Hurley Horse Happenings 2010

[DevilHorse]

Welcome back to the 2010 edition of Hurley Horse Happenings. Hopefully we'll find some young horses this year to add to the watch list. But in the mean time:

Cheeca Storm makes her seasonal debut for the Devil Eleven barn with a start on the Turf on Saturday at Gulfstream Park for a $26K purse. It is 5 furlongs and a $30K claiming event.

Larry
DevilHorse
Beat Carolina

[DevilHorse]

Cheeca Storm finished 3rd in her turf debut. She had the lead briefly and had a good first race of the season.

Here is the chart, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form.
http://www.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesI...=20100213&RN=5

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Unrelated to any Hurley Horse activity, a horse named "Duke Did It" won the 10th race at Woodbine last night. Although not a lifetime best for this gelded son of Bettors Delight, this was a nice win for the New York bred.

Here is the race chart, courtesy of teh StandardbredCanada.com:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/rac...3wdbsn.dat#N10

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Fight The Feeling, owned partly by Devil Eleven Stable, has had one previous start (finished 3rd), most recently yesterday (2/27/2010) at Gulfstream Park in Race 5. This is a 5 Furlong Maiden race. This filly finished out of the money (9th) yesterday. She is by Songandaprayer, out of Into Temptation. This filly was actually purchased in 2008 for $62K, although she might have been purchased earlier that year and bought back at a later sale (pinhook attempt that failed).

In either case, here is the chart, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form:
http://www.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesI...=20100227&RN=5

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Fight The Feeling is in to go on Wednesday 3/10/2010 at Gulfstream Park in Race 5 Post Position 11 (farthest outside post). Maiden Claiming race ($50K) all at 122 lbs. She is the second choice at 4-1.

There is no Past Performance available.

Here is the list of entries, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form:
http://www.drf.com/static/entries/10...ml?rn=654076#5

Note: DevilElven alum Aspasia is in the 9th race.

Q1: RA or Z?
Q2: Who you got for the Derby? The field!

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Pardon the alliteration, but Fight The Feeling went off as the mild favorite and lost by 2.5 lengths. Just missed the board, but got a check.
Looks like she was in the thick of it for most of the race; good effort.
Here is the race chart, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form:
http://www.drf.com/drfNCWeeklyHorseD...00310&raceNo=5

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Cheeca Storm is in to go at Gulfstream in Race 7, post 10. This is a 5 furlong turf race. $15K Claimers restricted to Fillies and Mares. She'll carry 120 lbs and continues to be on Lasix. Morning Line is 5-1.

There are no Past Performances available.

Does Bobby Hurley's possible assistant coaching position suggest a shift in his horse racing operation and activity. I haven't heard. If you have an opinion, let it fly.

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

What's plan B? Scratch out of the first race for a better race. Cheeca Storm was scratched out of her 4/11 race, where she was 5-1, for a race where she is 3-1.

She is entered this Friday in Race 2 at Gulfstream Park. Purse is $18.5K with Claiming Price $20K. Filly and Mare 5 Furlongs on the Turf. She's the 2nd choice.

No PPs are available (yet again).

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Cheeca Storm finished 4th (gets a check) as the second choice in her race on Saturday. It looks like she never could get to the leaders. Here is the chart, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form:
http://www.drf.com/drfNCWeeklyHorseD...00416&raceNo=2

Also, Devil Eleven Stable's Fight The Feeling finished 2nd in a $25K Claiming race. Looked like a great effort. Here is the chart, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form:
http://www.drf.com/drfNCWeeklyHorseD...00417&raceNo=5

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

The moderators posted on the main page that the new name of Louisville's home arena is now the KFC Yum! Center. For those of you who read this thread, it is probably not news to you that the Kentucky Derby, is also known these days as the YUM! Brands Kentucky Derby. Apparently YUM! does a lot of sponsoring of events and programs in the Louisville area; according to their website, they are based in Louisville. So for the folks that are in Louisville, this might not be as alien and awful a sounding name as might be assumed as in other parts of the country. (I'm thinking Chrysler Arena in Michigan for example). I don't know if they are a big employer in that area, and may well be appreciated.

Just a thought.

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Cheeca Storm races on Thursday May 6, but she is no longer owned by a Hurley concern. She is now owned by Laurie Plesa (the trainer's wife).
Here is the Past Performance for tomorrow's race:
http://www.brisnet.com/Promo/Free_PPs/apxcomp0506.pdf
Could Bobby Hurley be selling off his racing stock to pursue other interests?

I've wondered if Bobby Hurley's recent accepting of an assistant coaching position at Wagner has meant the end of his horse racing concerns, a relocation of his racing stables, or some other reading of the tea leaves.
You'll recall that there was also a law suit at the end of 2009, brought by PNC bank, against Hurley and Devil Eleven Stables, for $1 Million, for defaulting on a loan that could be influencing a changing of the direction of his personal energy. He hasn't had a major winner since Go Go Shoot.

Surprisingly, I've seen no interviews or information discussing his racing interests in light of his recent change of vocation.

