Breeder's Cup 2011 weekend photos

Apologies for taking so long to get these photos up--we had a wonderful time in Kentucky over Breeder's Cup weekend. The view from our seats at Churchill Downs was incredible, and while I had no complaints about last year's seats, it was so much easier to get to the paddock and back this year.

Highlights of the Breeder's Cup itself include seeing Giant Oak's incredibly impressive, acrobatic bucking fit in the paddock (I knew he would do well in the race after that--and he did, 3rd); Shackleford being a handful for his amused groom in the paddock; seeing Baffert in person for the first time (how can you miss that shock of white hair?), and his wondrous charge, The Factor (sorry no photo, Blogger gave me troubles with that one for some reason); seeing the great Goldikova and Gio Ponti in their final race, the turf Mile; and the entire field for the Classic in the paddock.

Although there were some disappointments, such is life with horse racing--if the favorite won each time, no one would bet!

That evening we drove to a hotel in Lexington. Our first stop the next morning was Airdrie Stud, and it ended up possibly being the best part of the whole trip. It was just my husband, a friend of ours, and the stallions in their paddocks. No crowds, no cameras, no other fans. The day was gorgeous and almost too perfect--crystal-blue skies, grass still green, the leaves on the trees in all shades of the fall rainbow. Seeing Indian Charlie himself was to be a special treat, but his endearing personality made him all the more likable.

The rest of the stallions were an entertaining mix--from the naughty Canadian Frontier to the clownish Majesticperfection.

Then it was on to the Lane's End open house. It was more crowded than I expected but I still enjoyed myself greatly (I didn't even mind the long line for the lone bathroom too much!). While most of the fans seemed to crowd around Curlin, the pedigree buff in me particularly enjoyed seeing AP Indy and Kingmambo.

The afternoon was spent at Old Friends, where I got to know our new Nikon DLSR camera quite well (okay, perhaps just well enough to get a few decent shots!).

We capped the evening off with a visit to the gorgeous Keeneland, where I got more photos, and the Fasig Tipton sales, where I had the most surreal moment of the entire weekend--watching Hip 105, Funny Moon--in foal to Indian Charlie--sell for a sales-topper $2.3 million. Since we had just spent time with a muddy, funny, sweet Indian Charlie that morning, well--WOW.

The next morning we spent a quick few moments with a very-pregnant (in foal to Medaglia d'Oro) Serena's Song before driving back to Chicagoland.

Oh, Kentucky...you never fail me.

Giant Oak (Marathon)

-shortly before his bucking fit

Shackleford (Dirt Mile)

End of the Dirt Mile - Caleb's Posse, winner

(view from our seats)

Sidney's Candy (Mile)

The great Goldikova (Mile)

Gio Ponti (Mile)

Havre de Grace (Classic)

Drosselmeyer, eventual winner (Classic)

Uncle Mo (Classic)

 Stallion barn at Airdrie Stud

 Indian Charlie (Airdrie)

-a sweet boy despite the action-filled shots!

 Canadian Frontier (Airdrie)

-not so sweet

Majesticperfection (Airdrie)

-a clown of a horse

 Flashy Bull (Airdrie)

-eating the fence in frustration

 Brother Derek (Airdrie)

-"you guys bore me"

 Istan (Airdrie)

 Istan (R) & Indian Charlie (L) (Airdrie)

 Creator (Old Friends)

 Popcorn Deelites & Affirmed Success (Old Friends)

-doing their song and dance

 Leave Seattle (Old Friends)

 Clever Allemont (Old Friends)

 Bullintheheather (Old Friends)

 Ogygian (Old Friends)

 Keeneland

 Funny Moon in foal to Indian Charlie,

$2.3 million (Fasig-Tipton)

 Greyciousness, dam of The Factor (Fasig-Tipton)

 Quality Road (Lane's End)

-love the forelock!

 Kingmambo (Lane's End)

 Smart Strike (Lane's End)

 English Channel (Lane's End)

 Lemon Drop Kid (Lane's End)

 Candy Ride (Lane's End)

 AP Indy (Lane's End)

Curlin (Lane's End)

Serena's Song

Limerick's new sheet--adorable!

Goodnight, moon

We've had a lovely hunter's moon lately, and with the accompanying beautiful weather and clear skies, I've been taking advantage of it by riding Lim after sundown.

Some rides began shortly before sunset, but before I could even get into a warm-up trot, the sun was deep over the horizon and the moon was already high in the sky. Moments like that create a surreal mash of fading red light and growing blue light, complete with moon shadows. Nighttime--what's that?

Limerick was full of pep and spook for the first couple rides in the moonlight, and honestly I didn't blame her. If I were by myself, I too would be a little creeped out by the coyote yips in the deep shadows surrounding the outdoor arena. But before long, the routine became old to her and she relaxed.

Each time except one, it was just Limerick and I out there. Naturally, I could hear really nothing (those coyote yips were very, very close by, so I could hear them) and during the earlier rides, when the moon was not near full, I could barely see anything past her pricked, fuzzy ears. But I knew the lay-out of the arena and I knew that Lim could see quite well, so I trusted her to know where to go. In having all my senses gone except feel, I could thoroughly concentrate on my seat, my legs, my arms, and my shoulders.

As a result I was able to sit her spirited trot, playful bucks--and yes, occasional spooks!--with nary any difficulty. And although her senses were not gone, and she was at times on high alert, Lim listened to me acutely, her ears flicking back to catch my whispers and her body responding to my reassuring hands on her neck. We were very in tune with each other.

And now the moon is growing smaller again, and we have several days of clouds, rain and cold ahead of us. There will be no more moonlit rides....for the time being. But the memories of the past week will never fade.

Photos from Keeneland

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.