If we were a football team, we’d have a big, long meeting Monday afternoon. Watch film. Analyze the game plan. Look at missed assignments. Talk it over. Process and decompress. Make changes for next week.
No video room in this sport. We are a far-flung racing stable with horses, trainers and jockeys returning from North Carolina or short commutes home from Monkton and getting back to work (staying at work) to prepare for next week. Texts and phone calls came in Sunday night. Jockeys are happy. Trainers are happy. Horses seem happy. I’m happy.
Jimmy Dan won his hurdle debut at Tryon, slipping into a waiver maiden claimer and handling that assignment with ease. Graham Watters and Jack Fisher are on the board. I picked up on Jimmy Dan early in his flat career, made an offer or two and eventually Riverdee partner, Ten Strike Racing, claimed him on their own. After a few more flat runs, we made a deal and the son of Kitten’s Joy joined the jump division. 1-for-1. Good start.
“He was great. Very professional. A bit confused going right-handed but he handled it well. Jumped amazing,” Watters said. “I just bounced him out. I didn’t want to be behind. The ground was beautiful. I was delighted with him. I didn’t need to give him a smack, outside the wings at the last. He’ll be cool going forward.”
Rocket One rallied to be second in the feature at Tryon. Good start to the season, bigger things hopefully ahead for the 5-year-old who has now produced two wins and three seconds in six starts over hurdles.
Include It ran hard to be second in the My Lady’s Manor. It’s hard to fathom but 3 miles is a little quick for him. Elizabeth Scully gave him another beautiful ride. Just a neck short of winning his first stakes in his stakes debut. Cool horse. Great effort.
Queens Empire produced his typical race to be third in the Thomas H. Voss Memorial at the Manor. Onward and upward with him.
Solid efforts by all the horses.
Entries taken today for Saturday. The tour continues.
