Dynaformer and Barbaro United

On April 29, 2012, Barbaro celebrated his Heavenly birthday and at the same time, greeted his beloved father, Dynaformer.  This was not a coincidence, but destiny. 

Have you ever found yourself looking at an Earthly clock and end up seeing the same time on several different occaisions?  Or "out of the blue", a flowing scent of a certain type of flower rushes through the air?  Or certain objects in your Earthly house seemingly find a new place, that you know you didn't put them?  Or in this case, Dynaformer passing on Barbaro's birthday?!  Relax, you're not going crazy...this is simply validation that your loved ones that have passed are telling you that they are still with you!  You could be the biggest Earthly skeptic in the world, but sometimes we can't ignore things we do not understand, or dismiss them as "coincidence".....Trust me, we at Heaven's Gate Farm KNOW how to make our Earthly presence known-albeit not the prettiest sight of etiquette, but "presence" all the same!  From the Equine Heaven archives, I give you the chance to read the adventures of the gang at Heaven's Gate Farm truly making there presence known when they all took a trip to your Earthly Lexington, Kentucky:

The "View Crew" gathered their essentials on your Earthly Saturday and hit the Heavenly "sky highway" down to your Earthly Kentucky, known as the Bluegrass State and the Horse Capital of the World, but more precisely, LEXINGTON!!! Let it first be known that Ruffian packed 6 Heavenly Tiaras and wore a jewel encrusted Crown the size of an Earthly ocean liner!! How they ever got through "Customs" I’ll never know!!!  GEESH!!! Who went you ask? A better question would be who didn’t!!  This I think was one of the largest groups ever to travel down to your Earth and what had them all wanting to go?? The Woodford Reserve Distillery of course….Real Kentucky Bourbon!! No, seriously, that’s not why!! They wanted to visit the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park, Earthly home to John Henry among many other Greats, as well as farms like Three Chimneys, home to Barbaro’s dad Dynaformer and the Earthly home to our beloved Seattle Slew!!! First things first though! They decided, as a group, (a very large group), that since their time was limited, it would be a good idea to stop at the "Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau Services", or as Affirmed put it, "The Earthly people who know the city best and can help you visit the most exciting spots when you’re short on time" building!! Ah….ok!! So, picture this, here’s the "View Crew" with such notable Heavenly equines like Barbaro, John Henry, George Washington, Affirmed, Alydar, Regret, Secretariat, Slew and Ruffian to name just a few, standing outside the front doors of the tourist information center, looking at each other wide-eyed wondering who’s gonna go in first!! Affirmed piped up and said, "Ok, who wants to race in there and get what we need?" He moved closer to the building and soon had his Heavenly face pressed up against the Earthly window, front hooves cupping his eyes, peering inside. "Oooooo, they have racks and racks of valuable info that could help us maneuver this city, plus they have postcards. OH MY, they have US on postcards! Alydar, com’ere quick, there’s a postcard with your face on it!!!" Utter chaos now ensues as the gang scurries towards the Earthly window, toppling over one another in the process to get a glimpse of what the Earthly humans call a "postcard"!!! Barbaro looked at Affirmed and asked him how he knew what a postcard was and Affirmed quickly peered over his shoulder (leaving a huge "face print" on the window) and said that he remembered someone coming out to Jonabell Farm to take a picture of him, saying something about putting it on a postcard! He then quipped, "I DO understand what a photo is ya know, do you realize how many times I’ve been in the Earthly winner’s circle??!!!" Barbaro and Gallant Secret started laughing and then stood on their "tippy hooves" to get a view inside this "mysterious building of many things"!! OOPS!!! Two people just walked out the front door and everyone "bolted" in different directions! Slew jumped behind an Earthly bush, Ruffian and Secretariat slid sideways around the corner of the building, Barbaro "froze" in his spot, Man O’War covered his own eyes, Lost In The Fog , Swale and Capote made Seagull noises, (WHY?? WE DON’T KNOW!!), while Alydar actually followed the Earthly couple trying to read their pamphlets over the guy’s shoulder!! He yelled back to Barbaro, "Hey!! It’s a honeymoon couple, just got married last week, they’re from New Jersey and they’re heading over to the Radisson!!" Barbaro looked at Alydar quizzically and asked, "You got all that info from one peek?  What are you, a speed reader??" Slew popped his head up from beyond the bush and yelled, "Did someone say Radish?" Pine Island and Regret busted up laughing and said, "No Slew, not radish as in the vegetable, Radisson...as in the Radisson Hotel in downtown Lexington silly!!" Slew hid back down in the bush and yelled out to Dr. Fager, "Let me know when the ghost is clear"! (How ironic, we know!!) Dr. Fager quickly trotted over to the "talking bush", shoved his front hoof down and put it on Slew’s forehead. He managed a small mumble of confirmation under his Heavenly breath, "Nope, no fever!!", then trotted back to the Heavenly group!! PHEW!! That was a close one, they almost got "discovered"!! Still, why the Seagull noises guys, seriously, we just can’t figure that one out??? As the crew re-grouped, they decided that Secretariat would be the brave Heavenly equine to go in and collect the Earthly "2007 Visitor Planning Guide!!" How did Big Red get nominated? A quick Heavenly game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" of course, or as they called it, "Rock, Rock, Rock, Secretariat , You’re Nominated!!" Not a very fair game to say the least!! Anyways, Secretariat agreed and slowly opened the Earthly door while Ruffian quickly handed him a list of other things to look for. Mainly, any Earthly place that sells high-end jewelry and the addresses of any classy, off-the-strip boutiques!! YIKES!! While he was inside, some of the other Heavenly equines decided to stroll through the Earthly Thoroughbred Park just around the corner! This park is dedicated to the Thoroughbred industry and it features seven life-size bronze horses along with notable jockeys Randy Romero, Pat Day, Bill Shoemaker, Jerry Bailey, Don Brumfield, Chris McCarron and Craig Perret!! Go For Wand and Massoud were completely amazed, for these bronze statues appeared as if they were all running in a race!! It looked so real!! Oh oh!! Out came the Heavenly cameras!! Riva Ridge, Sham, John Henry and Peteski stood beside a different statue and pretended as if they were in "mid flight down the final stretch"!! Not an easy thing to do when you’re actually NOT racing!! Riva Ridge tried balancing on one Heavenly front leg, while sticking the other front one straight out, placing his back right leg on the ground, while trying to jut his back left leg far enough out behind him!!  He stuck his neck out, put his ears back, and slid his tongue out the side of his mouth for that added "Premium Tap" visual race effect!! Ok, he looked absolutely ridiculous, for this is NOT how a Thoroughbred would really be racing! He actually resembled a Standardbred Pacer with a HUGE, enlarged tongue disorder, somehow mistakenly entered in a Thoroughbred’s race!! YIKES!! Of course John Henry went right to the front of the bronze statue "pack" and pretended that he’d already won the race and was now heading to the fake winner’s circle!! But of course, he’s the Great John Henry, so yes, he did win it!!! Well, one thing's for sure...when this group gets together....ANYTHING is possible!!!

