Routine works are part of life. Good to see he's relaxed and ready for his next start!

Good Luck Nicanor. I am rooting for you, although, I know you can do it on your own...Oh well, maybe you win the last three of the Slam.

So glad to see that Nicanor is right on target for his next start.  Does it look like he will be starting at Colonial later in July.

And what a joy to see that Lentenor is beginning his official workouts.  It is going to be just as fun to follow along with this young man. Is there any word on a name of the baby yet?

Good luck to Nicky at his next race! And try your best at your workout Lenny.

awesome=] o=so glad to hear barbaros bros are doing well. hes watching them<33

Cool If Nicanor runs in the June 17 race that would be totally awesome. That is my 18th birthday. I hope he wins that would be a cool birthday present. Thats also great that Lentenor is training towards his maiden race.

From Alexandra of Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Yay!  I hope that Nicanor run impressively in his next start, and I also hope that his connections point him to the Virginia Derby.  That would be great to see him at Colonial Downs, my hometrack.  But of course, what's best for the horse is not always what I want, but I'll live with the fact that they might pass the Virginia Derby for lighter spots.

That's good news for Lentenor.  Any news on a possible start at the end of the year or no?

Oh, my. Lentenor will now be starting his workouts. We FOBs will have plenty to keep us occupied, won't we? Thanks for the update.

Thanks for the updates on Nicanor and Lentenor. It will be exciting to follow Lentenor's progress!

Great, you go Nicanor. Will mark my calender and tune in HRTV for your race at Delaware Park. Hope you win. Glad to see brother Lenny is getting on track, hope you both phenominal racing careers. Big brother Barbaro is watching over you both with a gleem in his eye and a smile on his face.

I'm glad Nicanor's connections are stepping him up through his conditions rather than rush him into stakes off that 15-length win. They've been remarkably patient with him, a rarity these days.

Nicanor should be in the Colonial Turf Cup. He can run in a 39k allowance anytime. These rich three-year-old stakes only come around once.

Very disappointing decision by Mickey Matz.

YEA!!! Nicanor WILL be racing while I'm at Church Hill. That's so exciting. Now I just have to find out what time the race will start.

Can't wait to see what Lentenor does on his first work. Gosh...we have 2 brothers to watch. How great is that?

I know you'll do your best Nic but most of all come home safely!!

Thanks Ron for the wonderful news.

Good luck, Nicky Knocks! We're proud of you and wish you another great race. Have fun, stay safe! Good luck to Lentenor, too, on starting his racing training and career.

   Hi to all FOB:) I'm glad to hear about Barbaro's baby brothers. They keep his spirit alive. I just read on another blog that some think Bernardini would still have won if Barbaro had finished the Preakness. I guess I'm surprised anyone thought that.

Much peace to all.

Way cool!!!  Thank you so much for keeping the information flowing,

Is there any chance we could see some updated pix of Letenor? It seems like a very long time since we've seen him, or just some links to recent pix of him? Thanks in advance!!

The breeze time for Lentenor will likely be very slow.  Don't read anything into a very slow time.  I am sure the plan is for a slow breeze, starting slow and finishing the last eighth the quickest.

I went to the HRTV website and it looks like they donnnn't carry Delaware Park.

Does anyone know differently?

Please have a video of the 17th posted on Bloodhorse as it will be the only way I am going to see the race...shoot work calls first but my mind will be looking forward to getting home fast to see the video.

Go Nicky-Knocks and win or lose will still love ya.

Great to hear the news. Nicanor and Lentanor are going to be amazing colts and are going to give the thoroughbred breed a new never crossed before bloodline(except for Barbaro). Thanks for the info!

thanks Ron, can't wait to see Lentanor's works as well as Nic's race! Go Nic!!!!

    Great News for both Brothers, Nicanor and Lentenor.  Wednesday cannot come quick enough.  Exciting that Lentenor is starting to get his works, Like JAJ said, Don't read ANYTHING into Lentenor's times as of now, Just getting him familiar with what is expected of him, Patience is the key, no hurry whatsoever...

