10 year old Better Talk Now just ran a good race, he came second in the sword dancer invitational at saratoga
8 year old Brass Hat came in third
[QUOTE=Amyy;4308743]
10 year old Better Talk Now just ran a good race, he came second in the sword dancer invitational at saratoga
8 year old Brass Hat came in third[/QUOTE]
Sadly like Commentator - despite the good effort - it looks like the connections are near calling it a career …
DRF 8-19-09 “Road’s end near for Better Talk Now”
What Motion and owner Brent Johnson are now thinking is to give Better Talk Now one more race and then call it a career. That last race most likely will take place in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park on Oct. 3.
“We’ll point him for one race in the fall, possibly the Joe Hirsch, then we’ll say that will be his swan song,” Motion said. “I think it’s unrealistic to think we’ll bring him back as an 11-year-old.”
I will miss both Commentator and Better Talk Now. They have been mainstays for a long time, and it will be strange and sad to not have them around the track next year. That said, I hope both of them have happy, productive, and long post racing lives, and I hope, wherever they land in the future, updates (pictures, videos) are frequent.
Hey just maybe JustJump250 could bring up her Shake The Bank to see his old buddy off in his last race 
As spied by Equidaily.com and while not a TB this old QH just made his mark with his age. American Quarter Horse wins at Age 16 (8-19-09)
Silent Cash Dasher on Sunday won at Blue Ribbon Downs. Owned and trained by Gary Earp of Jay, Oklahoma, the gelding by Dash Easy is 16 years old.
Foaled April 20, 1993, Silent Cash Dasher is the second-oldest Quarter Horse to ever win an official race in North America. The oldest is Go Devil, who was foaled April 3, 1949, and won at Missouri Meadows on August 29, 1965.
“They were announcing it on the loudspeaker a race or two before the deal, that in race 10 it would be the oldest horse running in America,” Earp said. “Boy, the whole crowd down there was rootin’ for him. And when he won, why, they were all down there for the win picture. That’s something unusual, isn’t it?”
9-yr old Cloudy’s Knight took the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf at Kentucky Downs today (9-19-09)! The old man just poured it on and easily took the turf race past much younger foes. Love to see the old warrior showing how its done.
And no shocker as to who the trainer is: Jonathan Sheppard. Or who Sheppard took this race with before: Rochester! DRF 9-19-09 “Cloudy’s Knight coasts in Kentucky Cup Turf”
Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard, who took over Cloudy’s Knight’s this year, “is the king of the turf,” Homeister said.
It was Sheppard’s third win in the Kentucky Cup Turf, following Rochester’s back-to-back triumphs in 2002 and 2003.
The winner raced 1 1/2 miles on a good turf course in 2:33.96 - well off General Jumbo’s track record of 2:26.98 in this race in 2007, but over a tiring course that was producing slow times. He returned $12.20.
A further surprise was the performance of runner-up Rezif, who crashed the exacta at 33-1, the highest price on the tote board. He had been fourth in his preceding start against starter $7,500 runners at Ellis Park, but relished the stretch out in distance in the Kentucky Cup Turf, and was the only horse gaining on Cloudy’s Knight at the finish.
Winning jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. said she didn’t ride Cloudy’s Knight any differently in the race despite knowing he was returning from a tendon injury that necessitated his yearlong absence.
Cloudy’s Night improved his record to 11 for 37 in winning the Kentucky Cup, elevating his earnings to over $2.1 million for Chicago-based owners Shirley and Jerrold Schwartz of S J Stables.
They certainly do keep Joey working …
DRF 10-1-09 “Joey P. aims to make comeback in Eillo”
Trainer Ben Perkins Jr. is targeting the $65,000 Eillo Stakes on Oct. 23 at the Meadowlands as [b]Joey P.'s first race since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in June.
A 7-year-old gelding just shy of $1 million in career earnings, Joey P. captured the 2007 Eillo, and has won both his starts at the Meadowlands.[/b]
Joey P. resumed galloping at Monmouth Park in August and has turned in a pair of bullet works in September.
Perkins remains amazed at how little training Joey P. requires to return to form.
“He’s very solid,” Perkins said. “You can’t see any effects of the surgery. You can’t even see a scar line. He’s come back good. He’s doing well.”
Perkins has mapped out a conservative comeback: one or two starts, perhaps including an allowance race at Aqueduct, and then some time off before Monmouth resumes next spring and Joey P. takes another crack at the John J. Reilly Handicap for New Jersey-breds, a race he has already won three times.
