This is where I post things about horses and horse racing, and once in a blue moon, something about my life. I am 13 and I've been riding for 7 years. I've yet to master anything; I've mostly just dabbled in different stuff until now. Now I am learning dressage and jumping. My favorite horses in the whole world are Bach, a 17.2 chestnut Hanoverian (Batido x Elektra) and What's It To Ya, a gray Welsh Pony we call Sammi (Finesse's Puff O'Smoke x Rountuit's Luv Ya). I ride and volunteer at a therapeutic riding center near my house, and I'm there at least 2 days a week, sometimes 3 or 4 days!! I am jumping 2 feet+ and I'm a D-2 in my local Pony Club. Although I don't have my own horse, I have a saddle, 2 bridles, a girth, a saddle pad, 2 soft brushes, 3 curry combs, 2 hoof picks, and a lot of saddle cleaning stuff. I love to sing and act, and I go to an awesome church. My favorite band is Flyleaf. Enjoy :) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 9 May 2009 10:54:00 -0500 Sat, 9 May 2009 10:54:00 -0500 I have news for everyone! I AM CHANGING BLOGS!!!! You can find my NEW BLOG at www.homeschoolblogger.com/Janakkaena Also, I have now reached 300 comments on this blog!! I thank all of you who have commented and made my blog popular!! You all rock, and I hope to see you on my new blog!! I will still mostly post about horses and horseracing, just to warn you, lol. If you're an HSB user and you have a fellow friend named Janakkaena and you were friends with Lacy, it is really me adding you on my new account, so please add me!! Thanks again to everyone who supported my blogging efforts from the beginning and many thanks to all my loyal commenters =]. Oh, I forgot to add that I WILL NOT be deleting this blog; I am friends with myself on both my Janakkaena account and my Lacy account, so you can still navigate back and forth to them. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/687226/ Sat, 9 May 2009 10:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/687226/ Well, looks like we've got a filly in the Preakness. Of all fillies, Rachel Alexandra. Yes, you heard me right: Rachel Alexandra. She was recently purchased by Jess Jackson (Curlin's majority owner) for an undisclosed amount. The details of the sale were also undisclosed at the time I last checked. She is now moving to the barn of Ausmussen, who was Curlin's trainer, and will be running in the Preakness as her first race against the boys. Chances are pretty good for her; she won the Kentucky Oaks by a resounding 20 lengths and her Beyer shot to 108. Here's the reeeally bad part: Her jockey was Borel. And Mine That Bird's jockey was also Borel. Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby, but his Beyer topped at 105. Borel chose to ride Rachel Alexandra, so now Mine That Bird kinda sorta maybe DOESN'T HAVE A JOCKEY!!!! I'll keep you updated when I find out more. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/687170/ Sat, 9 May 2009 08:25:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/687170/ Yeah for Mine That Bird!!! The 50-1 longshot beat everyone!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/685440/ Mon, 4 May 2009 06:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/685440/ Agh!!!! These freaking derby horses keep dropping like flies!!! Now NTRA is reporting that I Want Revenge is scratching. These stupid horses are supposed to be the best in North America!! And what do they do?? Drop dead or get career-ending injuries every 2 freaking seconds!!! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER!!! THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH!!!! Ugh!! It would be easier just to race some freaking shetland ponies!! They at least can make it a week without dying or whatever!!! This is unbearable!! Although, come to think of it, the best colts in North America are the ones running this afternoon, because they haven't had to scratch!! So really the whole prepare-for-derby-day thing is really a disguised survival of the fittest test!! The horses who are the best won't scratch!! Random info: Friesan Fire is the betting favorite at 9-2. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/684965/ Sat, 2 May 2009 08:05:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/684965/ Heyy guys here's the starting lineup: . 1: West Side Bernie/30-1 2: Musket Man/20-1 3: Mr. Hot Stuff/30-1 4: Advice/30-1 5: Hold Me Back/15-1 6: Friesan Fire/5-1 7: Papa Clem/20-1 8: Mine That Bird/50-1 9: Join In The Dance/50-1 10: Regal Ransom/30-1 11: Chocolate Candy/20-1 12: General Quarters/20-1 13: I Want Revenge/3-1 14: Atomic Rain/50-1 15: Dunkirk/4-1 16: Pioneerof The Nile/4-1 17: Summer Bird/50-1 18: Nowhere To Hide/50-1 19: Desert Party/15-1 20: Flying Private/50-1. And there's your starting lineup, folks. I think this is the most horses we've ever had who are 50-1... we've got 5 this year. We've got 2 horses by Sky Mesa, 2 by Smart Strike, and 2 by Birdstone. The horse with the best bloodlines in this year's Kentucky Derby is without a doubt Chocolate Candy. That colt has got it all when it comes to blue blood *whistles*. Worst bloodlines... I'm gonna say I Want Revenge. Now, I'm only saying that the horses he's got (with the exception of Mr. Prospector, Fappiano, Never Bend, and the A.P. Indy line) most of his pedigree was very unsuccessful. I mean, seriously, even I, the pedigree geek, haven't heard of Roy, Fitzcarraldo, Stall Only, Cipayo, Adlibber, Lacydon, Mr. Brick, and most of the others in his pedigree. However, he has NO INBREEDING, which (if you've read this blog before you know my opinions on inbreeding) I think is absolutely fabulous, that a horse who made it to the top has no inbreeding. Pedigree doesn't give a horse talent, but it can make it harder to be talented, i.e, you're the first filly to run in the Derby since 1999 and you place second only to break both ankles. And you have 4 inbreedings of Raise a Native, a horse who retired to stud after only 3 races because of soundness issues. But never mind. I'm cheering for I Want Revenge, Mr. Hot Stuff, Chocolate Candy, and Friesan Fire. But I'm not against the Birdstone boys; after all, I watched their daddy race *sniffles*. