After nearly a year of waiting....
Last July I saw an ad for MyRacehorse.com and mulled over the idea of getting back into a racehorse partnership after being away from it for over 15 years, this time via micro shares and being a passive owner. I finally decided to just buy a share in one horse, and picked out Vertical Threat from the half dozen are so unraced youngsters they had available at the time. VT was in training in California and expected to be ready to race within two or three months. In late summer, he got rambunctious on the track, threw his rider, and ran off and cut himself badly enough to need arthroscopic surgery. He was expected to be off at least six months. With that setback, I began buying in more horses and haven't looked back.
Vertical Threat was finally ready to race a month ago at Santa Anita. He got left at the gate in a full field of twelve, but got interested and looked like he wanted to be a racehorse when he was coming on strongly at the end, beating half the field and beaten less than four lengths.
Today, with the southern Cal circuit at Los Alamitos, he made his second start in a field of seven. No trouble breaking in the six furlong sprint and he was vying for third down the back stretch. Before they reached the turn, he accelerated without being asked and pretty easily put away the two horses in front of him. He came off the turn in front and just kept going. It was so, so thrilling. And gratifying. Won by six and was still looking plenty powerful at the finish.
No words for the high I'm on right now.
Getting ready for the winner's circle photo:
The official win photo:
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