Racin' Dirty!

Here is a surprise for my blog readers:

Cindirelli is racing tomorrow at Turfway Park.

Here is the entry:

Turfway Park - March 20th, 2009 - Race 1 Estimated Local Post Time: 5:30 PM
Race Type: Claiming Breed: Thoroughbred Age Restriction: Three Year Old and Upward Sex: Fillies and Mares				Purse: $7,600 Distance: One Mile Surface: All Weather Track
Post	Horse Jockey Owner	Age	Sex	Weight Trainer Breeder	Odds	Claiming Price
1	Include the Lady (KY) Alberto Pusac Billy D. Allen, et al.	4	Filly	118 Billy D. Allen Brereton C. Jones	5/2	$7,500
2	Runnin Dirty (FL) Dean Mernagh Shirley Ann Kimball	5	Mare	118 Tres J. Delaforce Pennston Farms Inc.	15/1	$7,500
3	Drew'sgetleagle (KY) Leandro R. Goncalves DJC Stable (Rolanda Simpson)	4	Filly	118 Rolanda Simpson John D. Murphy	3/1	$7,500
4	Lil Miss Blurr (KY) Rodney A. Prescott Mike Clark	6	Mare	118 Helmut S. Jackson Equus Farm	10/1	$7,500
5	Chasing Liberty (IN) Jose Luis Calo Edward L. Roettinger	6	Mare	118 Danny D. Lang Ron Dafler	7/2	$7,500
6	Hollywood Beauty (KY) John McKee Bernard G. Schaeffer	4	Filly	115 William R. Connelly Benjamin W. Berger	2/1	$7,500

This is another one of those nerve wrecking moments for me- I won't get much sleep tonight, so I've already helped myself to plenty of Benadryl.

It's only a 6 horse field. This is a good thing. We drew the 2 hole, which is also a good thing because according to a little research the horse in the 1 hole never breaks well, giving our girl direct access to the rail. Cindirelli likes to go to the front - I know, I know, another one of those! But, we shall see how things go.
She is in great shape for a race. She's sound and ready.
She's actually so ready that since her last work on Monday, every time I tack her up to go to the track just to train, she gets so excited, she starts a-shaking and a-jumping, pressing against me, being impatient. Subsequently, on the track, she fights Cowboy all the way through her exercise with shaking her head, which he has a firm hold of, to try and get loose so she can run full tilt again (which she isn't supposed to).

I know once I hand her off to the pony heading to the gate, my usual mantra will probably pop back out of my mouth without my realizing it and it is my first and foremost concern, always:

"Safe and sound, safe and sound, safe and sound..."

If this girl still has the physical ability to race, she'll do very well.

We are, as usual, the long shot in the race.

Dean Mernagh - her jockey is a good jockey with riding experience in Hong Kong (or was it Japan?) and Dubai. He's been trying to get his foot in the door over here this year and I've been watching him. He listens to instructions and every time I have seen him on a horse, the horse performed better than expected.

Me? I'll be a nervous wreck, of course. Probably a good idea for me to take a 5th of vodka with me for calming purposes. No point in having her come in the winner's circle and the trainer is in the ambulance with a heart attack.

Race goes off at 5:30 pm EST, should be on either racing channel- HRTV or TVG.

Pray for us tonight- so our girl will have a safe and successful race.

May the racing gods be with us tomorrow.