Boomer is feeling up to speed and we’re looking to enter him.

As we are nearing the end of the season and need to make sure that he has a new home by the end of the year, we will be dropping him down to the $5000 level – hopefully for this coming weekend.  We need to make sure we make him attractive as a claiming prospect while leaving one more shot at getting it done before the year end.

Stay tuned and hopefully we’ll have an entry in a day or two!

Boomer didn’t finish up his dinner last night and while he jogged okay this morning he appeared to not be himself.  Clay checked him out and he has a slight fever so he’ll be scratched.

Granted it’s not his fault he got sick but it certainly feels like we’re paying for our success the past couple of seasons with everything possible this year.

Clay will have him treated over the next few days and we hope to have him entered again soon.

We head into the race tomorrow very anxious to get our first win on the season.  It’s not a walkover group but with a solid effort we’re going to be dangerous.

Dandyman (Manley/Emigh) – Nice runs over the artificial at Arlington and a “best of the rest” finish fall debut here at Hawthorne over the dirt.  He’s only 2/16 over the turf and will want to be close.

Fort Aiken (Cristel/Gallardo) – Definitely showed some talent last year but since the break has struggled.

Fort Dixie (Slager/Santiago) – Winner at $8000 two back (if you recall!), however seems to struggle a bit past a mile.  Hopefully the extra half furlong will have him struggling late.

Veter (Stidham/Marquez) – Moves up in class about a half a notch from a $10,000 non-winner of a race in a year but has shown ability versus better.  A late runner.

Frontier Force (Rodriguez/Perez) – Claimed out of a winning effort last out at $5000, Rodriguez pushes him back up the class ladder here where he has been competitive.  Could very well have needed that confidence builder and will be coming late.

VANDERBOOM RIDGE (BRINSON/VELAZQUEZ)

Xblanque (Cameron/Montalvo) – VERY large drop in class for the 7-year old that has had a pair of breaks that have lasted more than a year.  He is also stretching out so stamina may be an issue as well.

So the question is if we can win this one.  There are a few things that I like.  Boomer is training very well: I couldn’t be happier the way he is coming into the race.  We know that he had some trouble closing in his last but Clay has that figured out (we think) and there should be some late from him.  Denny is riding great, notching his first graded stakes win last week aboard Hay Dakota for trainer Joel Berndt in the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Churchill (at 30-1!).

What I don’t like? I’d prefer to be going a flat mile.  I mentioned that stamina may be an issue for some in here: we may be one of them.  That said, Boomer is 2 for 5 at the distance so it’s not like he CAN’T get the extra half furlong and he really needed that last race as a tightener after the long time between races.

I’m hoping that we can break well and settle behind the pacesetters and start cutting loose as we bend through the far turn.  It will take a darn good effort from him to beat these but he’s primed for a good one.

Good luck everyone!

Vanderboom Ridge was entered yesterday and will run Thursday in the first race at Hawthorne.

The race is a $10,000 claiming race going a mile and 1/16 over the turf course.  Denny Velazquez will be on board and we break from post 6 in the 7 horse field.  The house has us as 6-1 in the morning line – after all we couldn’t win at $8000 and now we’re moving up – but I think he may outrun his odds.  He has been training very well and is healthy and feeling good.

Denny is coming off of his first graded stakes win aboard Hay Dakota in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf for trainer Joel Berndt.  It was also Berndt’s first graded stakes victory!  Congratulations to the Canterbury connections!

Remember to follow us on Twitter (@CBY_Racing_Club) to get the latest news first.  There are days (like yesterday!) when we’re out all day and can’t get to a computer for a blog entry but can use the phone to tweet out an entry, finish or workout!

Best of luck and we’ll have a preview later in the week!

While dozens of horses were busy with the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday, our Vanderboom Ridge worked a nice, sharp :47 flat four furlong workout at Hawthorne.

He will be entered as soon as we find a race that is relatively close to the level we want ($8000) be it over the dirt or the turf going at least a mile.

Vanderboom Ridge has been working regularly and Clay went in to the see the racing secretary to see if we can get another $8,000 claiming race over the turf written since there isn’t one in the book.  While we were promised he would try, if we can’t get the race we want, we’ll race in what they have even if we have to bump up a level and run over the dirt.

It’s been two weeks since his last race and we really like to space races over 3 weeks if possible so look for an entry soon.