    Kudos to The Jackson's and Mr. Matz and every other person that cares for these two wonderful Brother's, I cannot Thank them enough!  They are a Breath of fresh air in this sometimes crazy Sport...

Thanks for the updates.  I am anxious to see Lentenor's first work.  It will really be something to see that first official notice.  We have been watching him since before he was born.

Vicki, I saw Nicanor win his last race at Delaware Park and it was on HRTV.

Thank you so much for the information.

Go Nicky..Go Lenny!!

Good luck Nicky!! Knock em dead!!!! I'll be watching!!!

I really hope Lentenor starts this year so he can make it to the derby! But Matz will decide that along with the jacksons!

Hows the newest brother?!

Any news on the foal La ville's carrying??

I think he`ll win, those blinkers worked wonders! Any words on wether he`ll going to the VA Derby? I`d love to see him in person!

Nicanor and Lentenor bring so much happiness to us all when we get updates on them.Thank you so much!

Thanks to these two wonderful boys and their connections. You bring happiness to us all.  

Nice to hear Nicanor is progressing nicely and of course the news on Lentenor. Wasn't that the first time Nicanor went 5f? Think so. At first, I was surprised to hear Nicanor will be in such a small allowance race but in giving it some thought, maybe Mr. Matz wants to make sure Nicanor knows what it's all about before going against stronger company and also to bolster his confidence. Although I hear he's a hand full now and more aggressive so maybe confidence is not an issue. In any event, Mr. Matz is doing very nicely with him and whatever he decides, I'm sure is exactly what Nicanor needs. Nicky and Lenny, what a pair. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful prospects from the Barbaro family and brother isn't that new colt something? The Jacksons must be elated, I know I am.    

Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh so much love on this blog.  

Hi Greg J. Ragsy and everyone.  :)

Love you Nicanor.  AND Lentenor.  You are all the best.  We are so proud of you.  

Thanks so much for this blog!  I read it almost everyday, but this is my first time posting.  

I plan on going to Delaware Park on Wednesday to see the race - I can't wait to see Nicanor!  The news about Lentenor is exciting, too!

My Juliet, Bernardini is a beautiful horse that earned his win, however, our beloved Barbaro did not finish, but he is still a winner in my heart. So much has become from his tradgedy. Good news on our horsey loves, Nicky Knocks and Lennie, Nicky IF you do run in Va, I may get my wish to see you. How is Babynor? and Mom? It always brings a smile whenever I see a picture of you guys, Love, hugs and carrots....

love ya nicky!

hope you win like last time

Hopefully we see Lentenor start as a 2yo so maybe he'll be able to run in the Kentucky Derby next year.  

I have to wonder, after reading a comment up above, are y'all fans of Nicanor because he's Nicanor, or are y'all fans of Nicanor because he's Barbaro's brother??  To compare Nicanor or Lentenor or the new foal (who most likely won't be named for a year) to Barbaro takes away from their own accomplishments.  The only thing they all share is blood.  Barbaro won his maiden on turf, but was a dirt specialist.  Nicanor doesn't appear to like the dirt but appears to be a turf specialist (which is good because he most likely will like synthetic too and if he improves, may do well at the Breeders Cup).  Lentenor, while he is training great so far, may decide he doesn't like the racetrack and end up a dressage horse.  The new colt may be better than them all or worse.  But to compare them to Barbaro, who we will never know how good he could have been, is unfair to all of them.  Barbaro's legacy isn't his siblings.  His legacy is bringing to the forefront the need to find an effective treatment & cure for laminitis.  Barbaro didn't die from his broken leg, he died because of laminitis.  

I'm sorry it just irritates me to see people possibly being fans of Nicanor, Lentenor & the colt because of who their brother was, instead of being fans of theirs because of who THEY are.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

Dona,

    FYI, Nicanor did work 5 Furlongs before, The week before his maiden win(May 6) he went 5F in 1:01.40, So Mr. Matz is using the same pattern, It certainly worked before :)

    Previously, Nicanor also worked 5 Furlongs on Jan 11. in 1:01.35, Another 5F on Jan 5. in 1:04.50...

