September Recap: A Big Month for the Homies

September was a major month for the team. We saw a dominating win, a promising debut race, and acquired two new exciting recruits. Lots of action ahead to close out 2024! The homies need to add a few more winner’s circle photos to their walls.

Race Highlights:

Platinum Ghost (9/12 finishing 1st)

6 ½ Furlong win, Belterra Park, 87 Equibase speed figure
Race Replay Link

Power of Will (9/11 finishing 6th)

Debuted at Kentucky Downs going 8 Furlongs (1 mile) on turf, finished 6th.
Broke clean, made a nice “middle move” before losing some gas on the straight
Race Replay Link

Upcoming Races:

CONFIRMED

Platinum Ghost (10/3) - Race 4 at Belterra Park - 6 Furlongs, post position 3, expected favorite

TENTATIVE

Shakin Loose* (10/24) - Targeting a 7F race at Keeneland to get a better read on preferred distance
Sutherland* (10/24) - Also targeting a Keeneland start (chance we could have 2 entries on the same day there). We are thinking to try two turns with this guy (likely 1 1/16 miles).
Power of Will (10/9, 10/12, or 10/25) - Expected to race at Keeneland around two turns, likely on the grass

* = horse acquired in September

September Race Recaps:

This month got off to a hot start with a scorching win by Platinum Ghost at Belterra Park. Breaking clean from the gate, he never looked back, winning by over ten lengths (a length is a unit of measurement equaling one horse aka you could have fit ten horses inside Platty & 2nd place). This impressive performance earned him his highest Equibase speed figure to date, an 87.

Thomas Molloy is now three for three as a trainer for FRR.

We also witnessed the debut of Power of Will on September 11th at Kentucky Downs. Although he finished 6th in the one mile turf race, we’re optimistic about his future. His bloodline suggests he could be a late bloomer. His grandfather is known for later developing horses & while his father, War of Will, showed talent at 2, he didn’t secure his first win until his fifth race. Additionally, his siblings & momma were better at 3 than 2. Kentucky Downs’ unique, uneven track also posed a challenge, and we look forward to seeing Power of Will’s performance on a more conventional flat oval circuit with some additional conditioning from Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott.

New Additions to the Squad

We’re excited to announce two new horses joined the homies last week:

Shakin Loose

A 3-year-old gelding (male without his manhood), was claimed for $16K at Churchill Downs on September 24th. Although he finished 5th in a muddy race, we’re not concerned. Shakin Loose tends to struggle on wet tracks but has bounced back impressively in the past. We’re eager to find a distance that best suits him, we’re targeting some longer races at the prestigious Keeneland meet.

Sutherland

A well-traveled 5-year-old gelding, was claimed on September 29th for $20K. He posted a solid performance, finishing second in a 7 Furlong race with a strong Equibase speed figure of 84. We’re excited to settle him down in Kentucky and see what the future holds, especially since all three team members (Tom, Matt, and Brian) had their eyes on him before making the claim.

He should be handy on any of the three surfaces (dirt, turf, or synthetic).

Looking Ahead: October Expectations

We’re looking to start October just as we did September, with Platinum Ghost returning to Belterra Park on October 3rd for a 6 Furlong race. He’ll start from post 3 with Jane Elliot aboard once again. We’re expecting a strong performance and Platty will likely be the favorite. There’s even potential for him to be claimed after this race following his recent dominant showing.

We are going to try to place both Shakin Loose and Sutherland in races at Keeneland on or around 10/24. This will give Tom enough time to get them right for a top performance. In an ideal world, we would let Sutherland try his stuff on the turf, but the turf races at Keeneland will be hard to get into given the fact there’s been no turf racing the last 3 weeks in Kentucky. Shakin Loose may fancy a little more distance, so we are trying to get him in a race that’s 7/8ths of a mile.

Power of Will is expected to make his 2nd start at Keeneland in October. Be sure to consult Brian for tips on the dress code before heading to the track there!

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push forward with the squad!