Field Crop News: Buying Horse Hay When Supplies Are Tight

Many horse owners are finding it especially challenging this year to find and purchase suitable hay at a price they can afford. Hopefully, the low hay yields due to dry weather in 2012 will be short term in nature. However, there are also long term economic factors in play that are limiting hay production. Tighter hay supplies may be the new reality of the future. Horse owners need to become astute hay buyers, develop good business relationships with hay producers and dealers, learn how to manage large bales on their farm, and minimize hay storage and feeding losses.

AVIE’S QUALITY and BRUCE ON THE LOOSE (out of Canadian bred mare Road to Justice) – read more below

DOES HE HAVE THE QUALITY?
Ontario owned and trained Ave’s Quality on Derby trail

IVAN DALOS’ homebred AVIE’S QUALITY, foaled in Kentucky, is a contender in Saturday’s Lecomte stakes at fair grounds and a good race gets him on the path to the Kentucky Derby.
The Elusive Quality fellow is out of Dalo’s top turf mare Fly for Avie. this 2yo is trained by Josie Carroll, a 2-time Queen’s Plate winning trainer.
A $35,000 yearling (Dalos bred the 3yo with Darley, who stands Elusive Quality), Avie’s Quality is 5 to 2 on the morning line and looks very, very strong in the field. He will be ridden for the first time by ROSIE NAPRAVNIK.

Saturday, Fair Grounds, post time: 5:55 p.m. EST
LECOMTE S.-GIII, $200,000, 3yo, 1m 70y
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT

1 Malibu High K Malibu Moon Mena Borel 118
2 Heitai Fusaichi Pegasus Eramia Breaux 118
3 Fear the Kitten Kitten’s Joy Bridgmohan Maker 120
4 Oxbow K Awesome Again Court Lukas 116
5 Hawaakom Jazil Goncalves Peitz 116
6 Avie’s Quality K Elusive Quality Napravnik Carroll 122
7 Golden Soul Perfect Soul (Ire) Hernandez Stewart 116
8 Circle Unbroken K Broken Vow Guidry Simms 122
9 Ive Struck a Nerve K Yankee Gentleman Dsrmaux Dsrmaux 116

GRITTY CANADIAN BRED IN THE ZONE

Speedy PRIVATE ZONE, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, is a ‘double advantage’ Beyer Figure horse in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita tomorrow. The Macho Uno guy was 2nd in the Malibu (GI) last time out with a 103 Beyer. He is 5 to 2 for Good Friends Stable.

Saturday, Santa Anita Park, post time: 5:34 p.m. EST
PALOS VERDES S.-GII, $150,000, 4yo/up, 6f
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT

1 Apriority Grand Slam Leparoux Baffert 118
2 Drill K Lawyer Ron Garcia Baffert 120
3 Canonize K Aldebaran Valdivia Ellis 118
4 Sahara Sky Pleasant Tap Talamo Hllndrfer 118
5 Comma to the Top Bwana Charlie Maldonado Miller 118
6 Private Zone K Macho Uno Pedroza O’Neill 120
7 Justin Phillip K First Samurai Bejarano Asmussen 118

CANADIAN 3YOS GET PRESS

Canadian conquest
By Gary West | Special to ESPN.com

Their impact on American racing has been quietly profound for many years. But soon the Canadians could become uproarious, their influence assuming a conspicuous and clamorous significance.

The alarmist impulse might be to run through the stable area screaming, “The Canadians are coming; the Canadians are coming.” But impulse quickly subsides into velleity with the realization that their coming can only mean better racing and because well, they’re already here. Dynamic Sky, a stakes winner last September at Woodbine, won the recent Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay with a prowess that, depending on perspective, either announced or confirmed his Triple Crown candidacy. And Avie’s Quality, who won the Display Stakes in Toronto, will be one of the favorites Saturday when he makes his seasonal debut in the Fair Grounds’ Lecomte Stakes.

http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/8855927/canadian-conquest

MORE CANADIANS

SHALE WAGMAN’S  gelding TIEMPO LIBRE won his maiden at Penn National last night at 3 to 5 in the care of trainer STEVEN CHIRCOP. The Tale of the Cat 4yo won the $5,000 maiden claiming race by more than 10 lengths and ran very fast. 1:10 4/5. He was not claimed.

The Mark Casse stable took a win with Earle Mack’s RESPONSIVE EYE at Gulfstream yesterday. The El Prado fellow won a maiden allowance at 9 furlongs on the grass at eveno money under Jose Lezcano.

Canadian-bred 3yo colt BRIDGE JUMPER, unbeaten in 2 races at Hastings Park in 2012, fired a bullet 46 3/5 at Santa Anita earlier this week, the fastest prep at the distance of 60 workers that day. The BC bred by Storm Victory is owned by North American Thoroughbred Horse Company and trained by Troy Taylor.

EBLOUSSINATE 2 FOR 2

FROM BLOOD-HORSE

Eric M. Kronfeld’s Eblouissante has a long way to go to start emulating her big sister Zenyatta, but she showed she’s heading in the right direction Jan. 17 with another authoritative victory, this time against a small, but experienced field in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer at Santa Anita Park.

Under Corey Nakatani, Eblouissante, trained by John Shirreffs, again demonstrated that big kick on the far turn, evoking images of Zenyatta. Although she had to work a bit to put away a stubborn Pink Blossom, who was making her 12th career start, the daughter of Bernardini  –Vertigineux, by Kris S. finally put away her rival and drew clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:44.89. She galloped out some seven lengths clear of the others in the field of five. This was the first time the near-black 4-year-old filly has run on dirt.

PRESS EXCLUSIVE

Thoroughblog continues to work on the story of the mare PRESS EXCLUSIVE, recently plucked from an Ottawa kill pen. Stay tuned for a time-line of this noble animal.

Meanwhile, while she recuperates from terrible health, there is some good news in the form of donations:

Transitions Thoroughbreds is very pleased to announce that a very generous offer has been made by Purina Feeds to sponsor Press Exclusive’s feeding program during her period of recovery!!

Also, ULTIMATE SIDE REINS (see its Facebook page) is having a cool on-line auction of Off-Track TB stuff beginning next week and proceeds from some items go to care for PRESS EXCLUsiVE.

EYE OF THE LEOPARD RETIRED

Eye of the Leopard  , a Canadian champion and classic-winning son of A.P. Indy, has been retired from racing and will enter stud for $10,000 at Calumet Farm near Lexington.

Bluegrass Hall, whose principal, Brad Kelley, leases Calumet, purchased Eye of the Leopard in the second

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/75653/champion-eye-of-the-leopard-to-calumet#ixzz2IKGzJkOH

STANDARDBRED SET HOLDING ON

TORONTO SUN – ROB LONGLEY

In his days as one of the greatest drivers harness racing has ever seen, Bill O’Donnell got his nickname for good reason.

Back when he was North America’s best, the Nova Scotia native was known as the Magic Man for his ability to win races from just about anywhere on the track.

In his current role in the sport, it’s going to take more than magic to come out a winner. More like a miracle.

O’Donnell is the president of the Central Ontario Standardbred Association, whose task is to represent horsemen competing on what is widely acknowledged as the world’s best harness circuit — the Woodbine Entertainment Group tandem of Woodbine and Mohawk Racetracks.
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/01/17/anger-turns-to-depression-at-the-racetrack

JAMIACAN STAR BRUCE ON THE LOOSE DIES FROM COLIC

http://news.power102fm.com/?p=7548