MY BACKYARD - A POINT OF REFERENCE

By Janet Del Castillo

It's time once again to share with you the goings on at my farm and at Lois Schwartz's ranch.

Lois is the den mother for our three yearlings. We tried to be slick horse traders and took two weanlings to the sale in Ocala last year. What timing! The hurricane came roaring through and nearby towns were evacuated so we didn't get a single looker the first two days, which wasn't surprising since the winds were blowing HARD! [I'll leave it to your imagination as to how the youngsters acted in that kind of weather.] We either got no bids, or didn't get our reserve, and ended up taking the first filly home. The day the second filly was to sell the skies finally started to clear up and the buyers came out. Our sweet little "applesauce" went to a lovely farm with a kind new owner. This pleased us immensely since we knew the lady and expect that she will give the filly every opportunity to grow and develop.

First Prediction had a lovely Gallapiat colt who is now a yearling at the ranch. I hated to let him leave my place but Lois has beautiful and abundant grass at her ranch. In addition, it has two "friends" for him to frolic with. Right now they're merely being brushed and handled in low gear. Nothing much will be done with them until next year.

Star Prediction is now a two year old. My daughter came home for a few months and helped me start trail riding her. I have to remind myself NOT TO RUSH with her, as she is so willing and kind to handle. What a relief after the red filly! Since "Star" is only two and pretty large, I want her to grow and develop this year. She's being trail ridden about every fifth day for about three miles. She could tune right up but I'm aware that she is very crooked from ankle to foot on her right front and needs time for her bones to strengthen. Perhaps we'll get serious with her in the Fall and look to start her up while the Tampa Bay Downs meet is in full swing.

Training in Florida has challenges. One night I was awakened by a huge "kersplash" in my swimming pool. I thought maybe a meteor had dropped in from the sky! I jumped up and ran outside. There, swimming frantically, was a yearling that the Great Dane had apparently chased through a three board fence! The dog was leaping around barking at him and still had the look of the chase in his eyes. I had to tie him to a tree before I could rescue the colt. Then, wading into the water, by the light of the moon, I called to the furiously paddling animal. He came plunging toward me and I kept moving toward the shallow section until he got his feet under him and allowed me to help him up the stairs. "What a sight!" I thought, as I ruefully lead him into another pasture. Needless to say the dog was gone the next day. Then there was the ALLIGATOR in the barn! The lake by my house has risen so much that my lower, 5-foot 3-inch board fence is under water! Fishermen come floating into my pasture! How unsettling! Bruce, a friend who was helping for a while, came running up and said "There's an alligator in the barn!" His eyes were flaring and he assured me he was NOT joking! I called "Fish and Game" and they baited a trap that night. At six the next morning we had an eight foot alligator caught. Florida is great to train in in the winter. But it has it's drawbacks!

Joe, Red Filly's half-brother, is now a three year old and I've found him to be extremely lazy. He doesn't bolt, or whirl, or do anything rash. In fact we have to work hard to get him to go forward! He simply ISN'T INTERESTED in doing much! With a great deal of cajoling and encouragement we barely get him through three miles. Not once has he tried to run with speed or joy. In fact, he'll start galloping alongside the pony, and then go slower and slower and then stop! He DOESN'T CARE that a twenty year old pony is leaving him in the dust! He stops! And has to be dragged or pleaded with to go again. In frustration, I've sent him to the track for a few weeks to see if he becomes interested in running. But I have my doubts. I'm afraid I've found this family of horses very negative to train and I don't want to waste my time if he'd rather NOT be a race horse. A horse HAS TO WANT TO RUN. Joe seems indifferent.

If you recall, his half sister, Red Filly, had me pulling my hair out for years. She's the one who started her career jumping out of a moving horse trailer after breaking the tie downs and crashing through the closed panels. I always felt if I could channel that frenzied energy to racing I'd have some horse. For her first two years she would fuss and fret and carry on when in the stall at the track. I believed that if she went over (to the track) enough she would learn not to be so hysterical. This year I thought she was coming around. And by the 35th race she seemed almost normal. [Yes, I ran her that many times and she hit the board enough to make me hope.] At least in the shed row she didn't try to crash through the door any more and she was beautiful and SO SOUND. Seeing as she quit various times in her races after having had terrific breaks and good energy early, I had her scoped to make sure she wasn't bleeding. "Clean as a whistle" the vet said. Not even the usual Pharengitis seen so much. People always accused me of running her over her head in allowance races. Reason was... she would sucker me along and throw in a fine race often enough to give me hope JUST when I was ready to drop her! This year at Tampa she ran a fourth in a stakes prep and I thought she had turned the corner. "Ahh, NOW she'll try for me. Here we go..." I thought. Then she'd run a clunker. I finally dropped her into a claiming race a few weeks ago for $12,500 and she lost by a length and a half and got fourth. I started hoping that since she didn't do anything evil or wrong in that race, perhaps she'll now be a workmanlike racehorse. I dropped her back in at $10,000... and she was claimed. She didn't win, but again ran honestly. It seemed that she finally accepted the notion that it was easier to run than to fight. Now, I know I'm supposed to throw in the halter and be glad she's gone - she has been such a challenge and made me look SO FOOLISH for so long - but GOSH SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL! And, believe it or not, I REALLY MISS TURNING HER OUT in the morning, even when she would try to trample me! Also, she was a good horse to use for my seminars as we'd "load her up and run" and she always broke on top. It was sort of like a bad marriage. You know it should end, but you feel a loss just the same. The fellow who claimed her got a very sound horse who should run for years. I wish him luck. The problem with the claiming game is that when you put them where they belong, someone claims them! I guess I just need all allowance horses! It takes so long to prepare them properly. And that filly definitely had mental problems. She was "sitting on a win" and I DO wish I'D gotten it.

Oh well. Ya know, I have this two year old. Maybe...