“We’re going to try and be a little more cautious with him,” Perkins said. “He’s getting up there in age, so we’re trying to do the right thing with him. We’re not going to rush him.”
I’ve always liked Joey P. and hope they do proceed with that caution they speak of.
One more start - maybe - and that will be a career for 8-yr old Fort Prado
Eight-year-old Fort Prado could be making the 59th and last start of his distinguished career Saturday in the eighth race at Keeneland, although the rain that’s expected here this weekend could put off the farewells for a week, said trainer Chris Block.
“If the turf comes up soft like they’re saying, he’ll run the following Saturday on the dirt at Hawthorne” in the $100,000 Lightning Jet on the Illinois-bred stakes program, said Block.
Fort Prado, owned by Team Block, has won 18 races and earned more than $1.2 million.
I am the proud owner of Online Intime, who retired from Finger Lakes Race Track to my farm last December’08, at the age of 12. http://www.pedigreequery.com/online+intime
I believe he raced more often (124 starts) and earned more than the pedigree query indicates.
He is sound and has the most wonderful attitude - a testament to him, his handlers and his trainer at the track.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;4415082]
They certainly do keep Joey working …
DRF 10-1-09 “Joey P. aims to make comeback in Eillo”
I’ve always liked Joey P. and hope they do proceed with that caution they speak of.[/QUOTE]
He’s not in tonight He had a work at the beginning of the week 51 secs at four furlongs. Not sharp for him, and he had a couple of bullet works when he first went back. Love him - get to see him whenever he gets a break from the track.
We bought Double Blue as a 10 year old. He had 91 Starts, 11 wins, 14 2nds, 11 3rd, $333,888 lifetime earnings. Was in the money all the way to the end. Ended up in the claimers. He’s a pistol. Never a lame step. Plays like a three year old and is schooling 2nd level dressage. Very talented jumper, but just not interested in jumping. What a horse! Absolutely stunning, and very mischievous in “gotta love him” way.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;4453847]
One more start - maybe - and that will be a career for 8-yr old Fort Prado
DRF Oct 22, 2009[/QUOTE]
He didn’t race at Keeneland but rather raced in the 7th, Buck’s Boy Handicap, at Hawthorne Park (IL) Saturday Oct 31, 2009. Bottled up behind horses by the time a gap opened he didn’t have it left in him and finished 2nd to last. Unclear if this was his last start.
And that was it for Fort Prado: his connections chose the $103k Bucky’s Boy Handicap over the six-furlong Lightning Jet, never got involved in his 59th race and career finale. He went evenly, and finished eighth. Despite being 8 and still running (ok now retired) he’s a stallion and will go to the shed:
… it will be off to life as a stallion, a seismic change for Fort Prado, who has been on the racetrack since the summer of 2003. An Illinois-bred by El Prado, bred and owned by Team Block, Fort Prado can count victories on turf, dirt, and synthetic, racing long and short, and in graded stakes competition among his 18 wins. He has earned more than $1.2 million - and definitely learned the ropes at the track.
“He looks as good as he’s ever looked,” said Block. “You really hate to lose a horse like that out of the barn. It’s great having a horse like that. But if you’re going to stand him as a stallion, people have been making inquiries about that, and now’s the time to try.”
Enjoy the gold watch Fort Prado.
Joey P
Joey P is in for December 8th at Phildadelphia Park. He’s had a couple of nice workouts and this would be his first start back off the colic surgery.
After the heartbreaking narrow loss in the Breeders Cup Marathon one month to the day your ‘old’ man made it happen this time in Canada: 12-6-09 “Cloudy’s Knight rerallies in Valedictory”
Video: replay 1 3/4 mi $154,475 Valedictory Stakes - Woodbine
100% heart and determination! Sensational run by the senior man
If you haven’t seen the replay of Cloudy’s Knight victory in Canada you really should. If only to see what exemplifies a game and determined 9-yr old (weeks away from being 10, of course) can still do in this sport.
Saratogian Dec 8, 2009 “The remarkable Cloudy’s Knight”
The Jonathan Sheppard trainee reportedly will be given a break before commencing a 2010 campaign.
Homeister said the reason Cloudy’s Knight was so intent on making the lead in the stretch the first time around was that he might have thought he was in a one-lap race. She then offered a second explanation.
“Usually I can get him to relax, but he had his mind made up,” said Homeister. “He want¬ed to win both times around.”
In case the previously provided DRF replay link doesn’t work for you, try this: ETA - The TB Times does work with a hot link so you have to scroll to the bottom of their home page … http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/
Look for Dec 6, 2009 “Valedictory S. WO @ 14 furlongs”
The old man Cloudy’s Knight who won the grade 2 $150,000 W. L. McKnight Handicap at Calder (see link) will be back in 2010 at the age of 10.
