Hibiscus Stables Newsletter

Welcome to the August edition of the Hibiscus Stables Newsletter! This issue includes updates on Vintage 2010, a new Barn Tour date, trivia and more. Please forward this to friends and family members that may be interested.

Gold Raptor Readying for Debut

Gold Raptor received his gate card on August 18th and shortly thereafter was shipped up to Saratoga. And now, with a little more than a week left in the meet, Linda Rice is working closely with him, looking for the right spot for his debut.

A combination of jogging, breezing and gate schooling continues to reinforce what we've been hearing all along: this colt is professional, doing everything asked of him, progressing right on schedule.

Gold Raptor settles in nicely at Saratoga

Gold Raptor is by leading stallion Touch Gold out of a Wild Again mare and is part of Hibiscus Stables' Vintage 2010, along with Roman Thunder and our Flower Alley filly. We believe that these three two-year-olds may be the best group of runners we've ever had the pleasure to offer.

Shares of Gold Raptor are sold out, as he was acquired by Hibiscus earlier in the year. Roman Thunder and the Flower Alley filly, acquired more recently, are close to being sold out, however a few shares remain. Follow this link for more information.

Sextant Wins One for Linda

Sextant's first win, Belmont 9/20/2007

Sextant, a Hibiscus Stables' favorite, put in a gutsy performance, digging in and holding off challengers to win the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint named “A Salute to Linda Rice” on August 20th.

On that Friday, Linda Rice was honored and recognized for her accomplishments including being last year’s leading Saratoga trainer and the first female to ever win a training title at a major race meet. It was “Fabulous Fillies” day, and a percentage of the proceeds from the day’s events went to breast cancer research.

Hibiscus Stables is proud to be a partner with Linda and delighted with the successful return of Sextant to the winner's circle.

Hibiscus Stables Saratoga Backstretch Barn Tour
Join us Saturday, September 4th

We’ll be conducting a backstretch barn tour at Saratoga during the final weekend on Saturday, September 4th, at 8:00 AM. We plan to, visit the backstretch and the Linda Rice barn, discuss the new Hibiscus 2-year-olds, and to introduce Linda Rice. We’ll be able to visit Gold Raptor and get an update on Roman Thunder directly from Linda. We’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us.

This will be a very informal gathering and we’ll be assembling at the Nelson Avenue gate on Saturday, September 4th, at 8:00 AM. We’d like to have you join us

If you’re interested please RSVP by emailing or calling us at 1-877-WIRE-2-WIRE.

The Roman Ruler Two-Year-Old Gets a Name

After much deliberation, partner input and Jockey Club approval, the Roman Ruler colt is officially named "Roman Thunder". There were more than a dozen names up for consideration, some with a strong effort to tightly integrate pedigree names, while others dispensed with tradition and let creativity fly. But in the end, maintaining "Roman" in the name, and combining a reference to the Storm Cat mare, won out.

Roman Thunder continues to impress in training, feedback has been strong and anticipation is running high. Shares currently available, follow this link for more information.

D.A.'s Trivia Corner - Travers Stakes

Congratulations goes out to Afleet Express for winning the 141st running of the Travers Stakes in Saratoga.

A photo finish showed an incredibly close, sliver of a nose edge to Afleet Express, with Fly Down taking second place.

On the heels of this exciting race, we focus this month's trivia on Travers Stakes, the highlight of the Saratoga meet.

1. This 19th century horse sired 10 winners of the Travers (including the first 3 in a row).
     A. Lexington
     B. Eclipse
     C. Australian(GB)
     D. Citadel

2. Name the trainer with the most Travers wins.
     A. James G. Rowe, Sr.
     B. Todd Pletcher
     C. Bert Mulholland
     D. D. Wayne Lukas

3. What’s the Travers’ Trophy called?
     A. Lexington Cup
     B. Man O’ War Cup
     C. Saratoga Bowl
     D. Travers Cup

4. What flowers are the blanket made from?
     A. Sunflowers
     B. Petunias
     C. Begonias
     D. Carnations

See below for answers.
- Doris Ann Hayes, Hibiscus Stables

Answers to Trivia:

1. Answer: A. Sire of Kentucky, Maiden and Merrill the first 3 winners. No other horse has come close to this record. Man O’War sired two.

2. Answer: C. He won in 1939,1950,1952,1962 and 1963.

3. Answer: B. The original is a silver Tiffany bowl donated in 1920 by Mrs. Sam Riddle after Man O’War’s great victory. Each year a solid gold replica is given to the winning owner and is presented by the Riddle family and the governor.

4. Answer: D. It consists of red carnations trimmed in white with a white “T” in the center. It’s a recent addition as the first one was draped on Holy Bull in 1994.

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