With one of my four-year olds, Little Mike, running in yesterday's Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, I was hoping that he would pull off a minor upset so I could get my own iPhone. According to one of my buds here at Foot Fall Farm, Zman (Zavata), if you are the sire of a Grade 1 winner, you get an iPhone. Now, I think everyone knows that Zman is the sire of Grade 1 winner Dakota Phone who won the Breeder's Cup Dirt Mile last year. Of course, being the sire of a Grade 1 winner is a big deal, but Zman is pretty modest about it. We've been barn mates since he arrived here at Foot Fall Farm about a year ago and he has pulled his share of pranks (See my earlier post) but, Zman does have an iPhone. So, how do we dispute that claim?
Anyway, his iPhone has a horse racing app that allows us to watch live races around the country, and even around the world. So, that's how we have been keeping tabs on how our kids are doing. We crowd around his iPhone each day to watch races from our favorite tracks. Like last Sunday, when we watched one of my four-year old sons, Lydia's Last Step, take a field wire-to-wire at Sunland Park in a $32,000 allowance optional claimer at a mile on dirt. LLS is one of my stakes winning sprinters, so seeing him stretch out and win at a mile was fantastic. This win pushed my average earnings index up to 1.54 for 2011 with 7 winners in 29 starters so far. Not too bad so far at all this year.
Anyway, with Little Mike entered into a Grade 1, I'm thinking that today might just be my day to earn an iPhone too. True to his front running style, Little Mike set the early pace in the mile and one-eighth turf test through the first quarter of :23.2 and half in 47.4. With a fairly moderate pace, Goody (Goods) started a low chant "iPhone, iPhone, iPhone" then Special K (Kela) joined in. When Little Mike responded to a challenge at the top of the stretch while maintaining the lead, Killer (Killenuale), B Road (Bittel Road) and Zman joined in so every stallion in the barn was chanting "iPhone, iPhone, iPhone" at the top of their lungs. Little Mike had covered the mile in 1:34 flat!! Down the stretch Little Mike dug in gamely, but the closers were coming with their runs. Even though Little Mike covered the last eighth in 12.4 he faded to sixth just two and half lengths from the eventual winner and just two noses out of fourth.
While I didn't earn my iPhone yesterday, I'm as proud as I can be with Little Mike. He showed he belonged in Grade 1 company, and I can't wait to see his next race. I'm hoping for a Grade 1 at a mile someplace. I guess we will see. Now, if you have an iPhone, or any other phone for that matter, isn't it time you call my main man Eddie to book your mare to me for 2011? His number is 317-658-9021 and make sure you text him a picture of your mare, so I can check her out ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment