Riding in Style

I’m not sure I have this story 100% correct, but from what I’ve been able to gather this is pretty close. 

The year was probably around 1965 and the hot streak was continuing for my grandpa in the horse business.  Starting in the late 1950s he had hit on a couple of real nice horses, but now he had gone from good to great with his grand circuit star Speedy Rodney.  As the purse money flowed in, he did what anyone would have done in those times.  He went out and bought a Cadillac.  It may have been gold, but I can’t confirm that.  

From that day forward, he always owned a Cadillac.  Fourteen of them to be exact with the last one being purchased in 2005.  Grandpa died in 2012 and Grandma has driven it ever since, but as of this year she didn’t have a need for a car anymore.  The plan was to sell it and my mom asked if I was interested.  At first, it didn’t seem very logical.  We didn’t need it.  We only have a 2-car garage.  However, as is the case with many things horse racing related, sometimes you have to look beyond basic logic to determine the right choice.

After throwing logic to the wolves, I am happy to say that Grandpa and Grandma’s last Cadillac has found a nice new home…in my garage.  My everyday car has been demoted to the driveway.  It is the unofficial ‘company car’ of the In Over My Head Stable.  Danny and I have yet to take it to a race, but the plan is to drive it to Lexington this fall.  It needs a little bit of work, but overall is in great shape and is physical reminder of Grandpa and his ties back to the first very first Cadillac he bought when his racing stable was hotter than a two-dollar pistol. 

Maybe the new Caddy will be our good luck charm.  It sure started out well.  After we bought it, Southern Flight went win, win, second.  He’s gone a couple of bad races, but that is just to do some sickness he has been fighting through…not even a good luck charm can hold off sickness.  I’m expecting good things in the near future with Flight and hopefully that luck carries over to our 2-year-old trotter named Darty that John Butenschoen (the master of young trotters) has out in Pennsylvania.

The other trip that I’m excited to take in the Cadillac is down to see As Fast As You.  We haven’t seen him in a while, but Lesa has told us he is growing up well and looks great (apparently all the In Over Head yearlings look great).  It is crazy to think that at this time next year, we will see his first crop getting to the racetrack and hopefully having some success.  And hopefully As Fast As You is the best of the bunch! 

We haven’t been real active on the updates here, but I think that will change in the coming months.  This whole thing started with us buying In Over My Head and now that his baby boy is getting closer to moving from a field to a jog cart, it will be fun to track that progress.  No matter what happens, it is nice to know that the next time we take a road trip, we will be riding in style and I’m sure Grandpa will be riding with us in spirit.