Happy New Year and what a December it was for the Morley Barn. Having realised that we were going to round off the year having accomplished a couple of really good milestones for our clients, we actually accomplished a huge milestone for the barn, too. I’m not one to crow about achievements too much but to finish third in the Trainer Standings for the Aqueduct winter meet behind only Linda Rice and Chad Brown was an enormous achievement for a barn of our size. Immediately behind us in the standings was Brad Cox, Todd Pletcher, Bill Mott, and so that was an incredibly gratifying situation for all of us, but especially for those on our team who work day in and day out for our horses and our clients.
The last couple of racing days were extremely tense as we were hoping that one of the bigger outfits didn’t overtake us. On December 28, when the final race was concluded and it turned out we couldn’t be overtaken in the standings and third place was ours, it was just really a magnificent feeling.
Part of the success of the Aqueduct meet was the form of the horses through December and into the Christmas period. It was great to see Golden Symphony win for Rainbow’s End Racing Stables. This is a horse with an abundance of talent who, when things go his way, has shown to be a very decent competitor. He’s had a couple of inconsistent starts for other trainers before we claimed him, and he’s had some inconsistencies for us as well. Finally, on December 10, he was very brave in a seven-furlong race, which I think is his absolute favoured distance. Sahin Civaci gave him a super ride and allowed him to be fast, he likes to be forward in the race, holding on to just enough stamina to put away the other pacemakers and then the closers as well. He was given all the right indications to run back in eleven days and really rewarded his owners in the end.
Turn and Count went to post first time for us on December 11 and gave a remarkably good performance to hit the wire first. However, he was lugging in very badly in the lane under Ruben Silvera and although probably a sixty-forty call in favour of him being taken down, he was placed third in the end. But it was an extremely encouraging first start for the barn. He is a massive horse with a big pedigree and quite a lot to look forward to. I think he’ll be seen best around two turns and will run in a starter allowance next.
Something that we’ve become incredibly lucky for recently is the fact that we are now beginning to train the progeny of fillies that I’ve trained previously. Irish Fortune is a filly out of Irish Whisper, who provided us a very emotional day the day that she retired. Taking her to Aqueduct knowing that it was going to be her last race… for her to win by seven and a half lengths was enormously gratifying and I still remember it to this day for owners John Hicks and Bill Martin. Following her racing days, Bill took on Irish Whisper as a broodmare and, unfortunately, she has been very unlucky in the breeding shed. She’s lost a couple of foals in utero, and she’s had one foal die. So, Irish Fortune is the first foal she has had that has made it to us at Belmont, and went to post on December 13 to make her career debut.
Bill Martin came down from Saratoga to watch her debut in what appeared to be a very strong and deep maiden special weight with a number of fillies who had run and run very well already, including two stakes-placed fillies. Irish Fortune under Jaime Rodriguez, pinged the gates and showed a lot of speed, a huge amount of determination, and a good level of stamina to break her maiden first time out going six and a half furlongs. Really likable filly with a very racehorse mentality, she’s got a lot of her mother about her, which is extremely exciting. Her mother was a very talented filly on both surfaces. And so, for Irish Fortune to win first time out was a hugely emotional day for Maggie, Bill, and myself. A few tears were shed for sure.
Our final winner of the year was Interstatelovesong, who’d shown so much promise on debut. After the Christmas break, she came back on Boxing Day to break her maiden extremely impressively under Ricardo Santana. This is a filly who has a very large amount of ability. I’m really hoping she can become a stakes caliber horse in the future. She was our final winner of the year and broke her maiden going six and a half furlongs with her ears pricked. It may not have been the strongest renewal of a maiden special weight, but she’s done nothing wrong and done tremendously well all winter. She’s a big filly who continues to go on and on physically and become a more and more imposing individual.
Christmas time was enormously enjoyable. It was one of those very special Christmases for our family. This year, we stayed in the States for the first time and the opportunity to zip up to Vermont with Maggie’s parents was a welcome break at the end of a long year. Maggie and the girls and I skied for a few days as well as enjoyed Vermont for what Vermont is, and it was great for Maggie as it’s a place where her and her parents have spent a lot of their time and her childhood.
A really enjoyable end of the year both in the barn and at home domestically. Really looking forward to pushing on into 2026. I think we’ve got a lovely group of horses to go to war with, and all the right feedback is coming out of Ocala about our two-year-olds as well. Very hopeful for the year ahead. Thank you to all of you who allow me to do what I love. Let’s have a great year! Happy 2026!
