Stately Victor: Ontario sire in the making?

A discussion on Facebook today prompted me to take a look at the records of several horses from this year's North American 3-year-old crop, and in reviewing the labors of one, a thought popped to mind.

Stately Victor just might be positioning himself as a stallion prospect for Ontario.

I realize that even with the swollen purses north of the border -- a maiden special weight on Saturday paid more than $40,000 U.S. to the winner -- the first thought in a stallion prospect-owner's mind is, "Can my colt make the grade in Kentucky?" In the past (and hopefully future) Florida has offered a warm welcome to those who don't quite make the cut in Kentucky, either as freshmen or after establishing themselves as good, but not great, sires. California has its own rich breeding history. And now states with slots, namely Pennsylvania, are attracting some solid stallion talent as well.

But those big purses do permit Ontario to gain momentum. When the grass in Florida began to seem less green than that under the snow in Canada, Adena Springs shifted its stallion operations, packing in its picnic basket a bit of Alphabet Soup and some Milwaukee Brew for a road trip to the Great White North, eh. Old Forester of Ontario's T.C. Westmeath Stud Farm stands No. 2 on the North American freshman sires list on the strength of his first crop's performance at lucrative Woodbine.

So how does Stately Victor fit in?

For starters, he's regally bred. And, most important for the purposes of this recommendation, his performance seems to lean heavily toward Polytrack, which is the main-track surface at Woodbine.

Stately Victor's lifetime mark of three wins and only one other placing from 12 starts (thus far) is hardly one that suggests a top stallion prospect, despite the fact that he's a Grade 1 winner. But it's where those performances have occurred that's catching my attention.

The colt's only on-the-board finish besides his three wins came in his debut, on dirt at Saratoga, where he finished a respectable second to the brilliant, but fragile, Winslow Homer (three starts at 2, three more at 3, sidelined by a condylar fracture).

Stately Victor broke his maiden next out, still at Saratoga, this time going two turns on turf. Sent to Keeneland next out, he ran sixth in the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity-G1 (won by Noble's Promise over Aikenite) but was very wide around both turns and was improving his position all the way to the wire.

The colt, owned by Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, made his next start at Churchill (last of seven when heavily favored in a dirt allowance) before running ran thrice at Gulfstream (fifth in a dirt allowance, eighth and fifth in allowance company on grass).

Then came April 10 at Keeneland.

There, Stately Victor shocked ... well, just about everybody ... in winning the Blue Grass S.-G1 at odds of 40/1. He'd earned his way into the Kentucky Derby, as did second place, turf-to-synth-switcher Paddy O'Prado. (First Dude was third and would not race in the Derby, but returned to run gamely in the Preakness.)

On Derby Day, Stately Victor came home mid-pack, in eighth. Skipping the Preakness, he ran in the Belmont Stakes, finishing seventh of 12. Tried back on grass, the surface over which he'd broken his maiden, Stately Victor ran fifth behind Paddy O'Prado in the Virginia Derby-G2.

Shelved for two months, where does Stately Victor return in September with a victory?

In the Ontario Derby at Woodbine, over Polytrack, drawing off by three and a quarter.

While 3-for-12 -- and 8-for-12 off the board -- isn't the typical stallion resume, Stately Victor has pedigree on his side to enhance his attractiveness.

His sire is Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, a son of the successful (and Canadian-bred) stallion Awesome Again, from the distinguished line of Deputy Minister. While Ghostzapper didn't get off to a blazing start with his first-crop 2-year-olds in 2009, finishing 21st among all North American freshman sires in progeny earnings, I'm not sure why anyone would have expected him to get precocious foals. He was only 1-for-2 himself as a juvenile, didn't win a stakes race until well into his 3-year-old season, and only truly came into himself at 4. His foals are performing better as sophomores, with four new stakes winners besides Stately Victor (three of those, surprisingly to me, are on grass). Ghostzapper sits in fourth place at present on the second-year sires list, a huge improvement over his mark of 21 from last year.

Stately Victor's pedigree strength doesn't end with a Horse of the Year for a sire. His dam, Collect the Cash, by Dynaformer, was a Grade 1 winner in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Stakes at a mile and an eighth on turf. She has already produced another stakes-placer in Money My Honey (Red Bullet), and a $100,000-earner from a stout 52 starts in Senor Enrico (El Prado).

