Who knew that Ireland was only two hours by car from Maisons-Laffitte? Or so it seemed today. When we loaded up Brazil to go to Dieppe, it was 25 degrees and sunny. When we got to the track, we descended into a rainy, misty, cold otherworld that could have been Galway in October. Or maybe July. In any case, the going that was listed as “bon souple,” or good to soft, at 10 a.m. had deteriorated into a sticky mud soup by 5 p.m., when the 7th race went off. Brazil is a heavy horse and still needs further fittening to be at her best, but she has been working very well at home. Nonetheless, you know what happens to fat girls in the mud? They sink. By 50 meters out of the gate, Brazil started to fall back, and she lobbed along in the back through the turn into the stretch. She did make a game effort to finish, though, and ended up 8th of the 15 runners, seven and a half lengths behind the winner but only a neck away from money. The fifth through eighth-placed horses finished practically on the same line. She came back hardly blowing, and the bright side is that she is now qualified for the handicaps and should have a nice low mark. We will probably run her back relatively quickly, in about two weeks on the fibersand at Deauville – which she should find a pleasant surprise after the mud in Dieppe. Tim got a couple of videos – one of us saddling Brazil, and the other of her being mounted in the parade ring.
Next up: Rose of Egypte goes on a road trip to Vichy, where she runs in the first on Saturday.