Happy Birthday Barbaro!

It's another fun day up here at Heaven's Gate Farm, as the gang prepares for Barbaro's birthday party!  Seattle Slew was just spotted with 5 wheelbarrows FULL of Heavenly strawberries...now what in Heaven's name could he be doing with ALL those!!??  He's wearing his Heavenly chef's hat so I'm thinking those strawberries have a purpose in Slew's kitchen...only thing is, is that his lips are red so I KNOW he's been eating them as he wheels them over to the kitchen!  YIKES!!  He looks as if he's wearing red lipstick!!

We'll keep you posted on the Heavenly day and night events!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

From the gang up here at Heaven's Gate Farm, we wish everyone a Happy Earthly Valentine's Day!!!

From the Equine Heaven vault, February 14, 2007...

Another fantastic night last night in Heaven for Barbaro and all his equine friends.  This morning, at Heaven's Gate Farm, there was a "flurry" of activity, as everyone exchanged Valentine's Day cards. Slew had chocolate all over his mouth as he read his cards from his secret admirers.  Barbaro collected thousands of
wonderfully designed cards expressing "true love", he was amazed at the candy coated hearts with special messsages on them-they were delicious!!

As Barbaro quietly read his cards, a "special delivery" mysteriously arrived...........it was grass, but not just any kind of grass, Barbaro knew this smell like the back of his hoof, ...it was Lael grass-it had finally arrived, like he knew it would..............

Barbaro slowly walked out into the Heavenly meadows to privately convey his message to the Jacksons.....

"I realize that today is the day that you show one another how much you love each other, so I thought this would be the perfect time to speak to you from my heart.......Where does one begin?  So many thoughts are racing through my head.....I know it's only been two weeks since I left you, but I miss your tiny fingers tickling my nose, your courageous words of support, your strong strokes on my neck and mane-your daily presence.  Thank you for everything you have done for me, both on and off the track. I just want you to know a little secret of mine.......while racing, the reason I always took the outside on the fourth turn, was so that I could see you both when I came down the stretch, and so that you could both see me, and be proud of me, that's all I ever wanted you to be......., proud of me and love me, and now that I am here, I know the true meaning of love-you both showed me that. I loved to race, that was my life, I loved my life......
Be proud of yourselves and know that I am with you every day.

Grief may be the price you pay for love, but I am thankfull that you both loved me and lost me..... than never having loved me at all....Your love and dedication......, has now created, an everlasting, Barbaro Nation....
-Love Barbaro."

To Live In The Hearts We Leave Behind Is Not To Die...

In The Words of Barbaro

"I am no longer with you, but let no tears fall or sorrow prevail...

When you see your reflection shimmer in the water, smile and know that I see your smile...