Second dam Worldly Possession (Valid Appeal) was a stakes winner sprinting on dirt and Grade 3 placed going short on grass. In addition to the G1-winning Collect the Cash, she produced a stakes-placer bred by Adena Springs in Super Case, and the gelding Montezuma's Gold, who earned $254,763 non-blacktype. Worldly Possession was out of the stakes-winning Dr. Fager mare Cricket Club, who bore three other stakes winners.

So there's a lot of pedigree and performance standing behind Stately Victor. His success on Polytrack, including right there at Woodbine, would bode well for his main-track progeny seeking lucrative Ontario-bred purses. And his Grade 1-winning turf dam and a sire who is getting a surprising number of grass stakes winners (plus his own maiden-breaking win on turf) suggests that breeding turf-oriented mares to Stately Victor might result in runners who could handle Woodbine's grass.

As a potential sire of synthetic runners, why Ontario? Why not California? ... In no small part because Santa Anita is switching back to a true-dirt main track. In either location, horses who don't race at the marquee venues will end up running on courses that have traditional dirt; either Los Alamitos or the fair circuit in California or at Fort Erie in Ontario. But I wouldn't stand the horse in a state where one of the three top tracks (one of the premier tracks in the country) might not prove at all accommodating to his state-bred progeny.

Certainly Stately Victor has more to prove. He's a two-turn horse and the type who should actually be better at 4 than at 2 and 3. So I hope to see him stage a campaign next year (and maybe even the next), racking up many starts to prove he can outrun the 11-race, injury-ended career of his sire, and a few more distinguished wins to prove he's not just occasionally a top-notch performer.

And, if the horse were mine, he'd be running most of those resume-enhancing races on the Polytrack surfaces at Woodbine, Keeneland and Arlington Park. If they want to be adventuresome, perhaps try a couple of California classics, like the Gold Cup at Hollywood Park and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar -- where the "dirt" will still be "plastic."

Paddy's people know how to party

Paddy O'Prado first earned my respect by gutting out a third-place finish over a sloppy main track at Churchill Downs in America's biggest race. He made me a true believer when he surged to victory in the Colonial Turf Cup.

His connections have made me a fan.

The horse's talent aside, there's nothing quite like meeting his people; the principals of Donegal Racing, their families, and particularly managing partner Jerry Crawford.

Crawford has made a few headlines on his own lately, apart from frequently being asked to comment on what is now a Grade 2-winning horse and arguably the best turf 3-year-old in the country. Just last week, he was elected to the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors, after already earning a place with the organization as one of its larger cadre of trustees. He's a good alumnus and bit of a philanthropist, as well, donating his share of Paddy's $200,000 Derby earnings to his alma mater, Minnesota's Macalester College.

Apart from the racetrack, Crawford is the managing owner of the Iowa Energy, an NBA Development League team in Des Moines, and practices law with the firm of Crawford & Quilty. But in 2008, he founded Donegal Racing -- named for the county in Ireland from whence his ancestors stem -- and the group reportedly set out to spend some $500,000 in search of a Derby horse.

Unlike some Derby dreams that are never realized, Donegal quickly found its first classic contender in the form of a gray or roan colt by one of my favorite (late) sires, El Prado. Dale Romans, the colt's trainer to this day, signed the ticket for the $105,000, Gainesway-consigned yearling at Keeneland September 2008. That price is fairly attractive in a world where some buyers spend millions for unbroken yearlings that never pan out. It's looking a little bit like theft now that Paddy's credible effort in the mud, grinding home third in America's Race, has been backed up with outstanding efforts in graded turf company.

A couple of weeks ago, Crawford e-mailed me with a favorable response to a blog post about Bobby Flay's inclusion among the new Breeders' Cup trustees. As Paddy prepped to defend his Turf Cup territory, Crawford mentioned Donegal's return trip to Virginia and suggested he and I might be able to meet at Colonial Downs.

I didn't really know for sure whether that would happen until technology -- and the right connections -- intervened on my behalf. Just as I mentioned via Twitter that I was handicapping the Virginia Derby card over a large lemonade at Colonial Downs, Sid Fernando was tweeting about Paddy and Jerry Crawford, the latter of whom is a client of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants Inc., of which Sid is now president.

I privately tweeted Sid to ask what he thought my odds were of meeting up with Jerry Crawford on this day.

"Pretty good," he replied. And, moments later: "In 4th floor club house ... go now ... just got off phone w Jerry."

