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 ;-)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
OMG! They Got Me!
Being a Florida boy, the frigid cold weather still gets my full attention. Yesterday was no exception, so a couple of my buds here at Foot Fall Farm, Zman (Zavata) and Killer (Killenaule), decided to take advantage of my focus on staying warm. They had me convinced that I had been sold to a North Pole breeding farm for $1000 at the ITOBA Stallion Auction!!! They even called down to the sale on a speaker phone (where they got a cell phone, I have no idea) and simply asked what Lot #68, Spanish Steps went for and the answer was $1000. Then, they asked if the purchaser was a guy with the nickname "Santa Claus" and the answer was YES!!! OMG!!!
I'm thinking that based upon my knowledge of geography that the North Pole just might be a whole heckuva lot colder than Indiana, if that is even possible. I'm also thinking that I only sold for $1000! I was a $280,000 yearling for crying out loud. C'mon! Needless to say, I was a little bit nervous about the situation, even though I've heard about this Santa Claus guy and people seem to really like him. I was also concerned that the North Pole breeding program wasn't as lucrative as here in Indiana. What do they have up there anyway? Reindeer.
Well, when the boss mare, Jo Ann, came into the barn and heard these guys, she told Zman and Killer to knock it off. At that point, those two just started rolling in their stalls laughing. They were laughing so hard, they were crying. Because I was thinking more about the cold, I had forgotten that Saturday was the ITOBA Stallion SEASON Auction. So, I didn't sell for $1000, but a breeding to me sold for $1000, and the guy that is lovingly nicknamed Santa Claus is Don Dearth. Oh, yes, those two got me good, but pay backs are a "you know what."
Once I was let in on their little joke, and the laughing stopped, I started to get excited. (Not stallion excited though, if you know what I mean.) Another season sold means another mare will be booked to me and with Don involved you know it's going to be an Arromanches mare. (Please be a gray, please be a gray!) I love those In Reality line (gray) mares. I'm looking forward to meeting her!
I'm thinking that based upon my knowledge of geography that the North Pole just might be a whole heckuva lot colder than Indiana, if that is even possible. I'm also thinking that I only sold for $1000! I was a $280,000 yearling for crying out loud. C'mon! Needless to say, I was a little bit nervous about the situation, even though I've heard about this Santa Claus guy and people seem to really like him. I was also concerned that the North Pole breeding program wasn't as lucrative as here in Indiana. What do they have up there anyway? Reindeer.
Well, when the boss mare, Jo Ann, came into the barn and heard these guys, she told Zman and Killer to knock it off. At that point, those two just started rolling in their stalls laughing. They were laughing so hard, they were crying. Because I was thinking more about the cold, I had forgotten that Saturday was the ITOBA Stallion SEASON Auction. So, I didn't sell for $1000, but a breeding to me sold for $1000, and the guy that is lovingly nicknamed Santa Claus is Don Dearth. Oh, yes, those two got me good, but pay backs are a "you know what."
Once I was let in on their little joke, and the laughing stopped, I started to get excited. (Not stallion excited though, if you know what I mean.) Another season sold means another mare will be booked to me and with Don involved you know it's going to be an Arromanches mare. (Please be a gray, please be a gray!) I love those In Reality line (gray) mares. I'm looking forward to meeting her!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Graded Stakes, Baby!!
I am one happy and proud stallion! Today, Little Mike made his graded stakes debut a winnng one by taking the Grade III(T) $100,000 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream. In a field of 11 that included 5 horses that have been in Grade I races, Mikey took them wire-to-wire finishing the mile and 1/16th in 1:40.52!!! What a great effort. Even my other stallion buddies here at Foot Fall Farm were impressed giving me hoof bumps and hoof fives all afternoon. Little Mike's win should give me bragging rights around here for a while.
You can check out the article, which includes a picture so you can see how handsome Mikey is, on bloodhorse.com at http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/60679/little-mike-12-1-hangs-on-in-ft-lauderdale.
This was Little Mike's sixth start on turf with five wins and one second in a listed stakes. The $60,000 from the win puts Mikey over $200,000 in lifetime earnings. Little Mike is out of the Wavering Monarch mare Hay Jude (Hay Jude, that name always cracks me up.) and is an A+ nick according to TrueNicks. Can't wait to see what's next for Little Mike.
Hay (get it? instead of Hey), if you haven't already, make sure you get your reservation in for the ITOBA Awards Banquet on January 22, 2011. This should be quite the soiree with the Stallion Season Auction kicking things off that afternoon where, of course, you can bid on a season to me. I'm hip #68 of the 80 seasons for sale and my season does sell with a right of return for breeding in 2012 if no live foal is produced from the 2011 breeding. T-minus 36 days and counting until the breeding season starts. Yes!
You can check out the article, which includes a picture so you can see how handsome Mikey is, on bloodhorse.com at http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/60679/little-mike-12-1-hangs-on-in-ft-lauderdale.
