Smart and special

If you're a racing fan, then no doubt you have a favorite horse.  The horse doesn't have to be as famous as Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra - it could be a hard-trying claimer, a hapless maiden, or an allowance winner.  Sometimes you just take a shine to a particular animal and follow its career.

Such is the case with yours truly, who fell in love with a big copper gelding named Smart Enough way back in April, 2006, when he made his debut at Pimlico Racecourse as the proverbial "good thing."  Word had leaked onto the backstretch of Philadelphia Park that Dr. John R. S. Fisher was about to unleash a fireball, and I remember watching via simulcast as the son of Horse Chestnut (SaF) came running for third.  From that point on, I kept track of Smart Enough, although he only rewarded me with a $4.40 payout in breaking his maiden at Pimlico in his next start, which was at one of his best distances and preferred surface - five furlongs on the grass.  Even at that early point in his career, he displayed pizzazz and charisma, two traits that endeared him to me. 

(photo by Rick Samuels; available through The Blood-Horse web site)

Bred by the late F. E. "Fitz" Dixon, Jr., Smart Enough campaigned for Erdenheim Farm until late summer of 2006, when Dixon passed away.  While most of the Erdenheim horses were dispersed, Dixon's widow Edith retained Smart Enough, and kept him in Fisher's Fair Hill Training Center barn.

Dr. Fisher's careful training of the chestnut resulted in stellar performances in 2006 and 2007, with perhaps his finest moment coming in the September, 2007 renewal of the Turf Monster Handicap at Philadelphia Park, in which he set a new course record for five furlongs, sizzling the distance in :55.53.  I remember watching in awe as he dominated this contest from start to finish, with Joe Bravo merely pointing him towards the finish line. Dr. Fisher referred to the massive, 1,260-pound gelding as the "fastest horse I've ever trained."

While Smart Enough's class and determination on the racetrack were what initially captivated me, his courage in the face of physical adversity earned my admiration.  In his 2008 debut in the Gr. 3 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland, Smart Enough finished second, and Dr. Fisher later discovered the gelding had suffered a small tear to the tissue in his left front ankle.  After consultation with Dr. Dean Richardson, he of Barbaro fame, at the New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania, and many months of caring for him, he finally returned to the racing wars in October, racing twice before being put back on the shelf.

Last year, Smart Enough raced three times, winning once - the Gr. 3 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine - and completed the year with an uncharacteristic off-the-board finish in the Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap at Penn National in August. 

"Not long after that race he couldn't even walk across his stall," said Fisher, an equine veterinarian.  "We later found he had two large abscesses underneath his front shoulder blade, something I had never seen before in all my years with horses.  We had to treat and drain them, so that's the reason his 2009 season was so short."

Smart Enough has been working steadily at Fair Hill for his 2010 debut, which Fisher hopes will be in the $70,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at five furlongs on turf on May 14 at Pimlico Race Course, the day before the Preakness Stakes.  And he's currently in fine fettle - Fisher said he weighed him this morning and he topped the scales at better than 1,300 pounds. 

The return of Smart Enough just makes this Triple Crown season even sweeter, and I will be eagerly awaiting his race in the McKay in just over two weeks.  Here's wishing my favorite horse good luck, and Godspeed.

Less is more?

After spending yesterday afternoon at Atlantic City Race Course on the final day of its six-day meet, and fighting a big crowd for everything from hot dogs to the restroom facilities, I have come to two conclusions.

The first is that, no matter how hard Greenwood Racing Inc., the owner of the historic McKee City oval, tries to ignore the property and let it fall into disrepair, there is an incredibly big demand for live racing in southern New Jersey.  With little if any advertising that the meet was about to begin, people flocked to Atlantic City as if they were giving something away.  Opening day attendance exceeded 7,000, and yesterday's attendance was announced at 8,500, although it is unclear how Greenwood calculates these numbers since there are no paid admissions. 

It was obvious that the crowd at Atlantic City came solely because they love the sport, not because the racing facility offered any kind of fan-friendly conveniences.  The tote boards in the infield and the paddock area have been covered over, with odds available only on televisions located within the building or outside near the paddock.  The public address system could not be heard during the running of a race.  Large pieces of concrete on the stairs leading up to the grandstand box seating area were breaking off underneath the crush of feet traveling up and down.  But on the plus side, there did seem to be enough pari-mutuel tellers, concession stands, and clean, working restrooms.  There was an overall good mood wherever one might roam, despite the elbow-to-elbow jostling down on the track apron or while attempting to walk from the paddock to the grandstand. 

