Susan Salk
Star of Reality rises like the phoenix
In a clearing gnawed down by hungry horses trying to nourish themselves on the scrubland of the Cayman Islands, a Thoroughbred broodmare with an uncommonly gentle nature gave up on what life had handed her, and she lay down to die. It was such a warm day as Star of Reality folded her knees beneath her thin body and lowered herself to the earth. Her four years spent as an iron horse making full-tilt dashes toward the Finger Lakes finish line were long over, and her recently delivered chestnut-white Paint foal had been weaned and was in the bloom of […]
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OTTBs reach Ohio in 3,500-mile trek, so close
Two off-track Thoroughbreds attempting to cross the United States in a 3,500-mile trek arrived in Ohio yesterday after a months long “epic milestone” journey, now nearly complete. Ambling over busy city bridges with cool confidence, then standing calmly amid youngsters who’d swarmed “like bees” from a city apartment complex to come and pet them, OTTBs Primitivo and Solar Express did what they’ve done since the trip began in May: they took it all in stride. Looking fit and healthy, the pair of bay Thoroughbreds carried riders Valerie Ashker and her boyfriend Peter Friedman past whizzing cars and looming buildings and […]
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OTTBs ready to rumble in Kentucky, remade
Over 300 ex-racehorses hailing from 62 tracks will compete this month for $100,00 as they seek to prove the Thoroughbred sport horse is a winner on any field of competition. Horses who once rocketed across finish lines at Penn National, Mahoning Valley, Charles Town and Mountaineer racetracks, among many others, were retrained and will compete at polo, hunter/jumper, barrel racing and many more disciplines, says Steuart Pittman, creator and founder of the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover. “Based on what people are telling me privately, the value of an OTTB is rising,” Pittman says. “Demand is up. Prices are up. […]
