Lots of action as spring comes to an end, summer begins, and Monmouth Park gets into full swing….

On May 18^th, Scuba Sue was a dull and disappointing 6^th at Belmont Park, showed none of her usual speed in a race where we had expected much better. Seemed to come out of the race just fine. We're hoping for better results next time out.

A different story on May 21^st, when Long May You Run won easily and impressively at Penn National on a sloppy surface he relished, running away with the race in a very fast time. He’s won at age 2,3,4 and now 5 for us, living up to his name. This was a textbook example of how all high-percentage stables win races, by running horses where they belong, rather than over their heads. When you do that, you are making it easy on the horse and helping him do right by you. Congratulations to all LMYR’s group #15 owners as he closes in on the $200,000 mark in career earnings and to trainer Mark Salvaggio, who has done an outstanding job with him!

Huamantla was 6^th on May 27^th at Pimlico, beaten just over 2 lengths for the win and 1 length for 2^nd, in a blanket finish. She made a nice move on the inside turning for home and flattened out in the final strides a bit. It was her first time going long this year and only her 2^nd race since her layoff. Off this race, she should be ready for her best. There’s a race at Penn National on June 11^th that’s a perfect fit. That will tell us where we are with her, as long as it stays on the grass.

On June 1^st, Sonny’s Pharoah was 4^th at Penn National in a 1 mile grass event. Well placed early, she moved into 2^nd turning for home behind the runaway winner and heavy favorite, but flattened out in the stretch and was passed by two other runners late. This filly has been 4^th all three times in her brief career at different distances-surfaces. While none of them were bad races, she’s just not made the move forward we are looking for.

A potentially terrible story had a very happy end to it on June 2^nd, as the Kenwood Racing family stepped in to help a horse in need. Kenwood founder H. Robb Levinsky received a plea for help from Barbara Luna of War Horses at Rose Bower farm to help rescue the thoroughbred gelding Wise Honor, who was found in a killer pen in distress and on his way to a horrible ending. Kenwood got the word out to our partners, co-owners and friends (in addition to making an immediate contribution from Kenwood itself) and more than enough money was raised in a few hours to save this horse and get him safely on a van to War Horses farm, where he’ll enjoy a wonderful, happy life. Barbara was ecstatic saying, “Thanks so much. The outpouring of support for this horse from Kenwood Racing is unbelievable! Actually, I do believe it knowing Robb. Horse is arriving this evening, and like I do with all of my incoming retirees, I'll document it with photos and share with everyone so you can see what you have so kindly helped to accomplish. Just amazing!”. Kudos to the many wonderful, caring, generous members of the Kenwood family for stepping up to the plate!

Kenwood offered two seminars at our office, “Buying Horses at Auction” on May 28^th and “Analyzing Pedigrees” on June 4^th. Both were well attended both in person, and online via a GoToMeeting link. The final two seminars for this season will be “Understanding the Condition Book” on June 2th, and “Purses & Claiming” on July 9^th.

Also on June 4^th, we added a new horse to our barn, Dance N Denae, she’ll be running at Monmouth all summer, part of the active racing group #33 with Silver Bouquet.

And finally on a busy June 4^th, Kenwood’s highest priced two year old purchase of the year, Win Money My Honey, had a nice ¼ mile breeze in about 25 seconds, did it easily and well. She was the first horse to breeze of this year’s two year old crop, the others will start their timed works shortly. We’re on the way to lots of debuts this summer! Speaking of workouts and workout times, an excerpt from an article about Stradivari in the Daily Racing Form , one of the entrants for the Belmont Stakes next weekend, highlights our oft-repeated explanations about what workouts, and workout times, really mean (read below). Note his work times were really slow, a $5,000 claimer usually works faster than 50.51 seconds for 4 furlongs, but the trainer talks about what really matters, how he did it, how he moved, how he galloped out, etc.

People love fast work times, they mean little or nothing. Hard to get your head around this I know, but really valuable in understanding how the game really works (which is why we repeat it again and again!).

:: BELMONT STAKES: News updates, field, and videos

Stradivari worked a half-mile in 50.51 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch. But the key to the workout, which was done in company with the stakes winner Decorated Soldier, was how well Stradivari galloped out under John Velazquez. Though a head shy of Decorated Soldier on the wire, he pulled away from his workmate while going five furlongs in 1:03.28, six furlongs in 1:15.46, and seven-eighths in 1:29.69.

“He was well in hand throughout, seemed to be moving well, galloped out strongly,” Pletcher said.