# Yes....more horse stuff :) more added 4-14



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I've been super busy the past several days, haven't gotten on here as much as I usually do.

Thursday was the 2 year old in training sale breeze show. Around 169 horses were cataloged, but only about 110 went through the sale <rest were withdrawn>.

Sale topper was hip #72 a colt by Indian Charlie out of Teenage Temper. He sold for $625,000.



























He's a handsome fella...


















Hip #151 Storm Cat - Halo America colt. He is one of the last colt's by the great stallion, Storm Cat who was retired from stud duty after only impregnating 3 mares - this being one of the 3 offspring.
Storm Cat is in MANY of the top pedigrees, and commanded a stud fee of $500,000 for many years....
Sadly this colt didn't sell, and was bought back for $375,000. 









On Thurs... so sad an end to an era that's for sure...









Hip #150 Street Sense - Gwinnett filly had one of the fastest works, and brought a lot of attention. She also did not meet her reserve though, the final bid was $425,000.


















With the woman who trains her & selling her









This was her on Thurs...

















This colt sold for $485,000









This colt sold for $475,000









Those were taken yesterday morning before the sale....

Breeze show pics...






















































This horse looked so funny all stretched out...pretty boy though!


















Full brother to two time horse of the year, Curlin, who is also the all time leading $$ earner in North America with over $10,000,000 in race earnings. 
And....
His lil brother only sold for.............. $70,000!!!! This guy doesn't look like Curlin...guess we'll see what happens when he matures...I hope he can prove himself 









A Medaglia d'oro filly my husband foaled and took care of, did not meet the reserve - bid up to $170,000.









The April breeze show pics are up here if anyone wants to see...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] ... 98/detail/

Racing started on Fri. I was there Fri and Sat. It was a long, tiring weekend, but fun 

Started off with a 2 year old colt winning named, Everday Dave. 


















A colt I liked as a yearling, now 4 years old won on Friday  



























Nothing like spring 


















2 year old Ingenue schools in the paddock on Friday.









Stakes race that day was on the grass. This #7 horse had the race, was pulling away....









Then suddenly....from no where...#5 came up and nipped him at the wire...many people did not get anything of the actual winner because everyone thought #7 would win. I got 3 shots of the actual winner...one didn't upload....but here are the other two...









No time to guess...got lucky to get anything at all of that horse and thank you camera for focusing on him and not the other 2 in that moment LOL


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

Saturday....

Day started off with a 2 year old filly, Ingenue <who I posted in the post above schooling in the paddock!>


















I took this from the press box that overlooks the finish line on the 4th floor of the Grandstand....I was very far away...









A popular lead pony visits with racegoers 









Big race for the weekend was the Grade I Ashland Stakes $400,000, 3 year old fillies.
Fillies use this as a last prep before trying the Kentucky Oaks <day before the Kentucky Derby>.









Kathmanblu was the favorite, she didn't like the synthetic surface, finished 3rd.









Wyomia was a fan favorite. My husband took care of her for about a week last fall after a big race, she finished 2nd this time 









And then there is #2 Lilacs and Lace took the lead from the start and never looked back. She went off at odds I believe were 48-1!!!


















It's hard to shoot from the outside against the lighting. Tomorrow I am buying a step stool so I can start shooting the races from the other side <with the sun at my back!!!>. You have to stand on the Turf course in order to shoot from that side, and I am short - makes it hard to get over that rail! A lot of these big races the photographer stands are reserved for track photographers or major publications.



























Two pics from Monday morning.

Backside of the training track









And my favorite kind of morning scene...beautiful...quiet... 









Okay so anyway....That's it for me tonight. I should have been in bed hours ago, but trying to finish up some things. Heading out to the track tomorrow morning to test a new camera!!!


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

Wow, it's beautiful in KY. I hope to visit someday. 

man... they're gorgeous!!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

Oh wow! Those are absolutely gorgeous photos....and horses! Thanks for posting those...I love your photos!


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## bleatinghearts (Feb 26, 2010)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

I dont even want to know how much your camera cost!