This was Little Mike's sixth start on turf with five wins and one second in a listed stakes. The $60,000 from the win puts Mikey over $200,000 in lifetime earnings. Little Mike is out of the Wavering Monarch mare Hay Jude (Hay Jude, that name always cracks me up.) and is an A+ nick according to TrueNicks. Can't wait to see what's next for Little Mike.
Hay (get it? instead of Hey), if you haven't already, make sure you get your reservation in for the ITOBA Awards Banquet on January 22, 2011. This should be quite the soiree with the Stallion Season Auction kicking things off that afternoon where, of course, you can bid on a season to me. I'm hip #68 of the 80 seasons for sale and my season does sell with a right of return for breeding in 2012 if no live foal is produced from the 2011 breeding. T-minus 36 days and counting until the breeding season starts. Yes!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday Was A Great Day
Thanks to everyone who came down to Foot Fall Farm to see me yesterday at the stallion open house. The other stallions and I enjoyed being the center of attention. While the weather wasn't the greatest, the people sure were. I was able to strut my stuff and get a few contracts signed for 2011. I'm looking forward to "meeting with" the mares you've submitted. Shelley Winter, the writer for Midwest Thoroughbred Magazine, not to be confused with the actress, Shelley Winters with an 's', won the drawing for a free season to me. Maybe she will decide to do a feature story on yours truly as well.
If she did interview me, I'd have to talk some about how well Little Mike is doing. He won again on Saturday, this time in an allowance at Calder at 7 and 1/2 on turf. With all of the fanfare at the stallion open house, I didn't see the race until later when I logged into my race replays account. The nice barn guy Larry lets me use his lap top. For those of you who have a similar account, you need to see race 10 from Saturday's card. If you can't see a replay, all you really need to know is that track announcer Bobby Neuman used the word "Wow!" to describe the impressive performance.
The race chart says that Little Mike "was checked when trapped in behind a wall of horses" which is an understatement. This was definitely a "Wow!" performance for Little Mike's fourth win in nine starts with earnings now of $150,000. Way to go Mikey!
I almost had two winners at Calder as one of my fillies Hannah's Princess ran on the same card. She had similar traffic troubles in race 8 and was able to overcome them and manage a third in an allowance optional claimer. Good effort, get 'em next time Hannah!
If she did interview me, I'd have to talk some about how well Little Mike is doing. He won again on Saturday, this time in an allowance at Calder at 7 and 1/2 on turf. With all of the fanfare at the stallion open house, I didn't see the race until later when I logged into my race replays account. The nice barn guy Larry lets me use his lap top. For those of you who have a similar account, you need to see race 10 from Saturday's card. If you can't see a replay, all you really need to know is that track announcer Bobby Neuman used the word "Wow!" to describe the impressive performance.
The race chart says that Little Mike "was checked when trapped in behind a wall of horses" which is an understatement. This was definitely a "Wow!" performance for Little Mike's fourth win in nine starts with earnings now of $150,000. Way to go Mikey!
I almost had two winners at Calder as one of my fillies Hannah's Princess ran on the same card. She had similar traffic troubles in race 8 and was able to overcome them and manage a third in an allowance optional claimer. Good effort, get 'em next time Hannah!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Come See Me On December 11th
The Foot Fall Farm Stallion Open House is set for this Saturday, December 11th at the Palmyra, Indiana. Check out their website for directions: http://www.footfallfarm.com/directions.htm.
If you are going to breed to an Indiana stallion make sure you come see me and all my buds: Zman (Zavata), Goody (Goods), Killer (Killenaule), Maybe (Mr. Mabee) and my newest bud Kela. (We're still working on a nickname for him. His name is so short, it's tough. If you have any suggestions please post a comment.) I've also heard that nice barn guy Larry talking about the possibility of another stallion, a grade 3 winner, being part of our line-up. I guess you will have to come and find out for sure.
Anyway, I'm looking good, my buds are looking good, and the forecast is for a warm up to the low 40's. The low 40's, huh? That sounds like a great number for my forecast of the number of mares I will be breeding to in 2011. Yeah, the low 40's is my goal. My main man Eddie will be available on Saturday to talk contracts. I'm looking forward to seeing you, and you really need to come see me. My boys and girls run anywhere, on any surface, at any distance. Just what you need.
If you are going to breed to an Indiana stallion make sure you come see me and all my buds: Zman (Zavata), Goody (Goods), Killer (Killenaule), Maybe (Mr. Mabee) and my newest bud Kela. (We're still working on a nickname for him. His name is so short, it's tough. If you have any suggestions please post a comment.) I've also heard that nice barn guy Larry talking about the possibility of another stallion, a grade 3 winner, being part of our line-up. I guess you will have to come and find out for sure.
