Ryan Roshau for HRND
Half of August is gone and that means half of the meet at the Horse Park is history.
The meet has had its valleys but they pale in comparison to the peaks. The weather has been exceptional and it has brought out one impressive crowd after another. Friday nights at the Horse Park continue to be the hottest spot in town and the packed gazebos and lengthy betting and concession lines prove it. Dusk on Friday nights at the Park is a terrific time. How can you top horses parading to the post while a majestic sunset paints the sky off to the left? Add a harvesting combine and you have a postcard summer evening in North Dakota. The Saturday twilight card is a great innovation and it leads to a live concert on track, truly making it a day at the races. Sunday has always been advertised as Family Day but with more events, activities, and exhibits in 2008 it is truly living up to its name.
On the racing side, the meet rolls on and the story lines parallel previous seasons. Bob Johnson and Jake Olesiak are off to hot starts. Dave Bernhardt and Curt Rohweder are ringing up the wins and Vic Hanson and Jerry Vaughan are running very well with the few starters they have. They only race to win as the public and competition know all too well.
The barn area is always a flurry of activity, especially on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings when horses come off the track and trainers dart the grounds on their way to the entry trailer. The scene is a plethora of cell phones, fast writing, and trailer doors opening and closing. It's not the New York Stock Exchange, but it's close. In the midst of all of this activity, leaning against a fence near the paddock are trainers Bob Johnson and Ken Olson and jockeys Jim Beeson and Jerry Vaughan. The four hold court and rib each other about successes and setbacks. There is little doubt there is camaraderie amidst competition here at the Horse Park.
I am always encouraged when a new rider arrives on the scene and this year that pleasant surprise is Don French. The Arizona-based jockey is currently fourth in the rider's standings but he is earning a reputation around the barn as a big money thoroughbred rider. He has eight wins to his name but I expect him to pick up some ripe mounts in the last two weeks and secure another five to ten victories.
On the horse front the best is yet to come. This weekend three marvelous quarter horse races (Min Dak Futurity, Red River Derby, and North Dakota Challenge) will highlight the cards along with the Trials for the North Dakota Bred QH Futurity. If you are a fan of the fastest horses in the world, this is your weekend. Labor Day weekend will decide it all with two thoroughbred stakes and a handful of quarter horse stakes as well. Luminaries Rockinrollin Nolan, Dakota Lane, Hesa Bold Fame, Tiger Jet, Aferds Code Red, and Givem Hell Harley look to make names for themselves in the ensuing weekends.
I can hardly wait to see what is in store.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Week One at the Horse Park one to remember
Ryan Roshau for HRND
Opening Night came and went for the sixth time but it still takes your breath away to see the grounds teaming with racing fans. 4,000 strong, possibly more headed out to the track to see live racing return to Fargo. Old friends reunited, stories of past races were accounted and above all the burning question of "who do you like?" So many of the Horse Park's loyal fans look forward to this pseudo-holiday and with good reason. It's great to see the place active again and filled with whoops and hollars and trifecta shoulda-woulda-couldas when the tote board lights up official.
One of my favorite races year after year is the North Dakota Bred Futurity which usually kicks off the first weekend. The field is scattered with a horse or two who has made a start but for the most part it is loaded with those who are testing the waters for the first time. I can't recall another race during the meet that awakens such a sense of hope. No one knows what they have and for many of these breeders and owners they might be looking at the best one they ever had. At this stage of their career who knows? For Leigh Backhaus and Sons "the one" may have arrived in the form of the gallant race winner Drawin Bullets. We'll see how he does from here now that he has the Futurity win under his belt.
Why Down on Brown? While the Futurity caught the attention of many racing fans in Fargo another race on the east coast caught the attention of racing fans throughout the nation. Big Brown returned to the track and ran gamely to capture the $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. The Derby and Preakness winner had to grind it out down the lane to catch a supposed B-team horse who was loose on the lead. Critics say he's not the same Big Brown but I'm not convinced. The Triple Crown campaign is a gruelling and taxing endeavor and it often leaves horses spent. Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Funny Cide, and even the almighty Curlin last year have struggled in their first start back after the Triple Crown. Big Brown showed a dimension he never has before; winning with a gritty effort. I wish he would run in the Travers Stakes but it looks like a trip on the turf might be his next start. I expect him to move forward off of this effort.
Opening Night came and went for the sixth time but it still takes your breath away to see the grounds teaming with racing fans. 4,000 strong, possibly more headed out to the track to see live racing return to Fargo. Old friends reunited, stories of past races were accounted and above all the burning question of "who do you like?" So many of the Horse Park's loyal fans look forward to this pseudo-holiday and with good reason. It's great to see the place active again and filled with whoops and hollars and trifecta shoulda-woulda-couldas when the tote board lights up official.
One of my favorite races year after year is the North Dakota Bred Futurity which usually kicks off the first weekend. The field is scattered with a horse or two who has made a start but for the most part it is loaded with those who are testing the waters for the first time. I can't recall another race during the meet that awakens such a sense of hope. No one knows what they have and for many of these breeders and owners they might be looking at the best one they ever had. At this stage of their career who knows? For Leigh Backhaus and Sons "the one" may have arrived in the form of the gallant race winner Drawin Bullets. We'll see how he does from here now that he has the Futurity win under his belt.
Why Down on Brown? While the Futurity caught the attention of many racing fans in Fargo another race on the east coast caught the attention of racing fans throughout the nation. Big Brown returned to the track and ran gamely to capture the $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. The Derby and Preakness winner had to grind it out down the lane to catch a supposed B-team horse who was loose on the lead. Critics say he's not the same Big Brown but I'm not convinced. The Triple Crown campaign is a gruelling and taxing endeavor and it often leaves horses spent. Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Funny Cide, and even the almighty Curlin last year have struggled in their first start back after the Triple Crown. Big Brown showed a dimension he never has before; winning with a gritty effort. I wish he would run in the Travers Stakes but it looks like a trip on the turf might be his next start. I expect him to move forward off of this effort.
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