I'm glad MM is taking it slow with Nick. I've seen plenty of times what can happen if you rush a horse like him along and they end up with a bad experience. My horse Tray is a real mellow horse, but my trainer rushed both him and me to shows before we were ready. When i didn't know how to handle him, she'd get on him and force him to do what she wanted. This nearly ruined him. Needless to say she's not my trainer anymore. Tray, after all this had turned into a skittish and scared horse. He'd always been spooky, but he refuse to jump anything, and hates the crop, and any form of hard handling. It took us over a year to get him back on track, seeing as we had to start with a new trainer, and basicly from scratch. Rushing a young horse, especially ones that are kind and mellow is never the answer, especially after they had a bad first experience, like Nick. I agree with everything MM is doing with this colt.

Thanks for the update!  It's exciting to know that Nicanor has another race coming up soon and Lentenor is getting ready to start really learning to be a race horse.  My gratitude extends to all the connections who are taking such good care of these horses, as well as Bloodhorse for giving us the information.  Thanks!

Lentenor has actually already had a 3 furlong workout but it wasn't official as it wasn't timed.  

Greg J., Berner05, Karen PA, my wife & I all got together last time out at Delaware Park.  Nothing compares to being there! Any other takers care to join us next Wednesday?

Stardusty Rose:

What about the brothers??? I just love them all, such beauty.....Lentenor-Nicanor run safe....

Just FYI - I opened a Twinspires.com wagering account and they have live video feed from major tracks, including Delaware. You don't need to even load money into the account to watch the live feed, you just need the account. I wish I had known about this back in March, I could have seen his Gulfstream races live instead of on Memorex...

GREAT NEWS FOR NICANOR. I CAN'T WAIT FOR HIS NEXT RACE. IT SOUNDS LIKE HE REALLY LIKES THE TURF. I HOPE HE WINS BIG, HAS FUN, AND RETURNS HOME SAFE. GOOD LUCK TO LITTLE LENTENOR TOO. IT IS SUCH GREAT FUN WATCHING THEM PROGRESS. WAY TO GO BOYS!!!!

""Nicanor should be in the Colonial Turf Cup. He can run in a 39k allowance anytime. These rich three-year-old stakes only come around once.

Very disappointing decision by Mickey Matz.""

(Mr. Humpty 11 Jun 2009 4:46 PM)

Me Humpty,

I'm sure Matz knows that he has nothing more than a good allowance horse on his hands.  He placed him in the right race. Nicanor is NOT Barbaro and never will be. I don't even think he will do better than third in this upcoming race.

He's a lock in next race and hope Lenny runs this year. I believe Delaware is carried m, t, w only by HRTV  so should get the race on tv.Load up on your bets this will be another steal.

Hope Matz races Lentenor a few short races [like the majority of horses do] before having him go long. With Nicanor, I think they were pushing him to the Triple Crown Races.

Rechelle,

      A couple comments you made I would like to respond.  First when you state, "Barbaro didn't die from his broken leg, he died because of laminitis", Well, In the case of Barbaro, the Broken leg is what caused the laminitis, they are both contributing factors to his death.  Barbaro had "Static laminitis", Which is the result of a horse favoring an injured leg, Which will both severely limit its movement and place greater weight on the other legs(Particularly if the animal is confined in a stall), Which sometimes leads to static Laminitis, This was the case with the Great Barbaro.  So, the injury was a contributing factor to his Laminitis.

    Second, Only speaking on my behalf, The Brother's of Barbaro will forever be mentioned with their Big Brother Barbaro.  Eventually, with time, They will have their own identity and pave their own path with whatever that entails, Either greatness on the Track or any other route they go, But, I do think that it is a good thing to have Barbaro mentioned with them, Just due to the fact it keeps Barbaro's plight fresh on everyone's mind as well as the effort to save horses and contibute to the end of that nasty laminitis!  I don't compare them to Barbaro, I include them with Barbaro, If that makes any sense?, It is hard for me to express(Sometimes) my feeling's into mere words...

