02/27/2026
Sharing the Rusty story, he is the perfect example to never give up. Bought his grandmother at Keeneland Jan Mixed Sale as a yearling. She came out of Florida so of course came up north and got very sick. She was a very tough filly to break even through her race track breaking and training but had brilliant speed. She moved on to motherhood and was very mean to newborns but then very good to her foals after about 3 days.
Runnin from Rosie was her second foal and was a very good race mare getting claimed in a race against my will and won by many lengths. My mother was sick about it (Rosie was her favorite child) so we had the chance to claim her back and won the claim.
When Rusty was born, he could not get up, very crooked front feet. We nursed him by a big dose syringe many times a day for 3 days. One day 3, Stephanie Bella and I noticed he was trying to get up so we helped him stand and took him to Rosie. He found the milk spicket and was hooked from that day forward, to this day he does not like missing a meal.
I had almost decided not to take him to the track but he was doing so well I decided to put him into training late spring of his 3YO year. I called the trainer Randy Klopp and either he was nuts or I was but... he took him and gave him a try.
With all of his past, his big heart and will to succeed made him what he is today!