When you feel the cool grass beneath your feet, and the sun's warmth upon your back, know that I feel it also...

When you hear the leaves rustling in the wind, know it is my voice softly whispering to you...

When you see a horse in all its glory, dancing among a flowery paddock, know that I am dancing also...

When the wind swirls across your face, know that it is I who galloped past...

These words are truth. Have faith.

As long as beauty lives upon the Earth and in the stars, and love lives in every beat of every heart...

So then do I.  So then do we all."  ~ Love Barbaro

Happy Earthly Holidays Everyone!!!

Well now, it's been a while, and yes the gang up here at Heaven's Gate Farm are gearing up for Christmas!!  They're having their Heavenly Christmas Eve party this Earthly Friday, but on your Earthly Thursday they will be putting on a Heavenly play for fun!  Think of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" meets "A Charlie Brown Christmas" meets "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town"!!  EVERYONE has a special part in this play and from what I understand, your beloved Seattle Slew will be playing "Rudolph"!  I have NO idea how they are planning to incorporate all those Earthly shows into one gigantic play, but Slew said (and I quote), "It's all good!"  Whatever that means, I have no idea, but just watching Slew try on his antlers and his shiny red nose is hilarious!  Here is part of the cast; Dasher (Barbaro), Dancer (MC Tim Tammer, a.k.a. Tim Tam), Prancer (Alydar), Vixen (Affirmed), Comet (Lost In The Fog), Cupid (Native Dancer), Donner (Secretariat) and Blitzen (Damascus), and it is yet to be to told WHO will be playing the part of Santa!!

OH MY.....Slew has already put his antlers to GOOD use.....He has a marshmallow pegged on each one for snacks after practicing.......Leave it to Slew to be innovative!!!

The "View Crew" Has Left The Building.....

After much Heavenly "hoopla" today, the "View Crew" finally left to go watch Big Red's movie debut!!  "Secretariat", is on the big Earthly screen and Sirrus the Heavenly gopher flew the rest of the gang down to your Earthly State of New York to watch it!!  Ruffian, Regret, Pine Island, Eight Belles, Gallant Secret and a flurry of other Heavenly ladies spent half the Heavenly night getting their hair done, as well as getting hoof pedicures!  Of course Ruffian chose PINK for her Heavenly hooves!!  Your beloved Seattle Slew did all of their "hairdos" and let me tell you, SOME of them had to "duck" underneath the Heavenly doorways they were so "high" up.....Can anyone say, "Welcome to the 80's??"  As you know, Secretariat demolished the Earthly field in his 1973 Belmont Stakes win so he chose to wear his blue and white checkered silk colors to watch his Earthly movie debut.....that and a pair of Ray-Bans!!!  Last Heavenly night was the big party and EVERYONE at Heaven's Gate Farm had a fantastic time celebrating!  Slew loaded up his 40 tonnes of Heavenly popcorn (already buttered), so if you see what looks like a LARGE rumpled cloud up in the sky within the next 3 hours........THAT'S Slew's "goodie" cloud!!



GO SEE THE EARTHLY MOVIE......!!!!  THREE CHEERS FOR SECRETARIAT!!!!!!

Big Red is Coming to Theatres......4 Days And Counting!!!

October 8, 2010 is this Earthly Friday coming, and the "View Crew" is all geared up and ready to head down to your Earth to see Big Red in his screen debut!!  "Secretariat", the movie, will be in theatres and the gang is planning to watch the movie in your Earthly state of New York, where Secretariat captured the 1973 Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes!!!!  Needless to say, Slew is making popcorn as we speak and is planning on hauling it down for everyone to share...OH MY!!  So if you happen to be looking up at the sky on your Earthly Friday and see a giant CLOUD hovering over your Earthly State of New York.....well, that's Slew's cloud FILLED with Heavenly popcorn!!!!!

Can someone say "Oscar Worthy Performances"?????????

Check out Secretariat's music video at the bottom of the page!!!

A"tent"tion To Detail Is The Way To Camp....You Would Think...

Phew....Just returned from the Heaven's Gate Farm camping trip and needless to say, I could use a nice long nap on my Heavenly cloud.  Don't get me wrong, it was extremely fun, but I think that most of my fatigue is the result of running around for the last three days!  To start things off, apparently word got out that Seattle Slew was bringing his new tent, (the one that you throw out into the air and it opens on it's own), because within minutes of arriving at our desired Heavenly destination, there were tents FLYING uncontrollably up into the air!!  It was almost as if a bell rang and a starting gate opened - they all seemed to shoot out at the exact same time.  It was not like anybody even discussed where they wanted their tents to be set up, they just started wheeling them.  Hey guys, these tents open on their own, but they don't choose and clear a campsite for you!!  GEESH!!  There was absolutely no co-ordination, no destination, and no estimation with regards to where and when these "circular discs" would land (Yes, some malfunctioned and decided NOT to open and ended up skidding across the Heavenly lake like "skipping" stones!)  OOPS!  Thankfully I packed my handy dandy camping book:

Now for those of you who are excellent Earthly campers, well, you could pretty much sent up a tent blindfolded no doubt, but for most of us at Heaven's Gate Farm, well, we need a little extra help.  The thing that stands out to me the most about this camping book....well, take a look at the Earthly family on the cover...don't they look calm, refreshed, enjoying themselves...ahhh, such an idyllic setting.  As I held up the cover of the book in front of me, a warm feeling approached, but then as I slowly lowered the book down, the scene out in front of me was COMPLETE HEAVENLY CHAOS!!  The exact OPPOSITE of the book cover!!!  *slaps Heavenly hand to forehead*  SOMEBODY decided to start launching chocolate dip doughnuts into the air and then catch them in their Heavenly mouth...Not mentioning any names though (JOHN HENRY...ahem!!) While looking to my left I see that the Heavenly marshmallow cart had been tipped over and Vanilla Mice were now using them as a Heavenly trampoline/dance floor...Needless to say I will NOT be eating s'mores now, that's for SURE!!  And to my right.....SLEW has somehow been overtaken by his tent!!!  HUH??  How the heck did that happen??!!  I rushed over to see what happened and when I questioned Slew (I could see him moving around in the canvas like a snake under a carpet!) he mumbled that the tent opened fine, but then when he climbed in it, it mysteriously closed back up on him!!  That is ABSOLUTELY impossible!  What are the Heavenly odds of that happening??!!  I told him to hold tight and I would get Barbaro, Affirmed and Alydar to help him out!  (Was getting those three to help him really a good idea?  Hindsight is 20/20 I guess!  That and the fact that his tent landed on a Heavenly ant hill....OH MY!!)  *sigh*  And if things weren't happening at lightning speeds, I peered over my shoulder and saw Sirrus the Heavenly gopher and Barry the Heavenly beaver with a set of Heavenly blueprints in their hands, er ah, paws, er, whatever they have.....They were both wearing Heavenly hard hats, which I thought was odd since I only asked them to begin working on getting a campfire started!  Rushing over I asked them how they were doing, and if they needed any help....Um, after listening to their plan on building a fire (Which took 30 minutes), I came to the conclusion that not only would we need a building permit for the foundation, but we may want to call your Earthly Guinness Book of World Records for the sheer height of it!! YIKES!!!  After explaining to them that it would be virtually impossible to cook s'mores on a 40 foot flame, the boys decided that a smaller campfire would suffice...YA THINK???!  I scurried back over to Slew, (Who of course was still engulfed in canvas), and asked Barbaro, Affirmed and Alydar if they had made any progress getting him out.  Their answer?  "Oh, you actually wanted us to help him out of there?" *again, slaps Heavenly hand to forehead*  Ah, yes please!  And from beyond the canvas you could hear a muffled, "Yes please!"  I pointed out where I thought the zipper on the tent was and asked them to get him out of there pronto because apparently I had to go and grab the Heavenly flashlights out of Assault and Seabiscuit's hooves....they were going around clicking it on and off under their chins, shouting "boo" to everyone....Ah guys, not only will you waste the battery...it's not even dark yet!!  And after 10 minutes of trying to explain why telling scary ghosts stories are much more effective at night, I gave up when Assault quipped, "BOO" in the middle of one of my sentences!! *done*  Of course Secretariat was building Ruffian a hut for all of her Heavenly luggage...I think that thing was the size of a warehouse it was so big!!  And to think he built that using branches, leaves, and Heavenly logs....WOW, pretty impressive...I have nicknamed them Mr. and Mrs. Howell.....(Gilligan Island Reference)...Speaking of branches, leaves and logs....The air had quickly filled with smoke, which can only mean that the campfire is not a campfire, but a smoke show....which was clear when I could no longer see anything...nothing...nada...zip!!  After checking in with Sirrus and Barry (When I finally could see them), they guaranteed me that everything was under control and that a tent had accidentally flown into the Heavenly campfire.  A tent???  What tent??  Who's tent??  Slew had immediately come to mind, and when the smoke cleared I could see a dishevelled Slew standing among Barbaro, Affirmed, and Alydar who were all laughing hysterically!!  I asked Barbaro how they got Slew out of the tent. (Did I really want to know the answer to that??  Too late!!)  He told me that after they had tried to unzip the tent, which apparently got stuck, they ended up hoisting him in the catapult....Wait, first of all, WHO brings a catapult camping??  Does anyone see the mother and father on the cover of that camping book loading their kids in a catapult??  Anyone see that??  And I certainly didn't read that in my "Camping for Dummies" book!!  And second of all, WHY would you load him into it...tent and all????  Alydar said that it was the best plan that they could come up with.  Seriously??  The best plan??  You guys didn't think a pair of scissors would have been a little easier??  *another sigh*  Barbaro continued the story by saying after they shot Slew out of the catapult, the tent landed on a tree branch, which in turn, tugged on the zipper, opened it, and that eventually allowed Slew to slide out of it and land all four Heavenly hooves safely on the ground!!  Looking perplexed I asked how his tent then ended up in the campfire?  Affirmed looked at Alydar and vice versa, then Alydar mumbled something about Slew wanting to see what would happen if you put it on the fire...HUH??  What did you think would happen??  Did you think it would create rainbows and lollipops??!!  Needless to say, when all was said and done, we really did end up having a great time camping.  Once everyone settled in (Slew shared a tent with Phar Lap, next to his boomerang), we sang campfire songs and ate giant s'mores (Not me, you couldn't get me near one of those with a ten foot pole after seeing Vanilla Mice break dancing on the marshmallows).  All in all....a good time was had by all.......Now, off to cloud for me......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A Cherub's Welcome To:

Private Mambo

A Camping We Will Go...!!!

Well, it's your Earthly Sunday, and many of you know that Sundays are the Heaven's Gate Farm Picnic Day!  That being said, the gang decided to dust off their Heavenly camping gear and head for the Heavenly hills!!  Slew has a new Heavenly tent, and with any luck, he won't get tangled in it's poles or canvas while trying to set it up.  You see, it's the type of tent that when you throw it into the air, it opens itself up and is ready to go!!  No fumbling with tent poles, ropes, or pegs!  Presto!!  However, I'm sure Slew will manage to create some type of Heavenly snafu with it!  He did get the Flower Picking Brigade to cart a HUGE load of marshmallows, Hershey's chocolate bars and graham crackers.....hmmm, seems that SMORES are on the Heavenly menu for this evening!!  Slew was scanning your Earthly internet when he came across THIS picture (below), which in turn he printed off and then said something about "doubling or tripling" the size...YIKES!!!

 

Um, we're not sure how he's going to get that to stand upright, but he did mumble something about duct tape and a tree branch!  HUH????  Anyways, back to the "tent" issue with Slew at it's helm...below is an Earthly photo of a guy who makes pitching this tent look easy....well, we'll see if Slew can follow these simple steps, er ah, "step"!!  Step 1: Throw the tent.  Why for some reason do I see Slew's tent ending up in either a)  a Heavenly creek or b)  a Heavenly tree??  We shall see!!!

 

 

A Cherub's Welcome To:

Double Notes

Beach Bottom Bay

Giant Legacy

Chip

Homer

 

Secretariat-A Moment of Eternity

In lieu of Secretariat's Earthly movie premiere on October 8, 2010, we at Heaven's Gate Farm decided to give "Big Red" a special tribute......He is absolutely ecstatic about this and hopes that all will go and watch it in your Earthly theatres!! Enjoy!!

Post Heavenly Hippity Hop Race Interview

Of course the entrants of the Heavenly Father's Day Hippity Hop Race had to sit down afterwards and discuss the strategies and techniques that each used during their run....(If there were any strategies, ahem...!!) Needless to say, this discussion took place immediately after they woke up Seattle Slew, who stopped mid-race for an afternoon siesta along the backstretch......!!! Remember yesterday when Barbaro, Secretariat, Affirmed, Northern Dancer and Diabolo did some creative "face-painting" on Slew after the race while he was still asleep? Yep, picture this, we have the entrants around the table to begin our post-race discussion, yet ONE of these Heavenly equines just DOESN'T belong....Can you guess who? You got it....The Geisha Girl!!! Seems that Northern Dancer got his hooves on some white face powder and did a light "dusting" over Slew's face!! LIGHT DUSTING??  I think not.....Slew's face is as white as a fresh blanket of new fallen snow!!!  Of course Secretariat and Affirmed did his eyes with VERY BLACK eyeliner, which curled up at the corners "a la" Elizabeth Taylor in the movie "Cleopatra", while Barbaro and Diabolo applied red, red, RED lipstick to a newly-designed tiny set of Heavenly lips. A little bit of Heavenly mousse in Slew's already "wind-whisked" forelock and "POOF", a teased up hairdo!!!  VOILA!!! Let's start the discussion, shall we?? Of course Slew has no idea what he looks like and we're certainly not about to tell him yet, however, it will become quite challenging for us not to laugh whenever we look at him!!! 

Heavenly Interviewer: "How does this type of race differ than other races any of you had participated in?"

Barbaro: "Are you kidding me? We're bouncing on rubber balls using our back legs to move and we ran the first quarter in 25 minutes. You do the math! I've never been loaded in a starting gate sitting on anything, definitely felt weird....!" (laughs)

Affirmed: "Barbaro, you could win a race moonwalking, blindfolded, while reciting the alphabet backwards...you're that good!!" (entire group laughs while agreeing)

Heavenly Interviewer: "Northern Dancer, at what point did you realize you were racing the wrong way?"