FYI,

   I will join Bob and asking, Does anyone else plan on going to Delaware Park on Wednesday?  It was great when the five of us met up last time(It is great putting a face with a Blog handle, lol), If so, post it, and when the race gets closer, we will arrange a place to meet up, last time we met at the Paddock...

Rechelle,

    Where do you come up with the idea Barbaro was a dirt specialist. He won the Laurel while it was still on grass, and his three year old debute was on grass and was a stakes aswell. Barbaro was said to be better on grass than he was on dirt too, which looks to be true since he moved much more fluently over it. Nick, doesn't seem to hate dirt, he was second over it twice, but he seems to like turf much more, like his late brother. All Dynaformers seem to be either turf or synthtic horses, or some are versitle like Barbaro was. But Barbaro was by no means a dirt specialist.

sandieh,

    I agree with My Juliet actually. Even if Barbaro had finished he would've finished second. He was a great horse, versitle as can get, but his best surface was turf. Did he win the derby easily, yes, but nobody ever was close to him on turf. Bernardini was the better dirt horse IMO. Barbaro was great, but was even better on turf. Had Bernardini race on turf against Barbaro, i'd say Barbaro would win hands down but not on dirt.

how many more weeks untill we know wich gender the foal is if it is a filly I think they should name her Gretchen's Gift. beacause wasn't it Gretchen who originally wanted a filly?

Bob D,

Can you explain about Lentenor's 3f "unofficial" breeze?

The following is for those that have never been involved with getting a 2-year old to the races.

When a baby starts galloping on the track, ideally they will go with a group and gallop up to 2 miles a day, probably 6 days a week barring any set backs.  As they get fitter, the riders will ask them to maybe pick it up a bit down the lane (the stretch).  The trainer might ask the baby for longer open gallops which are slower than a breeze but faster than a regular gallop.  Eventually, again barring any set backs, they will be ready to do something like a 27 or 28 second quarter.

This speed work is usually done once a week.  Short bursts of speed will help strengthen the bone and prevent bucked shins, a common problem in young horses and some older horses.  Speed work starts out slow and for only short distances.

Once a baby is doing 2 furlong breezes, they will be lengthened.  All kinds of things force a trainer to back off a horse, some physical some mental.

At the racetrack, a trainer is not allowed to breeze a horse without notifying the officials, and the breeze being timed and published.  Normally, the trainer or the rider tells an official as they enter the track the name of the horse and the distance they will be breezing.  The track officials will get very angry with a trainer who tries to sneak a breeze past them.  The reason has to do with the integrity of racing since the bettors use the published works to decide where to place a bet.

There are minimum times at every track for a breeze at the varying distances.  If a horse doesn't make the minimum time, it is not published.

Some babies come to hand very quickly.  The early developers "tend" not to be the better horses two-turn horses, that seem to take a lot longer to mature.

Keep the updates coming.  I love hearing about the 2 brothers.  They are continuing our Barbaro's legacy.  Nicky and Lennie are very special in their own right.  Nicky is just starting to blossom. He has so much potential.  He'll win his next race hoofs down.

Thank you Ron on the update on both Nicanor and Lentenor.  I really enjoy hearing about them and the way they are progressing.

On the comment above, no need to wonder if we are fans of Nicanor and Lentenor because of Barbaro.  Yes, we probably are, I know I am.  I came to this website because of Barbaro.  Although Barbaro will never be forgotten, the focus is Nicanor and Lentenor.  It is truly a pleasure to watch and keep track of their progress, to watch these babies grow up to be who they are.  Never would I have been able to do this without knowing who Barbaro was.  To Barbaro, thank you for letting me get to know all of your family including anyone who has a connection to Barbaro.

I too am a fan of this Family because of Barbaro and I love all of them.... not meaning to slight the love felt for other horses either....

The economy is suffering and so are horses, more folks need to help save them....

