QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Some of my best leading men have been 

dogs and horses.” 

 -Actress Elizabeth Taylor, who died on 

Wednesday at age 79

Quote Of The Day

Don’t blame Zenyatta for losing. Every great one does from time 

to time, especially to a worthy foe. 

That’s just how our heroes prove they’re one of us. 

—JOE NEVILLS 

Quote Of The Day

“After reading all the quotes, I thought [trainer] Graham Motion’s quote summed it up as he said, ‘She had ten reasons to lose and didn’t use any of them.’ I don’t think anything will ever do it justice unless you were there.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen on Rachel Alexandra’s history-making victory in the Woodward Stakes (G1) on September 5 at Saratoga Race Course. The three-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly, who arrived back at her home base at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, became the first female ever to win the Woodward.

Quote Of The Day

“My concerns are well known about the tracks in California. These false tracks create potential for injury, a risk that I am not willing to take with Rachel. Bottom line, despite an increase in purses, she will not race at the Breeders’ Cup this year.”

Stonestreet Stables’ Jess Jackson, co-owner of superstar filly Rachel Alexandra, responding in Daily Racing Form to the move by Breeders’ Cup Ltd. to increase the winner’s share of the $5-million Breeder’s Cup Classic (G1) by $1-million—from $2.7-million to $3.7-million—if both Rachel Alexandra and undefeated champion older female Zenyatta start in the race. The Classic will be run on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita Park on November 7. Jackson said in a statement that Rachel Alexandra will not race again this year

Quote Of The Day

“It bothers me to no end. I never, ever thought being a rider I’d be involved in this. It’s really tearing me apart, the condition he’s in. It’s going to change my life forever. It’s going to change me as a rider, it’s going to change me as a family man, it’s going to change me as a normal person.”

Jockey Jamie Theriot, in Daily Racing Form, on the one-horse spill that seriously injured rider
Rene Douglas at the top of the stretch during the Arlington Matron Stakes (G3) on May 23 at Arlington Park. Douglas’s mount in the race, Born to Be, was bumped by Theriot’s mount, Sky Mom, after that opponent was angled out entering the stretch. Born to Be then clipped heels with fading pacesetter Boudoir and tumbled straight down, leaving Douglas no chance to react as he fell headfirst to the main track. Born to Be was knocked unconscious and rolled over onto Douglas, who has undergone several hours of surgery but has no feeling in his legs. Born to Be was euthanized because of injuries, and Theriot was handed a 30-day suspension, which has been appealed.

Preakness Quotes

“Horse racing better hold its breath and hope this filly gets to the finish line healthy and happy.” -Louisville Courier-Journal columnist Rick Bozich on the ramifications if something were to happen to Rachel Alexandra during the Blackberry Preakness Stakes (G1) today

“About 30 seconds after the Derby.”
-Trainer David Fawkes on when he decided to send Big Drama to the Blackberry PreaknessStakes (G1).

“It’s a good position to be in. Like I said all along, I think she’s the best horse in the country,and I’m not going to go back on my word.”
-Jockey Calvin Borel on Kentucky Oaks (G1)winner Rachel Alexandra

“I didn’t see the winner; Tom Durkin didn’t even see the winner.”
-Sohby Sonbol, racing manager for Zayat Stables,talking about Pioneerof the Nile on the lead turning for home in the Kentucky Derby and thinking he was going to win

“You get a look at that horse and wonder how’d that little runt beat me.”
-Gary Stute, trainer of Papa Clem, who finished fourth to Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby

“I love coming here, because in the stakes barn everybody is relaxed; the Derby is over. You get to see everybody and then you get to get a good look at the horse that beat you.”
-Bob Baffert, trainer of Pioneerof the Nile, who finished second to Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby

“A minimum of eight goggles—minimum.”
-Retired Racing Hall of Fame jockey and NBC Sports analyst Gary Stevens on how many goggles Racing Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will have to wear when riding Mine That Bird if the track is muddy or sloppy for the Preakness Stakes (G1)—compiled by Ed DeRosa and Jeff Lowe

Quote Of The Day

“Quite frankly, it didn’t occur to me that he’s giving up a potential Triple Crown winner. I’m thinking like most people are—that Mine That Bird is a fluke, kind of an anomaly. … Rachel
Alexandra is the best filly I’ve seen since Ruffian; the most dominant filly since 1975.”

Racing Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, in the San Diego Union-Tribune, on jockey Calvin Borel’s decision to ride Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Rachel Alexandra instead of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Mine That Bird in the Preakness Stakes (G1)

Quote Of The Day

“For the Belmont Stakes (G1) a couple years ago, I made a decision between two horses. We had already picked up the mount on Hard Spun, and it was kind of a last-minute decision that Todd [Pletcher] was going to run Rags to Riches. We could have bailed on Larry Jones, but that would have been the wrong thing to do and not very respectful. We try to be very honorable with our call and it wasn’t like Hard Spun wasn’t a good horse to get on anyway; he was a top competitor that year. Of course, Rags to Riches wound up winning, but it’s not a thing you can second guess and say ‘would have, could have, should have.’ Hopefully, the decision we made this year will be one we don’t look back on in that way.”