Here's how the picturesque track looked in the late 1940's:

And here's how it looks today:

Having covered Atlantic City for both Daily Racing Form and The Trentonian during its heyday, it was hard to see how badly the place had deteriorated, but also heart-warming to watch a large throng pressing up against the paddock railing, and families with young children getting excited about the horses.  I noticed one father explaining the game to his young son, and I even had a flashback to when my father did the same for me - and it turned me into a life-long fan.

The second conclusion I came to as I searched for a place to sit near the paddock (and found none) was that, if racing is to survive into the next century, perhaps the smaller, boutique meets are the way to go.  There's no doubt that owners and breeders in Pennsylvania are thankful that there is year-round racing and an opportunity to make money no matter what the season, but there's also no comparing the crowd at Atlantic City yesterday and a typical weekend crowd at Philadelphia Park or at Penn National.

Back in the 1950's, way before winter racing became the norm in the Northeast, there was a beginning and an end to the racing season.  Huge crowds would cheer the spring opening of Aqueduct, for instance, in much the same way that opening day for Major League Baseball is always a joyous event.  No matter whether it be food, drink, and yes, even racing, too much of a good thing can quickly turn bad.

This summer, Monmouth Park will experiment with a condensed racing season conducted only three days per week, and give away over $1 million in purses each day.  The feeling here is that it will be a rousing success, and perhaps set a precedent for how the sport must adjust in order to move forward and prosper.

There was even more good news emanating from Atlantic City yesterday - a conversation with Director of Racing Sal Sinatra revealed that, if purse money allows, there could be another mini-meet in September.  Let's hope that the smell of liniment complements the autumn breeze down by the paddock, and that racing fans of southern New Jersey can get a second chance at seeing real, live thoroughbreds, and hear the thunder of their hooves.

Post-mortem at Mountain Springs

Now that I've had a few days to digest what transpired at the Pennsylvania Racing Bred Spring Mixed Sale at the Mountain Springs Arena in Shartlesville, Pa. on April 18, there isn't any way to sugar-coat the results.  They were depressing.

More than half of the horses that went through the ring did not sell, and the ones that did sell represented a net loss for their breeders.

Here's an example: Hip 77, named Toccet's Hope, is a 3-year-old daughter of Toccet out of Quixote's Hope, by Conquistador Cielo, an earner of over $265,000.  She brought a bid of only $1,500.  That sale price was merely a fraction of Toccet's 2006 stud fee of $15,000, plus it cost roughly $8,000 per year in vet fees/board/farrier fees to raise this filly from birth.  In addition, she is a registered Pennsylvania-bred ($50 fee for non-members) and Breeders' Cup nominated ($500).  She also sold as "broke and galloping," which means a day rate of at least $40-50 per day at the more inexpensive farms.  A minimum of $30,000 was invested in her by her owner/breeder Nick Taras.

The only way in which Taras can recoup some of his losses will be if Toccet's Hope wins or places at tracks in Pennsylvania, and he earns some breeder awards from the PHBA.  If her new owners take her out of state to race, he is out of luck. 

In speaking with the Mountain Springs Mixed Sale manager Rich Miller, he indicated that the results of this sale were the worst - ever.  He began these Pennsylvania-bred venues in 2007 with the intention of getting breeders and buyers together, for the benefit of both, but in his own words "nobody has any money."

In a normal year, Miller has both a Spring and a Fall Mixed Sale, but he stated that there will not be another sale in 2010.  Despite all the money being distributed at Pennsylvania's racetracks, the bottom line is that the recession has hit Keystone State owners and breeders hard.  The books of many Pennsylvania stallions will be smaller this year than last, as the influx of new sires from other states just served to further dilute the available mare population.

Let's hope that when the hammer falls again in Shartlesville, it does so on a more positive note.

Springtime in Shartlesville

I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than to drive to Sharltesville, Pa. for one of Rich Miller's Pennsylvania Racing Bred Mixed sales at the Mountain Springs Arena.  And that's exactly what I did yesterday, taking along with me my two daughters - Kaitlyn (15) and Devon (12). 