Delaware is one of the tracks that Youbet.Net carries so you can see the race on there and for free if you don't wish to actually wager.  Since I am working PLEASE have the vidoe so I can watch it when I get home.

JAJ,

My understanding was that if a breeze wasn't timed it was not considered an official breeze.  Please let me know if I'm mistaken as you seem to be quite knowledgeable in these areas.  

Bernardini a better dirt horse than Barbaro?  Maybe, but he sure wasn't better than Invasor.......

Yawn: FYI, Matz has already planned on running in VA.and as I understand it Nick has already been nominated.  This I am sure is just a prep race.

Greg J and all who go to Deleware...please take lots of pictures like last time. Of course, lots in the "Winners Circle". (Hopefully)

If anyone knows what time the 8th race is, please put it on this blog. I can't seem to find out anywhere and I sure don't want to miss the race.

Rechelle, we all love the brothers for who they are. We don't expect them to be another Barbaro. They are carring on his bloodline so we can't but hope that they will follow in his footsteps and make wonderful race horses. If they don't, we will always love them for whatever they do. Barbaro is the one who made us all aware of that horrible disease liminitis. In his memory we have raised alot of money for research and have saved over 2900 horses from slaughter. That's why we are Fans of Barbaro and his brothers. We like to be called the Band of Barbaro's Brothers in his honor and memory. Doesn't mean we don't love and accept each brother for who they are. Just an FYI. You're welcome to come aboard and join in our happiness for this whole family of brothers and hopefully a filly on the way.

Catch everybody later...

JAJ, The work out plan you posted is the plan that has been done on Lentenor. His has had short bursts of faster speeds but no official breezing. They do plan on doing that soon, but today it was to wet. Hopefully tomorrow or Monday.

To everyone else,

If you could all see Nicanor and see how wonderful he is maturing and what a wonderful and delightful person he is becoming could not come on here and say anything bad about him not being a race horse. He is a baby and has come so far just in the last month since his last race I think everyone will be suprised to see what a man he is now and how focused he is. We all love these boys, we all love these boys because of Barbaro, I don't know if half of us would be following these horses if it were not for their big brother. I for one hope we always mention that they are Barbaro's brothers and then remember what THEY did in their careers that would have made their big brother proud.

Well said, Greg J.

We don't compare the brothers to Barbaro.  We cheer for them and love them because they are Barbaro's brothers.  Tracking the brothers is a way to keep Barbaro's memory and legacy alive.

I'm hoping to see Nicanor race on the 17th.  More importantly, I'm hoping to see him win again, and win big. Would love to meet up with other fans if possible.  

If the Barbaro family has a sister,

I think the name should be something close to Barbaro. Maybe like Barbaretta or ??????.

And like Greg J said. Barbaro should always be mentioned with these younger horses. Without him,this Blog would not be here.

   Hi FOB:) Regarding comments on

Nicanor and Lentenor receiving the respect they deserve, I think they will get it. However I did come here because they are Barbaro's brothers, and recognize this blog exists because of him.

   Sandieh, you're probably right that Bernardini is a beautiful horse; though all I could think about that day was Barbaro, I barely noticed who won.

    Greg J., I agree about Michael Matz being a wonderful trainer. He is a true horseperson, it is so great to know he always

puts the horse first. He and the Jackson's are class acts;)

sounds like both colts are happy and healthy, which is a good thing. good luck to them both and their connections

Meleah,

I think they said they would know the gender of the foal a month from the test they did to determine that LVR is in foal. Maybe a couple of weeks from now??

Greg J.  

Good post!  Now do you have the exacta for the 17th? :)

Ragsy... All of these boys and LVR are so loved and it is a shame to see people slam them.  Just consider the source.  Some people just can't stand the fame that one horse brought this world.  I don't see any other horses with their own blogs anywhere.  :)  Hey Rags told me that you are the best person that has ever ridden her.  She really likes the way that you handle her with the reigns...... I didn't know that you were riding her bareback?  :)

Vicki....

Try Xpressbet.com  Not sure but that may cover it.  GREG?????????????  Do you know?