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/684368/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:42:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/684368/ Well, it looks as though there will be 20 horses in the field this year, as Win Willy's spot is being filled by Nowhere To HIde. Here's the lowdown: . Name: Nowhere To Hide Color: Bay Gender: Colt Pedigree: Vindication x Stirring Good Lines: Seattle Slew, Hail To Reason (x2), Buckpasser (x2), Northern Dancer (x2), Mint Copy, Mr. Prospector, Deputy Minister, Victoria Regina, Vice Regent, Con Game . Well, he's got some good lines on him, but he has significantly more inbreeding than I like to see in a horse. On his dam's side, his great-grandparents are: Raise a Native, Gold Digger, Buckpasser, Broadway, Vice Regent, Mint Copy, Buckpasser, Cool Mood. He's got waaaaay too much inbreeding waaaay too close, in my opinion. He's also got Native Dancer twice 5 generations back on his dam's side. His sire's side is pretty solid, with only 2 inbreedings (Hail To Reason). I prefer the Seattle Slew and Hail To Reason bloodlines over Buckpasser bloodlines, although I do like Tom Fool (Buckpasser's sire). I'm OK with Northern Dancer lines, although I do think that they need to diversify a bit; often times you will find 4 or even 5 inbreedings of ND in a pedigree. Mint Copy and Victoria Regina are good, solid mares to have in a female family, and sometimes the female family makes more difference than the male family in a horse's performance, or so I've read. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/684025/ Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/684025/ These Derby horses are droppin' like flies this year. Now Win Willy is out because of the beginnings of a fracture in his leg. Fortunately they caught it early, so he will be able to heal up and race another day in full health, but he will still miss the Derby. Since there is so little time left until the Derby, a field of 19 is expected, which will be the first time in quite a while for the field to not be at full capacity. If for some reason another horse is chosen to run in Win Willy's place, I will update, but unless something else happens I probably won't be posting til Derby Day. I also want to say happy birthday to my little brother, who is turning 12 today. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683990/ Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:23:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683990/ Heyy guys here's the lowdown on the horse who will be running in Square Eddie's place. And it isn't Take The Points, because his for some reason it was decided by heaven knows who that he wasn't running in the Derby. Name: Atomic Rain Color: Bay Gender: Colt Pedigree: Smart Strike x Paradise Pond (he's our third entry by Smart Strike) Good Lines: Mr. Prospector, Smarten, Turn-To, Swaps, Nasrullah, Count Fleet, Damascus. . He's got good, solid lines on both sides, with only 2 inbreedings (you'll find Turn-To on both sides of the family, 5 generations back on his sire's female family, and 4 generations back on his dam's male family). I'm an incredible fan of the Smart Strike family--good lookin', fast versatile, crops (turf, dirt, synthetic, sprint, distance, you name it, he's got offspring at the top of it). I also want to mention that Count Fleet won the Triple Crown in 1943, then continued to race AND WIN for 2 more years--he raced until he was 5, which I think is something that should be as common today as it was even 20 years ago. . You don't see enough older horses racing anymore; most of the ones that race until they're old are geldings or horses who weren't good producers or winners. Except of course the immortal Curlin, who raced until 5 beautiful years of victory then entered stud at Lane's End; $75,000 stands & nurses. Then we have your horses like Raven's Pass and big brown (note that big brown's name is SECOND and NOT CAPITALIZED) who: A.) retire to stud after one big win and are bred to hundreds of mares before turning 4--- OR you have B.) horses who retire BECAUSE THEY CAN'T RUN WITHOUT STEROIDS!!!!!!!! OR WITHOUT MAJOR INJURY!!!! HAVE I RANTED ENOUGH???????? . And then you have the immortal horses like Curlin, *gets faraway, dreamy look* who race, and race, and win, and win, and win, and then retire at a nice older age (although "older" is relative in the horse racing world). http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683865/ Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683865/ Well, we've got another horse dropping out of the Derby. This time it's Square Eddie. He aggravated a cannon injury and there's heat at the site, so it's a no-brainer that he's not running. I'll update as soon as I find out for sure who's running in his place, although I'm pretty sure it's going to be Take The Points (Even The Score x Ginger Ginger), since he's next in line as far as graded stakes earnings. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683709/ Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:55:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683709/ Heyy guys I just found out who is running in Quality Road's place. Here's the lowdown:. Name: Join In The Dance Color: Dark bay/brown Gender: Colt Pedigree: Sky Mesa x Dance Darling Good Lines: Seattle Slew, Secretariat x 2, Northern Dancer x 2, Affirmed, Round Table, Halo, Hail to Reason, Buckpasser, Terlingua, Crimson Saint (if you go back to a 6 gen. pedigree you'll also see her sire, Crimson Satan. Terlingua also has a 3/4 sister, Kremlin Secretary.), Storm Cat, Mr. Prospector. . As you can see, Join In The Dance is not at all lacking for a fabulous pedigree (also note how little inbreeding is in his pedigree, and the bit there is are two very strong horses). I've not seen him run before, and I haven't seen most of the lineup run, so I'll be waiting till I see them step onto the track for their warmup until I start making actual picks instead of random speculations. I'm bummed because there aren't any fillies running. although what with last year and all it might not be the best time to run another filly. Eight Belles placed 2nd and had to be euthanized. In 1999, two fillies ran in the Derby, Excellent Meeting and Three Ring, placing 5th and 19th respectively. Click HERE to see a list of all the fillies who have ever run in the Derby, and some history about Derby fillies. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683637/ Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeofatuper/683637/