly enjoying just being a horse in a herd of horses, with young ladies to dote on her. I am planning another visit, hopefully for next month, and will get some new photos then.
Happy 10th birthday, Dharma--I'm so glad you are able to enjoy it.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Dara/Dharma's races from YouTube
My dad asked me yesterday if there are any races of Dara's online that he could see. I remembered that Arlington usually uploads races to YouTube so I did a search and found several. I've linked them below--they are in order by date, with her finish position and number.
It's kind of strange seeing her as a racehorse again, even though that is how we knew her for three years before we picked her up from Mountaineer. She was a complete professional as a racehorse, and that is a quality she carries with her in every other aspect of her life.
On this note, I got a message from her new owner the other day saying that Dharma is doing very well! I'm still trying to coordinate plans to stop by and visit her sometime soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
It's kind of strange seeing her as a racehorse again, even though that is how we knew her for three years before we picked her up from Mountaineer. She was a complete professional as a racehorse, and that is a quality she carries with her in every other aspect of her life.
On this note, I got a message from her new owner the other day saying that Dharma is doing very well! I'm still trying to coordinate plans to stop by and visit her sometime soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Monday, August 6, 2012
Dara--the happy conclusion
I was out of town all of last week and arrived home Saturday. Our visit included trips to Belmont Park and Saratoga, and the experience at both tracks was out of this world. I will post photos later in the week!
In the meantime, I need to post a much-needed update on Dara.
Early in July, I was interviewed over email by Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form. Hersh had caught wind of Dara's retirement and thought it a story worth telling. I was flattered and happy to cast light upon this wonderful old warrior of a mare. He warned me that the story may only be a blurb, although he would push for it to be longer.
In the meantime, Christine (of Teener Thoroughbreds) and I continued our search for the right home for Dara. On July 19, a family consisting of a woman and three daughters visited Dara. The oldest girl, age 16, and her mom had been following Dara's story from the start. It dawned upon them that they would be the right home for her. They had some older OTTBs, and the one the oldest girl had been riding was getting up in years. At the same time, her riding skills were advancing and she was ready for a greener horse. Over the course of two years, in her mind's eye, she began to envision herself riding a chestnut mare named Dharma.
The visit went as perfectly as it could go, and the family was officially in love with Dara. I interviewed the prospective owner on Facebook to get a feel for her, her experiences, and her plans for Dara. She provided references to Christine. I googled the prospective owner. Everything checked out, and I had a great feeling while interviewing her. It just felt right, for lack of better words. I remembered telling Christine a few weeks prior that Dara was the kind of horse that would love being fussed over by young girls, and now that statement was coming true for her.
One by one the pieces of the puzzle, which had once seemed scattered far and wide, began to fall into place for Dara. I went from searching for pasture boarding for Dara and staring at my budget, trying to estimate how long I could afford to board two horses, to crying at work because I knew Dara had found her home.
I cried out of happiness, gratitude, sadness, and everything in between. From the very start, I hadn't allowed myself to become emotional. I had been so sure that I would tear up when Lori and I retrieved Dara from Mountaineer, but I didn't. Each time we had cleared one hurdle, all I could think was "Okay, one down, how many more to go?" By my personal nature, I am very guarded with my emotions.
But now, with Dara finding her home at long last, everything came tumbling out.
We made plans to trailer Dara (now named Dharma) to her new home on Friday, July 27. Fittingly, on Thursday July 26 (my wedding anniversary), the story on Dara by Hersh was released online.
Retired racehorses: One fan does her part to find mare a home, by Marcus Hersh
I was blown away by how lengthy and thorough the story was. It was a timely tribute, and I hope it inspires other folks to take a chance on a racehorse--whether it's a horse they are following on the track that clearly needs a second career, an already-retired horse awaiting adoption, or a well-trained, older retiree that needs a new home.
Doing all this for Dara was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I wasn't alone. I couldn't have done it without the help of countless people: my husband, Christine, Lori (and her hard-working truck), Jackie E., Mary J., my parents, the many people that bought jewelry from me while I was fundraising, and countless others.
In the meantime, I need to post a much-needed update on Dara.
Early in July, I was interviewed over email by Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form. Hersh had caught wind of Dara's retirement and thought it a story worth telling. I was flattered and happy to cast light upon this wonderful old warrior of a mare. He warned me that the story may only be a blurb, although he would push for it to be longer.
In the meantime, Christine (of Teener Thoroughbreds) and I continued our search for the right home for Dara. On July 19, a family consisting of a woman and three daughters visited Dara. The oldest girl, age 16, and her mom had been following Dara's story from the start. It dawned upon them that they would be the right home for her. They had some older OTTBs, and the one the oldest girl had been riding was getting up in years. At the same time, her riding skills were advancing and she was ready for a greener horse. Over the course of two years, in her mind's eye, she began to envision herself riding a chestnut mare named Dharma.
