Two for the Track

Just a quick update, this past weekend my husband, Todd( or TJ Thompson to you My Space fans), his mom and I made the drive across the state to Boise to watch Derby Cat- who has racked up quite a few track accomplishments and Northern Lyph( we just call him Lyph) run in his first ever race.

He is out of the same mare as Derby, grand-daughter of Seattle Slew, my favorite riding horse in her pre-broodmare days and famous for her surly, sometimes dangerous attitude. This, she passed on flawlessly to Derby, who was even throwing an ear pinned tantrum when we went back to see her before her race. Lyph, however, is pretty much a giant Basset Hound. Every one who sees him wants to buy him but Jodi will never sell. When he's done racing she'll keep him for a riding horse.

When I think of him, I think of Jodi in the doorway of the barn, she throws the lead over his neck and turns away. Like any horse, Lyph turns to leave. He slowly ambles down the long driveway, going slower all the time as he repeatedly looks back to see if any one is trying to catch him. I ask Jodi if I should grab him before he gets away and she just laughs. With good reason. Within ten minutes he's standing in the doorway of the barn looking hangdog with hurt feelings that nobody bothered to try to catch him.

I never saw a more laid back pair, and him a thoroughbred! Well I don't know how long he'll stay a racehorse, Jodi said she thought he looked sad in his stall before the race. He's also lost about 400lbs since she was in charge of his diet, and around here, horses are kept fat and happy. At the very least happy. If she doesn't think he just loves racing, he'll come home.

On the other hand, it was amazing, Lyph's race was a mirror image of Derby's first race. He broke way last and finished 4th out of 10. If the rest of his career is anything like his sister's, he may stay on the track a while yet.

Derby's race went fairly well considering a couple factors, she finished 3rd, which is her second to worst finish, I think, in almost 10 races, but it was against competition so fierce the trainer very nearly scratched her out of the race. The only reason he 'sacrificed' it was so that she wouldn't be on the 'out list' for the next race. So it was still fairly respectable.

So that was this weekend at the races. We don't get to watch every time they run but we all love to be involved when we can. I'll keep this post, well, posted if anything else exciting happens.