Fine in 6852 THE BLOOD-HORSE DECEMBER 1, BloodHorseNOW.com

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1 Fine in 6852 THE BLOOD-HORSE DECEMBER 1, 2007 BloodHorseNOW.com

2 SOUTHEAST ALABAMA Carolina BY AMANDA H. DUCKWORTH / PHOTOS BY CATHY CLARK Kip Elser raises a parade of stars from his base in Camden, S.C. FLORIDA GEORGIA MISSISSIPPI NORTH CAROLINA SOUTH CAROLINA TENNESSEE In an ever-shrinking world, there are still plenty of places to raise a good horse. And for Christopher Kip Elser, that place is Camden, S.C. A former steeplechase rider, the 56-year-old Elser owns Kirkwood Stables, a successful, full-service Thoroughbred breaking and training operation that specializes in prepping young horses for 2-year-olds in training sales. Elser became familiar with Camden s Springdale Race Course, where he is now based, during his steeplechasing days, and never quite left the horse-friendly area. The facility, which has a long and rich history over the jumps, was donated to the state of South Carolina by Marion du Pont Scott upon her death. I started going down there to school steeplechase horses and was galloping and schooling down there in the winters, Elser said. Back then, the jumping game was much bigger, and there was more of a circuit. We started going down there and started staying longer and longer. It is just a wonderful place to train. You couldn t duplicate it today. Mrs. Scott had a wonderful policy that young guys starting out could always get a couple of stalls. She was just an amazing woman. Elser currently has two barns at the facility as well as one at Evergreen Training Center. Within walking distance of Springdale is the Camden Training Center, which was sold by Scott s estate after her death but is still a Thoroughbred training facility. Our main base is at Springdale, Elser said. I started there years ago. Back when we used to have harder winters, the jumping side of the training center was much sandier and wouldn t freeze as much as the clay-based training track on the other side, so we could keep going and not miss days getting horses ready to go to Hialeah. That hasn t been as much of a factor in recent times, but I still love the training center. DEEP ROOTS The Kirkwood story inadvertently began on a ride from Delaware Park to Lexington for one of the yearling sales. I had worked for Charlie Cushman, but it was no more than sharing a ride at that point, Elser said. He bought a few horses; I bought a few horses; and In This Section Leading Florida Sires by Earnings Leading Florida Sires by Winners Leading Florida Sires by 2YO Winners Leading Florida Sires by Stakes Winners Leading Florida Second-Crop Sires by Earnings Advertisers Index Adena Springs South Hartley/De Renzo T breds Hartley/De Renzo, Walmac South Live Oak Stud Martin Stables , 6863 Ocala Stud Vinery Kip Elser s Kirkwood Stables is a full-service breaking and training operation BloodHorseNOW.com 6853

3 SOUTHEAST 2007 Florida Sires By Winners Sire Rnrs Wnrs Kirkwood Stables specializes in prepping youngsters for 2-year-olds in training sales 2007 Florida Sires By 2-Year-Old Winners Stks 2yo 2yo Sire 2yos Rnrs Wnrs 2007 Florida Sires By Stakes Winners Sire Stks Wnrs Stks Wins we ran across a filly that we both liked, so we split her. It was a great partnership for years after that. In the late 1970s, the two partners needed a name for their business, and they turned to a moniker that was already established in the Thoroughbred industry. Elser, who had grown up in Pennsylvania next to Roy Jackson s mother and stepfather, Hardie and Almira Scott, looked to his old neighbors for help. Their farm was Kirkwood Farm, and Charlie