Easy lopes in the arena

We visited Easy on Saturday, a beautiful sunny day. After warming him up, Liz took him to the arena where we got to see him loping. He is getting much fitter now, and looking very handsome! His round belly is gone and you can see muscles everywhere. He showed a little resistance, but that was mainly when he would pass by the gate where us spectators were standing; can't hardly blame him for that! We still hope and expect that he will be ready for the Grants Pass race meeting starting June 14.

I learned some more about how races are entered. For the Grants Pass meet, they will publish a "Condition Book" about a month before the races. This is a list of all of the scheduled races for the first two weekends. Horses who have everything in order (gate approvals, DNA, tattoos, etc.) can then order races for which they are eligible on the Wednesday before a Saturday race or the Thursday before a Sunday race. The same day they enter, the lineup for each race will be decided. If fewer than 5 horses enter a race, it will be cancelled. If more than 14 horses enter a race, they can either split it into two races, or basically draw straws to see which ones will run. These races that are entered just a few days ahead are called "overnight" races. That's as opposed to Stakes races or Futurities which are entered months or sometimes years in advance. Easy will be eligible for Paint Horse or Mixed Breed (includes Paints, Quarter Horses and Appaloosas) races. Until he wins a race, he will be eligible for Maiden races. Once be "breaks his Maiden" (wins his first race), he will be eligible for other types of races.

Paints and Quarter horses don't race long races like Thoroughbreds. The TBs run races up to a mile or more. Paints and QHs run no more than 870 yards (called a "hook"). The 870s are fairly rare. Most QH races are 350-600 yards.