We'll keep our eyes open for news.

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Friends,

As the story on the main page points out, and is detailed in the article in The Blood Horse (http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...in-foreclosure), concerns about Bobby Hurley's racing enterprise are well founded.

The horse racing business is tough. Whether or not horses earn a pay check, they eat every day. Race horses still need considerable training and vet work before competing. Broodmares may produce one sellable commodity a year that one hopes will cover the costs of the mare and foal for the year and cover other costs as well. All horses have precarious health that can turn on a dime with ankles the same thickness as yours and 1200 lbs of weight to support.

The government demands that you show a profit 2 out of 5 years to maintain any tax advantages. On top of that we are living through extremely difficult economic times for our country and there are tremendous challenges for the racing industry and the gambling dollar.

New adventures and challenges await Bobby in his coaching career.
Still, racing gets in your blood and I'm sure that the races will always be near to Bobby's heart. If you've ever spent time in a field with these amazing creatures you know what I mean. Having the economics come between the horses and the dream is incredibly disheartening and has hit many horsepeople.

If developments warrant, we'll surely discuss them here.

Larry
DevilHorse

[Newton_14]

Friends,

As the story on the main page points out, and is detailed in the article in The Blood Horse (http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...in-foreclosure), concerns about Bobby Hurley's racing enterprise are well founded.

The horse racing business is tough. Whether or not horses earn a pay check, they eat every day. Race horses still need considerable training and vet work before competing. Broodmares may produce one sellable commodity a year that one hopes will cover the costs of the mare and foal for the year and cover other costs as well. All horses have precarious health that can turn on a dime with ankles the same thickness as yours and 1200 lbs of weight to support.

The government demands that you show a profit 2 out of 5 years to maintain any tax advantages. On top of that we are living through extremely difficult economic times for our country and there are tremendous challenges for the racing industry and the gambling dollar.

New adventures and challenges await Bobby in his coaching career.
Still, racing gets in your blood and I'm sure that the races will always be near to Bobby's heart. If you've ever spent time in a field with these amazing creatures you know what I mean. Having the economics come between the horses and the dream is incredibly disheartening and has hit many horsepeople.

If developments warrant, we'll surely discuss them here.

Larry
DevilHorse

I wish Bobby and his family the best and I am very sorry to see this happening. I always hoped Bobby would go into College coaching and wanted to see him on the Duke sidelines one day. I am glad to see him finally getting into coaching I just hate that it comes under these circumstances.

One of my all-time favorites. I watched my dvd of the 1991 Championship game last weekend and was reminded just what a magician Bobby was with the basketball. Like a yo-yo on a string and the first thing I noticed was the numerous time he used the cross-over dribble and not once did he come close to carrying the ball. He was able to get the defender off balance without "cheating" by carrying the ball.

Dude was awesome. I wish him a great coaching career.

Hurley
11

[jammsb]

The horse business is incredibly difficult if you have experience, do most everything right and have a virtually unlimited bankroll. Its next to impossible for a relative newcomer without experience. As one who has spent all of his adult life in it, one of the worst things that can befall a new owner is to get lucky at the beginning as Bobby Hurley experienced. From one who has been there, you get the feeling that you are omniscient. You throw lots of money back in, even money that you may not have. Then more often than not, reality sets in. Horses go lame. mares abort, don't get in foal or have a foal that walks like Charlie Chaplin.
Bobby is experiencing something that hundreds of owners before him have had happen. Its made much worse by the difficult times that the Thoroughbred business is now going through. Bank financing has virtually dried up and in many cases such as Bobby's the banks are putting the clamps on pre-existing loans.
I'm glad that he is back in basketball. At least he is doing something where he is in control of his own destiny.

[DevilHorse]

The horse business is incredibly difficult if you have experience, do most everything right and have a virtually unlimited bankroll. Its next to impossible for a relative newcomer without experience. As one who has spent all of his adult life in it, one of the worst things that can befall a new owner is to get lucky at the beginning as Bobby Hurley experienced. From one who has been there, you get the feeling that you are omniscient. You throw lots of money back in, even money that you may not have. Then more often than not, reality sets in. Horses go lame. mares abort, don't get in foal or have a foal that walks like Charlie Chaplin.
Bobby is experiencing something that hundreds of owners before him have had happen. Its made much worse by the difficult times that the Thoroughbred business is now going through. Bank financing has virtually dried up and in many cases such as Bobby's the banks are putting the clamps on pre-existing loans.
I'm glad that he is back in basketball. At least he is doing something where he is in control of his own destiny.

Jammsb,

Buying a farm and broodmares is a big commitment to make in that it is difficult to get out of if things turn sour. The racing stock and the partnerships had the advantage of a shorter turnover for non-profitable parts.

Hurley is one of my favorites too, if his horses had his motor, he would not be in his present circumstances. I hope that he is visible on the local (for me) NJ racing scene, even if he isn't an active participant. Monmouth Park is just a short trip from Wagner.

Larry
DevilHorse