By J.N. Campbell
On Saturday at Churchill Downs, 2-year-old Patch Adams (Into Mischief)–yes, as in the 1998 Robin Williams film where the best line might be, “Donner, party of 50!”–earned his very own 'Rising Star' on TDN's Walk of Fame.
The colt turned in what Alan Carasso called “a jaw-dropping performance” as he broke his maiden by an eye-catching 10 1/2 lengths at second asking. The time over the fast main track was just 0.33 off the record held by MGISW Groupie Doll.
Thoroughbred bloodlines can highlight connections to a rich past and a provide a link to a potentially bright future. It's what being a 'Rising Star' is all about.
To quote Alanis Morissette's song, we could ask “isn't it ironic” that Patch Adams–owned by WinStar, CHC and Siena–is out of SW Well Humored (Distorted Humor), whose own dam Life Well Lived (Tiznow) is a full-sister to G1 Dubai World Cup hero Well Armed?
Irony rises to periscope depth since the gelding who conquered the desert in 2009 just happens to be the subject of a new book entitled Well Armed, A Thoroughbred of Destiny by Jay Hovdey that was published last month by Johnsen Holdings.
As we know, Thoroughbred biographies can provide insight into not only the athlete, but the people behind them. Hovdey, who has won more Eclipse writing awards than Carter's got pills, is at his best when it comes to creative angles.
The author opens with a nameless screenwriter making a pitch to a Hollywood producer. It's like something out of Spielberg's The Fablemans (2022) and it works as an introduction into the world of Bill Casner who co-founded WinStar Farm alongside his friend Kenny Troutt.
Casner is a larger-than-life personality who seemingly socked home run after home run from the offing. Hovdey's device takes us through his early life on the dirt track circuits of the Midwest as the Texan meets future wife Susan and applies elbow grease to make a life for his family. The blockbuster public listing of Excel Telecommunications in the late 1990s was a Count of Monte Cristo moment for Casner and Troutt, who turned their Thoroughbred dreams into a reality when they bought what would become WinStar in 2000.
Well Armed won the 2009 Dubai World Cup | Horsephotos
As Hovdey goes on to explain, the $150,000 purchase at the 2001 Keeneland November Sale of Well Dressed, who was in foal to Awesome Again, was a lynchpin moment. The book accentuates Casner's story with meaningful background into how Tiznow became a sire and the origins of the Dubai World Cup.
Before Well Armed came into the world, the Casner Family's was absolutely shattered with the horrendous passing of their daughter Karri. The rising star was killed in a 2002 terrorist bombing while she was traveling in Bali.
The son of Tiznow's foaling a year later on Karri's birthday provided the Casners with a salve and assisted at least in some measure with their grief. Like his screenwriter, Hovdey reminds us that trials and tribulations were to follow.
During his 3-year-old season, Well Armed injured a knee in the G2 U.A.E. Derby. After shipping home for treatment, he accidently fractured his pelvis. Casner remained resolute that he could engineer a rehab program by having the horse swim laps at his Texas ranch. It worked and over a year later Well Armed returned to the racetrack.
Enter trainer Eoin Harty and rider Aaron Gryder, who according to Hovdey had a 'reality' moment during a fishing trip in the Persian Gulf. The pair form the core of Well Armed's run through the 2009 Dubai World Cup. What many might not remember is that the gelding ran third to superstar Curlin the year prior.
The monograph is chock full of Casner's sharp takes on everything from equine fiduciary responsibility to the debate over the sanctity of all-weather surface technology.
Make no mistake, in Hovdey's hands Well Armed is the furthest thing from film noir.
What we find here is the very marrow of our equine world. More in the spirit of Patch Adams, the book is once again a refreshing reminder of how a Thoroughbred can heal humans.
Well Armed, A Thoroughbred of Destiny by Johnsen Holdings Publishing, 164 pages, photos, November 2024.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
