Good news! Entries for next Friday were drawn today and Gown will be running Friday, June 4th.

She will be Race 4, in a six furlong MN-Bred sprint for $7,500 claimers. The race is for fillies and mares three years old and upward which have never won three races. Ry Eikleberry will ride. Post time will be at 8:26 P.M.

The race attracted a field of six with Gown drawing post position 3.

The entries have not been posted on the Racing Form yet. But here is the link if you want to check for an updated June 4th entry.

This is exciting~We will keep you updated!

bc

This morning Gown was saddled up and taken to the track for a brisk breeze under jockey, Ry Eikleberry. Gown worked three furlongs in 35.3 seconds. However, she did not switch leads down the stretch which indicates she may be favoring her right ankle.

[Defining switching leads] When horses run around the oval, they lead with their inside leg. Come the stretch to go down the straightaway they switch back to their right lead (outside leg) to finish up the race. Horses need to switch leads at the stretch so they do not get too tired on one leg. If they do not switch leads, it will take some of the finish out of them. You do not necessarily have to teach them to switch leads but an important part of training is coaxing the horse to understand they need to switch leads come the stretch. Part of the training process is to continue coaxing her into switching that right lead on stretch. Tammy explained she plans on letting Gown rest for a few days and possibly working her again.

Now we look to future races. . .

Jeff and I recently received the news about an upcoming race fit for Gown. Here is what’s happening: Entries for Thursday races are taking place today. A MN-Bred non-three sprint is one of the races open for Thursday which appeals to Gown. If that race does not attract enough entries then hopefully the racing secretary brings it back on the overnight as an extra for Friday night (June 4th) racing. If this is the case, Tammy will enter Gown for Friday for the MN-Bred non-three sprint. Fridays entries are taken tomorrow.

Hopefully they carry the race today and she gets to run. We will keep you updated.

bc

Here is a look at the bills February-May 2010. I have linked some of the dental/vet terms to informative websites to help explain each cost.

February
Training: $38.00/day for 28 days: $1,064.00

Equine Dental Bill
Services/Float/Bit Seats/Oral Bute: $100.00

Vet Bill for Sarah Carlson DVM
Coggins/Tetanus/EE-WE/Flu/Rhino: $139.00

Farrier
Front Shoes: $80.00

February Total: $1,383.00

March
Day Rate: Thru 03/31/2010 at $50.00: $900.00

Training: $38.00/day for 13 days: $494.00

Transportation: (Gown to Chicago, IL. Hawthorne Race Track): $225.00

Farrier (new shoes): $110.00

Dental Work: $65.00

Veterinary/Vitamins: $15.00

Vet Bill for Mark J. Wroblewski D.V.M.
Dormosedan/Deworm/Corticosteroid: $95.00

March Total: $1,809.00

April
Training/Day Rate: $1,500.00

Vet Bill for Mark J. Wroblewski D.V.M.
Lyte Ryte Paste/Acepromazine/Omeprazole: $308.25

Farrier (new shoes): $110.00

Veterinary/Vitamins: $15.00

April Total: $1,933.25

May
Vanning Shipment to Minnesota (Gown): $250.00

May Total: $250.00

Grand Total: $5375.00

That is a lot of stuff for right now, so if you have any questions comment below.

bc

It was a beautiful and sunny Thursday morning on the backside and Jeff and I caught up with Tammy’s assistant trainer, Dan to chat about Gown’s progress and the future. Below is a video we shot with Gown and some (slightly embarrassing) footage of myself interviewing Dan.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

bc

Hello all! First, I will go about introducing myself. I am Brittany, Jeff’s assistant up in the Pressbox and I will be a contributing writer and observer for the Gown Racing Club blog. I look forward to meeting you all throughout the summer and keeping up with this exciting journey.

Anyway, Jeff and I went out to the backside this morning to check on Gown and speak with Dan Hunsaker. He had nothing but positive things to say about the filly and informed us she was doing well after undergoing a brief surgery Saturday to prevent her air-sucking issue. As Tammy had mentioned before Gown is a filly and the parts where she goes pee cause her to suck in too much air. You can prevent this two ways: 1. By putting a patch over it. 2. By sewing it up halfway. The second option was chosen. The surgery doesn’t make her sore and she has recovered rapidly.

Regarding Matt’s previous question…
After this race, given how she finished, would you do an official workout this weekend? Or because the turnaround is pretty quick to the next race, (

After the race on Friday, Tammy walked Gown for three days – giving her a nice break. The last two days (Tuesday, Wednesday) Tammy galloped the filly on the track.

Tomorrow, Jeff and I are going to shoot some video on the backside and speak to Tammy’s assistant trainer, Dan.

bc

Gown was doing fine this morning, relaxing in her stall. I spoke with Dan at the barn and Tammy on the phone.

Tammy consulted with Dan last night after watching the race live on Canterbury’s streaming video.

“There is nothing wrong soundness-wise,” she said. Gown was very quiet before the race. “She’s not like that. She should have been more alert.”

Dan has no explanation for the lackluster effort. I have only talked with him a few times since he got here. I have found that he is not quick to make judgments about horses but he finds nothing wrong with Gown and commented that she was not the same mare that he put through a strong gallop earlier in the week.

So it is back to the drawing board. The race was embarrassing but we are not done yet. If she is sound then whatever the problem was can be solved. Horseracing is a humbling game sometimes.

Tammy is considering entering Gown right back in a race on June 3, this time against MN breds.
http://www.youtube.com/get_player

That was a disappointing performance to saythe least.
We will find out more in the morning.

Thanks to everyone for coming to the races. I’ll post information after I visit the barn and talk with Dan and Tammy.
JM

The weather is dreary this morning but may clear up later. Should be a great evening for racing.

We have an area of the Ubetcha Bar and deck reserved for Gown Racing Club. The Ubetcha is located on track level on the north end of the building. I will ask Paul Allen to stop by and say hello early in the card and I will be in and out during the evening.

Best of luck. Your horse is ready to run. She looks good and is fit. Now it is up to her.
JM

Tammy’s assistant at Canterbury Park is Dan Hunsaker. Some of you may recognize the name from the early days at Canterbury Downs when he trained a string here. He also trained at Turf Paradise for many years. He is very hands-on. He excercises many of the horses himself and is a great asset to the barn as Tammy travels between Canterbury and Arlington.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

Tammy will not be in Shakopee on Friday so Dan will handle the saddling duties.

Dan took Gown to the track Tuesday for a strong gallop and was very pleased with the way she went. While the work on Sunday was not what was planned, she continues to train well for Friday.

I also spoke with jockey Ry Eikleberry this morning. He has looked over the past performances and is familair with some of the competition. He galloped Lil Dish the other day for Doug Oliver and thinks she is the horse to beat. But as Paul Allen says, “They don’t run races on paper, they run them on the track.”
JM

http://www.youtube.com/get_player