It’s been crazy busy at Rosecrest Farm the last six weeks.  October was a blur.  We did not have a single empty night at the B&B and had many guests wishful for more nights than we could provide.  Even though it was busy, all seemed appreciative, commenting their stay was even better than the online reviews and photos had promised.  We like it when that happens!

American Pharoah going postward.

The Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland was all anyone had hoped — and more.  Chuck and I were there Saturday and had a great position at the top of the stretch.  So we were right there to see American Pharoah upclose going into the starting gate.  He looked so beautiful and calm.  And then we were right there to see him come around the turn and head into the stretch.  It gave me goosebumps, knowing he was going wire to wire….history in the making.

Meanwhile, back to where we left off on our last blog post….Sweet Halory!!!!  The TV monitor must have indeed been on in front of her stall when all those O’Neill babies were showing off the last two months as she won her career debut yesterday afternoon at Delmar in a 6 furlong maiden — the seventh race of the afternoon.

We were just a tad nervous and started watching about two hours before her race and saw Doug O’Neill win the fourth race with a 19-1 longshot.  I made my first Pick Six bet at the Breeders’ Cup, so was more appreciative of how Doug probably killed most Pick Six tickets yesterday when he won the fifth race of the afternoon.  He had a colt in the sixth race and I told Chuck, “I don’t want to see him lose, but with every win, that’s got to increase the odds of Sweet Halory’s doing the same!”

Sweet Halory a month ago today, readying to work at Santa Anita.

When Doug again won the sixth race, Chuck reminded me of the day when Doug won five races.  So Chuck and I crossed fingers and toes for Doug to win four in a row.  The TVG announcers weren’t making it any easier, talking up Doug’s string and “Could Sweet Halory keep it going?”  [Note to self:  I had a whole new appreciation for the nervousness of that “first time father” of our foal born this spring!]

Sweet Halory was on her toes a little in the paddock, but then seemed calm in the Post Parade.  She broke well, pressed the pace in second, showed a lot of maturity and gameness dueling between horses on the turn, took the lead at midstretch and extended it to a three-quarter length win — pressed all the way to the wire but looking like she was enjoying what she was doing.

Here’s a link to the video…..  CLICK HERE  and then click on the video arrow to see and judge for yourself!  Rafael Bejarano said, “She’s special”.

About an hour later, it turned out the Pick Six paid about $154,000 on a $2 bet…but I was WAY past caring!  Doug O’Neill (trainer), Dennis O’Neill (trainer’s brother and bloodstock adviser), Glenn Sorgenstein, Josh Kaplan (the latter two our partners on Sweet Halory) and Chuck and I (on speaker phone) were having fun burning up the telephone circuits between Kentucky and California!   We’ve never had a horse win his or her career debut….that was thrilling.