LDP....  YOU or I or anyone else on this blog or anywhere really knows what would have happened in the Preakness in 2006.  To say that you know that Barbaro would have got 2nd is like Calvin saying that MTB was going to win the Belmont.  If everyone knew the order of finish, why run the race?  :)  IMO I believe that Barbaro would have stomped the heck out of all of the horses and went on to win the TC.  I am quite sure that most of us here agree.  

Well, Phantom, thanks for the betting tip. If we all bet a lot of money on Nicanor in his next race, that will drive down his odds, and drive up the odds on the other horses. Therefore, anyone betting on Nicanor will make less on their bet. Unless, of course, you are trying to increase the odds on the other horses, because that's where you plan to place your bets. And of course, you're the same Phantom who once had a more realistic view of Nicanor.

No problem. If your ploy works, and you make more money because of the naivete of these readers, then more power to you. I guess....

I would love to see Nicanor run in the Virginia Derby.  He would be great to watch and it would be a big boost for Colonial Downs, which is a great track.

Stardusty Rose:

Bareback is the only way to ride..its a little hard when one starts the ride but the horse loves it.....Rags2Riches is just wonderfulllll.....

when Barbaro was injured I did not know who won the Preakness for 2 years...no, slight intended toward Bernardine...just the shock of Barbaro's injury...that places me into the fan club for the sibblings of the First Family!!

+1 stardusty i agree with you... and i believed BARBARO could have win that race easily. i'll respect that BERNARDINI is a super dirt horse but i would say he got no chance with BARBARO. can't wait to see NICKY this wednesday... 15+ length again? lol just a win would make us happy...

a friendly reminders to all people in here. if you watch NICANOR's race this wednesday on Youbet.net like lobieb posted earlier make sure don't click it Delawar PArk right away because you're only allowed to watch it for 30 mins max then after that you can't watch anything there anymore. click it when its almost post time just to be on safe side.

StardustyRose,

    I never said I know, i said i believe. I do happen to know on dirt Barbaro moved more choppily, than a fluid Bernardini, making me think that on dirt, he was better. On turf, nobody ever got close to Barbaro, he was literally unbeatable. Like i said i believe had the Preakness been on turf he'd have stomped everyone there, but on dirt Bernardini was better. Everyone on here may agree with you, your all FOB's which i am too, but i also like Bernardini. You go to other blogs, and it's different.

FYI,

    It's Official, Nicanor is Entered on Wednesday, June 17, Race #8 at Delaware Park on the Turf(I hope!) with Rosie Napravnik back on Board...

The Field :

1 He's Solid Gold, D. Cohen 120

2 NICANOR , R. Napravnik 114

Also Eligibles:

3 Ferentz, D. Cohen 120

4 No Mesa With Me, J. Shepherd 114

5 Stevil, L Garcia 120

6 Random Strike, K. Carmouche 120

7 Blood Moon, R. Shepherd 113

8 Rabbit Tracks, J. Rose 114

9 Tatnall Street, J. Rocco, Jr. 114

10 White Holiday, C.L. Potts 120

Hopefully, The Turf will dry out by Wednesday, and Nicanor will stay on the lawn, The race is set to go off around 4:24 P.M....

Go Nicanor...

FYI,

    "Stevil" is the horse with the name that stands out the most, He finished fifth in last year's Preakness, Besides the Preakness, The Blue Grass and the Louisiana Derby were his only starts in stakes competition, But in his last three races he has finished 4,2,3.

The Field(As of Now):

"He's Solid Gold" : 7 Starts, 1 win, 0 Seconds, 2 Thirds, Earning's $49,027

"Ferentz"  :  5 Starts, 2 Wins, 0 Seconds, 0 Thirds, Earning's $20,087

"No Mesa with Me" : 4 Starts, 1 win, 3 Seconds, 0 Thirds, Earning's $33,360

"Stevil"   : 7 Starts, 1 Win, 1 Second, 1 Third, Earning's $125,865

"Random Strike"  : 12 Starts, 1 Win, 0 Seconds, 3 Thirds, Earning's $30,330

"Blood Moon"  : 7 Starts, 1 Win, 0 Seconds, 2 Thirds, Earning's $28,760

"Rabbit Tracks"  : 4 Starts, 1 Win, 1 Second, 1 Third, Earning's $16,620

"Tatnall Street" : ????????, Can't find anything on him....

