Retired Racehorse Training Project's 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge: In Case You Missed It...

On December 1, 2012, four horses (including one former Eclipse Champion) representing four Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred farms embarked on the Retired Racehorse Training Project’s (RRTP) 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge at Dodon Farm Training Center in Davidsonville, MD. Fans had the opportunity to see the horses in person at the Maryland Horse World Expo in January and can also see them at the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo in February. At the end of their 100-day training period, the horses will be judged on conformation, movement, jumping ability, and trainability by guest riders, judges, and online fans. As the Thoroughbred Challenge unfolds, Sarah Andrew will chronicle the horses’ progress. Please enjoy part 8 of this series. 

In Friday's hour-long session with the Retired Racehorse Training Project's class of 2013 at the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, spectators were treated to a mini jumping clinic and for some, their first glimpses of the horses. The RRTP horses all showed off everything they've learned during their stay at Dodon Farm, from lead changes to jumping little grids.

Gunport was her classic overachieving self, battling nerves in the beginning of the session, but eventually focusing on her job and gamely jumping all obstacles with tight knees and catlike agility. Michelle Warro expertly piloted Gunport, and kept the mare's feet moving until they settled into a rhythm.

Like Gunport, Alluring Punch began his session with a tight neck and a tense back as he eyeballed the intimidating arena and listened to the echoes of the microphone and audience. Once Steuart Pittman worked through some exercises on the flat and began taking little cross rails, the gelding recognized his routine, and rode through a little course and some gridwork with style. He still has a baby face and babyish mannerisms, but it actually looked like it was a help with his training- his expressions make it easier to read his body language. By the end of the session, after Pittman dismounted, "Punchy" stood quietly in hand, nuzzling people and taking in his surroundings with curiosity- it was a far cry from the horse he was when he entered the arena an hour earlier.

Suave Jazz lived up to his name, yet again, and was suave indeed. From the last time I saw him in January, his neck and hindquarters have rounded and become quite defined with all the careful, quality training that he has received at Dodon Farm. I also noticed more reach in his trot. During the demo, he did not put a foot wrong the entire time, and handled the arena, the jumps, and the work with Fonzie-like cool. Katie Klenk is a great fit for him, since she stays out of his way and encourages him to relax and loosen up.

Saturday is the big day. Judges will evaluate the horses and a large, enthusiastic crowd is expected. Please be sure to vote for the horses at the RRTP website, and I hope to see you at the Expo!

- Sarah Andrew

Retired Racehorse Training Project’s 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge: Alluring Punch

On December 1, 2012, four horses (including one former Eclipse Champion) representing four Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred farms embarked on the Retired Racehorse Training Project’s (RRTP) 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge at Dodon Farm Training Center in Davidsonville, MD. Fans will have the opportunity to see the horses in person at the Maryland Horse World Expo in January and the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo the following month. At the end of their 100-day training period, the horses will be judged on conformation, movement, jumping ability, and trainability by guest riders, judges, and online fans. As the Thoroughbred Challenge unfolds, Sarah Andrew will chronicle the horses’ progress. Please enjoy part 4 of this series.

Alluring Punch 

Representing: Northview Stallion Station

RRTP's 100 Day TB Challenge Participant

“The Kid”

Two Punch – Alluring Elixir, by Cure The Blues

10-1-2-0

$12,290

Breeder: Barbara Ryan (MD)

He's "The Kid." Although Alluring Punch and his RRTP classmate Gunport both officially turned four years old on January 1, 2013, he acts his age more frequently than she does. If you look at his conformation photo above, he has all the ingredients to be an elite athlete, from his powerful hind end to his deep chest and lovely shoulder.

Under saddle, Alluring Punch is alluring indeed and shows great potential for collection with the ability to coil his loins and step under himself. His canter is powerful, and his trot is fluid. He inherited some of his legendary sire's playful nature, and he appears to have a bit of a sense of humor. He will need some time and skilled schooling while his mind matures and catches up with his body. In the training videos, RRTP President Steuart Pittman compares the first few minutes under saddle on Alluring Punch to "riding a pinball." You can get a good sense of this by watching his win at Charles Town in May 2012 (click here to watch his race video). He wins the race by open lengths, after taking the overland route and going quite wide on the turn to order the proverbial hot dog.

