2007 proved to be an eventful year as have many others.  The stable earned $551,000 through 21 victories, 25 seconds, 26 thirds and 18 fourths out of 155 starts.  100 horses placed first through fourth out of these 155 starters, which is about 65% in the money.

We started the year off slow with 4 seconds out of 5 starts in January, having only 23 starts by the end of April.  The slowness due to much more in-climate weather and a larger group of 2-year-olds.  We had the most wins in October and November with 4 winners each month.  The year ended with Brilliant Mistress for owner Penny Lauer, winning at Turfway Park on New Year’s Eve. The stables started 2008 off well as Mor Chances ran fourth in a New York allowance race and Nevercomingback won an allowance at Hawthorne on 1/2/08.  This makes her third win in a row, all completed in the last 30 days.  She is a home bred by Lauer and York, currently owned by Penny Lauer. 

We had one Stake Winner in Amature’s Prize at Indiana Downs for owners Scott Farrar, Jim Farrar and Penny Lauer.  Additionally, she ran third in two other stakes which pushed her lifetime earnings over $100,000. Need Money Dad, Chow Wagon, Hey There Cupcake and Ring Ring Ring  became stakes placed in various Indiana Races, as well.  All of these horses were home bred, 2-year-olds  and each broke their maiden in 2007(with the exception of Need Money Dad who was a 3 year old). These various winnings and placings all helped owner Penny Lauer become the third leading owner by earnings of Indiana Breds for 2007.

Mocha Queen also placed in a stake at Turfway before her retirement from racing.  We retired her with earnings of $393,000 and she is now due to foal this Spring.  She was bred to Pulpit and is enjoying her life on the farm until motherhood hits sometime in April.

Mor Chances, a 3-year-old New York-home bred colt was the stables highest money earner, of over $83,000.  He broke his maiden at Saratoga and came back to win an allowance race at Belmont, amongst other placings.  His success gave us added pleasure, as we had tried to sell him at Keenland as a yearling, only landing one bid, thus we bid him in for $2500.  His breeder’s awards pushed him far beyond the $83,000, as New York’s offerings are quite lucrative.  An exciting added bonus. 

Our partnership with Tim James proved financially successful as we claimed noted horses E & D’s Dream (claimed $7500), Mid-June(won $18,000, lost Sept. for $16,000), Lowthers Hill(claimed for $15,000) won for maiden $30,000 then came back to finish second in an allowance.  There were others in the mix, one we claimed for $17,500 (Coyoteshighestcall) and lost him a week later for $25,000.  Much of our success goes to Tim, who was actively handicapping our selections.

The stable raced in more states this year than before, as Pennsylvania added Presque Isle in Erie, which is a slot-fed track.  Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Ohio, New York and Kentucky made the list, too.  In 2008 we are looking to add Canada back into the mix as we have a 2-year-old Canadian home bred colt with Ralph Piercy. 

On the breeding and sales side of the operation we started 2007 by purchasing a mare, Swifty Classic (Sky Classic) for $11,500 in the January sale.  By the end of the year, her 2-year-old, Sky Mom (Maria’s Mon), was a Stake Winner and Grade III placed of over $175,000.  She was bred back to Pollard’s Vision and hopefully will produce a nice foal this spring.

We sold a 2-year-old full sister to Amature’s Prize in the Maryland Fasig-Tipton May sale for $70,000.  She was a Pennsylvania bred and this coupled with the success of Amature’s Prize helped her sell well.  A couple yearlings were sold in the September Keeneland sale.  We also sold a weanling by first-year sire, Pollard’s Vision, out of Stakes Placed, Longwood Lady, for $45,000 in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.  She, too was Pennsylvania bred and was owned with Jerry Merritt.

As 2007 closes we look back on some of the farm’s "crew" that passed.  We will miss Cappucino Queen, mother of Mocha Queen, who died of colic this spring.  She had colic surgery in ’03 and two recurring bouts this year. She produced winners and Stake Winners of over $800,000, making her by far the best producing mare owned by Jack Danehy, Terry Ward, Barry Ward and Penny Lauer. The ’07 filly she had this spring, by Songandaprayer, is doing great.  Miss Riverton, dam of many stakes performers such as Snack and Chow Wagon, suddenly passed away in the fall due to natural causes, perhaps heart attack.  We were fortunate and glad to have these mares for as long as we did. 

Currently, we are expecting 15 foals, are feeding a dozen just turned yearlings and breaking a dozen, just turned 2-year-olds.  It looks to be a promising and hopefully less-tragic year.  Our batch of 2-year-olds were bred in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky and Canada and all of them have portions for sale.  We will be foaling in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana and Canada.  Fewer foals to be born in Kentucky this spring as the breeder’s awards in other states are far more lucrative for the average breeder.  Look for updates and offerings of the younger horses on the blog soon. 

With the opening of Presque Isle this year in Pennsylvania, we look forward to Indiana opening slot machines at their two racetracks.  Looks as if purses will be effected, and racing in the Midwest enriched.  Kentucky also elected a new governor, Steve Beshear, who campaigned on the platform of pro-slot machines.  We’ll see what this democrat brings to the table. 

Looking to the New Year we are always pursuing our goal of 1 million in total earnings and continually seeking to have high-quality horses.  We hope the slot-enriched purses will help push us over the earnings goal.  Hopefully our 2-year-olds will come through and the older horses will mature into better race horses. The Keenland sale opens the selling season next Monday, offering a variety pack.  We are also looking to acquire horses through claims or privately, to run and have fun.  "Remember, we’re only one good horse away from the big time and we would love for it to be a horse with you."  We wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!