Northern Dancer: "Oh, that was embarrassing...." (Yes, cause the fact that you were all riding Hippity Hop balls in a race wasn't?) "I guess when I seen the Heavenly rail on my right side while I was bouncing along kinda made me start to wonder.....That and the fact that I seen Diabolo and Barbaro heading towards me at "mach 1" speeds!"

Heavenly Interviewer: "Slew, you made it to the backstretch, then took a nap, why?" (Trying hard not to look directly at him...........The gang is snickering)

Slew: "I just found that the aerodynamics and circumference width of the rubber Hippity Hop ball were not conducive to the amount of draft available and the dirt track ratios were way off, which really hindered my ability to make up any ground plus I got tired from going in circles!" (Huh??) (The gang is laughing hysterically now as Slew looks to his left and right wondering WHY??!!!)

Heavenly Interviewer: "Diabolo, can you attribute your deadheat win to the polish that Sword Dancer applied to your Hippity Hop ball in the post parade?"

Diabolo: "Man, THAT was a challenge! Here I am expecting to bounce and I end up sliding into the Clubhouse turn on my side, white knuckled the entire time. I think I should have worn knee pads and shin guards!!" (Leans over on his side, eyes wide, eyebrows up, mimicking going into the turn sideways - the group is laughing again)

Heavenly Interviewer: "Affirmed, you broke from the gate good, but then you just started bouncing up and down without making up any ground, what was going through your head at the time?"

Affirmed: "Honestly? You want to know what was going through my head?  Ok, my first thought was, hmmm, I'm a Triple Crown winner sitting on a rubber ball, holding rubber handles, going absolutely NOWHERE but UP, and for the life of me I can't figure out how to do this!  I won the Belmont Stakes for crying out loud, the most grueling race of the Triple Crown, and for some reason I can't maneuver this d#$m rubber ball??!!" (laughing) (Heavenly pardon)

Secretariat: "I agree with Affirmed, I too won the Triple Crown yet there's something to be said about 'bouncing' your way into the winner's circle. A definite challenge to say the least and TIRING as well!!"

(Oh oh, Slew has just scratched an "itch" on his nose and has noticed that his hoof is now WHITE.....YIKES!!!.....He's looking at it, studying it, still staring at it, thinking, thinking, nothing yet, his face is still expressionless.....nothing, nothing......we're looking at each other wondering if he'll put two and two together.......COME ON SLEW...GET THERE.....and, and, and BINGO!! He just started laughing and turned to us all and quipped, "Aw man, I got Cool Whip on my face still from the night before...!!" Oh well, he'll figure it out soon enough!!)

Heavenly Interviewer: "Ok, well I just want to thank all of you for your input at this Round Table discussion, are there any final thoughts?"

Barbaro: "Ya, NO MORE RUBBER HIPPITY HOP BALL RACES!!" (laughing)

Diabolo: "Let's have a rematch, only this time, no cooking spray polish on mine!"

Affirmed: "Good luck with that, count me out!!" (laughing)

Secretariat: "How about a soap-box Derby instead?"

Northern Dancer: "A hockey game! I'm Canadian, what can I say?" (laughing)

Seattle Slew: "A BAKE-OFF!!!!"

Oh Slew, you're hilarious!!! Now where's Regret with that mirror of hers so we can show Slew EXACTLY what he looks like......

Remember The Heaven's Gate Farm "Father's Day Hippity Hop Race"?

Now for those of you who are new to this Heavenly blog, back in June of your Earthly 2008, a few of the Heavenly equines decided to try a different type of racing.....A race that not only involves skill, timing, balance, and speed, but one that involves FUN!!  The old fashioned "Hippity Hop" ball race....Remember them?  Those massive rubber balls with the tiny handles on top that one uses to bounce around the Earthly back yard in, and if you leaned on them the wrong way you'd slide off them and end up eating dirt??  Ya, those!  As you can see below, they now come in various animal styles, so which one do you think the gang all grabbed to race with??  Why of course......the horse!!

Barbaro, Affirmed, Northern Dancer, Secretariat, Slew, and Diabolo decided that they would "give it a go".......Here's a recap of the race....

