I took care of a Storm Cat stud who was on layup with us. He was a pull-backer and headshy - but I suspect he was not handled all that sensitively at the track. Why? He was amazingly responsive to sensitive handling - albeit firm. By the time he left me, you could touch his ears, belly, legs, with no problem. As long as you moved softly and gently on the ground he’d follow suit. Athletically speaking he is incredible. He’s sound now and winning - and gelded, which has made all the difference in his handling in general, too. With the right person he’ll make a great sporthorse when he’s finished running.
I have a SC grandson stallion and I am using him to produce TB sporthorses, so this “Storm Cat’s are all difficult” stuff really bugs me. My horse is by Forest Wildcat and I haven’t heard any stories about him being difficult and my guy also has a ton of lovely horses on his dam’s side (which you will typically find with SC ancestry as many of the best mares were sent to SC over the years). I’ve done the 7 games with my guy and he did great - he loves to learn and learns easily. He has a kind temperament and lives out 24/7 with a gelding buddy.
That says it well!! My horse’s sire is SC, built like SC, and decided dressage was the thing for him, not hunter which I thought he’d clean up in. He did amazing and I mean amazing against dressage WBs with Olympic sire pedigrees. He’s got a heart of gold but you don’t want to sit there and just fight with him, because he’s programmed to win.
Someone put it quite well on this forum once, something like “If you can’t see a thoroughbred has talent, you’re probably too dumb to ride one anyway.” Made me think of the OP…
[QUOTE=Jessi P;3159538]
Reg I sent you a PM about Matt’s Princess. 
[/QUOTE]
Thank you kindly Jessie P. Much appreciated. I will print that off and enter it into my mare’s records.
For those of you who are more involved in the racing world, I have one other question. Should one pursue offspring records, trainers, and current information, along that trail is it possible to acquire win photos of the offspring or even the mare for that matter during their career track wins? Are those records kept at tracks? How would one go about trying to locate?
For example, my mare’s Rocket Cat offspring known as Zicocat won a race in early August last year at Suffolk Downs and I see through searching he is back out there this year running… There should be a win photo either standing or action or both. How does one go about acquiring such? If I am not so lucky on digging up the past win photos, maybe I can be attentive and if and when one occurs this season, make my purpose known to the track photographer or whoever I need to approach in this regard.
Again sorry if I am off topic here. Good luck everyone.
This is a photo of my mare… Matt’s Princess.
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk209/ReggieReturns/MattsPrincesstailB.jpg
Zicocat’s trainer appears to be Barbaran Horacio.
LOVELY mare Reg.
You can contact Suffolk Downs at (617) 567-3900 and ask for the track photographer. They begin racing at Suffolk May 3 so the photog will be there at that time. You will need to know the race number he was in but that is found in the past performances.
Matt’s Princess won 4 races, so you could probably get copies of her win pics as well, if you have her past performances and know which track(s) she won at. The usual cost for win pics is about $15-20/each.
“If you can’t see a thoroughbred has talent, you’re probably too dumb to ride one anyway.”
I love that 
Friend has a SC grandson (Gone West x Storm Cat Mare) - can’t say enough good about him. Lovely temperament, very sweet, and a real looker :yes: Was sad to see him go to our friend’s farm and leave ours - he was a nice one to have around.
[QUOTE=Jessi P;3160125]
LOVELY mare Reg.
You can contact Suffolk Downs at (617) 567-3900 and ask for the track photographer. They begin racing at Suffolk May 3 so the photog will be there at that time. You will need to know the race number he was in but that is found in the past performances.
Matt’s Princess won 4 races, so you could probably get copies of her win pics as well, if you have her past performances and know which track(s) she won at. The usual cost for win pics is about $15-20/each. [/QUOTE]
I have a confession to a little white lie. “I added some thickness and length to her tail” :eek:, not an entirely unnatural thing but it does improve overall balance and appearance, and I didn’t even have to buy one at a tack shop to do so!!! I wanted to see what she would look like with a better tail and I think it suits her. Otherwise it is her and no further lies. I have quite a fondness for the mare. She just has a kindness in her nature that is hard to not appreciate.
She was in foal at the time. She tends to look her best barefoot and pregnant. I will also say that the day I purchased her she was literally a sight for sore eyes. I guess that happens when they come off of larger farms and they are just not getting the personal attention. I prefer my horses kept in good condition, and find it annoying when they are not so.
Thank you very much Jessi P. You are most helpful.
I saw a Storm Cat son today at Ocala 2 year old sale. The only Storm Cat to be sold, by the way.