We arrived shortly after the hammer fell for Hip No. 1, a yearling filly by More Smoke, and stayed until the last horse went through the ring at about 3:10 p.m., Hip 86, a Strike the Gold mare with a Smart Guy colt by her side.  At previous Sharltesville venues, selling more than 70 horses would have taken us into the dinner hour, but the pedigree reader, Richard Taylor, did not show due to car and traffic trouble, so auctioneer J. D. Cox had to handle it all himself, and the sale progressed pretty quickly.

If you were a buyer looking for a Pennsylvania-bred 2-year-old or older - something ready to be put right into training - then you found this particular sale to be chock-full of bargains.  If, however, you were the consignor of one of these horses, then you left disappointed, as the top price was $4,500.  And if you had consigned a broodmare with a baby by her side, or an in-foal mare, then you were really disappointed, as all were either RNA or no bids.

Miller created these Mixed Sales to get Pennsylvania-bred horses into the hands of owners and trainers who want to race them in the Keystone State, thereby benefiting the breeders.  While the prices were low, it did seem like many horses were finding new homes, so from that perspective it was a success.

Last gasp for an aging queen

Beginning tomorrow, horsemen at Philadelphia Park and from across the Mid-Atlantic region will be vanning their horses down the Atlantic City Expressway to venerable old Atlantic City Racecourse for its annual mini-meet, which runs this year for six days. 

For those of us who remember Atlantic City in its glorious heyday, it is disturbing to see how it has been allowed to deteriorate by parent company Greenwood Racing, Inc.  The track was once the playground of the rich and famous, and huge crowds would pack the open-air grandstand, constructed in the mid 1940's.  Located only seven miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the racetrack was a perfect summer destination, and it was beautifully maintained, with a grass course that was considered the best on the East Coast.  It was always so much fun to spend an evening at AyCee, betting the ponies under the lights.  Here's a shot of what it used to look like:

But the opening of the Atlantic City casinos in 1976 caused the racetrack to begin a slow and steady decline.  Huge chunks of acreage that surrounded the oval were sold to keep it afloat.  Rumors began flying that the old girl would be shuttered, but in 2001 owner Bob Levy announced he was selling the track to Greenwood Racing, which also owned Philadelphia Park.  Greenwood keeps the track primarily to retain simulcasting and off-track wagering rights in the state of New Jersey; it reduced Atlantic City's annual dates to just a handful in order to satisfy Racing Commission regulations.

To presumably save money on maintenance costs, Greenwood only utilizes Atlantic City's turf course and does not use the main track, and tomorrow six races have been carded, as well as on Monday and Tuesday.  No claiming races have been written, and that's most likely to avoid the restrictions that would come with claiming a horse out of a six-day venue, as well as to save the racing office a lot of headaches.  While the Atlantic City programs offer good betting value and are entertaining contests, many trainers take the opportunity to enter horses with horrendous dirt form in the hopes that they will suddenly wake up and become the next John Henry.  A handicapper needs to whip out the crystal ball and tea leaves in order to discern whether a horse with bad dirt form has been entered because the trainer really thinks he will run well on turf, or if it's only a last-ditch effort by the trainer to earn some purse money before donating the horse to a retirement program.

It's always a painful experience to see how badly Atlantic City has been cared for the last few years - groundhogs running wild in the grandstand, the tote boards full of holes, the backstretch reminiscent of a scene straight out of a Wild West movie - complete with dirt clouds, abandoned buildings and tumbleweeds - but I try to console myself with the thought that the track could easily be the site of more uneccessary condominiums and Wal-Marts.  There's always hope that one day Greenwood will unload the track to someone who actually wants to revive the South Jersey racing circuit, but in reality those dreams are a longshot, at best.  Given the precarious nature of the entire New Jersey racing industry, we wouldn't be shocked if this season was Atlantic City's last.

If you're planning a trip down to McKee City this week, don't forget that first post is at 3:30 p.m. each day, and may all your bets be winning ones.

