Summer Squall

Summer Squall was foaled in 1987 by Storm Bird, out of Weekend Surprise (Secretariat). He went undefeated in five starts that included the Hopeful Stakes, Saratoga Special Stakes, and Bashford Manor Stakes as a two-year-old before forming a big rivalry with Unbridled at 3. The two went head to head 6 times, with Summer Squall coming out on top in four of the races, including the Blue Grass Stakes.

The Triple Crown came around that year and like most top 3-year-old colts, Summer Squall was pointed for it. He made a move from the pack around the final turn, but Unbridled came with him and pulled away for the win. In the 1990 Preakness, Summer Squall pulled away by 2 1/2 lengths to beat Unbridled. He did not go to the Belmont because Lasix was still banned in New York at that time. Besides the Preakness Stakes, Summer Squall won the Jim Beam Stakes, Pennsylvania Derby, and Kentucky Breeders' Cup Stakes at three.

Summer Squall returned for his four-year-old season, defeating Unbridled in the Fayette Handicap before finishing second in both the Washington Park Handicap and Pimlico Special. He ended his career with a record of 20 starts, 13 wins, and 4 seconds, and earnings of over $1.8 million.

Summer Squall was a ridgling, but that didn't stop him for a top-notch career at stud. He sired 37 stakes winners. The best known of these is Charismatic, 1999 Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year Old Male the same year of his Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins before coming up short and finishing third in the Belmont. He also sired Storm Song, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and 1996 champion 2-year old filly; G1 winning Summer Colony; and Summerly, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Oaks. He was also the damsire of Stevie Wonderboy and Summer Bird.

Summer Squall stood at Lane's End Farm all his life and was pensioned in 2004 because of fertility issues. The 22-year-old stallion was euthanized September 22nd because of complications of the infirmities of old age and founder.

I have UPDATE!

So I finally got sick of waiting and remembered that there's one last source I haven't checked. So I went there. And guess what I've got?!

UPDATE ON KEUM H. LEE CASE!

On September 16th, Lee appeared in court. She has been released on recognizance and will return to court on October 26th.

If you, like me, have no idea what 'released on recognizance' means here are a couple definitions:

Method by which an individual is released in lieu of providing bail, upon his promise to appear and answer a criminal charge. The R.O.R. Procedure permits release on nonmonetary conditions, generally involving only the promise to appear, but sometimes involving special conditions (e.g., remaining in the custody of another, abiding by travel restrictions).

http://www.answers.com/topic/release-on-recognizance-r-o-r

It means that you are being released on your word that you will show up at court at the appointed times. It is used when there is little flight risk and the court system trust you will do the right thing. There is usually a bond that is being withheld and if you violate your release terms they can charge you.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_release_on_recognizance_mean_in_criminal_law

I'll keep watch and be back searching for updates on the 26th!

Cryptoclearance

Better Talk Now, my favorite turf horse, is retiring because of an injury to the suspensory ligament in his left hind leg. I'm depressed.

Cryptoclearance was born in 1984 in Kentucky by Fappiano, out of Naval Orange. He sold for $190,000 in the 1985 Keeneland September yearling sale. At two, Cryptoclearance destroyed a field of maidens at Saratoga by 12 1/2 lengths and went on to win a mile allowance at Belmont, defeating Gone West.

At the beginning of his three-year-old season, Cryptoclearance raced five times in Florida in preparation for the Kentucky Derby and placed first and second in all of them. The most prestigious of these victories was the G1 Florida Derby, where he had a tough trip when he was forced six and eight wide on the final turn and stretch. The stallion ran in all three legs of the Triple Crown, finishing fourth in the Derby, third in the Preakness, and second in the Belmont. He ended his three-year-old season with a 5th out of 12 runners in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Hollywood Park after making a bid from last place.

Cryptoclearance returned better than ever at four. He destroyed an allowance field at Gulfstream before coming out on top by a nose in the G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap. He finished second in the G2 Nassau County Handicap next out. The same year he dominated in the G2 Budweiser Hawthorne Gold Cup by 10 lengths and the G2 Paterson Handicap. But when the Breeders' Cup Classic came around, he once again finished a fast closing 5th.

Cryptoclearance returned for one last time in 1989 for his five-year-old season. He started that season off with a bang with a win in the G1 Donn Handicap, followed a win in the G1 Widener Handicap, and a repeat victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup. His second-to-last start was in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, a mile and a half race at the time. Cryptoclearance chased Easy Goer all the way up the stretch, the two horses drawing away from the field by 20 lengths. His final race was his third try in the Breeders' Cup Classic, where he ironically finished 5th after coming up from last place.

Cryptoclearance retired with 44 starts, 12 wins, 10 seconds, and 7 thirds, and over $3 million in earnings.

His stud career began with a bang when he sired Stategic Maneuver and Ride The Rails in his very first crop. Stategic Maneuver quickly proved herself as a top filly when she won several large stakes races at 2 years of age, losing out in the voting for top 2-year-old filly to Juvenile Fillies winner, Phone Chatter. Ride The Rails won the Foolish Pleasure Breeders' Cup Stakes at two and ran second in the Florida Derby at 3. He won 10 of his 14 lifetime starts before becoming the first son of Cryptoclearance to stand at stud.

Cryptoclearance's best offspring is Eclipse winner Victory Gallop, earner of over $3.5 million and top racehorse and stud. A stakes winner at 2, Victory Gallop went on to place second in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont before going on to prevail in a thrilling 1988 Belmont Stakes where he denied Real Quiet a Triple Crown victory. Victory Gallop went on to shatter the track record in the Stephen Foster Handicap and defeat Behrens in the Whitney.