had trained for them and I had ridden for them, and we couldn t think of a name, Elser said. Charlie and I both lived on Kirkwood Lane in Camden at the time, so we called Mr. and Mrs. Scott and asked them if they minded if we used the name Kirkwood. They said, We aren t doing quite as much anymore. Please use the name and let us know how you do. Just don t embarrass us. I can remember the conversation like it was yesterday. Not that it was surprising they acted that way; they were wonderful people. Cushman left Kirkwood Stables about a decade after it was created. SUCCESS STORIES During his almost 30 years as a sales agent, Elser has upheld his end of the bargain with the Scotts. Far from being an embarrassment to the Kirkwood name, graduates of the program include champion sprinter Smoke Glacken, Breeders Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Alphabet Soup, Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) winner Soaring Softly, Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Gal in a Ruckus, Three Chimneys Spinster Stakes (gr. I) winner Keeper Hill, and Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-I) winner Royal Anthem. But it is two particular grade I-winning fillies that have left the biggest mark on Elser. We had Smoke Glacken and Alphabet Soup, and those are some exciting horses, but when it comes to stories, for whatever reason, I think of some of the fillies, Elser said. The two fillies that had the most impact on Elser are Sharp Cat and Memories of Silver. Kirkwood consigned Sharp Cat, a daughter of Storm Cat In Neon, by Ack Ack, to the 1996 Barretts March 2-yearolds in training sale, and she sold to The Thoroughbred Corp. for $900,000. Sharp Cat just had a presence that was (continued on page 6858) 6854 THE BLOOD-HORSE DECEMBER 1, 2007 BloodHorseNOW.com

4 The Market has spoken and it LOVES Spanish Steps first foals SPANISH STEPS was Florida s leading First Crop Sire at OBS Select and Florida s #1 SIRE at Keeneland September by average. OBS Select-7 sold $80,000 avg. Keeneland-4 sold $104,750 avg. $200,000, $170,000, $160,000, $130,000, $85,000, $75,000 The only FULL brother to elite sire Unbridled s Song. BOOKED FULL 2005, 2006 & 2007 This may be the last time you ever breed at his current fee. Unbridled Trolley Song, by Caro Submit your mare early before he is booked full. Property of Martin Stables Inc Fee: $10,000 live foal, stands and nurses Limited foal shares available for select sale producing mares Contract requests: (352) NW 165th St., Reddick, FL (former location of Marablue stallions) MARTIN STABLES SOUTH Eddie Martin, Owner Also Standing: Conscience Clear, El Nino, Sarava, The Daddy

5 2007 Leading Sires in Florida State sire lists updated daily online. Go to com/sirelists.asp For stallions that stand, will stand, or stood (deceased) in Florida(exported stallions are excluded), and have runners in North America. Listed below are all available statistics for the Northern Hemisphere through November 14, As supplied to The Blood-Horse by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., earnings exclude monies from Japan and Hong Kong. *Foal counts include Southern Hemisphere. Cumulative stakes winners includes all countries. (A indicates a sire represented by his first crop to race).for stallions that stand, will stand, or stood (deceased) in Rank 2008 Stud Fee Rnrs/ Wnrs Stakes Wnrs/ Wns Rstrct SW/ BT SW 2007 Earnings Cumulative Stks *A-E Wnrs Index Stallion (Foaling Year, Sire), Farm Standing (Chief Earner, Earnings) Foals 1 TRIPPI (97, End Sweep), Ocala Stud Farm $10, /78 5/9 1/5 (Miss Macy Sue, $546,217) $4,000, MONTBROOK (90, Buckaroo), Ocala Stud Farm $10, /84 3/3 2/3 (Bentrovhto, $154,295) $3,020, NOTEBOOK (85, Well Decorated) Died, /60 4/4 2/4 (Diamond Stripes, $535,461) $2,825, CONCERTO (94, Chief s Crown), Ocala Stud Farm $7, /71 3/7 1/3 (Finallymadeit, $320,450) $2,770, DOUBLE HONOR (95, Gone West), Get Away Farm $3, /73 4/7 2/4 (Double Action, $186,335) $2,709, HALO S IMAGE (91, Halo), Bridlewood Farm $7, /69 3/3 0/3 (Hal s My Hope, $125,250) $2,610,776 * PUT IT BACK (98, Honour and Glory), Bridlewood Farm $5,000 79/53 6/12 1/6 (Smokey Stover, $471,000) $2,601,761 * ALPHABET SOUP (91, Cozzene), Adena Springs South $10, /68 3/4 2/3 (Silver Swallow, $185,478) $2,359,864 * SWEETSOUTHERNSAINT (95, Saint Ballado), Ocala Stud Farm $3,500 90/48 2/2 0/2 (Sweetnorthernsaint, $228,875) $1,952, STRAIGHT MAN (96, Saint Ballado), Signature Stallions $6, /54 2/2 0/2 (Get Funky, $181,932) $1,887, TOUR D OR (82, Medaille d Or) Died, /47 3/3 0/3 (Take D Tour, $395,000) $1,710, WEST ACRE (95, Forty Niner), Stonehedge Farm South $5,000 64/35 3/3 0/3 (Forty Acres, $126,960) $1,693, CONCORDE S TUNE (89, Concorde Bound), Ocala Stud Farm $3,000 98/50 2/2 0/2 (Tune of the Spirit, $95,160) $1,685, THREE WONDERS (97, Storm Cat), Hidden Point Farm $7,500 88/49 1/1 1/1 (Calico Bay, $331,300) $1,604, GRAEME HALL (97, Dehere), Winding Oaks Farm $7,500 69/40 0/0 0/0 (Graeme Six, $136,261) $1,490, PENTELICUS (84, Fappiano) Died, /38 1/2 0/1 (Mach Ride, $434,250) $1,403, MECKE (92, Maudlin), Ocala Stud Farm $3,500 78/37 2/4 0/2 (Mecke Daugther, $165,738) $1,373, FORTUNATE PROSPECT (81, Northern Prospect) Pnsd 71/49 1/1 0/1 (Fortunate Trail, $107,930) $1,248, FORMAL DINNER (88, Well Decorated), Hidden Point Farm $5,000 91/45 0/0 0/0 (Coli Bear, $170,205) $1,242,568 * ADCAT (95, Storm Cat) N/A 77/44 1/3 0/1 (Cat Can Do, $125,170) $1,201,101 * UNTUTTABLE (96, Unbridled), Stonehedge Farm South $5,000 54/31 3/3 0/3 (Unplugged, $172,830) $1,159, PROUD AND TRUE (94, Mr. Prospector), Double Diamond Farm $2,500 64/28 1/5 0/1 (True Metropolitan, $348,838) $1,081, COLONY LIGHT (89, Pleasant Colony), Rising Hill Farm N/A 81/31 2/3 0/2 (Batavia Light, $149,330) $1,068, WISED UP (95, Dixieland Band), Rising Hill Farm N/A 39/17 2/4 1/2 (Wise Answer, $458,300) $1,025, WEKIVA SPRINGS (91, Runaway Groom), Double Diamond Farm $2,500 69/29 0/0 0/0 (Minnamana, $90,480) $883, B L S APPEAL (97, Valid Appeal), Randolph Thoroughbreds N/A 44/28 1/1 0/1 (Appealing Runner, $69,490) $852, TACTICAL ADVANTAGE (90, Forty Niner) Died, /26 1/1 0/1 (Precisely That, $106,070) $825,327 * UNBRIDLED TIME (98, Unbridled s Song), Signature Stallions $5,000 60/36 0/0 0/0 (Notice Me Now, $105,727) $810, CIMARRON SECRET (91, Tejano), Cimarron Farm $1,250 42/20 1/3 0/1 (Lookinforthesecret, $177,280) $805, RED BULLET (97, Unbridled), Adena Springs South $10,000 49/14 0/0 0/0 (Blue Bullet, $89,898) $805, SWORD DANCE (IRE) (84, Nijinsky II) Pnsd 63/27 0/0 0/0 (Ryan s for Real, $118,535) $789,829 * TEXAS GLITTER (96, Glitterman), Signature Stallions $4,000 56/29 0/0 0/0 (Magic Texan, $77,335) $769, MAX S PAL (97, Marquetry), Lambholm South $2,500 50/27 1/1 1/1 (Max s Gal, $81,340) $739, D WILDCAT (98, Forest Wildcat), Vinery Stud $6,500 23/6 2/2 1/2 (Authenicat, $190,216) $701, MASTER BILL (93, Forty Niner), Eclipse Farm N/A 44/23 1/2 0/1 (Bill Place, $157,952) $683, FRENCH ENVOY (96, Deputy Minister), Stonehedge Farm South $5,000 45/22 1/1 0/1 (Subtle Aly, $91,028) $589, SKIP TRIAL (82, Bailjumper) N/A 50/25 0/0 0/0 (Jacknows, $77,632) $578,813 * DILIGENCE (93, Miswaki), Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds $3,500 47/19 0/0 0/0 (Johnny My Boy, $65,210) $562, HONOR GLIDE (94, Honor Grades), Bridlewood Farm $4,000 48/17 