Credit where credit is due

Over the past two decades I have been a fairly harsh critic of Philadelphia Park and its ownership, Greenwood Racing.  And I think rightly so, since the sport of thoroughbred racing always seemed to be like a pesky buzzing horsefly that Greenwood was unable to swat away.  Now that they have their gaming license in place, and are making tons of money from slot machines - with more to come from table games - that horsefly may have been shooed out the window.  But this blog entry is not to entirely criticize Greenwood, although Lord knows there is probably enough fodder to fill a book.  Au contraire, I am writing to actually compliment them, something I never thought I would do.

As racing fans in the Philadelphia region are aware by now, Comcast cable television and Greenwood were unable to come to terms on a deal that would keep the PhoneBet racing channel on the air past April 1.  After nearly a 20-year run, the channel went black (actually, the screen is blue, and gives some premium subscription channel information for high school basketball).  Who is right and who is wrong in this situation is hard to determine, but suffice it to say that racing and its fans are the biggest losers.  

Right before the television screen went blue, Greenwood was directing fans to watch live racing via its Philadelphiapark.com web site.  This link proved invaluable last Friday, April 9, when my daughters and I wanted to watch Zenyatta compete in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.  At first, I tried the Daily Racing Form web site, since DRF was touting the live feed for the race everywhere I clicked on the web.  After 17 tries to connect to the Oaklawn feed through DRF, and failing 17 times, the thought hit me ... Philadelphia Park!

I went onto Philly Park's web site and connected in an instant to the Oaklawn feed.  Actually, besides the inconvenience of having to watch a not-so-great-quality video picture on my computer, I preferred it over the old PhoneBet cable television channel.  My daughters and I were able to watch the entire Apple Blossom post parade, pre-race warmups, and commentary by Terry Wallace, without any annoying chatter from hosts and without the irritation of the channel cutting to different tracks that I was not interested in.  We were also able to watch the post-race winner's circle celebration, plus the race replay!  I couldn't have asked for anything better.

So, a tip of the hat to the folks at Greenwood for forcing me onto their web site to watch a stellar presentation of the 2009 Apple Blossom Handicap.  I recommend the live video feeds highly, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays on the web site for many years to come.  But you know the old racetrack adage - there's no such thing as a sure thing, especially not in Philadelphia.

Memories of Personal Ensign

Learning of the death yesterday of the great Personal Ensign brought back many memories of a wonderful trip to Kentucky I made in October, 1992.

It was a beautiful time of year to be in the Bluegrass State, and I was lucky enough to get a personal tour of Claiborne Farm by Gus Koch, who was the Paris nursery's longtime manager (now retired).  Koch took me all over the famed establishment in his pickup truck, to the stallion barn (of course) where they brought out Mr. Prospector, Danzig and Easy Goer, and then into a big pasture where the retired broodmares lived out their remaining days.  I recall being surrounded by several famous old girls, who were curious about their visitor and sniffed and poked me with their noses, including gray Laughter, a half-sister to the immortal Ruffian and the dam of millionaire and sire Private Terms; shaggy and sway-backed Obeah, the dam of the great Go For Wand, and champion Numbered Account, who was the "alpha mare" in that prestigious group.

After leaving the retired broodmares, Koch drove up a paved pathway to a barn that sat at the top of a small rise.  He opened the door and we went inside, and then he walked over to the first stall on the left side, whose top and bottom doors were closed.  As he opened the top door, he said to me, "Here's a nice filly that I think you may remember."

Almost immediately, out popped the head of Personal Ensign, who looked around with her ears pricked.  I was able to touch her, and Koch said he believed she was going to make a fine broodmare.  Truer words were never spoken, as the undefeated champion became the dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Gr. 1) winner My Flag, as well as Gr. 1 winner Miner's Mark.  Personal Ensign, a daughter of Private Account, was named Broodmare of the Year in 1996.

My morning at Claiborne was every thoroughbred lover's deam, and the news that Personal Ensign had died of natural causes in her paddock on Thursday made me relive that day anew.  All of the horses I've mentioned in this post are now gone, so I am very grateful that I had the chance to see them, and especially grateful to Gus Koch, who took time out of his busy schedule to give me that "tour of a lifetime."

