ENTRY NOTIFICATION - Back to the track!

THERE GOES VINNY is entered to run in Race 12 (6:40 p.m.) at Saratoga on Saturday 9/3/2011.

Race Type:

For Maidens, Two Years Old Foaled In New York State And Approved By The New York State-Bred Registry

Distance: Six and a Half Furlongs

Post Position: 12

Jockey: D Cohen

Click here to add THERE GOES VINNY to your Virtual Stable:

http://www.equibase.com/virtual/gvsCustomerRegistrationNew.cfm?SID=1&eid=2&src=P

**This will be our first time back to the track since Meese Rocks' victory in the Broadway Stakes in March (her last time out on the track).  We can't wait to get back to business and experience the unique thrill that comes with the first time you watch one of your runners compete.  And there is truly no better place than Saratoga to experience this sensation.  You have all followed us through a truly trying time and we hope to see you all at the track as we start the rebuilding process.

Meet the Horses -- Johardy

As part of our retooling efforts, we have sought out some less conventional means of acquiring new stock for our barn.  For us, this meant scouring the DRF sheets for horses ripe for the claim across the entire country, not just limited to the NYRA circuit (where the claiming game has been decidedly difficult this year).  Though we are a locally owed and operated stable, this was no reason to limit ourselves to horses running at only our home tracks.  And so, trusting in our ability to scout out under-the-radar talent, we hit the bricks in an effort to make a solid claim in a less obvious corner of the thoroughbred community.  Enter our newest stablemate, Johardy.

A 3-year old, NY-Bred grey gelding, Johardy is wonderfully bred (       Johar – Sister Concern, by Concern) and even-tempered, showing a willingness to get to work from the minute we got him in the barn.  We claimed our new grey from Neil French’s barn out of a maiden claiming race at Del Mar.  While he has shown flashes ability in his two lifetime starts, we feel that he may be due surface change to best bring out his full potential.  Owing to his breeding and composition, we intend to switch him to grass and possibly add some distance to his workload at some point in the future. So far, he has acted like a complete professional and done everything Barker has asked of him in training.  We are delighted to welcome him to his new east coast family and excited at the prospect of having a new horse whose potential may have yet to be realized. 

Meet the Horses -- There Goes Vinny

After a long period of relatively light activity at the track, the Terranova Racing Stable is just about ready to get back to business.  Following the unfortunate passing of Meese Rocks earlier this year, we were forced to take a long look at our operations and decide if we wanted to stay in the business, and in what capacity.  Ultimately, we were not ready to turn the barn lights off for good.  Yet, without a steady earner, the strategy would have to change.  We would need to clear out the stock and get some new blood into the barn.

After a healthy amount of research we arrived at the farm Jim and Katy Chapman in Ocala, FL.  Jim and Eddie Barker have worked together in the past, and Eddie has said that he’s consistently impressed with how well the Chapman’s prepare their horses for the track (both physically and mentally).  We felt strongly that we were in the right place to retool our operations – and we were not disappointed.  The moment he lead a big, strapping, dark brown 2-year old out to meet us, we knew that we had found our baby.  A NY-bred colt by graded stakes-winning Western Pride, out of the Afternoon Deelites’ mare Super Deelites, he was big, balanced and solidly built.  Headstrong and exuberant (yet still friendly and playful), we knew that he was the one.  We closed the deal that night and a week later, the van to Ozone Park, NY dropped him off at the Barker barn.

Since arriving at the barn, our Western Pride has been in steady, consistent training.  As smart as he is big, this brawny baby colt has taken to training like a fish to water.  He handles himself on the track like a hardened professional, and has seemed to genuinely enjoy his training regimen.  When not playfully running Eddie up the walls of the barn, our boy could be found flipping his hay, whipping his tail at the grooms, and sticking his entire face into his water bucket.  In essence, we have a 13-year old boy trapped in the body of a 1200 pound animal.

Whole face in the water bucket

Of course, there was one more important aspect to consider before our boy became an official part of the Terranova racing family: What to name him?  And while we received a tremendous amount of feedback from family and friends, we really wanted to name our newbie in a way that would bring good karma to our stable while also serving as a tribute to a beloved member of our extended family.  In the end, we decided to name our baby after our dear friend Vinny, who has fought against some serious physical ailments for many years, all the while maintaining a vibrant spirit and positive attitude.  His propensity to dig in and fight against long odds is a testament to his courageous character.  He is a true fighter, a gamer, and we’re confident that our baby boy will embody some of these attributes.  This is why we hope for and expect great things from our new 2-year old colt.  Everyone, we introduce you to There Goes Vinny: