TIME TO VOTE!!

If you're waiting until tomorrow, I hope you brought comfortable shoes!!

Is it just coincidence the street sign suggests not going left??????

Hazel Creek - Part 3

Lucky for me, I wasn't the one who woke up with enough bear fur under their hammock to make a rug! Nothing seemed distrubed so I'm sure we weren't visited overnight.

Day three will take us down Forney Creek to Fontana Lake. Our original plan was to hike back over Welch Ridge via Bear Creek Trail to Hazel Creek and hike out to the boats. Smith was suffering from blisters and I was developing a problem with my right instep so covering that much elevation (up and down) didn't sound like a good idea. Looking at the map we could bypass crossing the ridge by following the lake via the Lakeshore Trail.

At the next campsite we saw a group that had come in on horseback from the other direction. Smith and I decided next time we come out here we would bring horses.

Welcome Home!!

Guess who showed up at the Kentucky Horse Park yesterday???????

ALYSHEBA

The 24 year old settled into John Henry's stall, across from Cigar. Interesting note. Before Cigar came around and set the all-time money earning record, that title belonged to Alysheba.

He spent the last eight years in Saudia Arabia in HRH King Abdullah's royal stables.

John Nicholson, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park stated:

"His Royal Highness King Abdullah realized how much Alysheba means to the American racing fans and we are grateful for this magnanimous gift of one of his favorite horses to our country. We are grateful as well for the great care His Majesty has provided for Alysheba."

While winning the 1987 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, AND Eclipse Award (Horse of the Year), Alysheba was even better as a 4-year-old, winning six Grade 1 stakes, including the 1988 Breeder's Cup Classic. He's listed as #42 out of the top 100 U.S. racehorses of the 20th Century.

This is a tremendous gift to the Horse Park. If you haven't been in a while or have never been, go now. Go see this wonderful horse, along with the others that are still there: Cigar, Da Hoss, Kona Gold, Western Dreamer and the others. Their former owners have been so gracious to send them to the Park so the fans of the sport, new and old, can enjoy them again, or for the very first time.

Horse Racing

This past year I've become more interested in horse racing, beyond the Triple Crown races. Jennifer and I took a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington last year with her sister and fiance and had a great time. It was a wonderful experience to see the legends like Cigar and John Henry (RIP).



By no means do I consider myself a student of the game, but I've enjoyed following a number of horses this year and watching them run in the Breeder's Cup last weekend.

CURLIN

I followed Curlin through his sensational season as a four year old. I applaud Jess Jackson for allowing the fans to see one more year of him before he goes to stud.

BIG BROWN

I think Big Brown is a great horse with bad feet. However, I'm thrilled to see him leave the likes of IEAH and Dutrow and head for Three Chimneys where another favorite, Smarty Jones, is standing.

ZENYATTA

Zenyatta, in her undefeated season culminating with a win in the Ladies' Classic, is a strong contender for Horse of The Year. I hope she or Curlin gets it.

I was amazed at how well the European horses ran this year, but given their typical training, I can see their advantage. If the pace is slow enough, they can practically canter around to the top of the stretch, then explode.

Most importantly, this year saw tracks take on anti-slaughter measures to prevent throughbreds from being sent off to auction. Nick Zito publicly applauded Suffolk Downs for leading the way.