(photo provided to the media courtesy of Barbara Livingston)

A Friday notebook

News and notes from around the Keystone State:

* Vince Tucciarone, co-owner of Fox Tale Stud in Coopersburg, Pa. with Dawn Newman, was a guest yesterday on Steve Byk's SIRIUS/XM radio show "At the Races."  Tucciarone discussed the stallions at Fox Tale and the services they provide.  Byk revealed his Dee Tee Stables have a mare at the farm, Sumwonlovesyou (by Came Home).  You can listen to the podcast of the show at this address (Tucciarone was on Hour 3): http://www.thoroughbredracingradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=726&year=2010&month=04&day=08&Itemid=35

* Speaking of Fox Tale, they have had some very nice foals born there this year, including a Rubiyat-Paying Penance (by Cat's Career) colt, a Capitano-Suzy's Mandate (by Full Mandate) colt, a Capitano-Tantalize (by Red Ransom) colt, a Capitano-Time To Trick Em (by Favorite Trick) colt, and a Request for Parole-South Beach Glow (by Forest Camp) colt.

* On Fox Tale's Facebook page, Dawn Newman reports on the status of some former FT stallions.  Millionaire Request For Parole will be remaining in Argentina, Freefourinternet is in Kentucky on lay-up, Pies Prospect is in North Dakota, and Sort it Out was exported to Russia.  Lord ofthe Thunder, owned by Ernie Paragallo, is also rumored to be in Kentucky after having been moved from Paragallo's Coxsackie, NY, farm (yes, THAT farm!).

* Tomorrow, my good friend and colleague Tom DeMartini, a longtime writer for Thoroughbred Times, will be getting married in Bradley Beach, N. J., not far from Monmouth Park.  He is tying the knot with Mary Barnes.  DeMartini and I first met in 1994, when I started covering Monmouth for The Trentonian, and he was covering for The Home News.  Since then, we have shared many fun days at the track, and often reminisce about the pressbox curmudgeons we have known.  Some of the characters we still talk about include Bill McLaughlin, formerly of the Asbury Park Press (who ranted and raved for nearly the entire meet one year when someone swiped a copy of his "Mudders and Turfers") and the late Joe Hintelmann, who covered racing for the Two River Times in N. J.  DeMartini is an excellent handicapper, to boot.  We wish him the best as he enters the next race in life as a "coupled" entry.

Heading south

It was with some sadness that I learned of the impending departure of Pennsylvania stallion Siphon (Brz) back to his native country of Brazil after the completion of this year's breeding season.  The 19-year-old son of Itajara had stood at Dr. William Solomon's Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom since 2006 after having stood at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky from 1998 through 2005.

Siphon has been purchased by Fernando Danemann’s Coudelaria Jessica and will stand at Haras Bage do Sul in Bage. 

A Grade 1-winner who is capable of siring a Grade 1 performer, Siphon has 11 crops to race, and to date has sired one champion, eight graded stakes winners, 14 stakes winners and 14 stakes placers.  His progeny have sold well through the years; his weanlings averaged $52,000, his yearlings averaged $27,000 and his 2-year-olds $55,000.  These are decent numbers for a stallion who stands for only $3,500.

Siphon is also becoming known as a solid broodmare sire; he is the sire of 135 dams of 289 foals, 145 runners (50%) and 88 winners (30%), including stakes winner Runaway Rosie, an earner of more than $387,000.

In speaking with Dr. Solomon about Siphon's sale to Brazilian interests, he said, "I was in favor of it.  There are not that many stallions in Pennsylvania that will be getting a lot of mares this year, and I think he will do well in Brazil."

Last year, Siphon serviced 32 mares, but Solomon is unsure whether he will hit that mark in 2010.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone!  This has always been one of my favorite holidays, probably because it falls during such a beautiful time of the year ... and the Derby is right around the corner.

Went out to Philadelphia Park this morning to see my 3-year-old filly train.  Of course, it was misty and overcast up until the track closed at 10 a.m., then the weather cleared up nicely.  But I got some decent pictures, and here she is:

She is still about a month away from her first workout, and when that day comes I will reveal her name and breeding.  Suffice it to say right now she is a Pennsylvania-bred, and her dam is a half-sister to a Gr. 1-placed runner of nearly $1 million.

Some news and notes from the breeding and racing world of the Keystone State:

* Fox Tale Stud in Coopersburg, Pa. announced that the first foal by Capitano, a multiple stakes-winning son of Belong to Me, was foaled on March 2.  The foal, a filly out of Suzy's Mandate, a daughter of Full Mandate, is owned by Vicken & Suzy Meguerditchian, who campaigned Capitano.