"They're at the post........albeit bouncing!!  So where were we??  Ah yes, the start of the first ever Heavenly Father's Day Hippity Hop Bouncing Rubber Ball Stakes Races.......ahem.......Barbaro's in post one on the rail with Affirmed in the two post, Seattle "The Kangaroo" Slew next to him, Diabolo in post four, Secretariat post five and on the far outside, and in post six, Northern Dancer!!!  They've stopped their bouncing, have leaned far forward in a jockey's position, tightly holding their rubber handles, waiting, waiting, waiting for the Heavenly starting gate bell....Felix and Fuzzy, who are in charge of the starting gate bell, are laughing hysterically, as they purposely hold off on letting them race, for the vision of them crammed in the gate with their Hippity Hop rubber balls is just too funny!!  The Heavenly residents along the rail are also laughing uncontrollably as they cheer with delight.........Then, the roar of the crowd dims to a faint hush.....complete silence.....The bell goes and THEY'RE OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ARRGGHHHH!!!!!! Where is everybody???? (There's an excessive amount of Heavenly dust coming out of the gate as if someone turned on a leafblower in there!! *cough* *cough* *choke*)  Finally, someone has bounced out........Oh my.....Slew jumped out sideways.....AGAIN!!  Man, even in a rubber Hippity Hop ball race he takes flight on an angle!!  GEESH!!! There goes Affirmed, he's out of the gate, however he's having a tough time maneuvering his Hippity Hop ball as it refuses to go forward, but he is getting an extreme amount of "height" on the spot!!  ZOINKS!!!  Use your back legs Affirmed....PUSH WITH YOUR BACK LEGS...LEAN FORWARD ON THE RUBBER HANDLES AND PUSH!!!  Um, sorry to interupt commentating, but does this sound like "the call" of a normal Earthly race???  When was the last time you heard an Earthly announcer saying, "And here comes Pyro on the turn for home, he's leaning forward, holding the rubber handles while pushing with his back legs...what an incredible maneuver race fans"????  Ya, I didn't think so.  Anyways, back to reality, er ah, whatever you wanna call this...........Ok, remember how we told you that Sword Dancer was "polishing" Diabolo's Hippity Hop ball with some type of non-stick cooking spray in the post parade....ya, well apparently it becomes extremely slippery when exposed to dirt and because of this, it has just shuttled Diabolo into the lead by 20 feet......SLIDING....NOT BOUNCING!!  YIKES!!!!!!!!!

(Anybody see Christmas Vacation when Clark W. Griswold went sledding on his toboggan/disc after "polishing" it?? Ya, hold that thought!!)  Diabolo is STILL sliding.....will we need a Steward's Enquiry after this??  Dunno, but Barbaro just bounced so far forward that he had to be off the ground for at least 10 minutes....You could have had time to run and get a coke and a pretzel at the Heavenly concession stands by the time he landed!!!  GOOD ONE BARBARO...NICE PUSH!!!  Oh oh.....Northern Dancer, who was in post six, bounced so high, and so far forward, that when he landed he was facing the OPPOSITE direction...!!!  Needless to say, he hasn't realized it yet and has continued on the WRONG WAY...Now all the Heavenly equines from Europe are cheering with delight.....yelling, "FINALLY someone's racing the RIGHT WAY!!!"  Um, ya, actually on a side note, many Earthly American races started out running clockwise just like their European cousins.  As a matter of fact, the Belmont was not run counter-clockwise until 1921......Just a little bit of trivia for you all.........Ok, back to the Hippity Hop race.............We have decided to let Northern Dancer continue on in this direction, since he's making good ground and is in a deep concentrative state...How do we know this??  He's leaning forward, with large giant thrusts, getting good height, covering large distances, and his Heavenly TONGUE is sticking out sideways in deep thought.....HE'S REALLY INTO THIS!!!  So, down the backstretch they go...(Finally)...Diabolo's up front with Barbaro a close second, Secretariat's in third, Affirmed has made up some ground and is bouncing his way along in forth, Slew is......??  Where's Slew??  Anyone seen Slew??  Oh, there he is.........going in circles on the Clubhouse turn.......Seems that his left hind leg is a bit tired and his right hind leg is compensating for that.......Um, ok I'm getting dizzy just watching him so let's go see where Northern Dancer is shall we??  (Remember folks, he's racing the WRONG WAY!!)  Ah yes, he's bouncing on the turn for home, heading towards the backstretch.......Hmmm, I think Diabolo will see him in.....three.......two........one........Yep, he sees Northern Dancer and has JUMPED over him, so did Barbaro, so has Secretariat, and so has Affirmed....Did this just turn into a steeplechase race at Cheltenham????  The look on Northern Dancer's face was priceless, as he JUST realized he was going in the opposite direction, so he slammed on his breaks and cranked his Hippity Hop ball to the left and BOUNCED back into contention....Slew on the other hand, is still going in circles, but he did manage to gain some ground by making his way onto the backstretch.........where he's now fallen asleep upright, sitting on his Hippity Hop ball, still holding the rubber handles, head back, and SNORING....!!!  Hmmm, first quarter in 25 minutes and 32 seconds....Do the times really matter anymore???...Um, probably not......since it's a duel up front and down the stretch for home with Diabolo and Barbaro, who have created so much Heavenly dust with their Hippity Hop balls that they are both COVERED in dirt!!!  Secretariat and Affirmed have both stopped on the turn for home and have started chatting amongst themselves as Northern Dancer LEAPS over both to try and gain ground on Diabolo and Barbaro...!!!  DOWN THE STRETCH THEY BOUNCE.....Barbaro on the inside, Diabolo sliding/bouncing on the outside......They're at the wire..........It's a DEADHEAT!!  SPECTACULAR...!!!  Way to go guys!!!  The crowd is cheering with delight as all rush the Heavenly track to congratulate the entrants.....As well, Secretariat, Affirmed, Northern Dancer, Diabolo and Barbaro have all made their way to the backstretch in order to check in on a "Sleepless in Seattle-Slew", and do a bit of creative face painting on him while he's snoring.......FIGURES!!!!!  Anybody got some white face powder and mascara???  Oh well, a great time was had by all!!!"

