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Published: July 8, 2002

Written by Bryan Krantz

I guess we have been around this business long enough to know it never quite goes according to the script. First off, You'llbeinmyheart is fine. She's just a little wore out. With only one race since March to keep her level of racing fitness going she looked to be a dead "short horse" on Sunday. She was asked for run from the gate. Kirk LeBlanc rode her with extreme confidence and she came up empty in the last sixteenth of a mile of the race -- pretty much like the race in Louisville, but against much weaker competition.

The van should arrive back in Folsom sometime Monday afternoon with You'llbeinmyheart and Coach Rags. The intended course of action was to point both horses to races in October at Louisiana Downs, Rags' goal being the 10/19 Shiskabob for Louisiana-breds and You'llbeinmyheart for the 10/20 Louisiana Breeders' Oaks. After two seemingly lackluster performances over the holiday weekend we will have to assess how both horses return to training in the coming days. Both seemed like they should benefit from the races they ran. Getting You'llbeinmyheart back around two turns is a question looming out there in the next few weeks. She looks as though she will need another start short before considering a route race (race over a mile). If things don't shape up well for either horse we may forgo the Louisiana Downs races and point both for Louisiana Champions Day here at Fair Grounds. In either plan both horses would need races at Louisiana Downs later this summer as preps.

We have had great fun over the years breeding and racing horses. As rewarding as winning a race here at Fair Grounds is it is always a thrill to win a race on the road. Over the years we have done reasonably well with our horses in Chicago, Churchill Downs, Keeneland and at Louisiana Downs. In years past, road trips meant a get away for the adults to enjoy the fun side of the business of racing. Now, road trips are a family affair and an opportunity to expose the children to more of the racing world we live and work in. We have always been realists about where our horses fit in terms of competition. Just as with other sports, it seems much harder to win on the road. Our trainer, Gary Palmisano, doesn't travel away from home during the summer months. We have generally given the horses time off to avoid the hot months so they will be fresh for the Fair Grounds meet or spring meetings where they fit. Even though these last two trips haven't been as successful as we would have liked from the competitive results of the races we are still very proud of our homebreds and have great hopes for success in races later this year.

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