Is Hay Field our best horse?
We had 4 races in 8 days, including 3 days in a row, last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We trekked to Aqueduct for every race and on Saturday we left Aqueduct for Saratoga Springs. You may recall, this spurt of activity started off with Delta Outlaw finishing third 10 days ago.
Thursday saw the return of Another Genius. She was one of the favorites and we were up for a big performance based on Assaf’s prowess at training Hay Field. When the gate opened, Francisco took Genius to the lead and appeared to moving easily. We were really excited when they were in the turn to the home stretch, when Genius began to falter. By the time she reached the finish line, every other horse had already passed her. We were sad… for us and for her. What started as a promising career with 2 straight wins, ended in the ignominy of a last place finish. We’ve retired her from racing. A charitable organization will try to turn her into a jumper or a riding horse.
Friday was Hay Field‘s day. She was in the number 1 slot, so Junior Alvarado took her right to the lead. She was still in the lead as they came into the stretch, when she was headed by her nearest pursuer and then by another horse. She seemed to be fading… but not the new Hay Field! She dug in and started coming back. Unfortunately, a new contender was finishing fast on the outside but Hay Field took second for the third straight time.She deserves to win one. She’s already a winner in our book!
Beyondelle looked beautiful in the paddock on Saturday. She’s a big 2-yr. old and seemed suited for the one mile distance of her maiden race. She was coming out of the outside post and Francisco put her on the outside of the two leaders. She vied for contention for a half-mile but then started fading. By the finish, she was far behind the rest. Dashed were our hopes for a stellar beginning to this filly’s career. But that’s how it works… you hope your next horse is the next coming of one of the greats and usually, they aren’t Oh, well!
We took off for Saratoga and got there as darkness was falling. We settled in, changed and met Bill and Amy at Osteria Danny for dinner. It was so crowded, you’d have thought it was the middle of race season. We like it when the town is hopping. Good food, good friends and now it was time for a good sleep!
We were really looking forward to seeing all the horses but Love Code is certainly a favorite.
The mares all have different personalities. Candy for Kisses doesn’t care that we’re visiting and doesn’t each much. Ahvee’s Destiny is all-in for the food. “Nice to see you” as long as you bring the food… and lots of it. FlatteryWillGetYou tolerates you and eats what you give her, until she’s done.
Love Code, on the other hand, is happy to see you and happy to devour as many cookies as you offer him. He likes to be stroked, kissed and hugged. He’ll be leaving for Virginia soon and we wanted to see him, hold him and love him a little before he ships out. It was a great visit. Hope we get a similar reception when we visit him in Virginia next month.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We’re looking forward to seeing many of our family members and close friends who are like family… 22 in all. I hope to feel as positive after the holiday as I’m feeling now. I sure know that I have a lot to be thankful for!
