We’ve been busy… FOUR new babies in nine days.  First was Shane’s Girlfriend, delivering a feisty colt by Arrogate, just one day past her projected foaling date.  Shane’s Girlfriend was retired from racing in 2018 after a short but successful career.  She started with a win on her first time out in a MSW@ Santa Anita then followed that up with a win in the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (G3), flew back to Santa Anita and ran 3^rd in The Santa Ynez Stakes (G3) and ended her career winning the Iowa Oaks (G3).  So back to the present, she didn’t show too many signs of contemplating motherhood except for being very cranky for the last three months.  She decided it was time and had an easy delivery at 11:55PM.  Her colt, by Arrogate, weighed in at 102 lbs.  For those of you who might not remember Arrogate, he is by Unbridled’s Song and is the richest North American Racehorse in history with earnings of over $17 million, also breaking three track records.  As you can see from this video this colt is already thinking track records. 

Then Malibu Gem decided not to wait until her projected foaling date of Feb. 3^rd but delivered a very leggy colt by Mendelssohn at 4:50AM on Jan31st.  Congrats to proud breeders Pam and Don Mattox.  They have been our clients for almost as long as we’ve had the farm.  We had Malibu Gem’s mom Miss Gem for many years.   We miss Miss Gem, her daughter Malibu Gem does not have her good natured personality, she is quite cranky unless left alone and this colt does not leave her alone.   She’s a good mama with her colt but pins her ears back at anyone or horse that gets too close to her space, even across the fence. After a quick delivery of her 114 pound boy, both mama and baby rested a while.  Since it was taking him some time to figure out how to maneuver his longs legs we fed him a bottle of his mother’s milk. 

With mom and baby doing good Mary, our night watchperson, left at her normal time of 6:00AM after feeding the other mares. Chuck took advantage of having me at the barn watching the new baby and went back to the house to change his clothes and get ready for the day.  After  he left and in a quite barn I started hearing some very heavy breathing.  I went to investigate and there was Sweet Halory laying down looking at her belly like “What in the world is going on in my body?” this is her first time to be a mama.   I went in and saw some of the typical signs of an imminent delivery so I called Chuck, he said he had seen her on the camera and was one minute away.  He walked in the barn and within 20 minutes Sweet Halory delivered a colt by Goldencents, tipping the scales at 110 pounds.  The colt was ready to eat immediately so we fed him a bottle while his mama was still trying to figure out what in the world had just happened.  Both are doing great and she is a very attentive mama and we’re lucky that she’s not cranky at all, she lives up to her name “Sweet Halory”.

Three days later Bellezza Rosso decided it was her turn and delivered a healthy 102 pound filly by Goldencents. Our first filly of the year!  Not only was it an easy delivery but it was at 10:00PM.   Thank you Bellezza!  We all have high hopes for this little filly since she already has a stakes winning half-sister, Travieza.  And just in case you’ve missed it, Goldencents is #3 on the third crop sire list. We’re soooo proud of him!!!!

So back to the mares, today is the 10^th and Dance America is due today.  Who knows we may have one more before I get this typed….