0/0 0/0 (So Much Ease, $64,430) $532, REPENT (99, Louis Quatorze), Vinery Stud $5,000 32/13 1/1 0/1 (Atoned, $96,757) $457, SAFELY S MARK (94, Danzig), Rising Hill Farm $2,500 17/13 1/1 0/1 (Weigelia, $104,380) $418, WEEKEND CRUISE (97, A.P. Indy), Ups and Downs N/A 50/15 0/0 0/0 (Sister Sissy, $50,725) $415, WIND WHIPPER (96, Storm Cat), The Nursery Farm N/A 48/17 0/0 0/0 (Luis s Especial, $115,349) $407, ISLAND WHIRL (78, Pago Pago) Pnsd 25/17 1/1 1/1 (Foreverness, $72,082) $407,246 * MONGOOSE (98, Broad Brush), Journeyman Stud N/A 31/15 0/0 0/0 (Mongoose Gold, $93,749) $403, STAR OF VALOR (93, Phone Trick) Died, /14 0/0 0/0 (El Bandido Rojo, $53,375) $399, MISTER JOLIE (90, Valid Appeal) Died, /15 0/0 0/0 (Mister Supremo, $132,650) $389, NOACTOR (89, Theatrical) N/A 39/22 0/0 0/0 (Baycation, $45,760) $379, STACK (82, Nijinsky II) Pnsd 40/14 1/1 0/1 (She s Stacked, $50,872) $374,634 * MARCO BAY (90, Copelan), Sugar Oaks Farm $3,000 13/8 1/1 0/1 (Buzzards Bay, $200,400) $368, THE SILVER MOVE (94, Silver Buck) N/A 21/14 0/0 0/0 (Kris Silver, $57,010) $362, CYBERSPACE (94, Forty Niner) N/A 27/14 0/0 0/0 (Devil in Space, $78,665) $352, MIGRATING MOON (90, Silver Buck), Ups and Downs N/A 31/15 0/0 0/0 (Lunar Rendezvous, $64,735) $352, THE NAME S JIMMY (89, Encino), Signature Stallions $1,500 25/11 1/1 0/1 (Jimmy s Boy, $82,300) $336, MILWAUKEE BREW (97, Wild Again), Adena Springs South $7,500 35/12 0/0 0/0 (Ginger Brew, $37,271) $331, INVISIBLE INK (98, Thunder Gulch), Rising Hill Farm N/A 25/9 1/1 0/1 (Fearless Eagle, $105,230) $327, PARENTS REWARD (98, Mr. Prospector), Lou-Roe Farm N/A 14/6 2/4 2/2 (Mini Mom, $122,002) $327, SLIGO BAY (IRE) (98, Sadler s Wells), Adena Springs South $7,500 25/8 1/1 0/1 (Wind in My Wings, $133,308) $322, DREWMAN (98, Unbridled), Ocala Stud Farm $2,500 26/10 0/0 0/0 (Cigar Man, $105,200) $313, LEXICON (95, Conquistador Cielo), Candow Farm N/A 45/14 1/1 1/1 (Minister s Appeal, $54,145) $311, FULL MANDATE (99, A.P. Indy), Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds $5,000 36/9 1/1 0/1 (Thoroughly, $58,725) $309, FORBIDDEN APPLE (95, Pleasant Colony), Bridlewood Farm $5,000 26/10 0/0 0/0 (Forbidden Bear, $58,118) $302, TRUST N LUCK (00, Montbrook), Vinery Stud $3,500 25/7 1/1 0/1 (Wonderful Luck, $98,846) $300, JEBLAR (82, Alydar) Died, /12 1/1 1/1 (Calisthenic, $73,260) $299, GIBSON COUNTY (97, In Excess), Ocala Stud Farms $3,000 20/12 0/0 0/0 (American County, $78,255) $278, NORTHERN TREND (88, Sunny North) Died, /17 0/0 0/0 (Northern Buster, $23,590) $276,496 * DARN THAT ALARM (81, Jig Time) Died, /9 0/0 0/0 (Alarming Anytime, $92,850) $261,201 * CONSCIENCE CLEAR (97, Relaunch), Martin Stables South N/A 15/9 0/0 0/0 (Individual King, $53,434) $257, METFIELD (88, Seattle Slew) N/A 27/10 0/0 0/0 (Tis Unanswerable, $56,123) $253, AUSTINPOWER (JPN) (98, Sunday Silence), Lou-Roe Farm N/A 12/6 1/1 1/1 (Encrespada, $70,581) $233, *A-E and COMPARABLE INDEX: The lifetime Average-Earnings Index indicates how much purse money the progeny of one sire has earned, on the average, in relation to the average earnings of all runners in the same years; average earnings of all runners in any year is represented by an index of The Comparable Index indicates the average earnings of progeny produced from mares bred to one sire, when these same mares were bred to other sires. Only 32% of all sires have a lifetime AEI higher than their mares Comparable Index. *Comp Index 6856 THE BLOOD-HORSE DECEMBER 1, 2007 BloodHorseNOW.com

