Closing the door on 2009

Yes, we are still in the business; yes, horses have run and Bat actually came in third a couple of weeks ago. It was in a $5,000 claiming race, but at least I can say we hit the board in 2009. Stay Alert has disappointed us twice, falling dramatically from grace. I haven’t updated this blog because I had grown weary of making fun of my horses, and more importantly, was afraid you had grown weary reading about underperforming horses. But, tomorrow is the start of a new year—and if I’m not optimistic, who will be?!! So, here is the scoop: Stay Alert is running Saturday, January 2, 2010, in a low level claiming race. The particulars hardly matter. What matters is, I think we have paid our "bad luck" dues in full during 2009, leaving open the possibility that 2010 is going to be a whale of a year. And if I'm right about this, there'll be a new post on Monday! If you want to read more, go to our website, http://www.equinebusiness.biz and send me your e-mail. I'll send you a copy of my diary entry for December 31.

I've learned some things over the past few days: Watching your horse come in 5th on a big screen TV isn't better than watching him come in 5th on a little TV. Actually, I think it is worse. So, tomorrow, we're going to go watch Stay Alert run in person at Churchill Downs. Stay Alert is our gray two year old. We hope running a gray on Friday the 13th is the antidote for the broken mirror bad luck hex. We clearly think he is our best hope of using that picture frame that is still unopened. If you want to know more, you can read my horse alert on the website: www.equinebusiness.biz.

Also, I've learned that if I want to do a shameless plug for my son's blog, it helps to get the address right. I've corrected it in my earlier blog--and here: http://itaintmobydick.blogspot.com And no, he doesn't write about horses.

With luck, I'll need you to go out to my Facebook page to see us in the Winner's Circle. And I'll get to Twitter about winning. That would be a new experience for me. I think it is time!

The Breeders Cup will come and go without any of our horses. In fact, all my picture frames are still in their original packaging. Cape Town Bay came in 5th, claiming he could have won it if the track hadn't been muddy. We can now add mud to the long list of things the Bay doesn't like. But, because hope springs eternal, BAT is going to try and claim the picture frame this Sunday. And with more luck than what we had this week, Stay Alert will be running next week. To learn more about any of this, you can go read the Horse Alert at http://www.equinebusiness.biz/. Our cool news is, we entered the 21st century and bought a flat screen TV. So while our horses may be slow, if we are watching them at home on television, by gum, I can see them. And the book continues to grow, fueled more by horse issues than nonhorse issues. That's a good thing. I continue to have no idea if there are more than 14 people who read this blog, but out of gratitutde to you, I'll keep putting stuff out here.

By the way, you might try http://itaintmobydick.blogspot.com/. Yes, that's my son--but he is funny!

Yes, we're still in the business with another shot at a Winner's Circle picture on Friday. It is the slow one, Cape Town Bay, that is running. But "slow" is a relative term. I'm hoping he'll look really fast against this group of non-achievers he is running against. I'm careful not to dis these horses, though, since it is as likely that the Bay will win it as he is to come in 8th. Such is the life of an owner of a slow horse. To see the Horse Alert I sent out to those who follow our horses, go to http://www.equinebusiness.biz under the News tab.

Even though we haven't had a horse run in a while, the book is 28 pages longer than it was the last time I wrote on this blog, and I've talked with one published author and one publisher. The published author gave me no encourgagement whatsoever, suggesting I either write about beastiality or murder and mayhem if I want to be published. Since I don't know much about either and I don't think Ken or God would like it if I tried to become familiar with either, I think I'll stick with horses. I may not get published, but I won't be in jail either. The publisher was more encouraging. Of course, she didn't read any part of my book either. Both suggested I keep writing. So I am, both here and there. The good news--if you're interested in any of my horses--all of them should be running over the next ten days. We're ready!

The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat

Over the last couple of days, I've reminded myself there is nothing like watching your horse win a race. From the time the starting gate goes up, (assuming he decides to come out and go the right direction), as he makes his way down the back side, picking horses off as he comes around the top of the stretch and then down the stretch, pleading with him to keep on coming or to just hang on, when your horse crosses that finish line first, you have just experienced the best two minutes in sports. Whether it is a $10,000 claiming race or a stakes race, there is no other thrill like it in the sports world. It is why we do this.

No, Cape Town Bay did not win his race Sunday. He came in second last. It has been 11 months and seven days since we have won. Since my short term memory is not what it used to be, I'm glad I can still remember. I'm happier still that I wrote down how it feels to win--so I won't forget why we do this.

If you want to see what Winner's Circle Pictures look like, go to our website: www.equinebusiness.biz I promise I'll put the next one out there, too. It can't come soon enough!

No Breeder's Cup Horse This Year

Ken's and my decision not to nominate any of our horses for any Breeder's Cup races continues to be the correct decision. Back Alley Tales, our three year old, came in 5th yesterday--out of seven. And he was 9 lengths back. These were not necessarily good horses, just horses better than BAT. Being right isn't all that is its cracked up to be.

I'm also now worried about my book--which still needs a publisher. I had hoped to talk about the thrills and agonies, the highs and lows of horse ownership. While I've nailed the agonies and lows, I'm a little light on the thrills and highs. It's particularly important it ends well, I think. I'm up to 98 pages. If there is going to be a balance, the book will be at least 200 pages long. My cash flow needs require that the next 98 pages come pretty quickly. It is clear BAT isn't going to deliver. Maybe Cape Town Bay and Stay Alert will. Stay tuned!

Horse of the Year? Why Not My Horse?

In the horse world, we're a buzz whether Rachael Alexandra will be named the Horse of Year even if she doesn't run in the Breeder's Cup Classic. Since Summer Bird won the Travers and is running in the Breeder's Cup Classic, some think he should be horse of the year if he wins it. I don't really care. I just know that none of my horses will be since none of them have hit the board this year, much less won. I mentioned all this stuff trying to maximize good search words in the first paragraph.

All three horses are still in training; slow, but in training. We went out to watch them yesterday. Walter, our faithful trainer, said he wished they were faster.

I was hoping that yesterday was going to be a momentous day for us. It was the first day AFTER what I hoped was the lifting of the "mirror falling off the wall and breaking" hex . While I know that usually means seven years of bad luck, I was hoping that since we were in the midst of really bad horse luck, that the new hex would only be a year long. I can't point to any event yesterday that makes me believe I'm right about the shortened hex. I'm willing to give it a couple of days, though. I really need to be right about this.

So far, this blatant attempt to find a publisher for my book, now 97 pages long, hasn't worked either. But, 10 of you have signed up to "follow" my blog--with an equal number of family members and non-family members following. I don't think signing up to "follow" me notifies you that I've put something out there, so I'll let you know otherwise. I appreciate those of you who signed up. Others of you let me know you read it, but didn't sign up to "follow" it. Others of you reported technical difficulty. I'm sending each of you an e-mail to let you know there is a new post. I feel it is the least I can do. Since I sent an e-mail to my Horse Alert group that now numbers 210 and exactly four of you signed up to follow my blog and I heard from another seven of you, it makes me wonder how many of the other folks actually read the Horse Alerts.

I have gotten some hits on the publishing end, though. A couple of those Horse Alert folks actually know publishers or writers who have been published. I'm meeting with one of the publishers after Labor Day and putting the wheels in motion to meet the author of a recently published horse industry expose. Since I'm getting some nibbles, I'm getting nervous about the fact that I need an ending--preferably one that is happy. I think that would help sell "The Diary of a Crazed Horsewoman, Volume I."

In case I'm wrong about the mirror hex, does anybody know an antidote for mirror hexes?