He put on quite a display of fireworks in the walkiing ring. His handler nearly lost him a couple times. And considering the buzz surrounding this colt - clearly this was a good handler. What was really cool - the consigner/trainer - aka the head honcho - quickly took over for the handler - because the colt was really wigging out. As soon as he took over - it was like night and day. The colt settled right down. Great horsemanship to watch!
The colt sold for $400,000. Sale’s not over - but that price is sales topper so far - by nearly double.
Track Photographer @ Suffolk
The track photographer at Suffolk Downs is Chip Bott, and you can contact him year round for win pics and such-- here’s his website (with contact info): Chip Bott Photos
Ideally, for ease of win-picture ordering you’ll need: the horse’s JC name, the date of the race, and the number of the race.
I called Chip this past January to try to find out if my maiden filly could be seen in her second-by-a-head, closest-she-ever-got-to-winning finish photo. Since it wouldn’t be the usual win photo format, Chip was kind enough to put the photo up on his webpage lickety split so that I could preview the shot before purchasing. 'Really nice guy.
i have my storm cat baby and he is phenomenal- great jumper-impeccable form, but deff. too smart for his own good. ive foudn that with the sc babies, you have to let it be their idea to comply to the training techniques. once he thought he was teaching me how to come into my fences he found it much more pleasing. mine is super hot so we are learning how to funnel that energy into a positive output over the fences-- hes aimed for a SJ career right now (gangly 5 year old).
I have a Storm Cat grandson. I knew nothing about TB’s when I bought him. He has a very sweet side to him, just loves attention. His dark side is not as nice. He was a bad kicker when being groomed/handled. That he has seemed to grow out of, now he is a bad biter. The entire time he is being groomed he is trying to bit with his ears back teeth barred, still working through that. He is also one of the worst cribbers in the barn. He was off the track 6 months when I got him and gave him 4 more to grow and gain weight. He has the worst temper undersaddle, he would kick out and bite my feet when I asked him to move forward. Vet checked and everything was good except his attitude. We still have moments, but is getting better. He likes things done his way and only his way. Loves to be groomed, but only in the spots he feels like. If you correct him, as in telling him to stand and making him back up a step when he moves forward, results in a lot of anger. He has been treated for ulcers, and has sensitivities to grain, making hima hard keeper.
He is tall, 16.2+ at 4 and a half and dark bay. He has the movement for hunter, so we will have to see what he wants to do as his traiining progresses.
If he did not have the nice sucky side to him, I don’t know if I would still have him.
[QUOTE=Barnfairy;3165324]
The track photographer at Suffolk Downs is Chip Bott, and you can contact him year round for win pics and such-- here’s his website (with contact info): Chip Bott Photos[/QUOTE]
Barnfairy, this website has expired and I couldn’t find another for Chip Bott. Is he still the Suffolk track photographer? I’m interested in purchasing a few win photos.
Thanks,
RC
The SC’s I’ve known are slow to mature (not really getting into a groove until they were about 6). I say let him grow up a little, I know mine took a long while to fill out.
My lovely Bo’s Typhoon (Storm Broker x Beaumaris Castle) filly looks like a clone of her grandsire—medium height, dark seal brown with a big blaze and white legs, muscle-bound, but with an incredibly refined head. She is also the most calm, sweet OTTB I’ve ever had. She learned to cross-tie in one lesson, let me mount from the block unaided, didn’t question my “hunter legs” against her side, and whoaed just by using my weight. She’s never shown a bit of temper, and will kill herself to figure out what you’re asking.
If I cold ever find a full brother or sister, I’d snap him or her up in minute! (So if you know of one, PM me!)
Yes, Chip is still the track photographer for Suffolk. His website is working fine for me (?) … but if for some reason it’s not for you, Suffolk win photos (and almost-win photos!) can be ordered through email: chipbott@hotmail.com
[QUOTE=Secretariat2;3160236]
“If you can’t see a thoroughbred has talent, you’re probably too dumb to ride one anyway.”
I love that :)[/QUOTE]
:lol::lol::lol:
[QUOTE=Barnfairy;3443637]
Yes, Chip is still the track photographer for Suffolk. His website is working fine for me (?) … but if for some reason it’s not for you, Suffolk win photos (and almost-win photos!) can be ordered through email: chipbott@hotmail.com :)[/QUOTE]
Thanks, Barnfairy. For some reason the site is working today. Yesterday, I got the message that the domain was for sale several times. Weird.