6 ADENA SPRINGS SOUTH 2008 STALLION ROSTER WILKO OLMODAVORL M ARISTOCRAT C AT ALPHABET SOUP Adena Springs is pleased to introduce four new stallions to Florida for ALPHABET SOUP ARISTOCRAT GREATNESS INDY KING MILWAUKEE BREW ($10,000) ($5,000) ($5,000) ($2,000) ($7,500) OLMODAVOR RED BULLET SLIGO BAY WILKO ($5,000) ($10,000) ($7,500) ($10,000) ADENA SPRINGS Program Priorities Performance. Mark Roberts, General Manager Mike Recio mrecio@adenastallions.com (800) cell (859) Jack Brothers (877) photos by EquiSport Photos & Horsephotos

7 SOUTHEAST photo by Serita Hult Pulpit - Epitome, by Summing $5,000 live foal S & N Three Winners in one week. STEPHANINGRID captured a maiden special weight at Calder on Nov. 11 DUBAI PRINCESS notched her third career victory on Nov. 14 and most recently ESSENCE OF DANZIG prevailed in a stretch duel to win on Nov. 17. Congratulations to all their connections. (continued from page 6854) Office manager Sandy Parker keeps things running smoothly at home all her own, Elser said. She wasn t easy by any means, but she was very, very special. John Servis had bought her at Saratoga for Rick Porter, and they asked me to take her to Barretts and sell her. I picked her up and took her out there. (Before the sale) Dr. (Robert) Copelan was there to look at her. It was just one of those crazy days, and all of a sudden there were bodies flying out the shedrow. She had seen three people she didn t know who were going to come into her house, and she ran them all out of there. Doc and I went in by ourselves and we did get her to scope. But she was just a funny personality Florida Second-Crop Sires By Earnings Named Stks Sire Foals Rnrs Wnrs Wnrs Earnings 6858 THE BLOOD-HORSE DECEMBER 1, 2007 BloodHorseNOW.com

8 Best of the Rest Skip Trial - Obstinacy, by Valid Appeal Fee: $2,500 LF Concerto Chief s Crown - Undeniably, by In Reality Fee: $7,500 LF Concorde s Tune Concorde Bound - Parisian Tune, by Tunerup Fee: $3,000 LF Drewman Unbridled - Lucky Soph, by Cozzene Fee: $2,500 LF Gibson County In Excess (IRE) - Miss Gibson County, by Winrightt Fee: $3,000 LF High Cotton Dixie Union - Happy Tune, by A.P. Indy Fee: $5,000 LF Mecke Maudlin - Beautiful Bid, by Baldski Fee: $3,500 LF Montbrook Buckaroo - Secret Papers, by Jet Diplomacy Fee: $10,000 LF Sweetsouthernsaint Saint Ballado - Sweetsoutherncross, by Tri Jet Fee: $3,500 LF Trippi End Sweep - Jealous Appeal, by Valid Appeal Fee: $12,500 LF ~ Booked Full All stallions nominated to Breeders Cup, FSS & FTCS Mark J. Barrett photo

9 SOUTHEAST BENOIT & ASSOCIATES AT THE SALES One Kirkwood horse who made headlines at the sales but never quite put it together on the track was Fusaichi Samurai. Kirkwood Stables, agent, sold the handsome son of Fusaichi Pegasus for a thenworld-record $4.5 million at the 2004 Fasig- Tipton Calder 2-year-olds in training sale to Fusao Sekiguchi. The colt originally had been purchased for $270,000 as a yearling by Nick Zito for Robert LaPenta, who then pinhooked him. He was a horse that was primed to march up the ladder, but it didn t happen, Elser said. It very seldom happens. He is not by any means the only very talented horse that for various reasons didn t make it. That s the wonder of getting a good horse in this game: what you have to survive to get there. I m really lucky because I love what I do I have no regrets about my career choice. KIP ELSER Among the successful graduates of Elser s program are Sharp Cat, top, and Memories of Silver Sharp Cat would go on to win 14 stakes races for The Thoroughbred Corp., including the Santa Anita Oaks and Ruffian Handicap as well as the Matron, Hollywood Starlet, Las Virgenes, Acorn, and Beldame Stakes (all gr. I). While Memories of Silver s numbers on the track did not equal Sharp Cat s, the Silver Hawk mare did more than hold her own, as she won eight