The visit went as perfectly as it could go, and the family was officially in love with Dara. I interviewed the prospective owner on Facebook to get a feel for her, her experiences, and her plans for Dara. She provided references to Christine. I googled the prospective owner. Everything checked out, and I had a great feeling while interviewing her. It just felt right, for lack of better words. I remembered telling Christine a few weeks prior that Dara was the kind of horse that would love being fussed over by young girls, and now that statement was coming true for her.
One by one the pieces of the puzzle, which had once seemed scattered far and wide, began to fall into place for Dara. I went from searching for pasture boarding for Dara and staring at my budget, trying to estimate how long I could afford to board two horses, to crying at work because I knew Dara had found her home.
I cried out of happiness, gratitude, sadness, and everything in between. From the very start, I hadn't allowed myself to become emotional. I had been so sure that I would tear up when Lori and I retrieved Dara from Mountaineer, but I didn't. Each time we had cleared one hurdle, all I could think was "Okay, one down, how many more to go?" By my personal nature, I am very guarded with my emotions.
But now, with Dara finding her home at long last, everything came tumbling out.
We made plans to trailer Dara (now named Dharma) to her new home on Friday, July 27. Fittingly, on Thursday July 26 (my wedding anniversary), the story on Dara by Hersh was released online.
Retired racehorses: One fan does her part to find mare a home, by Marcus Hersh
I was blown away by how lengthy and thorough the story was. It was a timely tribute, and I hope it inspires other folks to take a chance on a racehorse--whether it's a horse they are following on the track that clearly needs a second career, an already-retired horse awaiting adoption, or a well-trained, older retiree that needs a new home.
Doing all this for Dara was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I wasn't alone. I couldn't have done it without the help of countless people: my husband, Christine, Lori (and her hard-working truck), Jackie E., Mary J., my parents, the many people that bought jewelry from me while I was fundraising, and countless others.
 |
| Driving away from Woodstock Equestrian |
 |
| Stepping off the trailer at the new home |
 |
| Welcome home, Dharma |
 |
| Checking out her new indoor arena |
 |
| Dharma and proud new owner |
 | |||
| Dharma and I saying goodbye (but not forever) | Photo by Daisy Austin |
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
More Dara photos, thanks to Amanda!
I saw Dara over the weekend, as usual, and rode her for the second time. She also jumped for the first time under Christine (Teener Thoroughbreds). Dara was a bit perturbed as to why Christine was asking her to go over the obstacle instead of around it, but she did it--in style!
My friend Amanda took the photos--you can visit her website here. She did a great job of capturing Dara's sweet face.
My friend Amanda took the photos--you can visit her website here. She did a great job of capturing Dara's sweet face.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Saturday: Rode both Dara and Limerick!
I got to spend quality time with both Dara and Limerick this past Saturday. And I rode both of them!
Dara had been under-saddle a few times with Christine, and she was quite relaxed so I wanted to try riding her, too. Even though Limerick is not a horse I would ever put a beginner rider on, after over 16 years on her back, I am downright comfortable with her antics. Besides, my legs and seat are practically molded to her. So while I'm always glad to hop on another horse, I don't ever expect to be good on that horse!
I didn't really need to worry about that on Dara. Despite having a very pleasant and adaptable
personality, she has only been off the track for a couple weeks, so I was
expecting at least a bit of "go" in her. But instead I found myself on a very relaxed horse. She
was so chill that it took a lot of leg to get her moving. Once she did, she
went along at a nice pace as long as you reminded her to keep going with your
leg. She had a pleasant, long-strided walk and trot. She had some difficulty
picking up the canter, but I am so used to asking for the canter on Lim with
nothing more than sitting deeper in the saddle, so it was partly "user
error". I did get her into a canter at one point and it was quite smooth!
She was such a fun horse to ride. She responded to me when I
petted her neck or said "good girl", and her long, feminine ears were
always forward, only flicking back to listen to me when I talked to her. She
tried hard to do what I asked of her (leg yield, straighten out, etc) so of
course I rewarded every effort. I walked her on a long rein after--no problem.
What a nice horse....I so wish I could keep her.
Afterwards, we gave her a bath and 'hand grazed' her (if you
can call it that--Christine unclipped the lead shank and Dara grazed in place
until it was time to go in).