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

Nice! I can't believe how spendy these guys are! I thought the rich people down the street who bought a QH for their daughter to take to World for $200k were spending a lot....

I'm sure you've been asked this a thousand times...but what brand and model is your camera? I love, love, love all your photos and would love to save up for the exact some one you have.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

she's just gonna have to put it on her signature!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

Thanks so much! I love capturing these beautiful animals, they always awe me  This is a nice sale, the only 2yo sale in KY. The major 2yo sales are in Florida where a majority of these horses are trained through the winter.

I use a Canon 40D with a 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens for horses/horse racing, and carry a 20D with a 24-105mm f4 IS lens as backup.
I bought my 40D 3 years ago, and it's been a great camera.

BUT...yesterday I took the plunge and bought a Canon 7D!! I think it's the most costly thing I have ever bought in my life outside of buying a car LOL
I borowed this camera from Canon for 4 days during the World Equestrian Games when they were there, and it was GREAT.
The 40D gets 6.5 frames per second, while the 7D gets 8.0. That is FAST
And it has a higher ISO range, meaning awesome for low lighting.
40D gets 1600 <ISO is film speed 200, 400, 800,etc.>. You can get a high ISO of 3200 on the 40D but it's grainy looking.
The 7D can get an ISO of 6400 and it has high ISO I am guessing that is 7200.

The 7D has HD video, which is one reason it's so costly. I never messed with video on it before, so it will be fun to play around with that when I get a chance.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

/happy sigh.

Thanks for sharing


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## Calico Patch Farm (Mar 8, 2011)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

What amazing animals! I just love your pictures! Beautiful.


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

really nice photos! :thumbup: :horse:


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## Jenna (Jan 7, 2009)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

AWESOME photos!!!! :thumb: I love the last one!!! And what beautiful subjects to photograph! I need to make a trip to KY's races one day


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

I want to liiiiiiiivveee theeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrreeeeee.
Can I come live with you?! LOL
Gosh I love Kentucky. I'm so close in TN but its just not close enough!
Beautiful pictures!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Yes....more horse stuff *

Thanks so much! KY is really beautiful especially in the spring and fall. Keeneland Racecourse is a WONDERFUL track to visit, VERY visitor friendly! So if anyone can ever get there for a day of racing, you'll love it. Morning workouts are fun to watch, the track kitchen is a must for breakfast, and if you are respectful by staying out of horses way/not going in barns without being invited in you can walk the barn area and see the sights - I think one of the only tracks that you can get into the barn area without a pass.
The farms allows visitors to see stallions by appointment, and most of the major farms are very visitor friendly.

First racing shots with my new camera! I didn't edit any of these, straight out of the camera! I did have to resize some as they are large files.

2yo Friscan wins his first race 



























Why I didn't shoot on the inside rail more often.... as you can see shooting from the outside rail/grandstand side the light stinks...













































Todays Grade 1 race was the Vinery Madison worth $300,000.
#5 Shotgun Gulch and jockey Garrett Gomez won over a nice field of fillies and mares. 
My first stakes race shooting on the inside rail! 













































By the way 99.9% of the time I shoot in full Manual Mode. So I set all the camera settings myself. Most of the photographers use a preset like Shutter Priority, where the camera does most of the work....
It makes me feel confident getting these kind of shots when I am setting everything myself.... There are good days and bad days with shooting...today was a good day :wink:


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## Bellafire Farm (Jan 5, 2010)

Not to sound totally goofy... but #2 Lilacs & Lace (the sorrel filly w/the blue noseband) she's got MOONSPOTS on her rump! Hee hee hee.... :ROFL: 
Ok, not really but I'll call them that since it's a goat forum. LOL :slapfloor: 

LOVE you pics! 


PS. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW CAMERA!!! Yiipppeee! So excited for you!


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## The Goat Lover 21 (Apr 18, 2011)

SO LUCKY :leap:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Some pics from last Fri and Sat... I was a bit down on myself as I wasn't as on task as I try to be. Just a long weekend and the miserable weather didn't help!

