Page 40 - August/September 2007 The Game
P. 40

40 The Game, August/September 2007 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Consigned by Windfields Farm, Agent CTHS Sales - Toronto
Racing with Fortune
A Head at the Wire
A series of real life stories by Paddy Head majeek05@hotmail.com
My raceriding course
continued under the tutelage of
the unpredictable gelding, Pat
And Turn. I suspected the little
horse’s proclivity for galloping
a head in front wasn’t from
cockiness but from fear of
leaving the herd. He was willing
to put his head in front but wanted the rest of his body protected.
My mentor, Joan O’Shea, tried to help me convince this obstinate horse to open up on the competition. She would gallop beside me but the moment her horse was out of sight, Pat would stall and wait for her to catch up. Joan tried gouging him with her stirrup but rather than scoot forward, Pat leaned into the pressure.
I was completely baffled at this point. I studied my first two races to find some clues. We’d finished third in his first race but after annihilating half the field out of the gate, we were placed last. The second race was more eventful but our slim 1/2 length win would have been easily challenged by a good closer. We would now be running against winners and effort was needed from both of us.
I wasn’t any wiser after the morning sessions with Joan but Pat was fitter and more experienced when we approached the gate for his third race. I said a little prayer to that fickle goddess, Fortune, asking her to give us a clean, safe run.
Pat’s heart was in the right place when the gate opened but his head wasn’t. We broke last and wound our way through the pack until I saw an opening on the rail. The horse directly in front was lugging out and gave us clear passage. Fortune was smiling on us as we skimmed through and took aim on the leader but suddenly abandoned us when a horse appeared from nowhere and cut in on the rail. I heard the fateful sound of aluminium shoes scraping just as Pat’s head disappeared. The ground came up towards me as I pitched forward. At the last moment, Pat’s head reappeared, throwing me back into the saddle as he leapt in the air and cleared the intruder’s hocks. His front end landed in the outside lane where traffic was thick. Denise Boudrot’s shrill scream rang in my ears as shoes scraped once again and Pat’s hind end gave way.
With incredible agility, he rebalanced and shoved off with his powerful hind quarters. I gathered my reins and leaned with him into the turn. We were now five lengths behind the leader but miraculously, we were back in stride. Denise was still swearing so I knew she was alright.
At mid-turn, we breezed by the horse who had shut us off and I let Gary Mineau know exactly what I thought of him. Pat interpreted my yelling as encouragement and spurted forward, keen to chase the leader. We bore down on him throughout the stretch, gaining the lead just past the 1/16th pole. Now, for the real challenge - convincing Pat to leave the herd. I went to
the whip, a little too eagerly, and Pat veered in. Quickly, I changed hands and continued the encouragement from the left side. There was a lot of power beneath me that wasn’t being used and yet we passed under the wire 2 lengths in front.
Denise caught up to me in the back- stretch. “Your number’s coming down,” she proclaimed in a huff. Without the benefit of my front row seat, Denise had no idea what had really happened. I looked around for Gary but he was staying out of my path now that the damage was done.
Back in the winner’s circle, the crew looked a little nervous. The board wasn’t flashing but the other riders were, everyone pointing a finger at me. Pat And Turn had earned a reputation and if anything went wrong. all eyes turned to him. With cuts on both front and hind legs, it was obvious he was in the midst of the fray. I assured Bobby Venezia our number wasn’t coming down - Gary Mineau’s was.
“Can’t take his number down,” Bobby said as he led us into the winner’s circle. “He finished last.”
I arrived in the jocks room in time to watch the head-on. On screen, it looked as bad as it felt. Pat’s nose literally touched the ground when his legs tangled. His athleticism and survival instinct got him back on his feet. When he jumped out in front of Denise’s horse, Bob’s Hunch, his hind end was sideways, which saved her neck but almost brought Pat down once again.
At films the next day Fortune again changed her alliance. I was confident I’d be held blameless but instead, I was given a more severe warning than Gary Mineau. He swore I wasn’t on the rail when he pulled over in front of Denise’s horse to get to the inside. Pat’s blistering speed, it seemed, was to blame.
The Daily Racing Form echoed the general sentiment: Pat And Turn moved to inside in backstretch, collided with Bobs Hunch when taken to the outside at the far turn to solidly knock that one back, steadily advanced from outside and after taking over lead, bore in while going away. Keen Landing (Gary Mineau’s horse) had brief speed.
To add insult to injury, head steward, Dave Hicks, called me aside. “Gary Mineau says you swore at him during the race,” he proclaimed. “We want to keep it friendly out there.”
I suddenly had a new understanding of the term, friendly fire. It seemed the adage was true, all’s fair in love and war.
Hip No. 43
colt by Cat’s At Home - Lucky Ruckus.
This is the first foal out of the mare who is a full sister to Top Ten List.
Hip No. 118
Colt by One Way Love - Sinhouse.
This is the first foal out of the dam who was a winner of more than $300,000. Same family on dam’s side as Parental Pressure.
Hip No. 381
colt by Porto Foricos - Bar U Raphael. The dam is a stakes placed mare who has produced two winners including Barumockua who is Stakes Placed.
SHANNONDOE FARM - 2007 Foal Report
DOB Jan. 19 Feb. 8 Feb. 18 Feb. 19 Feb. 26 March 2 March 6 March 12 March 12 March 19 April 9 April 13 April 14 April 22 April 24 April 25 April 30
MARE - SIRE
Rapael Rose - Storm Boot
Dealing With Daisy - Officer
Skip Lightly - Five Star Day
Design Queen - Kafwain
Queenship - Alke
Basta Barbara - Euro Silver
Miami Dreams - Limehouse
Alycheer - Strong Hope
Jovite - Pollard’s Vision
All That’s True - Touch Gold
Social Woman - Forest Danger Patience Please - Lion Heart
Jo Zak - Medaglia D’or
Sago - Dixie Union
Hold The Spirit - Consolidator
Miss Prado - Euro Silver
Wild Bubbles - Burning Roma filly
MARE BACK TO E Dubai
Northern Afleet Kafwain
Posse
Posse
It’s No Joke Littleexpectations Henny Hughes Grand Slam Sharp Humor Indian Charlie Badge of Silver Officer
Flower Alley Badge of Silver Slew City Slew Hold That Tiger
SEX colt filly colt colt filly filly colt colt filly filly filly filly filly colt colt filly


































































































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