-Jockey Garrett Gomez on his blog on www.ntra.com on his choice to ride Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Pioneerof the Nile instead of highly regarded Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Dunkirk in the Kentucky Derby.

Quote Of The Day

“I can’t tell you what was going through my mind. I don’t think there’s a word that describes it. I don’t think euphoria—I felt a sense of well-being. Hearing those people cheering for this horse and everything, it’s hard to describe. It’s a feeling I don’t think I’ve ever had before, and I said, ‘Thank you, Lord.’ ”

Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy, in the Louisville Courier-Journal, after General Quarters, the only horse the 75-year-old retired Louisville high school principal has in training, won the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on Saturday to cement a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1)

Another Full Brother To Barbaro Is Born

La Ville Rouge delivered a full brother to Barbaro on Tuesday at Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington. The Dynaformer colt weighs 142 pounds. “He is a good-size colt with plenty of leg and size as indicative of his weight,” said Headley Bell, the farm’s managing partner. “A bay colt, he only has a marking on the center of his forehead. Both mom and baby are well.”

La Ville Rouge has produced six foals for Roy and Gretchen Jackson, all of them males. Four of them are by Dynaformer, including Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1)winner.

Quote Of The Day

Look back at our struggle for freedom, trace our present day's strength to it's source; and you'll find that man's pathway to glory is strewn with the bones of the horse.

~Author Unknown

Quote Of The Day : Passing The Torch

“Churchill Downs released its 2009 spring meet stakes schedule, and it’s fine while reflecting the trimming almost every track in America is facing today—even Keeneland. And while I have absolutely no problem with the track renaming a stakes for the ill-fated Eight Belles, I do believe Churchill shouldn’t have just unceremoniously done so at the expense of a stakes named for *La Troienne, arguably the most influential broodmare of all time.”

Louisville Courier-Journal Turf writer Jennie Rees on her blog at courier-journal.com. The Louisville track recently changed the La Troienne Stakes (G3), a seven-furlong race for three-year-old fillies that was named in 1967 in honor of United States racing’s most influential
broodmare, to the Eight Belles Stakes (G3).

Quote Of The Day

“I want to beat him so I can come home and gloat; well, not gloat, but silently gloat.”

Jockey Chantal Sutherland on her on-track competitive relationship with Racing Hall of Fame rider and boyfriend Mike Smith. Sutherland and Aaron Gryder are two of seven jockeys featured in the Animal Planet documentary series “Jockeys:
Win or Die Trying,” which premieres on Friday at 9 p.m. EST

Quote Of The Day

"You people make my ass twitch!"

Nora, speaking candidly to 90% of the bloggers listed on her page.

Quote Of The Day

We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words.

Anna Sewell, Black Beauty, 1877

Quote Of The Day : Eclipse Awards

“Frank Stronach didn’t win the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding owner because he deserved to but because too many voters, whether sloppy, lazy, ill-informed, or a combination of the three, blew it. The end result was that IEAH Stable, which lost to Stronach by a mere one vote, was robbed of an Eclipse Award in what might have been the biggest injustice in Eclipse Award history.”

Turf writer and columnist Bill Finley on espn.com

Quote Of The Day

“I wish he could run tomorrow.”

Michael Matz, trainer of Nicanor, a full brother to ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Barbaro, in the Delaware News Journal on how anxious he is to see the three-year old Dynaformer colt race for the first time. The bay colt is progressing toward his career debut, which could come at the end of January or in early February

“He’s got some big shoes to fill. It’s a hard thing to do, being the younger brother of Barbaro. It will always be, ‘There’s Barbaro’s brother.’ and not ‘There’s Nicanor.’ But he’s a good enough horse. They’ll remember his name.”

Trainer Michael Matz, in the New York Times, on three-year-old colt Nicanor, a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Barbaro who is expected to make his first career start in the near future.

Quote Of The Day

To misquote Ernest Hemingway, "All good [blogs] are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was."

Nora's way of saying that my fellow bloggers need to step it up!

Quote Of The Day : Azeri

“She’s a Horse of the Year in foal to a Horse of the Year. She’s the kind of mare that has everything you could ask for and more. For a mare to be Horse of the Year is virtually impossible to achieve, and she achieved it.”

Hill ‘n Dale Sales Agency owner John G. Sikura says 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri was entered in the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale to sell. She is in foal to Ghostzapper.

* despite saying that Azeri was at the sale to sell, she was bought back for $4.4 million.