stakes races, including the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and Beverly D. Stakes (both gr. IT), for her co-breeders/owners, John and Joan Phillips. She had come down for some stall rest because she had a tibia fracture, Elser said. For a horse getting stall rest, she was the brightest, most curious and alert, unbelievable personality. She never did anything right the first time. Never. I was told she was going to be a grass filly and the pedigree said grass. There is a two-mile grass gallop around the outside of the steeplechase course. I just figured it would be a nice gallop and a nice easy way to ease into breezing again. She went out there, put her toes in the ground, and stopped. It was like she said, All this wide open space? This isn t the way we do it at Belmont. We don t do it this way. She stayed there for quite a long time that day and we took her home. I started sending her along with Triumph At Dawn, a wonderful older Alydar mare, and Triumph At Dawn taught her the way around there. Once she figured it out, she was fine and went on to win. She was a wonderful filly. BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON Although Elser has been successful at the highest levels in the United States, he is always looking for new and different things to try. In 1998, that meant becoming the first American consignor to sell at a European breeze-up sale. He took six 2- year-olds to the Tattersalls Breeze-Up sale at Newmarket, England, and has been going ever since. It was an effort to do something different, Elser said. I have never been completely comfortable how fast we ask these 2-year-olds to go at the sale. I ve gotten better at doing it, but I am never completely comfortable with it. Even though it was farther away, I was a little more comfortable with how they did it over there. It s funny because it used to be very, very obvious who should go there and who should stay here. But a good racehorse can go anywhere in the world, and a racehorse is international currency in and of itself right now. Now, the blend of who should stay here and who should go there is much more blurry. Obviously, with such a busy international sale season, Elser is away from home as often as not. While he is away, he depends on his three assistants, Casey Hamilton, Shona Outlaw, and Cort Marzullo, as well as office manager Sandy Parker to keep things running smoothly at home. It is quite a bit of time on the road, but I have great crews both places, Elser said. For the last several years we are some THE BLOOD-HORSE DECEMBER 1, 2007 BloodHorseNOW.com

10 HIGH FLY - Atticus - Verbasle, by Slewpy 2008 Stud Fee: $5,000 - Live Foal

11 SOUTHEAST where between horses. We have a great crew, and three top-notch assistants at home who can split it up. Obviously, it takes a lot of soldiers to win a war. We are very effective at that range; I don t know how much bigger we would get and hopefully, no smaller. Hamilton, who has known Elser since their steeplechasing days, has worked for Kirkwood for about five years, and has horses in his care. A normal day starts at 4:30 when we feed the horses, Hamilton said. It gets them used to the normal racetrack routine, which is the main reason we try to do things early. It is a great place to be a horse. There is sandy soil and a mild climate. I think it is a combination of factors that have made this business successful. Like any business, if you get good people, that makes a big difference. BEYOND THE SALES Although spare time is not something that Elser has in abundance, one thing he takes very seriously is his position as president of the South Carolina branch