And we're off!

Welcome to Pennsylvania Thoroughbred, designed to bring you news and views about Pennsylvania's breeding and racing industry.  I'm also going to be chronicling the lives of the horses in my life - a broodmare, her new filly-foal, a yearling and a 3-year-old filly currently in training.

Today's first post will bring you some foaling news.  Jim McGreevy, owner of Hope Hill Farm in Oxford, Pa., reports that a full sister to millionaire Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz-Air France, by French Deputy), has been foaled at his farm.  Smooth Air captured the Gr. 2 Ohio Derby and Hutcheson Stakes and was Gr. 1-placed, and has earned more than $1.1 million.  His sire, Smooth Jazz, moved to Pennsylvania for the 2010 breeding season, now standing at Ghost Ridge Farm in Felton, Pa., for $3,500.

My broodmare, Malibu Miss (by Malibu Moon), foaled a filly by Partner's Hero on Friday, March 19.  She was an exceptionally big foal that had trouble standing the first day. She was bottle-fed the mare's first milk because she could not stand to nurse.  But now she has learned to manuever on her stilt-like legs, and is healthy and nursing vigorously.

My yearling colt, St. Patrick's Gold, celebrated his official first birthday on March 17.  We gelded him on March 11, and he seemed to handle it fine.  "Baby Chips," as we nicknamed him, is out of Malibu Miss and is by Chips Are Down, a stakes-winning son of Distorted Humor who campaigned for the Lewis family in California and was trained by Bob Baffert. 

Here's a picture of "Baby Chips" at about 3 weeks old:

Oddly enough, Chips Are Down stood one season (2008) at Godstone Farm in Pine Grove, Pa., where he covered 17 mares (mine included).  But due to his owner's financial situation, he was put back into training last year, and competed at Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands for trainer Linda Simon and co-owners Casino Royale Farm Inc. and Simon.  Of course, "Chips" seemed to prefer the farm life to the racetrack, and was competing in $5,000 races ... not successfully, I might add.  He did not cover any mares in 2009, nor will he this year.  I think it is pretty rare when a stakes-winning stallion is actually able to revert back to his previous good form after getting a taste of the breeding life.  If anyone knows of notable exceptions, please let me know!