Friday was rainy....and windy....









I spent a lot of my time hiding in the tunnel with the lead ponies...hehe... actually it felt like hurricane force winds in there! But at least I wasn't getting soaked outside!









Naptime 



























The Makers Mark Mile is a big race on the 2nd Friday of every April.































































On Saturday it wasn't too bad as far as rain....but it was a very windy day...

Jockeys....
Alan Garcia


















Robby Albarado









Shaun Bridgmohan









Julien Leparoux - one of my favorites!









Rosie Napravnik









Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez









Julien Leparoux winning the first race on Getaway Guy









Alan Garcia winning the 2nd race on Lady Aspen


















The third race I was on the final turn...being silly I guess and trying to get some of the tailgaters in the background...









And...to get a different kind of shot of Fist of Rage <ridden by Julien Leparoux>, a man I used to do pictures for used to own this horse...









Yep, raining by the 4th race..









Silver Timber in the paddock - doesn't his groom look angry? LOL









This was one of those races...3 horses coming to the wire at the same time and they were spread out.....So you have milliseconds to try and decide who you go with, and if your lucky you can get something of each horse...
I could complain more I guess since this was the best shot, but at least I did get the winner...









Stratford Hill and John Velazquez after winning the first stakes race of the day $100,000 Shakertown. 



























Yep trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez get another win with Aikenite after winning with Stratford Hill. This race was worth $175,000.









I'm in love...and her name is Never Retreat! Wow..this mare just captures your attention...


















Miss Keller is another horse I really like









Never Retreat and Shaun Bridgmohan never look back  Okay so he is in the first picture LOL






















































Big race of the day was the Grade I Toyota Bluegrass Stakes worth $750,000 for 3yo colts.

My longshot pic was Praetereo...I think he finished 2nd to last LOL









Brilliant Speed...


















Yet...it was Twinspired that looked to have the edge coming to the wire...he was hanging on...









hanging on...









And NIPPED at the wire by a mere nostril by Brilliant Speed!









Luckily habit keeps me shooting..and I managed...one lousy shot...heh.









Ya win some, and you lose some. I wasn't alone though, I think one of the major publications had about 4-5 shots to work with and they had 2-3 photographers, cameras with remotes, etc. I'm happy to have that one lousy shot...heh...

Gotta love the track photographers...









Disappointed? Well..I underexposed for the next race...so my pics were dark and composure was horrible...what the heck was up with me!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Wow...those are great! :hi5: Thank you for sharing! :thumb:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I have a million things I need to be doing right now <laundry & sleeping!>, but here I am.... I want to ignore laundry until tomorrow...really...really..want to ignore... it's clean and waiting to be folded LOL

Anyway....
It was a wild weekend, as I mentioned in the chatter box area, we've had some bad storms come through round after round since Friday, although today wasn't bad, just lots of rain...

Friday I went to the track for a couple of hours, I knew we were needing to be 'weather alert'

2 year old, first time starter, Grace Was Given coming out onto the track <2yos start racing in April>









She freaked out as soon as she got onto the track, reared up, and threw herself down, her jockey was able to leap clear of her antics...She was fine, stood up and ran off, had to be caught by an outrider. She did race, but finished 2nd to last...basically ran her race before the race ever started!









Needless to say I was saying a lot of prayers while snapping these...I never want to see a horse hurt, but I've learned you have to shoot through the possabilities...


















Babies.... this is not uncommon...once they get past a race or two they get it figured out..









Gypsy Robin won that race...


















Corey Lanery 









Brian Hernandez Jr wearing the popular owners silks of Dogwood Stable









Check the Label - really like her









Embur's Song never would put her ears up...she was in a 'serious' mood...









Some horses need to be saddled while they are walking...


















Embur's Song and John Velazquez come onto the track for the Doubledogdare Grade II $125,000.



























Check the Label comes up on the outside to challenge..but couldn't get there...Embur's Song takes the race..


















