Thanks for the comment, this will be another step up for him and we will do our best to make sure Called to Serve is ready for the challenge. In these types of races you can get beat even at your best.
Called to Serve arrived in California on Tuesday 2/5/13 to begin preparing for the Big Cap. He looks fantastic and is enjoying his time at Santa Anita. I am glad we got him here a month ahead of time so he can work over the track and get used to the decent weather here in California. We are well aware that Game on Dude and Ron the Greek will be the horses to beat. Our horse will love the distance and is improving. He was given the time off after the Broad Brush so he could go into his next few races fresh and with him being a gelding, extending his racing career and being kind to him now will hopefully pay off down the road.
Nice run Fiddlers Afleet. Wonder if he would be a better sprinter?
KENTUCKY DERBY WATCH: Keep your eye on David Hoffman trained "Called to Serve" a gorgeous bay colt by Afleet Alex out of a productive Kris S. mare. He ran very green in his first start with Brice Blanc aboard. He broke very slow and had to make up 13 lengths to finish 3rd going a mile at Santa Anita. Called to Serve will race next on January 21st going 1 1/16th miles in a maiden race and is training very well according to Hoffman's.
REST IN PEACE JOKER FACE: The winner of the 2011 Battle of the Sexes at Del Mar, Joker Face with Mike Smith aboard broke down at a race at Santa Anita turning for home and had to be euthanized. Joker Face was making his first start on a conventional dirt surface in what his owners and trainers thought was going to lead this horse right up the stake ranks. We will never know how good he could have been but as he was making a very fast move on the last turn will leave everyone to speculate. He was a gorgeous, dark bay gelding who stood about 16 and 1 hands tall and had a very nice demeanor and loved to be a racehorse. We will enjoy the memories he brought to our family and always be grateful for the time we had with him.
R.I.P Joker Face: Today in the 7th race at Santa Anita Park, Joker Face who was making his first start on a conventional dirt surface was making a bold room around the final turn for home and was pulled up by Jockey Rafeal Bejarano and eased out of the race. After inspection by the track veterinarians, it was found that Joker Face suffered a catastrophic injury to his right front ankle. After I discussed this in length with our expert veterinarians, we decided it was in the horses best interest for him to be euthanized. This was an agonizing decision as Joker Face brought us as his owners much pleasure. Starting with his shocking second place during his career debut, he was beaten by Cloud Man who ironically is now deceased as well. Joker Face went on the break his Maiden at Del Mar in a Match Race between Mike Smith and Chantal Sutherland named "The Battle of the Exes". Joker Face went on to Win 3 out of his next 5 races with second places in the other two he did not win. His pedigree screamed for him to be a dirt horse, therefore his trainer and owner decided to give him a shot on the dirt to see if he could begin his climb to being a stakes horse. We will never know how good he eventually would become....He dropped back after going around the first turn and made a huge move like he was going to blow by the front running horses for fun when tragedy struck. We will be left to remember him from what he accomplished and left guessing at what would have happened had he finished the race.
It will be nice to see how the very fast filly Well Deserved does at 5 Furlongs. She was 1/10th off the track record in her second start at 5 1/2 furlongs and has been running a little farther than she is able. She is a very hard trying filly.
Quality Council is a horse to watch. This horse is trained by Mike Hushion and owned by Marc C. Ferrell. This owner and trainer combination has been extremly hot in 2010. His pedigree screams route and looking at his win on Saturday at Belmont, we think this horse will only get better. He is by the right stallion and his pedigree shows the sky is the limit for this colt.