NEW JOURNEY ON THE WAY

I've got a new foal on the way. I think it will be a filly. Her dam is Queen of Paris. I spent the morning at River Edge Farm outside Solvang. It was a clear, bright, warm morning. The Maples are full and leafy. We saw so many beautiful foals and mares. So much hope on the hoof. Saving the best for last, after seeing an incredible display of yearlings getting ready to ship to Keeneland, they brought the Big Gun out. Bertrando himself. In splendid living color. What a fantastic looking animal. For me - it was like meeting a Rock Star! The Great Bertrando. The sire of Bitey Bert!

Breeding horses is such an act of faith. It is an unreasonable willingness to accept the unknown as an adventure - and to launch a new journey. Faithful Journey is an adventure of hope and courage. Courage is a word that comes from the French word, "Couer" or heart. Courage means to have heart. Breeding horses takes heart. Its leaping into the unknown, taking the risk, and taking part in the story of life. Its being a part of circle of life. Breeding horses in this day and age, without land, isn't smart or reasonable or even a good business decision. But it is doing something that transforms the landscape for the better. Internal and external. Present and Future. And when I am standing in front of a foal, I feel fully alive with possibility. Ageless. I think alot of people do. I don't think you can get that feeling very often, and certainly not from investing in stocks. Faith is trust in the future, whatever that holds. And as Rimbaud once penned, "I came to live out loud." I am so looking forward to next Spring.

"WE HAVE A HEARTBEAT"

Those are magical and exciting words to any breeder. And a big relief. Today I got a call from Katie at Magali. Its been 28 days since Queen of Paris was bred. Katie simply said, "We have a heartbeat."

That made my day. I was on my way to Court to file a pleading and the phone call was so unexpected and so far removed from a breach of contract case that I had been working in all morning. In fact, just the opposite. It was a promise of new life. A beating heart. Something like a seahorse now, but like an acorn, the beginning of something beautiful and exhuberant. Barring any unforeseen catastrophy, in 330 days, we should have another lovely foal. The Promise of a new Journey.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

DON'T GOOD JOURNEY AND BRIGHT JOURNEY LOOK ALOT ALIKE?

GJ IS A ROCK STAR AT STUD!

GOOD JOURNEY IS BEING SHUTTLED TO AUSTRALIA IN JULY AND ALREADY HE HAS 115 MARES BOOKED TO HIM. Lindsay Park is expecting a book fo 150. That's just insane. That means that he will be in the breeding shed every day. The Aussie mare owners are flocking to him at $18,000 a tryst. Despite having just 23 live foals in his first crop, he is among the leading Second Crop sires in Australia this season. From his two crops of racing age, 21 have faced the starter for 11 individual winners, highlighted by Group 1 WA Derby winner Grand Journey (also G2 winner of the WA Oaks) and the exciting G2 winning three-year-old Sound Journey. Sam Hayes from Lindsay Park said.“We wanted a horse with a strong female family and we saw this as a good opportunity to fit a proven horse into our roster to go with our young horses."

QUEEN OF PARIS IN FOAL!!

QUEEN OF PARIS IS IN FOAL TO GOOD JOURNEY!!

That means that we will have another Good Journey foal next spring - probably in mid May. He or she will be a one-half sibling to Bright Journey. Different dams. Because QOP and GJ are both red horses, we are assured of having another Chestnut. We won't know the gender for a while. Time to play the name game again!!