Yessir, I'll go now.

My initial obstacle was getting past the first-floor elevator attendant. Thankfully, he made it easy.

I asked, "How do I get to the fourth-floor clubhouse without credentials?"

The young man grinned and replied, "It's OK, some people are getting their armbands upstairs."

"Ummm, yeah, that's the ticket. I'll be getting my armband upstairs."

And into the elevator I stepped, along with a grinning female law enforcement officer who got out on Floor 2.

As the doors closed, she offered a piece of advice: "Just act like you belong there."

When I hit the carpet upstairs, a handsome young woman, speaking to an older man in quite the checkered suit, looked at me quizzically.

I asked, "Where would I meet Jerry Crawford?"

"Oh, you're with Paddy O'Prado," the woman said.

Momentary silence.

"I am today."

"It's a big group," she said, nodding and fastening a pink armband around my right wrist. Cheerfully, she urged, "Follow me!"

And I did, though not until I had to pitch my giant souvenir drink container, still three-fourths full of lemonade, into the garbage, because, "We don't allow outside beverages on the Fourth Floor."

(Which says a little something about the social strata at a racetrack. In the Sky Suites, even the lemonade from general admission is an outsider.)

Now, clearly Jerry Crawford knew I was coming. He'd just hung up the phone from Sid and said it was OK. But all that's necessary to fulfill the meeting is a handshake and a "Thanks for droppin' by; see ya again sometime."

That's the furthest thing from what I got.

Crawford greeted me enthusiastically and the Donegal "family" was gracious toward the interloper. Jerry even wanted to make certain I didn't miss out on the Virginia Derby swag.

"Be sure to get a (souvenir) clock," he told me.

I was included in the pre-first-post handicapping "round-table," where all the parties who fancied themselves horseplayers shared who they liked in each race. And I was at the Donegal Racing tables for the buffet, where I met, among other entertaining folks, Cody and Rebekah Durr from South Carolina. Cody, a former race-rider whose growth spurt took him out of competition, broke Paddy O'Prado on a training farm in the Palmetto State. In a sense, though the colt surely would've been prepped somewhere, Paddy wouldn't be where he is today without Cody, and the Durrs have been welcomed into the Donegal fold accordingly. (Cody, just 27, is also a recent winning owner at Charles Town.)

The afternoon was, in short, a blast. Even before the big race. And despite a tragic accident that decapitated one of the suite's occupants, a foot-tall fellow named Ken, who lost his head when his young female companion's even younger brother sort of yanked it off.

A goodly number of suite-dwellers took a shot at repairing Ken, but it's far more easily conceived than consummated. I eventually concluded that the hard-plastic torso is pieced together, front and back, at the last stage of assembly. So the rubbery noggin can be extracted by force, but putting it back is a different story. ... And I tried my hand at it, for as long as anybody. (Who can resist wanting to be a little girl's hero?)

But even with the help of Sarah -- the funniest, friendliest, bestest bartender at Colonial Downs -- it was not to be. And believe me, we tried everything.

"I wonder if we greased the head, if it'd go in easier," Sarah said. "Maybe with butter or oil."

I let those words linger in the air a moment before responding.

"I don't think it'll help, Sarah. But I'll absolutely butter a Ken doll with you."

Sarah reached for the walkie-talkie she uses to call for restocks of ice, liquor and mixers: "Can we get some olive oil in Suite 10?"

It was on the bar within minutes, in a small ceramic bowl. I dipped Ken's head.

"Wait," Sarah said, "I don't think we should risk messing up his outfit. Give him here; I'll undress him."

Sid Fernando had already informed our mutual "tweeps" that I'd reported I was taking part in the "Paddy Party." Now I whipped out the phone and tweeted: "And it ain't a party until the pretty brunette bartender has gotten a guy naked and dipped in olive oil."

Our Twitter circle was, well, atwitter.

Now, this sort of activity tends to draw a curious crowd. Even if it's just a doll. And not merely within the suite, but passersby from the hallway. An ever-changing, but chuckling, spectator section formed.

Nodding toward Sarah behind the bar, I quipped: "Imagine what I'm gonna have to tip this young lady now that I've got her gettin' guys all naked and oiled up."

Lubrication was no help. Getting the head over the plastic neck stub wasn't the problem. Getting that assembly back inside the torso without the head popping back off was the rub. I finally gave up, much to the shame of my family name. (I think "Craven," among a few unflattering things, must mean, "Nothing's ever broken that we don't think we can fix, although we might wait until it's completely nonfunctional to try.")

