I have a head count and I’ll be finalizing things with the Remington track photographer the next couple of days.  Jeff and I will figure our distribution but will likely be something like the following:

I will generate a list of all the RSVPs and put it with the photos at one of the information booths at Canterbury.  As you pick up your photo, you’ll be marked off the list.

The ACTUAL method of pick up will be posted on here when the photos come in.

This is you last opportunity to order a photo in the comments section if you haven’t already.  If you do not reserve a photo, the only chance you will have to order will be on your own.

Thanks again for a fantastic year and congratulations again on the win!

Okay folks, can you please put up a comment if you want a winners’ circle photo from Ender’s race last week.

Here are the parameters: we will make one purchase in bulk to get the best pricing possible; they will be mailed to Canterbury Park for pick up (details to be announced); they won’t “expire” so you can pick up your photo whenever you can get by the track; we unfortunately cannot mail out photos given the size of the group, cost and labor it would require; one photo per member.

Ender went from last to first under a very well timed ride by Ramon Vazquez in the 8th at Remington yesterday.  All credit to Karl Broberg and team knowing what Ender had in the tank after last week’s race and knowing he would come back and run big tonight.

Last early, Ramon got him underway heading into the far turn and he ate up a ton of ground down the middle of the race track.  Here is the chart of the race: RP101119USA8

Unfortunately Ender was claimed out of his race by Canterbury trainer Larry Donlin.We pocketed $7500 for the claim (same as we paid for him) and another $7284 for the win.  We will get things closed out and the next financial statement should be the close out of the 2019 season.

Thanks for all the members and our trainers – and their entire staffs – for a wonderful 2019 season.

There will be more details on renewal, etc. as we get closer to the end of the year.  If you weren’t a member this season and want to get involved in the action, JOIN US for 2020!  We’ll have an enrollment period that should last from before Christmas through the end of February!

Ender heads into Friday night’s race as the tepid 3/1 morning line favorite.  We’re back where we started in a $7500 claiming race.  This time the distance is 5.5 furlongs which, we know, isn’t ideal.  However there certainly does appear to be plenty of pace in the race to run at and we’re hopeful that plus his class will give us a win at Remington.

The race is the 8th on the card again, going off at approximately 10:23 PM.  We’re breaking from post position seven with Ramon Vazquez aboard.

Biblical Strength (David/Tohill) – Shooting for back to back wins after winning a $5000 starter in Columbus.  Certainly will be prominent early as he takes a jump up in class.

Smrty Party Papa (Gleason/Triana) – The former Litfin charge is in new hands and has been off since mid-August. He appears to be best on the lead, at least he was while he was in Nebraska earlier in the year.

Tiz Showbiz (Martin/Eads) – Off since May but has really been working well in anticipation of his return.  Trainer is only 8% with long layoffs and this closer seems to want more distance.  Could be a race to get one in him before going longer.

Dance Doctor (Compton/Pusac) – Another off since August.  Former Broberg trainee makes his return to the races against us.  Not really a front runner, he does like to press the early pace.

Meme Jo (Bryant/Luzzi) – Last 8 have all been turf efforts and he returns to the dirt here. His last two dirt races, though further back in the PPs, were not bad at all.  Returns to the level at which he was claimed.  Another best on the front end.

Silis (Mitchell/Wales) – Claimed 4 times in the last year,this guy will be vying for the lead early and should help us get the pace we want.  It certainly doesn’t appear that he’ll be able to get loose on the lead.

ENDER (BROBERG/VAZQUEZ)

Imma Wild Bling (Pruitt/Wethey) – Normally competitive gelding flatered in his last start at two times the current tag.  Looks to be back where he belongs and also enjoys being on or close to the lead.

Smart Spree (Villafranco/Elliot) – Another who will want the front end, this guy comes out of the same race as Imma Wild Bling on his inside – and didn’t fare as well.  He was certainly very comeptitive in Iowa against higher level horses and, only 16 months ago, was thought highly enough to be run in Graded Stakes, including a 4th place finish in the Count Fleet.  This race, however,, looks to be the lowest claiming level of his career.

Sophoisticatedbling (Broberg/Cabrera) – Karl’s other entry and another sired by Too Much Bling, he’s also a front end type adding to a very competitive front end.

Redneck Attack (Assmusen/Eramia) – Late running type that should be battling us late.  Making his second start off a layoff for a top barn that wins with 21% of these types.

Ender has really been training well coming off of his break and was maybe a bit keen coming out of the time off last week.  It really looks like we’ll get the pace the we want, we’ll have to see if there is enough racetrack for him to complete the job.  I don’t worry about him going head to head with Redneck Attack late since we know that our boy loves to dig in and battle – he may not win it, but he has no quit.

Good luck everyone, this should be an exciting one!

While we wait for Ender’s race (where he is the morning line favorite, by the way) on Friday night, here is an update on Laura Ray.

As you know, Laura was sold to a young gal from Wisconsin near the end of the meet.  She had some time to get acclimated and now she’s being ridden regularly and loved to pieces.

Here are a couple of photos on Laura Ray, now living life as “Harley”, in southwestern Wisconsin.  The first is the day she went home and the second being ridden.