Christine has done a wonderful job with Dara so far. And most importantly, Dara is clearly happy and content with life. It's very rewarding to see that.
 |
| Miss Dara |
Later the same day, I rode Dara's auntie, Limerick. I was struck by how different they are! They are both very fun to ride, but unlike Dara, Lim is incredibly responsive, like a little sports car--you don't need much if any leg on her. If anything, Lim's gas pedal often accelerates itself, and all I can do is apply the brakes a little at a time (half-halts)!
In fact, on this evening, she picked up a canter on her own and I let her keep it up. As she normally does, she began putting on speed as we went, so I would half-halt her to slow her down. At a couple points, I wanted her to downshift to a trot but instead she slowed herself into a very collected little canter, then sped up again when I opened the reins.
I thought back to all the transitions I did in our last ride (because of this post) and I was struck by how quickly and easily she remembered applied lessons. Just one session of transitions helped 110%! I suppose that may be a common thing in older horses, especially those that had countless hours of training in their younger years. They may goof off if you let them, but after just one little refresher course, they remember everything again.
 |
| Miss Lim |
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Oil Money's Dream update--we got her!!
Oil Money's Dream--or Dara, as I've nicknamed her--raced last Tuesday. She finished sixth but safely--just what I was hoping for.
From there, the wheels began turning--fast! Arrangements were made with Dara's trainer, and plans to pick her up on Thursday and pay him $1,000 cash quickly fell into place.
At 2:30am on Thursday morning, I awoke after a brief, restless night and drove to Urbana. From there, Lori and I drove her truck and trailer to Mountaineer Racetrack in West Virginia. It was 450 miles each way, and with the trailer in tow that meant a roughly eight hour trip one way.
We arrived at Mountaineer close to 3pm eastern time. I never met Dara's trainer--instead I worked with my contact at the track, another trainer. Money and paperwork exchanged hands, and then it was time to meet Dara in the flesh after watching her race for over three years.
When we first approached her stall, she appeared indifferent. But then I gave her the palm of my hand and she sniffed it. We then went into her stall and I haltered her then stroked her sleek neck, and she closed her eyes. I was so happy to finally have her in-hand.
We led her over to the trailer, and in doing so had to walk by the first turn of the track. Upon seeing it, she trotted a couple steps. You're not going there again, I thought. We loaded her in the trailer and by 3:30pm eastern time, we were on our way back to Illinois.
We stopped a few times on the way back to fuel up and check on Dara. She was a model traveler! We opened the window on the trailer each time to let her peek out, and I stood by her head and stroked her muzzle and head each chance I got.
Finally, we arrived at Lori's barn in Urbana at around 11:30pm central time. We unloaded Dara, made her stall space as comfortable as possible, and after watching her for a while we headed back to Lori's house to sleep. Despite the very long day and the knowledge I had to get up before 6am in the morning to head to Kentucky with my husband, I had a hard time falling asleep. So much had happened in the past 24 hours--it seemed almost unreal. But at the same time, a huge weight had been lifted upon my shoulders. Dara was safe.
Dara spent Friday at Lori's barn, then on Saturday she was picked up by Christine of Teener Thoroughbreds. Since then she has been a pampered mare with Christine!
This Saturday, my husband and I are going to visit Dara--I can't wait! We will be sure to get a lot of photos.
Watch Dara get her first bath!
More photos on Teener Thoroughbred's blog
From there, the wheels began turning--fast! Arrangements were made with Dara's trainer, and plans to pick her up on Thursday and pay him $1,000 cash quickly fell into place.
At 2:30am on Thursday morning, I awoke after a brief, restless night and drove to Urbana. From there, Lori and I drove her truck and trailer to Mountaineer Racetrack in West Virginia. It was 450 miles each way, and with the trailer in tow that meant a roughly eight hour trip one way.
We arrived at Mountaineer close to 3pm eastern time. I never met Dara's trainer--instead I worked with my contact at the track, another trainer. Money and paperwork exchanged hands, and then it was time to meet Dara in the flesh after watching her race for over three years.
When we first approached her stall, she appeared indifferent. But then I gave her the palm of my hand and she sniffed it. We then went into her stall and I haltered her then stroked her sleek neck, and she closed her eyes. I was so happy to finally have her in-hand.
We led her over to the trailer, and in doing so had to walk by the first turn of the track. Upon seeing it, she trotted a couple steps. You're not going there again, I thought. We loaded her in the trailer and by 3:30pm eastern time, we were on our way back to Illinois.
We stopped a few times on the way back to fuel up and check on Dara. She was a model traveler! We opened the window on the trailer each time to let her peek out, and I stood by her head and stroked her muzzle and head each chance I got.