"White Holiday"  : 6 Starts, 1 Win, 0 Seconds, 1 Third, Earning's $24,490

"NICANOR"  :  4 Starts, 1 Amazing Win, 2 Agonizing Seconds, Worth  "Priceless"

Lou in TX

Here is a link to Delaware Park www.delawarepark.com/index.php

Race 8 goes off at 4:24pm.

LDP, My Juliet, I do agree also with the earlier comment from My Juliet, and I what I wanted to say was I believe had our beloved Barbaro finished that race, he would have won. I was watching the race that day, I could not believe that awful accident. I watched Barbaro from the Holly Bull, I checked online with Penn Vet several times daily while he was trying to recover. He was(is) a great inspiration to me while I was going through my own recovery from a terrible horse acciddent when I lost my beloved cousin. I love to hear every bit of news on Nicky Knocks, Lennie and Babynor. (Mom and Dad, too) I admire the Jacksons for their contributions to the public and horse industry, and for sharing what is surely dear to them with us.    

Lou In Texas:  Nicks race goes off at 4:24 EST.  Hope that helps.  If ever you want to find out when a race is going off go to drf.com click on the track you want in entries and walla it gives you post position, jockey, trainer weight, odds , time of race etc. hope this helps.

Kalsea:  That is 30 minutes per day if you don't bet and play for free.  Then it is good to go on the next day so chose your races accordingly each day.  But hey you can see the race, I have to rely on Bloodhorse to show me the replay once I get home from work.

I was there when Barbaro broke down and yes you are right I didn't even know who had won the race.  He was pulled up right in front of us and my heart dropped into my stomach.  Not the only one as the whole grandstand was starring at Barbaro and paying no attention to the race. Still think they should have scratched him when he broke through the gate but that is hind site.

Greg J, your right!! Nicanor is "priceless".... win your race sweet one!!

speculation... is just that...  comparing Barbaro to Bernadine... never to know that answer.. so why try!!!! its just bs....also thats the reason oil has gone back up...speculation bs....

Thanks Greg J for the info on Nicanor's next race.  Love the comment, Nicanor, priceless.  Yes he is.

I can't wait to see Lentenor run. I have a gut feeling that Lentenor is the one!! Good look to Nicanor and stay healthy!!

I think that the Jacksons are wise not to push Nicanor. He is a jewel just like Barbaro. I'm sure they will make good decisions for Lentenor. Can't wait to see him.

Ragsy.  Ask your horse.  She may know that answser to who would have won the race that day.  :)

lobieb.  You were there OMG.  I am sure that is a day you will never ever forget and probably one of the worst in your life.  I too had no idea who won that race and didn't care.  I believe a lot of people watched Barbaro being taken off rather than the race.  Not to say the winner didn't deserve his fame for the day.  It is sad that he had to win the race the way that he did.  Ragsy is right. Why speculate?  Then again, I truly believe that Barbaro would have taken the Triple Crown that year.  

I lost it over Barbaro and he is right here on my desk and I look at his beautiful head in the sunlight everyday while on the PC.  Man I love him.  All the brothers too.  

Greg J!!!!!

Exacta box please... LOL.. :)

lobieb..

I am not sure about this but I think that Prado said something along those lines at one time (about going back in the gate).  I can just imagine how he felt.  When our beautiful Barbaro broke down, Edgar was really never the same after that.  He loved that horse sooooooo much. He is the reason that Barbaro got to live longer too.  He handled that extremely well.  Then of course the Almighty Doc, was remarkable with him.  He had the best team in the world.  I only wish ALL horses had the care that these boys and Barbaro did.  :)

Nicanor

Rabbit Tracks

Stevil

GREG J..... Would that be a good tri?  And of course the exacta as well?  :)

"Yawn: FYI, Matz has already planned on running in VA.and as I understand it Nick has already been nominated.  This I am sure is just a prep race."  lobieb 12 Jun 2009 3:09 PM

lobieb,  I'm aware of the 49 early nominations, but if you remember Nicanor was also one of the 401 early Triple Crown Nominees.  I'm sure Matz will do what the Jacksons want, no matter what he feels.

