Back from a brief break with two weeks of stable notes. After a great summer, the fall has started off slowly for us. But we begin the news on September 29^th with a visit to the stunningly beautiful Fair Hill Training Center, based in Fair Hill, Maryland. It was owned by William du Pont, Jr., who bought the land in 1926. Dupont invested a substantial amount of money to make the property a leading breeding and training farm for his Thoroughbred horses. The State of Maryland purchased Fair Hill in 1974, converting the then 5,700 acres into an equine training complex and a natural resource center. There are 17 privately owned barns, with more than 450 stalls. There are three race tracks: a mile dirt track, a turf course, and a 7/8^ths mile track with an artificial surface (Tapeta). The campus also includes 3,000 acres (12 km²) of grasslands and woods which can be used by trainers who wish to take their horses out on trails. It’s just minutes from Delaware Park, and an easy ship to almost every mid-Atlantic track from New York to Maryland. It has an onsite veterinary clinic, with all the latest therapies. Some of the top trainers in the country train from here, and it’s easy to see why! One of the best places in the country to train a horse and a pleasure to see. Our thanks to Fair Hill manager Sally Goswell for a wonderful tour!

Then, it was off to Delaware Park on September 28^th, where JW Racer ran a very disappointing 7^th, in the feature race. The good news is jockey Sheldon Russell (a really smart rider who can tell you a lot about a horse) felt that he has plenty of talent and just was totally ‘green’ (immature). In his debut race on August 26^th also at Delaware Park, he jumped right to the lead and never looked back against a much softer field (maidens are totally different than allowance horses!), so he never had any dirt in his face until today, or any experience with it. Toss this one out and hope for a totally different result later this month.

On October 2^nd, Proven Warrior broke a bit slow in a race loaded with early speed and that was the killer in the 1^st race opening day at Keeneland. He pressed the pace much of the way and tired badly in the stretch to finish 7^th. Trainer Chuck Peery felt he trained very well into the race, but it was a super tough spot and once he couldn’t make the lead, he had no shot here. We’ll look for an easier race at a less competitive area track for his next start.

Kenwood Racing founder and co-managing partner H. Robb Levinsky was one of the featured speakers at the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) International Simulcast Conference on October 5, 2015 at The Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. You can read about the panel discussion and Robb's thoughts in this article from The Blood-Horse magazine, Owner Recruitment, Retention Focus of Panel. The TRA, which was formed in 1942, annually hosts the International Simulcast Conference to keep the industry abreast of technological advances and other issues regarding simulcasting. The fall conference attracts more than 250 attendees each year. Robb spoke on a panel discussing how to enhance the ownership experience for new and existing owners at the racetrack. “I was honored to have the opportunity to speak with TRA members about ways we can bring new owners into this great industry and enhance the ownership experience at the racetrack,” he explained. “It was a great opportunity to offer our perspective as longtime owners who have a passion for racing and are dedicated to bringing new blood into our sport. It was an excellent panel and there were a lot of creative ideas put forward that, if implemented at each racetrack, will make owners want to be a part of our sport. We need to remember that our value proposition is that you don't have to be a billionaire to own a racehorse. For a modest investment, fans can be owners instead of spectators. People become owners mainly for the excitement, prestige and ego gratification and we must make sure that owners at every level feel like royalty whenever they go to the track and see their horse race."

October 7^th was a busy day at the races and not a bad day overall, with two close 3^rds and a debut 2^nd from three starters at two tracks and over $10,000 in purse money earned. First up, at Delaware Park, Video Mov, who was perfectly ridden, got a good trip in second, took over the lead turning for home, but couldn’t hold off two horses in deep stretch, while trying all the way to the wire, finishing 3^rd. He was claimed from us for $15,000 out of the race, we paid $12,500 for him, so we came out just slightly ahead, with three close finishes but no wins, and slight profit on the claim price.

Next at Delaware Park, Titanium Jo was in the feature race, a super tough allowance event that we were fortunate to get into, when the stake we were pointing for at Parx was cancelled due to yet another quarantine there. Jo got bounced around a bit on the first turn and found herself dead last in the early going. She commenced a strong run to gain contention on the far turn, and just couldn’t quite get past the two early leaders, finishing a strong 3^rd, beaten 2 lengths for the win and a head for 2^nd. The winner (who ran a super race, going to wire to wire despite a very fast pace) had won a stake at Pimlico this spring by 10+ lengths, so as the lone 3 year old in the race facing really good older horses, Titanium Jo put in another fine effort here. Her next start is scheduled to come in the $100,000 Safely Kept stakes at Laurel Park on November 14^th.

Finally on October 7^th, Unspoken Quality made his Kenwood debut in a distance race washed off the grass at Gulfstream Park West and ran an excellent 2^nd, splitting horses and coming from far back through the mud. The winner was much the best, but Unspoken Quality was pulling away from the rest of the field in his first start for us and first start at a distance of ground. Given the fact he was running for twice what we paid for him, it was a fine start and we appear to be in the driver’s seat with him. Congrats to the co-owners in group #26!

Title Fight ran a dull and disappointing 5^th with no excuse on October 8^th at Gulfstream Park West. Well placed, he just never fired at all. There's really no reason to pinpoint for the poor effort. A down note after three excellent races the day before.

On October 10th at Delaware Park, Hardrainsgonnafall broke sharp, made the lead fairly easily, then stopped badly when challenged to drop way back. She made up a little ground late, but still finished 7^th, beating just two horses in another disappointing effort. In her debut race on September 27^th at Monmouth Park, she was 8^th beaten 25 lengths while never seeing the lead. Here, she led early, came back a bit late, and was only beaten about 8 lengths, so it was better than her debut, but hardly what we were hoping for.

All horses at Monmouth Park trained well this week, the most notable being Mackinaw Pharoah, who had by far the best workout since we purchased her last spring. If she likes the grass, as we think she will, and if she gets in next week at The Meadowlands, the work gives us hope for a big step forward off her debut.

Three Arch Bay is ready to run now. We expect her debut to come either on October 28^th or 30^th at Penn National as she’s a Pa. bred eligible for large bonus awards there (races at Parx are out as they have a quarantine and nobody can ship in or out until further notice).

Races for Huamantla did not go (for the 6^th time!) and for Mackinaw Pharoah (for the 2^nd time) at the Meadowlands this week. Also a race for Big Apple Brit did not go at Penn National. We are looking for races for all of them. They are ready to run.

As a quick note, we’ve had 7^th, 7^th and 8^th in three starts, all duds, just a week after we had 2 wins in one night. That’s exactly how this game works. 20% wins is the gold standard. That’s also 80% losses.  Question; what do you call a baseball player who gets a hit 30% of the time? Answer; a superstar with a $20,000,000 a year contract. Same idea. This business comes with lots and lots of ups and downs, (more downs!). If you can’t cope with 1^st, 1^st, 7^th, 7^th, 8^th, then you’re absolutely in the wrong business.

A very interesting article (here) from the Blood-Horse on two year old sales and workout times. It validates our (and other savvy people’s) approach who know that the fastest 1/8 mile workouts have little or nothing to do (some would say the fastest times are actually a negative indicator) with racetrack performance. A must read for anyone who wants to understand how the game really works!