Backslider

Part of the appeal for those who own, breed, raise, train, ride, and otherwise work with young Thoroughbred horses is watching them develop. One has to appreciate them each time one sees them, for they will not be the same tomorrow as they are today. They change especially quickly in response to the stress of training.

When I retired, one of the things to which I was especially looking forward was being around our young horses. Horsemen often refer to yearlings and two-year-olds as babies. This year, as of January 1, the first day of my retirement, Susan and I had only one baby, Backslider. All Thoroughbreds in the northern hemisphere are deemed to have a January 1 birthday, in order to group them for racing purposes. Backslider's actual birthdate was February 22, 2007. 

Backslider's rate of change as a baby has been especially pronounced. The photographs above of Backslider were taken on December 20, 2008, March 14, 2009, and May 12, 2009. In the December photograph on the top, he is a balanced individual: each part of his body flows smoothly into the next, with his major fault being a dip in his back. (His light bay color is a temporary artifact of having just had his winter coat clipped.) In the March photograph in the middle, he is entering an awkward stage: like a rapidly growing adolescent athlete, more lean and muscular than a child, but not as attractive. In the May photograph on the bottom, he is longer bodied and starting to pack on muscle. My guess is that by this fall, he will once again be an attractive, balanced individual-- a more muscular and mature version of the yearling that I bought last August at Saratoga.

Even though I have not been able to travel to see my horses since I began treatment for cancer, the decision that I made after I was diagnosed not to sell my horses has proven to be a good one. Young horses in training are in the ascent-- a perfect antidote for someone who is physically in decline. My family and I enjoy talking about them and look forward not only to their races, but also to each report from their trainers of their progress. 

Because of the awkward stage through which Backslider was passing a few weeks ago, his trainer, Christophe Clement, considered giving him a couple of months off from training, in order to let him mature. Finally, Christophe decided to send Backslider to Keeneland, Kentucky, where he was sending his more forward two-year-olds, to see if Backslider could keep up with the others. Christophe's latest report on Backslider is that he is maturing rapidly and training well. I look forward to seeing Backslider once again in the flesh, when Christophe ships him to New York to begin his final preparations for racing.