Finally, we arrived at Lori's barn in Urbana at around 11:30pm central time. We unloaded Dara, made her stall space as comfortable as possible, and after watching her for a while we headed back to Lori's house to sleep. Despite the very long day and the knowledge I had to get up before 6am in the morning to head to Kentucky with my husband, I had a hard time falling asleep. So much had happened in the past 24 hours--it seemed almost unreal. But at the same time, a huge weight had been lifted upon my shoulders. Dara was safe.
Meeting Dara for the first time
Hanging out in the trailer
Dara spent Friday at Lori's barn, then on Saturday she was picked up by Christine of Teener Thoroughbreds. Since then she has been a pampered mare with Christine!
This Saturday, my husband and I are going to visit Dara--I can't wait! We will be sure to get a lot of photos.
Watch Dara get her first bath!
More photos on Teener Thoroughbred's blog
Friday, May 18, 2012
Oil Money's Dream update
I created a Facebook page for this mare--I post all updates, as well as other tidbits about her, and jewelry for sale to support her cause, on this page. So please "like" it and follow it!
https://www.facebook.com/OilMoneysDream
I am still working to get this mare retired and back to Illinois. She raced on Monday, May 14 (Lim's birthday) and finished a game fifth. My hunch tells me that her trainer, Baird, will want to try running her once more (she is eligible to run just one more time at Mountaineer), but if at possible I would like to purchase him from her before she runs again.
There's a lot of "hurry up and wait" in this situation--and waiting is hard to do.
https://www.facebook.com/OilMoneysDream
I am still working to get this mare retired and back to Illinois. She raced on Monday, May 14 (Lim's birthday) and finished a game fifth. My hunch tells me that her trainer, Baird, will want to try running her once more (she is eligible to run just one more time at Mountaineer), but if at possible I would like to purchase him from her before she runs again.
There's a lot of "hurry up and wait" in this situation--and waiting is hard to do.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Oil Money's Dream--a quest from TB to OTTB
In my last post, I mentioned purchasing/obtaining a racehorse. Here is her story.
Sometime in 2009, my husband was at Arlington Park for a routine day of handicapping. While looking over the PP's there, he noticed the damsire of a particular horse: Hot Oil. The name caught his eye because not only is that Limerick's sire, but it's also a name that you don't see much these days.
He was able to get a look at her, and reported back to me that she was a small mare with a blaze--well now, that sounds like my kind of horse! I eventually saw her for myself, and she was indeed cute--very cute. Standing about 15.1 or 15.2, her "shape" is almost like that of a cross between a Quarter Horse and Arab, rather than a Thoroughbred. She had a wispy, thin tail and big soulful eyes. Her name was Oil Money's Dream.
I added her to my Virtual Stable and began following her. She would finish in the money sometimes, and it was cool to see a 'niece' of Limerick's running. In early 2011, I found out that Owen Rainwater, her trainer, passed away. I wasn't sure what would happen to the mare. A few months later, I got a notification that she was at Mountaineer under Bart Baird. She won her first race with him.
I hoped she would be okay there, despite the track not having the most stellar of reputations. A few months went by and I didn't receive any more notifications. Then in February, I received a single workout notification for her at Mountaineer. She did 3f in 39:20, ranking 28 out of 33 for the day.
After that day, she was entered in races nearly every other week, starting in March.
March 5: 5k claimer, finished 7th, beaten by 9 lengths
March 16, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 3 lengths
April 6, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 8-1/2 lengths
April 24, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 11 3/4 lengths
Each race had 7-8 horses on average. This mare was clearly tiring, and she was being over-run, particularly for a nine year old mare. While it's not uncommon to see geldings being raced up to this age, it is unusual to see mares still on the track when they are approaching double digits in age.
I began to worry about this mare. Finally, I began asking around. "What can I do? I can't afford another horse, but I want to help this one somehow." Most people had no answer for me, but finally I found a woman that gave me the name of another, who in turn gave me the names and contact information of a couple ladies at Mountaineer that could help.
"What can I do?" turned into "How can I do this?", which turned into deciding that I was willing to pay money--$300--for this mare, which gave me the confidence to try to get in touch with Baird via my contacts at the track.We contacted him on May 2, and his response was that he wanted to enter the mare in another race in a couple weeks. Depending upon how she did in that one, he would either enter her again or give her up to me.
I began asking for advice regarding the next step. Initially, I thought I would try to find a home for her closer to Mountaineer. But I hardly know anyone close to the track. One of the women I asked for advice--Lori--suggested that I have the mare vanned back to IL. That way it would be much easier for me to rehome her. With that seed planted in my head, I began digging around for possible homes, as well as how I could have her vanned from Mountaineer.