Such an important part of racing horses is making sure you can find a good life for them after racing.  We’ve done well in the past, but in this case we really did an exceptional job.  She has a great home with a young girl that loves her and that is something of which we all can be proud. Go get ’em, Harley!

Going into the race there was some concern about the higher level of competition we were in with considering the claiming levels Karl was trying to enter him in ($7500 – $10,000) just weren’t filling.  He was ready to go, we can’t wait forever and we have to run what they write so we went in this $17,500/$12,500 starter allowance.  The distance was right and he was training well so off we went.

Ender ran well.  He finished 4th but this was a tough group, he didn’t settle back early, was wide throughout and he still ran hard and was steadily gaining in the stretch.

Ender broke sharply and briefly vied for the lead before he listened to David and took back to prepare and make his run.  The problem was that no one really wanted to try and go on with the lead.  I anticipated that the horses just to his inside would have gone and he could have settled either behind them or settle in just behind the stalkers.  But between his sharp break and everyone staying bunched up, even when David took him back, there was no place to duck in and save ground.

Even though he was wide throughout, he responded to David’s urging and ran hard all the way down the lane and ended up beaten only by 3 1/2 lengths.  There was a point just heading into the far turn when the eventual winner went by him where I thought he might have been bothered, but the head on replay showed me that he bore in a little and caused his own issue.  It didn’t cost him much and he ran well.

So we’ll see how he comes out of the race and look to go after them again.  If we can get a race we want and he can run like that in a $10,000 claimer, we can certainly win a race or two before we’re done.

You can find the replay here.  Just click on the calendar for October 3rd and then “8” underneath to call up the race.

Race Replays

Here we go, the ‘life after Canterbury’ portion of the season.

Ender will make it a late night for us tonight as he heads postward in race 8 (approximately 10:23 PM) at Remington Park.  The race is a mixed claiming race/starter allowance going 6.5 furlongs over the main track for either a $17,500 tag OR has started in claiming race for less than $12,500 dollars in the past year.  He qualifies under the latter and, as such, we are not in for a tag tonight.  He breaks from post eight and has the meet’s second leader jock, the very talented David Cabrera, aboard.

From a class standpoint, this is a bit higher than he’s been racing but he’s also been training sharply so we’ll see how things pan out on the racetrack.

Moyahua (Craddock/Sorenson) – the Mexican bred is a late runner that had been off since the end of June before making his last start, a steady 3rd at this distance and level.  Trainer is 21% running second off the layoff and will try and sit just off the early pace.

Awesome Emmit (Donlin/Medina) – Our old friend beat us at Canterbury before trying to tackle stakes company over closing weekend.  Now he settles back in with his equals and is going to be dangerous – another wanting to sit off an early pace.

Louden’s Grey (loy/De La Cruz) – He was first off the claim last out with a sharp second place finish at Prairie Meadows in a straight $16,000 claimer.  Third in the line that will want to sit off a pace.

Gentrified (Broberg/Vazquez) – Had been running against higher in Kentucky and notched a nice win back in the spring at Oaklawn.  He seems to do a bit better longer and should today with the class relief.

Texas Long Bow (Whitelaw/Quinonez) – Was a Lone Star stakes winner first off the claim for Michael Whitelaw but faltered late in his Remington debut.  Finally a horse that will most likely want to set the pace, not stalk it.

Mahalo John (Prather/Wethey) – This speedster really enjoys running at Louisiana Downs but has had it a little rough elsewhere. Definitely will want to get out quick and appears to be better being in front in longer races where he wouldn’t have to work as hard to keep up.  Hard to say if he has the speed to lead these early.

Taruca (Ashford/Birzer) – Winner of three in a row since the claim, Taruca is rightfully the morning line favorite.  His last two Beyer Speed Figures have been in the low eighties, won over this surface at this distance and (roughly) class level last out and did it with a modicum of ease.  Most definitely will be prominent early.

ENDER (BROBERG/CABRERA)

Lindante (Duhon/Rodriguez) – Winner of 2 of 3 since being claimed, another who likes the front end (and the more of those that want to be there, the better for us).  Definitely pushing up a bit in class since that last win at Remington on September 11.

Rise Up (Lozano/Diego) – First time running for Lozano since being claimed out of Karl’s barn.  Seems to prefer the lead to win but that will be tough to get from post 10.  However I sure hope he tries.

Ender has been training sharply and surely benefitted from the extra time off.  There will certainly be ace to run at and, for some of the horses that perhaps prefer a longer race but like the lead (or stalk it) hopefully the quicker pace of a sprint will tired them out before the lane.

If all is well, I would think we’ll be behind considerably early given the speed in here and David will gear up for one long run at them coming out of the turn..  Some scratches would certainly help with potential traffic issues, especially if it’s another one of the closers.

Stalkers have drawn the first three rail spots and that should force the speedsters to work a little harder to get to the front early – the harder everyone else has to work early, the better for Ender.

Once again, we should have an exciting finish.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

I have heard from a few of you that might be making the trek down for the race.  Safe travels to you all, enjoy and just remember: we do not have any of the same privileges we have here at home – we’re just like any other visitor to the race track there. #Represent!