I Go Away For A Few Days...

...and everyone retires. It was nice knowing you, Raven's Pass. It's a shame poor Sheik Mohammed didn't have the deep pockets to keep him in training, but jockey Jimmy Fortune was able to give the horse a diplomatic send-off to Kildangan Stud: "I still don't think we had seen the best of him but (in terms of his value) it wouldn't really matter what he did as a four-year-old - he could have won six Group Ones - and you have to respect the owner's decision. While that was your typical disappointing early retirement, we have also moved into the realm of the utterly silly, with the news that undefeated (in, count 'em, 3 starts) 2-year-old Run Away and Hide is off to Darby Dan (and no, I'd never heard of him either). (Hat tip to Winston for the news). Sure, the economy is poor, but did they really need his $7500 stud fee that badly? And remind me why I would want to breed to a barely-raced sprinter - I can't seem to recall why that would be an enticing proposition. Speaking of the economy, it seems that no one could afford to properly bid on the outstanding 20% of Curlin that was up for sale -- sure, there were a few offers, but nary a one was deemed acceptable: A Cincinnati law firm conducted a sealed-bid auction, though none of the bidders met all the sale criteria, which included price for the minority stake, ability to pay and the authority to bid. The process helped identify some potential buyers interested in a private sale. "The sealed-bid process gave the receiver an opportunity to test the market without affecting the market," said Sylvius von Saucken, a partner in the Garretson Firm in Cincinnati who is charged with selling the minority share. "We found the market loves Curlin, but it's a depressed market." If the ongoing legal morass contributes to keeping Curlin in training next year, it's been useful for something. While the lack of input into the way the major players in the sport operate can be frustrating, take heart in this -- you can make your voice heard via the Self Appointed Fan Committee. A few of us will be chatting with some of the Breeders' Cup folks later this week and we would love to take more feedback along to the meeting - so go here and submit your thoughts now!