Melody’s Spirit 16 (by Atreides).

As you know, we had three babies during the first six weeks of the year. For some reason, we now (since Feb. 12) have four mares who have decided the “normal” gestation time of 11 months has not been long enough. Sooooo we are impatiently waiting whilst three MORE have a due date of this week. It looks like one of these nights soon we could be very VERY busy.

Our Melody’s Spirit filly was our first born this year and the first born of her sire Atreides.  She is still very sweet and is loving the nice weather.  Meanwhile, her half-brother Whitmore was second in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes on February 15 in just his fourth career start, which gives him Derby points.  Woo-hoo!

Lord Darby

Our OTTB Lord Darby is having a good showing in Florida this winter.  (I’ve gotta figure out how it is our retired racehorses go south for the winter and Chuck and I hunker down here!)  Darby was sidelined for a bit last fall, but has started 2016 with two strong showings.  He has a second and a third, and trainer/rider Allie Knowles is very happy with his new, confident attitude.  Darby is also known as “Doodles” because of his young, playful nature.  Although he is 7, that is still a baby in the Eventing World.  And Allie has this baby performing more maturely than ever.  YAY!!!  His mother, Darby Hope, at 19, is one of our retired mares at the farm and she is very proud of him.

Miss Noble Rose.

At the racetrack (Santa Anita, can you believe it?), Miss Noble Rose is moving right along with Team O’Neill in her training.  She’s working with Grade I stakes winners from the stable, which is awfully nice company to be keeping.  We are hoping that her progress continues and we’ll see her in a race soon.

Sweet Halory, who won her career debut at Delmar, has been sidelined, but we’ve been told she will be getting back to the track this month.  We have been very lucky that Team O’Neill is as conservative as us, spots possible issues early, and does not push the horse to get back to the track before he or she is ready.

College friends visiting equine royalty.

Back in KY, I had a grrrrrrrrrrrrreat weekend to close out February with my two college roommates and their husbands.  (And, no, I’m not telling how many years ago we met 🙂  )  We were thrilled to visit American Pharoah. He was very patient posing for photos and I asked his groom if he is always that calm.  He said, “Yes, he enjoys the attention.”  Well, WE sure enjoyed being in the company of equine royalty.

Life is good, as we await the babies, and see what Kentucky’s very changeable weather has in store for us.