* Trainer Phil Aristone dropped a claim slip for $7,500 in late February at Philadelphia Park for the multiple stakes winner Speechifying, a 7-year-old daughter of Pennsylvania sire Activist.  It was a sweet reunion for Aristone, who trained "Speechy" to her greatest win, that in the $250,000 My Juliet Stakes at Philadelphia Park in 2007.  That year, she was named the Pa. Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association's Horse of the Year.  Lifetime, Speechifying has won eight of 31 starts, and more than $428,000.  Aristone sold Speechifying late in 2007 to trainer Steve Klesaris, and she eventually was claimed by Dominic Galluscio at Saratoga last August for $16,000.  After changing hands again twice more, Aristone finally found the right opportunity to claim her back.  He doesn't plan on making her a broodmare, at least not yet, he said, and she'll start for him in the upcoming weeks.  Speechifying's dam, Apprized (by Prized), was bred to Wildcat Heir this season.

* The first foal of Breeders' Cup Classic winner Cat Thief to hit the ground in Pennsylvania was born on February 20 at Mike Jester's Penn Ridge Farm in Harrisburg, Pa.  The foal, a chestnut colt, is out of Black Tie Countess, a daughter of Black Tie Affair (IRE), and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Count the Gold.  The colt is owned by Dian Goss of New Jersey.

What's in a name? Plenty!

Toni M. Kirwan has taken the proverbial sow's ear and turned it into a silk purse. The Yardley, Pa. resident has bred a remarkable string of runners descending from a mare who had no black type through her first five dams, and is a perfect example of a pure breed-to-race enthusiast who is reaping the rewards of the Pennsylvania Breeding Fund.

It all started with P. J.'s Blitzen, a Double Edge Sword mare that Kirwan raced in the mid-1980's. P. J.'s Blitzen was a hard-knocking competitor, making 96 starts, winning 17 times, and earning over $230,000 at a time when purses at Mid-Atlantic tracks were still relatively low. Although she was advised not to breed P. J.'s Blitzen, Kirwan and a partner bred her to the stallion Citidancer in 1993, and hit paydirt when she foaled Sun of a Blitzen, a stakes winner and earner of more than $350,000. To the cover of Compelling Sound, P. J.'s Blitzen produced the filly Blitzen's Echo in 1998, who never won a stakes but earned $85,000.

Again, against the advice of several bloodstock agents, Kirwan decided to make Blitzen's Echo a broodmare, and her first three foals have all done extremely well on the track. Making an art form of naming her thoroughbreds, Kirwan christened the first Blitzensfoxyvixin, a filly by Partner's Hero born in 2004. She was second in the Wonders Deelite Stakes and has won six races and more than $285,000. Blitzen's Echo's second foal, a colt by Yankee Victor dubbed Blitzenkissinqpid, has won five races to date and over $165,000. Her third foal, a colt by Disco Rico named Blitzensdiscogetem, was second in the Send More Money Stakes and has earned over $100,000. Kirwan's only setback to date occured with her fourth foal, a colt by Gators N Bears named Blitzenshoneybare, who suffered a catastrophic injury in his career debut. The mare's fifth foal is a yearling filly by Tekken (IRE) named Blitzenstekkldpink.

Two weeks ago, Blitzen's Echo foaled a colt by Buzzard's Bay whom Kirwan has yet to name. "I'm still trying to decide on a good one," she said. Kirwan said she gives her horses the long, distinctive names (most pushing the 18-letter limit) so she can always hear the track announcer calling them during a race. And what a mouthful they have been thus far! In 2008, Kirwan's homebreds earned her a whopping $111,472 in breeder awards.

As far as future breeding plans for Blitzen's Echo, Kirwan said she would like to go back to Gators N Bears, as she is still mourning the loss of the promising Blitzenshoneybare. In addition to Blitzen's Echo, Kirwan also has the broodmares Dawn's Diva, who is in foal to Sunriver, and Indy USA, who is in foal to Chelokee. We wish Kirwan continued good luck with her small Pennsylvania thoroughbred operation, and offer her success as perhaps inspiration for others who might want to dip their toe into the breeding waters.