Lamb Chops

I was asked the other day why I haven't put up a blog post in awhile.  In Over My Head was racing consistently all summer long....didn't I plenty of stories to tell?  Actually, I really didn't.  The five + year history of this story has really written itself and for once I was stuck.  It wasn't until a discussion of lamb chops did I get the urge to get our the computer and start typing.

In Over My Head's races this summer has been pretty normal.  I don't mean Mo normal (which is the opposite of normal).  I mean normal like most very good horses  He finished in the top three in each of his first ten starts.  They were all exciting and usually involved Mo charging down the stretch and passing most (or all) of his fellow competitors.  Outside of a fun trip down to Balmoral with Danny when we were back in Wisconsin over the 4th of July, I didn't have too much to write about.  Normal doesn't help create interesting blog posts.

That's all started to change.

Three starts ago In Over My Head was in prime position to pick up his second Invitation win of the season when he had some equipment break.  Instead of charging to the finish line he was taken off the track and received the first DNF (Did Not Finish) of his career.  Because of the equipment break, he had to pull up and suffered a bone bruise.  Over vet described it to us as taking a guitar string, pulling it back and letting it snap down on the frame.  Mo's tendon was the string and his bone was the frame.  He wasn't able to strum a tune for five weeks.

His first start off that minor injury was typical Mo  Even though he wasn't not in 100% racing shape, he charged home in the slop and posted a last quarter a full second better than the rest of his competition.  He couldn't quite get to the winner, but finished a strong second. Things were getting back to normal...or so we thought.

On Saturday September 13th, Mo faced a field similar to the one he nearly mowed down two weeks before.  At the 3/4 pole, that exactly what I thought he would do...instead, he faded to ninth in what was one of the most uncharacteristic races of his career.   Luckily, Danny was at the track to check on him.  What happened explained the flat effort...he had cut off his airway.  This is not all that uncommon in horse racing.  Mo basically displaced a flap (for lack of a better word) in his throat and cut off his wind.  Luckily, this was treatable and the plan was to just enter him the next week.

That takes us to last night.

Mo had dropped down in class.  The pre race analysis at Balmoral said it best, "If In Over My Head races like his last start, he's vulnerable.  If he races like any of his starts before, he thrashes this field."

We were expecting a thrashing.  What we got was a win...but not a thrashing.  He won in by about neck after making his usual charge down the lane.  When I saw the race lines, it showed a last quarter of about 27 seconds.  We'd be happy with that kind of time for Don't Tell Wayne, but Mo...hmmm...something didn't feel quite right.

Luckily, Danny was at the track (a reoccurring part of the story) and he he sensed something wasn't quite right either.  He told the vet to scope him (check for sickness, bleeding or other issues in his airway/ lungs).  After a win and a solid stretch drive, why scope him?  Danny said it was a gut feeling...and he was right.  After getting checked by the vet, it turns out that In Over My Head had other issues in his airway on Saturday night.  It was probably related to what happened the week before.  It was not exactly the same situation and not as serious of the week before, but enough to knock most horses out.  Mo is not most horses...he won anyway.

I'm not sure I can stress this enough, but what he did last night was nothing short of incredible.  Yes, he beat a field of less than stellar horses, but to do so with limited air is a rare thing to see.  Think of going out to run a race with bronchitis.  That's about the best comparison I can give you.  Running through that can be done...but it takes a second level of toughness.  Something Mo has plenty of.

Back to the lamb chops.  Laura and I were walking home from a friend's house after the race.  It was late, but it hit me that I had to make good on my post Mo win ritual:  to open a bottle of La Crema and toast to victory.  Given the fact it was late, I said that maybe we could wait until tomorrow.  Laura responded that she already opened that bottle that night.  They used it in the lamb chop marinade.  La Crema in a lamb chop recipe???  That's kind of a bold move.  Laura's response:  I knew he was going to win, so I opened it.

This coming from the same person who once said we were going to be headed to the winners circle one night at Maywood Park.  The same night we were at odds of 55-1...the same night we won the Windy City Pace.  All I can say that is that I hope Laura sees a few more wins in the future.  If she does, we better stock up on La Crema because we will certainly be uncorking a few bottles.

Given the recent issues, Mo will take a week off.  That should be all he needs to get right.  Look for him at Balmoral on October 4th.

Let's go Mo!