The McKnight was the fourth victory in five starts this year for Cloudy’s Knight, who did not make his first start of the season until Sept. 19. Three of the four victories came in graded stakes at distances ranging from 1 1/2 miles to 1 3/4 miles. His only loss was by a nose to Man of Iron in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.
“He’s a lovely horse,” said Sheppard, who completed a pretty amazing year of his own on Saturday. “He got a little lucky with what the gray horse did,” referring to Livingston Street. “But my horse is so smart. And he’s got bottomless stamina. He was hardly blowing when he came back.”
Sheppard said he plans to give Cloudy’s Knight the winter off.
“He’s a cold weather horse. He’s spent all his life in Chicago, so it might throw him out of synch spending the winter in Miami. Besides, the turf course at Gulfstream is speed-favoring and just doesn’t suit him.”
Sheppard certainly should be deserving of an Eclipse as trainer in my view for what he’s done with just about every horse in his stable. If Mixed Up wins an Eclipse Award for steeplechasing, and Informed Decision prevails, as expected, for champion female sprinter, that would give Sheppard two champions this year, one on the flat, one on the jumps. Amazing.
Sheppard reminds me of a problem with horse racing because he feeds beer to his horses. That would be a positive for alcoohol in some jurisdictions, but in many of those same jurisdictions, you can give the horses a bevy of human drugs and cobra venom and get right through the spit box.
Sheppard is a great trainer. No doubt. Maybe the best.
Dick - I didn’t know that beer was a “no no” for feed to a horse provided it wasn’t just before the race. A sweat inducing aide I don’t see it as a factor pro or con for performance enhancement or even inhibitor. Noted winners Fourstardave, Pebbles, Tapit, etc etc all drank a bottle of Guinness a day. Now vodka - sure that’s nuts and Dr Jay Stewart in Nebraska was told don’t do it again 
Another grand old timer has the chance to make history at Santa Anita. 10-yr old Shadow of Illinois is to race New Year’s Day at SA in the $100,000 Sensational Star Handicap at Santa Anita. If he wins then he’ll be the oldest (at 10) to win a stakes race at Santa Anita.
Shadow of Illinois has won 5 of 14 starts and $242,538 on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. The most prestigious of those wins came in the Grade 3 San Simeon Handicap in 2005. Saavedra has trained him for all but one of his 40 starts.
For Friday’s race, Shadow of Illinois will be ridden by Alex Solis, who was aboard for most of the gelding’s 2009 races.
Climbing back up in the ranks this will be Shadow’s first stakes race in 4-years.
A handful of horses won stakes races at Santa Anita at 9: Softshoe Sure Shot to victory at age nine in the 1995 San Carlos H. (G2), and champion Kona Gold to victory at nine in the 2003 El Conejo H. (G3). Other horses to win Santa Anita stakes at nine were Super Diamond in the 1989 San Antonio H. (G1) and *Desert Chief III in the 1965 San Marcos Handicap.
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;3656996]
The old warrior, 11yo Hardy Eustace, who had been written off as past his best earlier on in the year, put in a scintillating performance to find a second wind in the last 2f to beat of some quality younger horses and annex another G1 to his resumé at Punchestown yesterday. The bookies have cut his price for next year’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, when he will be a 12yo.
You can watch the replay here. Replay only runs in Internet Explorer, and you do need to register, but it’s free.
From www.AtTheRaces.com…[/QUOTE]
13yo Hardy Eustace has been retired after finishing 2nd at Punchestown yesterday.
Two-time Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace has been retired following his defeat at Punchestown on Thursday.
Trainer Dessie Hughes opted to call time on the 13-year-old’s career after the gelding finished second behind Footy Facts.
“The fact that he couldn’t beat Footy Facts means he won’t be able to compete in Grade Ones and there are no other races for him,” said Hughes.
"He’s been a good tough horse with a lot of class.
As well as those two victories in 2004 and 2005 at Cheltenham, Eustace Hardy also won the 2003 Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.
Owned by Laurence Byrne, Hardy Eustace won 15 of his 46 starts, including seven Grade Ones, amassing over £1m in prize money.
“He will be ridden out every day until the spring and he’ll go out to grass in the summer and we’ll bring him back in again I’m sure,” said Hughes, who will keep Eustace Hardy at his stables in County Kildare.
“He won’t want to do nothing, so we’ll have to keep him moving. We’ll keep him happy and it’s nice to have horses like him in the yard.”
