Family Resemblance

If you ever get to read my book, you will learn about a remarkable encounter with Gretchen Jackson and Barbaro's youngest brother, now named Lentenor. It was shortly after he was born and Gretchen went down to Lexington, Kentucky visit the foal at Mill Ridge Farm.

She told the story to a group of alumni who were assembled at Chestnut Hill College outside of Philadelphia to hear her and Pat Chapman speak about their relationship with horses. It was a wonderful presentation--one that I told both of them they should consider taking on the road.

In any event, Pat Chapman had asked Gretchen how the foal was. And Gretchen described her visit in which she climbed into the paddock and the foal came right over to her. "I thought that was unusual," she said. "Foals rarely leave their mothers." And then the young Lentenor stood perfectly still and submitted to Gretchen running her hands over his entire body, getting a literal feel for his conformation. "That too was odd," she thought. "Foals never stand still."

Then Gretchen stepped back to give the foal a once over from a distance. He turned a looked at her and then he nickered. "That," she told the audience, "was truly amazing. Foals never talk to anyone except their mothers."

I thought of all these things when I saw the recent photos of Lentenor posted by Mill Ridge. Look closely at the close-up--the "radish-like" marking, the knowing eyes. Do you see an uncanny resemblance to his big brother?

Pat Chapman said it best: "Let me know when he makes his first start. I'd like to place a bet on him."