Unfortunately, while there are routes from Mountaineer to Hawthorne or Arlington, they are not very common. Furthermore, I was quoted anywhere from $450 to $1500 for this! Then Lori had a suggestion--for the cost of diesel, she and I could road trip it to Mountaineer to pick the mare up ourselves. At around the same time, Christine with Teener Thoroughbreds said she had a stall for the mare at her barn. The fact that Christine is experienced in rehabbing and re-homing fresh-off-the-track Thoroughbreds is a huge plus!
All at once, the plans came together. All we need to do is wait for Oil Money's Dream to be entered in a race, and after she runs, my husband will reach out to Baird the night of, or day after, the race. Hopefully he will decide it's time to retire this little old warrior of a racemare.
In the meantime, to offset some costs, I am going to hold a small fundraiser by selling some moderately-priced handmade sterling silver jewelry. 100% of the proceeds from this will go towards the mare. More details on the jewelry to come....
Sometime in 2009, my husband was at Arlington Park for a routine day of handicapping. While looking over the PP's there, he noticed the damsire of a particular horse: Hot Oil. The name caught his eye because not only is that Limerick's sire, but it's also a name that you don't see much these days.
He was able to get a look at her, and reported back to me that she was a small mare with a blaze--well now, that sounds like my kind of horse! I eventually saw her for myself, and she was indeed cute--very cute. Standing about 15.1 or 15.2, her "shape" is almost like that of a cross between a Quarter Horse and Arab, rather than a Thoroughbred. She had a wispy, thin tail and big soulful eyes. Her name was Oil Money's Dream.
Oil Money's Dream at Arlington Park, June 2010
I added her to my Virtual Stable and began following her. She would finish in the money sometimes, and it was cool to see a 'niece' of Limerick's running. In early 2011, I found out that Owen Rainwater, her trainer, passed away. I wasn't sure what would happen to the mare. A few months later, I got a notification that she was at Mountaineer under Bart Baird. She won her first race with him.
I hoped she would be okay there, despite the track not having the most stellar of reputations. A few months went by and I didn't receive any more notifications. Then in February, I received a single workout notification for her at Mountaineer. She did 3f in 39:20, ranking 28 out of 33 for the day.
After that day, she was entered in races nearly every other week, starting in March.
March 5: 5k claimer, finished 7th, beaten by 9 lengths
March 16, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 3 lengths
April 6, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 8-1/2 lengths
April 24, 5k claimer, finished 5th, beaten by 11 3/4 lengths
Each race had 7-8 horses on average. This mare was clearly tiring, and she was being over-run, particularly for a nine year old mare. While it's not uncommon to see geldings being raced up to this age, it is unusual to see mares still on the track when they are approaching double digits in age.
I began to worry about this mare. Finally, I began asking around. "What can I do? I can't afford another horse, but I want to help this one somehow." Most people had no answer for me, but finally I found a woman that gave me the name of another, who in turn gave me the names and contact information of a couple ladies at Mountaineer that could help.
"What can I do?" turned into "How can I do this?", which turned into deciding that I was willing to pay money--$300--for this mare, which gave me the confidence to try to get in touch with Baird via my contacts at the track.We contacted him on May 2, and his response was that he wanted to enter the mare in another race in a couple weeks. Depending upon how she did in that one, he would either enter her again or give her up to me.
I began asking for advice regarding the next step. Initially, I thought I would try to find a home for her closer to Mountaineer. But I hardly know anyone close to the track. One of the women I asked for advice--Lori--suggested that I have the mare vanned back to IL. That way it would be much easier for me to rehome her. With that seed planted in my head, I began digging around for possible homes, as well as how I could have her vanned from Mountaineer.
Unfortunately, while there are routes from Mountaineer to Hawthorne or Arlington, they are not very common. Furthermore, I was quoted anywhere from $450 to $1500 for this! Then Lori had a suggestion--for the cost of diesel, she and I could road trip it to Mountaineer to pick the mare up ourselves. At around the same time, Christine with Teener Thoroughbreds said she had a stall for the mare at her barn. The fact that Christine is experienced in rehabbing and re-homing fresh-off-the-track Thoroughbreds is a huge plus!
All at once, the plans came together. All we need to do is wait for Oil Money's Dream to be entered in a race, and after she runs, my husband will reach out to Baird the night of, or day after, the race. Hopefully he will decide it's time to retire this little old warrior of a racemare.
In the meantime, to offset some costs, I am going to hold a small fundraiser by selling some moderately-priced handmade sterling silver jewelry. 100% of the proceeds from this will go towards the mare. More details on the jewelry to come....
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