Strings and Arrows on Schedule for Return to the Races. Strings and Arrows continues to train extremely well for his planned return to the races in January. He’s due to breeze a half-mile once again this week, then have a couple more breezes before we start looking for a race to enter. Trainer Leah Gyarmati is very excited about seeing Strings and Arrows back in the starting gate soon.

Iguazu Arrives in Florida. Our two-year-old Iguazu arrived Sunday morning, December 6th, at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, FL, where he’ll be based for the winter. Iguazu will not race at Calder in December, because, among other things, Calder has been closed to any horses shipping in, because of an outbreak of equine herpes virus in three barns at Calder. We want to be sure our colt stays well away from any possibility of contagion. Trainer Bill Turner will be looking to give Iguazu a race early in the Gulfstream meet, which starts on January 3rd.

New Claiming Partnership to Start Looking for a Horse. The new Castle Village Farm 2009 claiming partnership is actively looking for a horse to claim at Aqueduct, before the end of the year if possible – that is, if we get the right one that meets our standards. Trainer Bruce Brown and CVF racing manager Steve Zorn are looking over the past performances and hope to come up with some possibilities soon.

Bagavond Doing Well in Virginia. Diana McClure, who runs Carousel Stables in northern Virginia, reports that our six-year-old gelding Bagavond is doing well on his winter vacation from turf racing. Bagavond has been treated for some soreness in his front legs, and is responding well, and ready to enjoy some turnout time in Diana’s paddocks. We’ll be looking to bring him back to Belmont in the spring, so that he’s ready for the start of grass racing in April or May of 2010.

Talking Blues Out on the Training Track for Bruce Brown, Talking Blues has been jogging on the Belmont training track for his new trainer, Bruce Brown, for the past week. According to Bruce’s exercise rider and assistant trainer, Talking Blues has been eager to get to work, and we’ll probably be looking for a race for him as soon as Aqueduct resumes racing after the holiday break. There will be no racing from Monday, December 13th though Christmas Day. Bruce Brown, by the way, took a day off from training on account of the birth of his son. Congratulations!