Page 30 - December 2006 The Game
P. 30

30 The Game, December 2006 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
There is Life After the Racetrack
Photo Left:
Joey (racing name: Eastern Conquest) and his rider is Rebecca Marshall.
In The Game, we publish compelling stories of the exploits of thoroughbred horses, but for every horse that succeeds, countless more never quite attain the promise hoped for on the racetrack. What follows are the stories of three horses who didn’t quite reap tote board glory, but nonetheless found fulfilling and long-time employ in other equestrian endeavours.
Eastern Conquest was foaled in April, 2000. As a son of 1982 Belmont winner Conquistador Cielo, this one seemed fated to cash cheques at the racetrack. Owned originally by Gus Schickedanz and trained by Mike Keogh, Eastern Conquest was a stablemate of Wando, the 2003 Canadian Triple Crown winner. Sadly, Eastern Conquest’s racing career did not in any way resemble that of
Wando’s. He had just one start, on August 24, 2002, a seven furlong race on grass. Eastern Conquest came 12th, beaten by 23 lengths.
There are a lot of unpleasant scenarios for horses that don’t cut it on the race- track, but Eastern Conquest’s fate took an uplifting turn.
Cathy Marshall owns the Cedaridge Farm in Newton Robinson, Ontario and in 2003, she paid $2100 for Eastern Conquest.
“I bought this horse three years ago as a project horse for my daughter Rebecca,” says Marshall, “After starting him, she didn’t have time to continue because she’s at university, so one of my students has been riding him.”
Far from the stress of the racetrack, Eastern Conquest, who answers to the name Joey on the farm, enjoys an active
existence.
“He gets turned out for three hours a
day,” advises Marshall, “He gets ridden five days a week and he schools over fences twice a week. He’s got a great per- sonality and a nice temperament. He’s a great horse.”
Marshall had to go slowly with Joey at first because he came off the track “pretty wild”. The horse needed to settle down to embrace his new career.
“In the hunter ring, they need to have nice movement,” says Marshall,” They have to have a nice big gallop and you don’t want too much knee action. Just a nice smooth flowing gait and he’s got that.”
Eastern Conquest (Joey) is a sweet- natured horse who takes commands gracefully and that bodes well for the next several years of his working life.
“We would probably start him off in a modified hunter division so he would be jumping a 2’6 course,” advises Marshall,
“But if he’s really talented, I think we’llgouptoa4- foot course. At the show, they’ll jump three classes over fences and then they do a hack class - hunter under saddle and that’s how they’re judged. Good temperament and good con- firmation is very important on a hunter.”
Marshall says that if Joey does well in the hunter ring, he’ll have a very good life. And though his show name will continue to be Eastern Conquest, he’ll still be known as Joey on the farm.
Real Free came into this world in 1990. His pedigree can be traced back to Nearco and Chop Chop and even Man o’ War, so there must have been qualified hope that Real Free would make an impact at the track. The truth, however, is that as a runner, Real Free was real disappointing. He raced six times and finished 9th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 12th and 11th, beaten a total of 103 lengths. The message was clear – Real Free needed to find another career.
In 1996, horsewoman Corrie Yeoman purchased Real Free for $4000, but there was a touchy issue about his name.
“When I bought him, he was being shown by a young woman in hunter divisions,” says Yeoman with a wait for the punch line smile forming on her face, “He was doing very well in the ‘A’ circuit and Trillium circuit divisions under the show name In the Sauce but when my 15 year-old daughter acquired this horse, I did not want them to say, ‘Here comes Victoria Jackson In the Sauce.”
Young Victoria was a Star Wars fan at the time, so Real Free, who had been showing under the name In the Sauce became Anakin Skywalker, though at the farm, he’s known simply as Blake.
And as poorly as Blake (Anakin, In the Sauce, Real Free) did at the track, he worked his way to the top of the list in equestrian endeavours that weren’t subjected to wagering.
Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas & a Happy, Healthy 2007! Thanks for Another Terrific Season! ~Todd Kabel & John Bell~
Photo Right: Blake (racing name: Real Free) ridden by Victoria Jackson
May the Peace and Beauty of the Christmas Season
Bring You Happiness Now and Throughout the New Year
Thank You to all of our Clients, Staff & Associates for a Wonderful Year
Gail Wood & Dan Steeves Woodlands Farm
BONUS TO BROODMARE OWNERS
Board your mare at Serendipity Farms at the reasonable rate of $20/day and receive a paid-up stallion service to Ontario’s STORM CAT Sire, HUBBA HUBBA
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