Just Horse Talk

The shelter is gone

Posted on December 21, 2015 by CopperCoat

A three weeks ago bad storms blew through our area bringing with them a couple of tornadoes. One of them passed overhead wreaking havoc in our little pasture. Several trees had their limbs torn off, small branches and twigs lay everywhere and the roof over our stalls was blown half way to the front gate, about six loping strides. Our mistress has spent days picking things up and throwing them on a pile.

We’ve been able to cope with, Ziggy and I. Our coats have grown longer, and there is plenty of windbreaks to hide behind, but I do hate getting wet when it is cold! Of course, cold in South Texas isn’t like cold in Michigan or Montana; but then again, we’re not used to that kind of cold down here on the Gulf Coast.

I know our mistress is busy cutting down trees off the surrounding fence, but I do wish she’d hurry up and get the roof back over our stalls. [Sniffle]

Grand Slam for American Pharoah!

Posted on November 2, 2015 by CopperCoat

He did it! Yes, he did it! My Hero! Well, after Secretariat,that is. What a beautiful win for American Pharoah, dominating the race from start to finish and looking like he still had plenty of gas left. Ziggy, of course, ran around the pasture in the rain like a silly fool, shouting: “He won! He won! He Won!” while I watched her from the shelter of the big pine tree. The cattle were also watching her jumping and bucking, wondering what the ruckus was all about.

I must admit that I am glad that American Pharoah did run in the Breeder’s Classic. It gave him the opportunity to prove that he deserves his place among the greats of horse racing. This victory certainly erases his defeat in the Travers (did you notice that Keen Ice was never in contention?) But then, even the great Secretariat did not win all his races (16 out of 21 to be exact.) There is little doubt that he will be named Horse-of-the-Year and earn the Eclipse Award for 3-Year-Old Colts. I am betting the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year will be American Pharoah’s win in the Belmont Stakes which crowned him as the 12th Triple Crown winner.

Did you know that Omaha is the only Triple Crown winner not to win Horse-of-the Year award in 1935? That distinction went to Discovery who was four at the time and known as the “Iron Horse” due to his capacity for carrying great weights and still end up in the winner’s circle.

American Pharoah and Saratoga

Posted on September 3, 2015 by CopperCoat

Well I came off a high seeing my hero American Pharoah getting beaten in the Travers Stakes after that wonderful win in the Haskell Invitational. (Ziggy cried for days, but then she’s a mare). His jockey claimed that he was tired after winning the Haskell, but Keen Ice ran in that race also and put in a tremendous run at the end. However, is Saratoga truly be the “Graveyard of Champions”? Remember the great Secretariat was beaten there in the Whitney Stakes by the long-shot Onion, not to mention Man O’War who lost to Upset back in the 1919 Sanford Stakes, and the great harness pacer Niatross who went over the rail during the Haswell Pace trying to beat Citation’s longest string of wins.

American Pharoah is the first 3-year-old thoroughbred to have won the Triple Crown in 37 years. That in itself is a great achievement. Even if he never races again, he will go down in history as one of only twelve horses to have accomplished this since Sir Barton won it in 1919. Although it would be nice to see American Pharoah race one more time, I sincerely hope his owner, Ahmed Zayat, considers the horse over the $$.