Skid Solo finished 9th of 16 runners in the Tierce handicap at Clairefontaine today, but was only five lengths behind the winner. If he had been a length closer up, we would have gotten some very good place money, but that’s racing. He was closing well until about a furlong out but then couldn’t find more, so I think he was a little surprised by the added distance. He had been running 1,200-meter straight sprints, and this was his first shot at 1,400 meters with a turn. The turn didn’t seem to bother him, but the extra distance on Clairefontaine’s slight downhill stretch got the better of him. Nadege rode him well and he was the most relaxed he’s been so far before the start, going down calmly and not lathering up behind the gates like he usually does. He recovered quickly after the race and came back home in good spirits, so I’m hoping he can run a 1,300-meter race on the fibersand at Deauville before the end of the month.
Next up is Pixie’s Blue on Friday, in an 1,800-meter handicap, also on the grass at Clairefontaine. She will carry the top weight of 60 kilos, so I’m going to try to put an apprentice up this time because I really need the weight allowance. In any case, Nadege has Hard Way and Turfani to look forward to next week; they have entries next Tuesday and Wednesday and both are doing very well.
Cape Tycoon, meanwhile, is working toward his comeback, which I hope will be in the annual Trainers’ Race at the end of August. I will ride him myself, which should be…interesting to say the least, and certainly entertaining for the numerous people who say they’re marking their calendars just for the spectacle. Tyke is in a race against time to be ready; he’s the most accident-prone horse I’ve ever trained, and this week stumbled in the street and skinned both knees pretty well. This after he was just coming back from his battle against the starting gate at St. Cloud, which has already cost us two months with a banged-up back leg. This is the same horse that also gashed his head open on god knows what in his box one day. But he’s a great guy, and if he can manage to keep his four legs underneath him in Deauville, we could have some fun in the trainers’ race. Oh, and win 10,000 euros, too. A suivre…