Way, way too cold for France

Yeah, I know, I bitch about this all the time, every winter. But the winters seem to be getting worse. And every summer, we fail to learn from the past and let the time slip by without adding that second layer of insulation to the house or making sure we have a good supply of DRY firewood. But I digress. The big decision of the week is what to do with the horses who are ready to race. Turfani, Belle and Bay all have entries for Friday and Saturday in Deauville, and it’s the closing weekend of the meet so this is our last chance. They are all dead fit – Turfani ran Dec. 24, and Belle and Bay ran Dec. 30. Turfani could use a work before racing again, but she won’t get one. The training tracks are in the deep freeze, and even our “all-weather” strip is in no shape for work. Belle and Bay don’t need anything. But they’ve all been stuck walking the roads for the past two days, and we’re unlikely to get to do more before race day. So the big question: Can a horse race having done nothing but walk for the week before? Probably, since they’re all just coming off races. It’s not ideal, but the two fillies, especially, need the run. I’m still on the fence about Bay, who doesn’t seem to be handling the cold as well as the girls. Turfani is squealing and kicking down the walls and really needs to race, and Belle isn’t far behind her. The snow is supposed to start on Wednesday, and over the weekend we get freezing rain, so after these races, I think everyone will be on box rest until we can move safely. George is heading to Normandy tomorrow to be relieved of the burden of manhood. We need to transport him before the weather closes in on Wednesday. Wake me when it’s March.