At Mill Ridge Farm in the days following Keeneland's 2007 November sale, a pilgrimage began. The weanlings - whisk-broom tails half-grown, foal bellies still round and full - were removed from the cohabitation of paddocks near the broodmare barns to begin their tenure under the care of Mill Ridge stallion and yearling manager Donnie Snellings. The grooms, 10 or 12 of them, were equipped with soft lead ropes and infinite patience. It was a farm-wide project.
Snellings supervised the move and the sorting, as colts and fillies were separated into same-sex age groups; January colts in one paddock, January fillies in another. The weanlings would be under his care through the late spring or early summer of the following year, until they shipped off to begin preliminary training.
It took just a few weeks for the youngsters to adjust to the new routine, to develop personalities and pecking orders within their respective herds. Wrestling, biting, chewing, kicking, they honed their competitive spirits. They grew into gangly legs, strengthened their joints, and began to build muscle.
Nicanor grew right along. He was a steady colt, at ease with his surroundings and confident in his position in the herd. Others challenged his position at feeding time, but he defended it with poise. His pasture mates granted him respect.
In the spring, when La Ville Rouge foaled a third colt by Dynaformer, visitors flocked to the farm. Michael Matz, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, Headley Bell, and others came for viewings. Photographers snapped shots, posed and candid. Fans wrote letters, left comments on the Mill Ridge website. The family's celebrity status became stronger.
Nicanor knew he was something special. With so much attention around him - cameras, people wanting to watch him get turned out - he quickly developed his own personality. By the time he was ready to ship off to Stephens Thoroughbreds in Ocala, Fla., Snellings could see that he possessed the qualities of a racehorse.
Mindset. Presence. Correct conformation.
Snellings was confident they'd raised the colt the right way.
Now it was time to see what he could do with a rider on his back.
Thanks to Donnie Snellings of Mill Ridge Farm for contributing thoughts.