About that time, I briefly met Dale Romans, as well, fresh off a victory with Z Appeal in the Chenery Stakes for owner Frank L. Jones Jr. And a fine fellow Romans seems to be. I tweeted about that, too, albeit noting that Dale Romans wasn't the naked, oily guy.

At this point, you might be wondering whether I even remembered I was at the racetrack. On a big day of racing. Absolutely. I took time out to lose money on almost every contest. I lost when I picked horses without consulting anyone else. I lost when I asked other handicappers who they liked. I lost even when Sarah did her best to give me a $41.60 winner, Winslet in the Tippett Stakes, from behind the bar. ("I just pick by the names," Sarah said. That didn't instill confidence. She refused afterward to pick me another.)

OK, I won a few. I recouped some bucks here and there on my notorious short-price favorites. And a couple of longer-shots who managed to show, though I'd have scored much better had they placed.

And, yeah, I had a small wager on the 7-horse in the 12th. More about that in a minute.

As the Virginia Derby approached, the Donegal suite cleared out. I mean, like the day was over. They were all headed to the paddock for the saddling. And why not? It's a big part of the pomp and circumstance. I'd considered not going to the paddock, thinking perhaps I shouldn't risk wearing out my welcome. But when there was nobody left behind, except me, I hustled off to catch up.

It's an interesting walk, following the conga line to the paddock as spectators whisper, "That's Paddy O'Prado's people!" Especially knowing you so don't belong. And the paddock area itself was surprisingly big enough for everyone -- not just us, but, of course, the connections and entourages of each entry in the seven-horse field. (Formulaforsuccess was a scratch.)

The day's gray skies began to sprinkle, but nobody's enthusiasm was doused. Horses were saddled. Jockeys were legged-up, including Kent Desormeaux aboard the eventual 3/5 favorite, Paddy O'Prado. Digital cameras and camera phones were pointed every which way, snapping shots of the horses, trainers and riders, and of course capturing the faces of the connections, family and friends, with the saddling and the grandstand as backdrops. Even cell-phone video of Miss Virginia Caitlin Uze answering that her choice for the race was Two Notch Road, "because he's the only Virginia horse."

Soon, the post parade headed toward the main track, which is virtually unused these days at Colonial except for training, as all races are carded on the spectacular Secretariat Turf Course. Then the conga lines returned to the grandstand, where we clambered up one flight of stairs to a second-floor mezzanine to stand and watch the race.

But first, time to stop at an automated teller and place my bets.

Apart from Paddy, who I thought was by far the class of the race, I liked the 2, Krypton, second-best. I bet him to place and show, decided to safeguard my unemployed-guy dollars a bit rather than keying Paddy over Krypton and Interactif for a 7-2/3, 7-3/2 trifecta ticket (that eventually would've made me almost $2,000 had I let everything in my pocket ride), and turned to leave the teller.

Honestly, I wouldn't normally bet any horse at 3/5; not willfully. (As it happens, plenty of my 3/1 horses end up 3/5 after the late money comes in.) Since I wasn't on the hottest of streaks, I actually considered the possibility that even $2 on Paddy's nose might be enough to jinx the colt. And with me standing behind almost every person who owns, knows and loves him.

Then I reconsidered and returned to the auto-teller. What kind of ingrate would I be if I didn't have money on the horse whose connections had treated me so graciously? To win, of course.

Now I could return to the group without guilt.

The field broke and passed the grandstand for the first time. And, at this point semi-addicted, I tweeted that I liked where Paddy and Krypton had settled in the pack. Two Notch Road held the lead for much of the race, as he did in the Turf Cup, but would surrender it and fade to fourth as I projected. Still, a win was no sure thing for Paddy. As the field turned for home, I wasn't certain he'd have room to get through.

Desormeaux made sure that he did.

The hall-of-famer and his horse had saved ground all the way around, and moved up some along the rail before the door seemed to go shut. But Desormeaux angled Paddy out just enough to split horses at about the three-eighths pole, then took him right back to the rail, where Paddy really hit high gear. The galloping gray powered home in front of Interactif by a length and a half, to a rising din of celebratory shouts and shrieks from the Donegal delegation.