After the winners presentation I left...headed out to the parking lot, got into my SUV and noticed DARK clouds starting to move our way....Hubby was leaving for work at that moment, and my 3 kids were at home. Typically I get home before he leaves, but not that day.
So I rush home turning a 15-20 minute drive on the backroads into a 10 minute drive! Get home..turn the news on and there are tornado warnings to our west/southwest. We have a modular double wide home, out in the country with nowhere nearby that I know of to go.. except the restaurant next door and they were busy...I knew we had time before it beared down on us, so I got my kids, and we went into town to the closest safe place..the hospital. Couldn't hear a thing inside, which was a relief.

2 tornadoes later..... Yep...found out this evening that they confirmed 2 tornado touchdowns EF0 about 2 miles away from the hospital! Very close to where my husband works....very scary! Still gives me goosebumps.

After a LONG night of severe storms coming in round after round...my doe 'pretending' to be in labor, and 2 naps...an hour each....I was back at the track for a few hours on Saturday.

Cheetah is from Great Britain and this was her first win in the USA, not sure if this was her first start here? maybe..









Rosie Napravnik wearing the silks of one of my favorite owners 









'Bucky' has been the buggler at this track for over 40 years...he's a great man, and is VERY popular. I finally got a decent pic of him! Usually we're standing too close chatting in between his calls <he calls the horses onto the track, and to the starting gate>...I love chatting with him.









This horse is soooo pretty! 









Javier Castellano is the leading jockey so far this racemeet!









Stay Put checking out the crowd in the paddock









Javier and Exhi in the Ben Ali stakes race Grade II worth $150,000



























It was dark because of cloud cover, so the light at the finish line was turned on..


















This is how dark it was for the 2nd feature race of the day...The Giant's Causeway LISTED <Not Graded, but listed making it more important than the average race>, $100,000









however you can see the cloud coverage cutoff...it brightened up and made for some pretty lighting!


















Dark..but pretty 









Grade III $200,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes is one of the very last prep races for the Kentucky Derby....I don't know of any winners that came back and won the derby? I need to find out....derby is in 2 weeks, and it's hard to bring the horses back in 2 weeks these days....sad that the horses are so fragile anymore!
Derby Kitten won the race, he is a homebred for his owners who bred his sire, Kitten's Joy....the horse pictured above is another homebred of theirs named Holiday for Kitten...how awesome is that? They had 3 winners yesterday!

Between the time the horses came onto the track and the start of the race...we had lightning, and a DOWNPOURING rain with some hail mixed in it...and yep us photographers were all stuck at the finish line waiting for the race to start....
Most people took cover under the grandstand apron...but some braved it out...






















































The owner always walks his horses into the winners circle and its' fun to see his excitement...stakes race, or low level race, he's a happy man when one of his horses win at any level 



























And the rain picks back up again...


















Jockey Julien Leparoux









Okay enough rambling for now.....Thanks for helping me avoid dealing with the laundry :laugh:

Sadly, I am sure Saturday may have been my last day at the track.  They race Wed-Fri and then racing goes to Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY <no 2 tracks in KY can race at the same time>. So no more racing for me until Oct  
Thursday starts the Rolex 3 day event


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Beautiful pictures! I was in Keeneland at the end of March, oneof the excercise riders brought the horse he was riding up for us to see... they are absolutley breathtaking! Its safe to say that my dream job would be working with horses, especially these! 

Love the pics!!!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks! Isn't Keeneland such a nice track? I love going there! It's very visitor friendly  
I moved to KY to work with horses! I worked with mares/foals for a couple of years, but then had my 2nd child and it was too hard to do the 6 days a week/48+ hours with 2 kids. My husband works with them though, he's the lucky one....he foals mares so he gets all the fun with the babies!


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

was the horse that fell alright?


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Yep! Once she got over her 'fit' they brought her back to the jockey, he got on and they made their way to the starting gate. She finished 2nd to last....but basically the 'baby races' at our track - the front runners typically win in the springtime, or so it seems.


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