of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which has a farm at the Wateree River Correctional Institution near Rembert, S.C. It is one of the most gratifying things I have ever done, Elser said. To be honest, it is probably time for me to rotate out and put someone else s stamp on it, but regardless of whether I am president or not, it is something I believe in and I will continue to work hard for it. I have no intentions of giving up my involvement. Elser has given much of his life to the Thoroughbred industry, and it was the industry that was there for him when tragedy struck his family. In 2004, his son Christopher was murdered at his Johns Hopkins University fraternity s apartment house. I never would have gotten through it if it hadn t been for all the people in this industry that tried to help, Elser said. No matter how bad I was doing, even the ones that would just come up and look at me, I knew they were trying for me. It was just a tremendous outpouring of energy and support that propped me up until I could get functioning again. I am still not by any means over it. For the last several years, Elser has kept his eyes on between horses There are still a lot of bad days, but every time there is a bad day, there is someone that senses it and is there. Elser s daughter, Taylor, enjoys horse racing but is not a part of it. He is no longer married to their mother, Rhetta, and has since remarried. I m really lucky because I love what I do, he said. So, my vacation is to go to Saratoga and go to the races. I love it. I have no regrets about my career choice. This game will take you anywhere in the world if you let it, and I wouldn t say no to anything. B Southeast REGIONAL NEWS FLORIDA STALLION SHOWS The breeding season is right around the corner and so is a bevy of December stallion shows in the Ocala area. Whether trying to find the ideal veteran stallion or an exciting newcomer, it s never too early to make the rounds. The first of the shows takes place Dec. 1 at Hartley/De Renzo, Walmac South. A silent auction also will be held by the National Association of Two-Year-Old Consignors. Things get busy the next day. The Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers will hold a stallion showcase, cocktail party, and silent auction in the evening at the Hilton Ocala. The same day, Journeyman Stud, Martin Stables South, and Ups and Downs Farm will present stallion shows. Martin Stables South is by invitation. Journeyman will hold a drawing for complimentary seasons. Dec. 8 is another big day. Lambholm and Vinery will hold stallion shows, with Lambholm South providing a drawing for free seasons. A week later on Dec. 15, Get Away Farm will present a stallion show THE BLOOD-HORSE DECEMBER 1, 2007 BloodHorseNOW.com

12 If You re Impressed with Spanish Steps You will LOVE THE DADDY Valid Expectations With a Princess, by With Approval 2008 Fee: $5,000 LFSN Considerations for multiple breedings Martin Stables and Airdrie Stud believe THE DADDY, winner of the Super Derby-G2, covered one of the best groups of mares in Florida. Martin Stables Spanish Steps is the nation s top sire by stud fee multiple of the leading yearling sires of 2007, and we believe THE DADDY s fi rst foals will be just as impressive so book now for THE DADDY is a G2 winner of $500,000+ in less than five months. In his first start ran (100 Beyer) 1:09.1 6f. at Hollywood Park. He is an outcross for Mr. Prospector, Seattle Slew & Northern Dancer line mares. Contract requests: (352) NW 165th St., Reddick, FL (former location of Marablue stallions) MARTIN STABLES SOUTH Eddie Martin, Owner Also Standing: Conscience Clear, El Nino, Sarava, Spanish Steps