The Paddy Pack quickly moved down the stairs and toward the winner's circle. Crawford dashed ahead, prompting me to tell someone who'd joined us in the paddock that not only would I rather not have to race his horse right now if I were an owner, I'm pretty sure I'd rather not have to race Jerry.

"He has a ton of early speed," I cracked.

At the winner's circle, the gate kept closing, then opening to let more people inside. A voice in the crowd observed, "There sure are a lot of 'em." And there were. Not just the usual Donegal partners and pals, but me (hey, if you're gonna be a hanger-on, then cling for dear life) and a growing cadre of friends and supporters.

It was one crowded win-photo in the making.

I looked to my right, where Miss Virginia stood at my side, pinned against the brick wall and invisible to the photographer. Smiling, Miss Uze said, "I was asked to be here, they probably want to see me," and politely squeezed her way past me to get out and around to the front. Later, she would be goaded into kissing Desormeaux over the Virginia Derby's silver trophy, and Crawford was heard asking, "Can you say 'Breeders' Cup?'"

Back to the suite we went, but the Paddy Party wasn't long for Colonial Downs. Reservations had been made at a Richmond restaurant within the hour, and it's a 40-minute drive back to the city. So, after granting an interview by cell phone, Crawford gave his crew the directions to dinner and bade me farewell.

My day didn't exactly end there, but this novella of a blog post probably should. I will say that on my way out, I struck up a conversation with one of the people from that Paddy win-photo; a gentleman who was waiting outside for his friend to call a cab that, they learned, would take some 35 minutes to reach the track from Richmond.

And soon, I was clearing out the front seat of the old Dodge Ram to give Jack Stewart of Louisville's Lichtefeld & Stewart Racing, and his buddy, a ride back to their Richmond International Airport hotel.

Every day should be like this.

And apart from the loudmouthed, naked-doll-oiling party-crasher, I'm pretty sure Paddy and Donegal Racing would agree.

Good luck, Glory

From my perspective, there was only one negative to come out of Saturday at Colonial Downs, but it's indeed a sad note. Prepare The Way, a 3-year-old filly owned by Gordon and Lisa Calhoun and trained by Sarah Warmack, whose Hilltop Farm boards my mares and foals, cracked a sesamoid in Race 1. The latest word is that she's doing as well as can be hoped, but would be retired from racing. Good luck to "Glory" and her connections, who love her almost like their own daughters.

Correction: Macalester College is located in St. Paul, Minn. I apologize for the error.

Va. Derby prediction: A parade to follow Paddy

I'm planning on being at Colonial Downs in under 11 hours, so I'd better make this quick. But, much as I (correctly) posted on my Facebook page prior to the Colonial Turf Cup, I think Paddy O'Prado is the horse to beat today in the Grade 2 Virginia Derby.

Yeah, I'm a freakin' genius. The horse is 7/5 on the morning line and the pre-race favorite. But I do believe he's the most talented horse in this field, perhaps by far.

Paddy surged to win the Turf Cup going away even though Two Notch Road (who would finish third) was uncontested on the lead. I didn't bet Paddy on that day (not liking the price) but had wagered across the board on Two Notch Road at nearly 27/1, figuring he'd get the early advantage without much pressure. Sure wish he'd at least hung on for second over Workin for Hops, though I still scratched out a little profit.

Let's start by drawing lines through the 4 and the 5 in the eight-horse field, Majestictroubadour and Awesome Dream, who have two wins in seven starts, a whopping $25,000 or so in combined earnings, and no Beyer higher than 79 between them.

Today, I don't at all like Two Notch Road; not at 8/1 on the morning line, at least. Not sure I'd bet him even if he drifted up to where he was on Turf Cup day. I don't think the son of Partner's Hero out of a Capote mare -- who was fading at the finish going 9 furlongs -- will get the 10 furlongs today well enough to figure.

Stately Victor, also 8/1 on the morning line under Ramon Dominguez, has beaten Paddy O'Prado in the Blue Grass S.-G1. But that was on synthetic, and while sometimes horses can cross over successfully from fake dirt to the turf, and while Stately Victor did break maiden on grass at Saratoga, he was only eighth and fifth in his last two tries on turf (both Gulfstream allowances early this year) and I think the best he can do on this day is hope for second.