Anyway, I'm looking good, my buds are looking good, and the forecast is for a warm up to the low 40's. The low 40's, huh? That sounds like a great number for my forecast of the number of mares I will be breeding to in 2011. Yeah, the low 40's is my goal. My main man Eddie will be available on Saturday to talk contracts. I'm looking forward to seeing you, and you really need to come see me. My boys and girls run anywhere, on any surface, at any distance. Just what you need.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Little Mike Update
After three straight allowance wins, Little Mike (out of a Wavering Monarch mare) finished 2nd in yesterday's $60,000 Monarch's Maze Stakes at Aqueduct. Mikey becomes my third stakes performer of the year joining Raise the Bridle (out of a Gulch mare) and The Flying Whizzer (out of a Forest Wildcat mare). This second place pushes Little Mike's earnings to over $125,000. Good effort Mikey, I'm proud of you!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Two Allowance Wins This Week
Before I get into talking about how well a couple of my kids are doing on the track, I have to give a big birthday shout out to my main man Eddie Martin. He turns 53 today, or at least that is what he is telling people. Have a great day!
For a couple of my kids it has been a really great week. Back on Sunday, one of my three-year olds, a gelding (I shiver every time I think about the gelding process. Yikes.) by the name of Lydia's Last Step won an allowance race at Zia Park. LLS covered the six furlongs on dirt in 1:10.65. A Texas-bred, he is rounding back into the form that saw him win the $60,000 Governor's Cup at Zia last year at six and finish second in two other stakes one at Sam Houston, the $50,000 Groovy, and the $100,000 Rile Allison Futurity at Sunland.
Then yesterday, one of my three-year old fillies, Hannah's Princess, (I remember her mom very well!) took command in the stretch in a non-winners of two allowance at a mile and 1/16th on turf at Calder to win by 2 and 3/4 in a real race horse time of 1:41.86! Hannah is a Florida bred and the breeder is my main man Eddie. With this particular cross, Hannah is 3 x 4 to Mr. Prospector, my great grandfather. The Mr. P line through my grandfather Fappiano seems to be the stamina branch of the Mr. P line. With Mr. P's son Woodman being Hannah's damsire, I wouldn't be too concerned with brining Mr. P line mares to come see me this coming breeding season. The cross seems to work pretty well and injects more speed into the pedigree.
I've said this before, and I'm not bragging, but my kids run and win all over the country on a variety of surfaces. This week was a great example, long on turf, short on dirt. I am ver-sa-Tile, baby! And, the week is not quite over as Little Mike makes his stakes debut in the Monarch's Maze on Sunday at Aqueduct which is one mile on turf. He's the morning line favorite. Go Mikey!
For a couple of my kids it has been a really great week. Back on Sunday, one of my three-year olds, a gelding (I shiver every time I think about the gelding process. Yikes.) by the name of Lydia's Last Step won an allowance race at Zia Park. LLS covered the six furlongs on dirt in 1:10.65. A Texas-bred, he is rounding back into the form that saw him win the $60,000 Governor's Cup at Zia last year at six and finish second in two other stakes one at Sam Houston, the $50,000 Groovy, and the $100,000 Rile Allison Futurity at Sunland.
Then yesterday, one of my three-year old fillies, Hannah's Princess, (I remember her mom very well!) took command in the stretch in a non-winners of two allowance at a mile and 1/16th on turf at Calder to win by 2 and 3/4 in a real race horse time of 1:41.86! Hannah is a Florida bred and the breeder is my main man Eddie. With this particular cross, Hannah is 3 x 4 to Mr. Prospector, my great grandfather. The Mr. P line through my grandfather Fappiano seems to be the stamina branch of the Mr. P line. With Mr. P's son Woodman being Hannah's damsire, I wouldn't be too concerned with brining Mr. P line mares to come see me this coming breeding season. The cross seems to work pretty well and injects more speed into the pedigree.
I've said this before, and I'm not bragging, but my kids run and win all over the country on a variety of surfaces. This week was a great example, long on turf, short on dirt. I am ver-sa-Tile, baby! And, the week is not quite over as Little Mike makes his stakes debut in the Monarch's Maze on Sunday at Aqueduct which is one mile on turf. He's the morning line favorite. Go Mikey!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
You Can Win Me on December 11th!
Ok, maybe you can't exactly win me, but you can win a free season to me for 2011. The good folks that take care of us here at Foot Fall Farm are having a stallion open house on December 11, 2010 from 11 to 3. This will give you an opportunity to see me up close and personal, along with my other buds Goody (Goods), Killer (Killenaule), Maybe (Mr. Mabee), and of course Zman (Zavata). By the way, Zman's son Dakota Phone won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile over the weekend. Congrats, Zman! Needless to say, Zman is a bit more exicted about this coming breeding season. He said something about the 'law of large numbers' and keeps paging through the Keeneland sales books with a big grin on his face.
Anyway, there will be a drawing at the open house at 2 for a 2011 season for all of us. I sure hope you can make it. I'm looking forward to seeing you there. For more information call the nice barn guy Larry at 812-972-1279 and for directions check out the farm website at http://www.footfallfarm.com/.
Anyway, there will be a drawing at the open house at 2 for a 2011 season for all of us. I sure hope you can make it. I'm looking forward to seeing you there. For more information call the nice barn guy Larry at 812-972-1279 and for directions check out the farm website at http://www.footfallfarm.com/.
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