We just sent most of the horses to Hot Springs to prepare for opening day on January 11th a Oaklawn Park. We do have a few at Penn National as well as locally to run for the winter. The winter does not give you as many options as summer for places to run so we have to divide them up a little more.
2012 overall was good as we finished the year with 46 wins, just shy of our goal of 50. Some of those 60 second places and 62 third places should have been wins. We won races at Beulah Park, Mountaineer Park, River Downs, Turfway Park, Presque Isle, Parx, Penn National, Indiana Downs, Hoosier Park, Oaklawn and Keeneland. We placed in stakes at Penn National, Hoosier Park, Indiana Downs and Oaklawn Park.The stable had total earnings right at $1.6 million which is the best we have ever done.
We had SCATMAN (who was one of the better horses I have ever trained) and he gave us another little taste of The Derby Trail. He started the year with a win in January at Oaklawn Park then ran a 2nd in the Grade III Southwest Stakes and a 3rd in the Grade II Rebel. He was a neat little horse.
The homebred’s won the largest amount of purse money for the stable. DREAMIN BIG was the big winner, winning four in a row. SNEAKIN AWAY won a stake for owners Jerry Merritt and Penny Lauer earning just under $100,000 for the year. GLOSSED AND FOUND and PRIZE WINNER were also stakes placed.
We bought three horses out of the Fasig Tipton February Mixed Sale and had 5 wins, a stakes placing as well as other placing’s winning over $120,000 for the year.
Highlights and Lowlights of 2012
Highlight: Scatman running a 2nd and 3rd in Graded Stakes.
Highlight: Dreamin Big winning 4 in a row. Lowlight: When they didn’t move the gate at Hoosier Park during a race and she came around and was one of the few that hit the gate.
Highlight: Best ride of the year was on Prize Winner at Penn National. She was at the back of the pack going a mile, slowly moved up cutting the corner and gradually wore down the winner. Great ride by David Cora.
Personal Highlights of 2012
Re election to the Indiana HBPA Board.
Our oldest daughter Elizabeth traveled to Africa, met the President at his Christmas Party and served over 130 clients with her photography business.
Our middle daughter Sara married in October to (our new son in law- Justen) and we had our first wedding reception here on the farm. It was a lot of fun.
Our youngest daughter Abby graduated from High School and went off to college in the fall. (We are now experiencing a little bit of empty nesting.)
This year the goal is to win at least 50 races and have more win’s than seconds. We appreciate all the help you give us, as without you and your horses it wouldn’t be possible.