He might run and do well, but I don't think he's up to compete well with many of those already already entered.  There will also be some later nominations.

His running style is better than Barbaro's, much smoother, but I still don't feel he's up to finishing on the board in the Virginia Derby or the Virgina Turf Cup.  www.colonialdowns.com/.../derby-noms.pdf

Stardusty Rose,

My love for Barbaro will never die and my love for the Baby Brothers of Barbaro is endless....I too believe that.... that wonderful BARBARO would have won the Triple Crown had he lived and never injured.....

Re Nominations to stakes:

Some trainers nominate to a lot of stakes that they have no intention of running in at the time the nominations came out.  Don't read too much into the turf stake nomination of Nicanor.  Some of the trainers use a computer program that automatically nominates so that they don't have keep track of all the various stakes and closing dates at all the different tracks.

I'm not saying he won't run, just that lots of trainers nominate everything in their barn to every stake possible.

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park, where Mine That Bird will be running next. I think Nicanor could beat him, and that possibly, we all know very well who the best 3 year old is in the country right now. No, not Rachel Alexandra, but Nicanor.

Average colts do not run their turf debut with a 100 beyer and by 15 lengths. Nicanor's closest  competitor had a 62 beyer, vs the 92 for Nicanor so Nic was in an easy prep race. This upcoming one will either see him bounce, or be unstoppable. The fair question to ask is why Matz entered him in a 39,000 race if he's ready for a stakes race?  Man O' War made his first start as a 3 year old in the Preakness and we're all worrying about Nicanor's next bottom rung race. I must be missing something.

An non winners of two allowance race a "bottom run" race????  Are you for real, Jon, or are you just pulling our collective legs?

Any allowance is an UPPER level race.

Where do you get your information that he is ready for a stakes race?  No one knows that, including Matz.  Matz is only going to find out if he is stakes material when Nicanor meets stakes horses in a race.  You find out where your horse belongs when you run them.

Nicanor moving up from maiden special weight to an allowance race filled with winners IS a jump in class.  Don't underestimate how much better this field is likely to be than his previous competitors were, although he did have some tough company until he ran in his last race.

The trainer and owner's philosophy on how to develop a horse comes in to play as well.  I don't know how Matz develops his potential stakes horses, but most trainers tend to try to win a few of their conditions before they take on stakes horses.  In other words, they try to win first their MSW, then non winners of a race other than maiden or claiming, and non winners of two other than.  That is the normal progression for developing even the better stakes horses.

There has been some discussion on Nicanor's height, how many hands tall is he?

I'm sorry but Nicanor is not exceptional. And there's no reason he should be. In thoroughbred racing, it is extremely hard to find siblings that are all amazing. There are exceptions like the Better Than Honour's and the Urban Sea's, but so far there's no reason to think that Nicanor will do more than keep on winning fairly mediocre allowance races. Don't get me wrong it'd be great to see him win and win big on the biggest stages, but the fact of the matter is that he is small, scrawny horse with poor conformation, not like his brother. Besides Barbaro, La Ville Rouge is the dam of a graded stakes placed horse who never amounted to much. Barbaro was above and beyond and to think that multiple matings of the same horses will achieve another champion is absolutley preposterous. If we are lucky, Nicanor will see graded stakes competition and earn his medal. But to think from birth that he is a champion from birth, to call him the best three year old in America, is unwarranted. The Jacksons and Michael Matz realize this and that is why they are letting him develop in to the racehorse he is. If he is not a champion, he is not a champion. While we would all like to see another Barbaro, I just don't believe that it's in the cards at this point.