Interactif (3/1) and Krypton (7/2), starting in the third and second gates, to me are by far the most likely to challenge Paddy O'Prado for supremacy today. Both are G3 turf winners who should be able to get the distance, particularly Krypton, who is by Rock Hard Ten out of an Unbridled's Song mare. Krypton, with a 95 Beyer in winning the Hill Prince S.-G3 at Belmont on June 4, is by that measure the second-fastest horse in this race, and I think he'll prove it today under Rajiv Maragh -- but probably not get to Paddy, whose Beyer for the Turf Cup was 99 and he seemed to only be getting stronger.

A potentially live long shot for exotic wagers is the 6, Formulaforsuccess, who will be ridden by Victor Lebron for lesser-known trainer John Pucek (4-for-39 total this season from all starters). By Broken Vow (as is Interactif) out of a Nashwan mare, he has the pedigree to get the distance. He "gamely" wired a Churchill allowance field at 9 furlongs on grass his last out for a Beyer of 84, but will need to not get too tangled up with Two Notch Road on the front end if he hopes to last the 10 furlongs today.

The race is set to go off at 6 p.m., the last of an all-stakes Pick 5 at Colonial that includes the Chenery and Tippett stakes at 5.5 furlongs for 2-year-old colts and fillies, the Kitten's Joy at a mile and a sixteenth for older horses, and the Virginia Oaks-G3 at 9 furlongs.

Free past-performances and other products for the Virginia Derby are available at Equibase, which is featuring the event as its race of the week.

Havin' a ball with VTA and NCTA at Colonial

This past week was a busy one, with two concerts attended in D.C. and two days of racing at Colonial Downs on the weekend.

Would somebody please pay me to lather-rise-repeat such weeks for the rest of my life? Especially the racetrack part?

On Saturday, at the invitation of Glenn Petty, I attended the Virginia Thoroughbred Association's owner/breeder recognition luncheon on the back side at Colonial Downs. I was privileged to meet several of Virginia's more active horse-industry players, and had a great conversation with John and Kim Griffin, who have owned a racehorse or two in the past (none in training at present), and live quite nearby Colonial. John is director of the Neuroscience Program at the College of William & Mary, while Kim combines her passion for horses and photography with splendid results.

During the race card, I hung in a luxury box with several of my fellow members of the North Carolina Thoroughbred Association. Colonial puts out a tremendous buffet spread, and one of the perks for being among the "group sales" parties in the boxes is a trip to the winner's circle for a photo after the race that is "featured" in recognition of your group.

Not entirely wanting to take part in my first winner's circle photo without actually winning something, I considered placing a $2 win bet on every horse in Race 3 (our featured race); there were only six going and I could just root for the longest shot in an effort to achieve some payback. On the other hand, I decided it isn't really a "bet" -- or maybe isn't really "winning" -- if you've set it up so that you can't lose. ... Granted, I was gonna lose $10 regardless on five bets that didn't come in, but I was guaranteed to win on at least one, and maybe, if it's with the right horse, pay back the losses and then some.

So I threw out a horse. And bet a five-horse box on a 10-cent super. And stood on the apron with the NCTA and my friends Rob and Shayla Simmons (Rob's a blog-reader and track-going pal of mine) as we watched 14/1 Jazema's Ginger -- the longest shot on the board, and the horse that I tossed -- come up the rail to win the whole thing by a half-length.

At least I have a better story behind that win photo than if I'd just bet every horse.

And, Colonial Turf Cup day was still fun (congrats, Paddy O'Prado), only momentarily threatened by a misguided trainer's attempt to saddle me for Race 4 before I could get back to the luxury box. He quickly realized his mistake when he determined I was far from race-fit.

On Sunday, I got to watch from the apron as a filly owned by online friends (and first time in-person friends) Lisa and Gordon Calhoun -- and trained by Sarah Warmack, who owns Hilltop Farm VA, where my horses are boarded and foaled -- give a better effort than was really expected from her. Prepare The Way (aka "Glory") is working her way back into condition after a troublesome first race a few months ago at Laurel Park.

On Sunday, sent off as the second-longest price on the board, she finished where bettors expected in the order of running -- fifth of six -- but gave a good effort under Tadious Simpson, an apprentice and son of former Jamaican champion jockey, Trevor Simpson. Tadious settled her fairly well, kept her out of trouble, and despite falling out to last on the turn, "Glory" didn't run out of gas on the rider in the final eighth as Sarah feared she might; in fact, she ran on to pass a horse and was gaining on fourth at the wire.

Let's hope for better next time, and I'll wager Tadious will have the mount again, if he wants it.