Keeneland Photos

(Someday I will go back to writing dog stories.)




First, thank you to dear reader Gail D. for sending me these photos she took at Keeneland when she was there last autumn.



This is the infield, which was brilliant spring Bluegrass green last week




And this is the paddock, where Jeannie and I got to play big shots, while Jake and the other trainers saddled the horses. Thank you again, Gail; it's fun to show these.




Looky what Jake emailed me last night.



This is after the 16th pole when the big dark bay horse had caught up with him, and Xela (pronounced "Zella," by the way) was taking off again.






This is the official win photo, showing the finish line on top, and the Winner's Circle underneath.



Closer of the Winners Circle. (And you can click to enlarge; use your back button to return.)
L to R - One of Jake's other owners, the Friendly Tour Bus Driver, Jeannie, Jake's kind mentor (in the hat and shades), smilin' mom, Jake's awesome groom, Xela, rider John McKee, Jake.





And finally, a close up of the official win photo. I didn't notice what Jake had the photographer do, until I was printing the photo. "Mom's Day at Keeneland" appears on the official photo!! How fun and crazy is that?

Thank you for sharing this fun day, this miraculous minute and ten seconds with me. No matter how well prepared a trainer has a horse, there is still racing luck. A horse can stumble coming out of the starting gate. A horse can get bumped or squeezed. A rider can not follow instructions. A million little things can go wrong.

If you click to enlarge the next to the last photo, and look at Jake's face, I think you can see all of the things which went wrong last year. Right after the photo was taken Jeannie asked him how he felt, and he said, "It hasn't set in yet. Ask me again when I come to visit at Christmas." I can see that in the photo.

Now, he's smiling. I haven't stopped.


Hug the everlovin' daylights out of your hounds