Another son of Cryptoclearance, Volponi, startled the racing world with a huge upset in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Classic.

As of 2008, Cryptoclearance had sired the earners of almost $50 million, including 3 champions, 13 graded stakes winners, 42 stakes winners, and 49 stakes placed horses.

The 25-year-old stallion stood for $5,000 for the 2009 season at Margaux Farm in Kentucky. He died of complications from colic surgery on Thursday.

RIP Cryptoclearance

Kona Gold

Anyone else think it's weird that there's been so many celebrity deaths lately? I mean think about it. Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, Ted Kennedy... Apparently that trend has hit the horse racing world. For the next week and a half I'm going to go back and pay tribute to these great horses.

Kona Gold was foaled March 19th, 1994. He was sired by Kona Gold and out of Double Sunrise. His pedigree included Slew o' Gold, Nijinsky II, Seattle Slew, Princequillo, Northern Dancer, and Bold Ruler. He sold for only $35,000 in Keeneland's 1995 September yearling sale.

Kona Gold raced for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. He made a total of 30 starts with 14 wins, 7 seconds, and 2 thirds and earnings of over $2 million. He won the 2000 Eclipse Award for top sprinter and set two records. The first was in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs where he set a Breeders' Cup and track record for six furlongs, running the race in 1:07.77.

The gelding's wins include the:

1999 and 2003 El Conejo Handicap
2000 Palos Verdes Handicap
2000 and 2001 Potrero Grande Handicap
2000 and 2001 Bing Crosby Handicap
2000 Ancient Title Handicap
2000 Breeders' Cup Sprint
2001 San Carlos Handicap
2002 Los Angeles Handicap

Kona Gold was retired from racing at the age of nine. He spent four years as Headley's lead pony before retiring to the Kentucky Horse Park in 2007. He was humanely euthanized after suffering a severe fracture to his left front leg while exercising in his paddock. The handsome bay gelding was 15 years old.

RIP Kona Gold

Case Updates and News Tidbits

It's Sunday again which means tomorrow is the start of another week. Oh joy.

First some good news. Okay it might not be good news to all, but it is to me. Let's all remember than I am, in fact, a fan of horse racing, though that does not mean I support every decision they make.

Indian Blessing beat out Sara Lousie, aka the last horse to beat Rachel, by a head in the Gallant Bloom Handicap! No, I have not seen the race yet. But I'm going to.

Keum H. Lee -- I sincerely regret to say that I think they have succeeded in sweeping this one under the carpet. Unless someone here knows what happened to the case.

*sighs* No news again. I HATE not having news.

LAVA MAN'S BACK! That's right, my favorite gelding of all time is now back in racing! Story

If he's sound and happy, he should run! A horse wouldn't run if he didn't want to. Do you honestly think that a 100-pound man no matter how strong could force a horse to run and do well if the horse didn't love it?

Tom Hudson, manager at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, commented that Lava Man's spirits were noticeably brightened by the return to training after months of relative inactivity.

See? I look forward to seeing his comeback to racing. I've been missing the old boy. :)

A slaughter rescue was shot and killed in Bismarck. Story

Animal abuse case is back in Jackson County District Court after Michigan Supreme Court decided not to hear their appeals. Story You can be sure that I'm going to watch this one. In fact, I can watch it directly. Horse abuse in my own back yard. I sure would like to know the whole story on this one.

Carriage Horses

This seems to be a popular topic lately. There are seem to be a lot of horse carriage/buggy related crashes. Here's PETA's side of the issue (no, I usually don't agree with them) and here's a recent story about a carriage hit near Central Park.

Let's talk about the carriage being hit first. Horse was caught unharmed, no one was in the carriage at the time, and the driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

1. Carriage horses NEED to be properly desensitized. I'm definitely not saying this one wasn't because any sane horse would bolt if it's carriage was hit by a car. I know I would.

2. Drivers NEED to be more careful! (I mean the car ones not the ones controlling the carriages, but they should be on the lookout as well.) I'm sick and tired of hearing stories about Amish buggies and horse drawn carriages being hit by cars. Accidents happen, but they shouldn't be happening this often.

Now let's take a look at the issue behind this: whether or not horse drawn carriages should be allowed in cities. As said in the article, PETA is trying to get them replaced by classic cars. There is just one thing I want to say to that.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ALL THE HORSES AND DRIVERS? The one thing that bothers me most about people that think entire sports should end is the fact that they never think about what would happen if it did end. This is similar.

Horses - yes, they're probably very well-trained carriage horses and awesome animals. But there are a LOT of horses like that out there right now for sale that no one can afford. Exactly how many carriage horses are there in Central Park? A couple dozen?

Drivers - Carriage rides are probably their primary source of income. By taking that away, you're asking them to give up what is probably all they know and what they love to do. So you're taking away their job, telling them they can't give carriage rides in Central Park anymore, and asking them to support a horse as well if they're the actual owner? If they're NOT the actual owner, do you think whoever that is is going to keep all their horses now that they're not doing anything?

If you want something to happen, you HAVE to think it through. Yes, it might save horse and human lives. But it's also affecting a lot more.

A carriage ride in the park with my mom at night is one of my favorite memories. I wish I still had the picture the driver took... Back then I was only able to touch a horse maybe once a month at most so a carriage ride was the highlight of my vacation. It wasn't in Central Park, I've never actually been to New York.

Second Arrest Made in Florida Horse Killings

I'm so sickened right now that I can't even think of anything to say. Don't read this story if you're easily distressed. No pictures, but it's not for the faint at heart.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1246788.html

These guys better get a judge that's going to prosecute them as far as humanly possible.