From Training Report 1 (video for Day 1) and Training Report 2 (video for Week 2), Alluring Punch is carefully coached to maintain balanced, rhythmic gaits. Less time is spent on suppling exercises and more time is spent on pace and balance. In the third week (video here), the chestnut hits a mental stumbling block, and Steuart is faced with the challenge of moving forward with his talented pupil. He explains his process in Training Report 3:   

 "We want to establish boundaries and consistency with these horses but we must be careful with the mouth and the attitude of a horse like this. For the first few weeks, we sent him forward and matched his strength with leg and rein to keep him on the track of our choosing at the pace and balance that we thought he could handle. That was tough on him in some ways. It was hard work and I don't think he got much pleasure from it. The warning came when I started to feel that he was not connecting well to the bit. He was sucking back slightly and curling to avoid the contact.

This is a common problem with the horses who pull hard. The harder we have to work the less tactful we become, and it doesn't feel any better to the bars of their mouths and neck muscles than it does to our arms and shoulders. All of a sudden they feel light in the bridle and take smaller steps and we think we have made great progress... I had felt poor Punchy sulking a bit, then surging into the bridle, then sulking again. My job then was to look for and find a rhythm and a direction that would make him happy again, and restore his trust in the contact. We found that yesterday in the canter. In that gait he is most rhythmic, straight, and balanced. He becomes happy. It is almost like a mental break for him, after which he does better at the walk and trot."

The reward for thoughtfully schooling a talented, scopey horse like Alluring Punch through the lower levels will reveal itself as he reaches the upper levels of training. You can get a glimpse of his bright future when you watch his free jumping video below. If he is this talented at four, imagine where he will be in a year or two:

Retired Racehorse Training Project’s 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge: Declan's Moon

On December 1, 2012, four horses (including one former Eclipse Champion) representing four Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred farms embarked on the Retired Racehorse Training Project’s (RRTP) 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge at Dodon Farm Training Center in Davidsonville, MD. Fans will have the opportunity to see the horses in person at the Maryland Horse World Expo in January and the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo the following month. At the end of their 100-day training period, the horses will be judged on conformation, movement, jumping ability, and trainability by guest riders, judges, and online fans. As the Thoroughbred Challenge unfolds, Sarah Andrew will chronicle the horses’ progress. Please enjoy part 1 of this series.

Declan’s Moon

RRTP’s 100 Day TB Challenge participant
"The Natural"
2002 gelding
Malibu Moon - Vee Vee Star, by Norquestor
$125,000 yrl ’03 FTMSEP
Breeder: Brice Ridgely (MD)
18-6-2-2
$705,647
2004 Champion Two-Year-Old-Colt

Following an undefeated two-year-old season in 2004, including his GI Hollywood Futurity win over future 2005 Kentucky winner Giacomo, Declan’s Moon was crowned Champion Two-Year-Old-Colt. After a victory in the GII Santa Catalina S. in his only start at three, injury took him off the Triple Crown trail. He returned to the track at four and started 13 more times before owner Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable retired him to the Pons family’s Country Life Farm in Maryland.

After four and a half years of turnout with two other Malibu Moon champions, Josh Pons approached Ms. Siegel about entering Declan in the challenge. "Declan wouldn't let us catch him when Josh and I went out to his field for a visit," said RRTP President Steuart Pittman, "but he trotted circles around us like a dancer and then galloped to the top of the hill and struck a pose. I could hardly sleep until Josh got word back that Ms. Siegel was enthusiastically on board."

After saying goodbye to his fans at the Country Life/Merryland stallion show, Declan began his training at Dodon Farm. Click here to view his first training session video, and click here to read his Day 1 training report.

As he crosses the wire and when he returns to the winner’s circle in his last career win at Betfair Hollywood Park on July 5, 2007 (click here for video), you can see that he is a spectacular mover for any discipline; he’s a natural, and he moves better than many show horses. He has good-sized feet with nice heels, his back is a little long, and he has an elegant neck that is set perfectly on his shoulders. In addition to his elastic, swingy gaits, Steuart said that he is an extremely comfortable horse.

Declan’s Moon requires a rider to sit deeply in the saddle and put more leg on him than is typical for a Thoroughbred off the track. He willingly accepts contact from his rider’s hands, which Steuart attributes in part to the skilled exercise riders who rode him on the track. The time that Declan spent in his pasture at Country Life allowed his muscles to loosen and he exercised himself in his pasture, so he is not as tightly-muscled as many horses off the track.

Declan’s big personality matches his good looks, and he was gelded young to help make him more manageable. Now, at age eleven, after a few years of racing and a few years as the king of the farm at Country Life, he is quite a confident horse. During their training sessions, Steuart does a masterful job of teaching this strong-minded horse about the importance of reliably responding to leg and hand without unnecessarily nagging him or interfering with the horse’s natural rhythm. Click here to read Declan’s 30-day training update and click here to view his 30-day training video. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project.

- Sarah Andrew