Tomorrow we will bring you their "Post Hippity Hop Race" interview......Stay tuned!!

Who Wants Baked Goods, Er, Ah, Baked "Bads".......???

Leave it to Slew to experiment with tools one would normally NOT use in a kitchen to bake....like, let's say for example...a WELDING TORCH!!  With welding mask in hand, er, ah, hoof, and Heavenly welding tanks filled with oxygen and acetylene....Yep, you read that correct...ACETYLENE, your beloved Seattle Slew thought it would be a great idea to create a "lightly golden brown" pie crust on his latest baked good....!!!!  Did we say "lightly golden brown"????  Now please try and get a visual of how this all went down...You can picture Slew in his welding gear, right?  Yes, he put his black welder's mask on his head, and after doing so, bumped into several Heavenly walls because he couldn't see properly, which in turn caused a flurry of laughter from the rest of the gang. (Yes, Secretariat and Alydar started a "pool" to see how long it would take for Slew to do something "out of the ordinary")  Now if one didn't realize what Slew was trying to accomplish, one would think that he was trying out for the Earthly part of Darth Vader from the Earthly movie, Star Wars.......Below is a photo of Slew's welding mask.....And below that is a photo Darth Vader.....See the resemblance???

So, of course someone had to point out the fact that Slew looked identical to your Earthly Darth Vader, (That "someone" would aptly be named, Assault, John Henry, Barbaro, Affirmed, and George Washington!)  Thanks guys, now Slew's got a Heavenly broom handle in his hoof, and he's waving it around the room like it's a lightsaber!!  EVERYONE DUCK!!!  Oh no....Slew is now making the Darth Vader, "heavy breathing" noises whilst swinging that broom handle around......Please don't say, "Luke, I am your father!", please don't, please don't, please don't...YIKES....THERE IT IS....In a voice that has absolutely NO resemblance to Darth Vader (sounds more like he's got a hairball caught in his Heavenly throat), your beloved Seattle Slew utters the most famous words ever to come out of the mouth of an Earthly fictional character......"LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER!", which in turn were followed by the words, "WHO IS LUKE ANYWAYS?"  Ah, leave it to Slew........always looking for answers!!  Speaking of answers, can someone please tell me how this turned into a scene from The Empire Strikes Back....I THOUGHT we were suppose to be baking pies???  Back to the task at hand, er ah, hoof, and finally Slew relinquishes the broom handle to Regret and gets back to the business of baking pies and cakes.......

Well, to make a long story short, after lightly torching everything in sight, yes everything; Heavenly oven mitts, walls, doors, ceiling, stove, windows, etc., etc., etc.,...Slew finally gives us a peek at his "finished" baked goods.....And when we say "finished", we mean "finished", like wrecked, ruined, decimated, destroyed, unedible.....the list of adjectives are endless.....Anyways, below is a couple of photos of Slew's creation using a welding torch.....And in case you can't identify them, we'll help you:  The photo directly below is suppose to be a "Fruitcake"....well now, who da thunk it??  And the photo below that is suppose to be a Boston Cream Pie......What we're still scratching our Heavenly heads about is how in Heaven's name did the pie rise directly out of the pie pan.....Was it trying to make a "getaway"?????  Oh well, onto the next fiasco.....

Holy Smokes-We've Been Absent For Awhile!!

Your Earthly May and June have been prime-time months for Heavenly summer activities up here at Heaven's Gate Farm, and since Seattle Slew blew up the Heavenly computer while trying to OVER-TWITTER, Sirrus the Heavenly gopher has finally repaired it, (with the help of your Earthly Future Shop employees!!!)  YIKES!!

So away we go with the latest updates on the gang (in a Heavenly nutshell of course)

1.  Seattle Slew is still "head over Heavenly hooves" in love with Regret (More on that later)
2.  Many Heavenly games of the "Heavenly Family Feud" have taken place (Got very rowdy indeed!)
3.  The Heavenly "July Summer Festival" will be taking place on your Earthly July 31, 2010 (Water games, animal olympics, and all-out Heavenly family fun is in store)
4.  Barbaro has been informed about a new Earthly book in the works for him....and he is EXTREMELY excited about it!!
5.  George Washington couldn't be prouder of his Earthly daughter...Date With Destiny..He says, "That's My GIRL!!!"!!
6.  The Monthly Heavenly birthday parties have been a success and this Heavenly weekend we will be celebrating all the July birthdays!!  Should be a blast!!  Slew is baking a "Leaning Tower of Pisa" cake.....ahem, this will be his fourth attempt at this in two days.....they keep FALLING OVER!!!  Hey Slew, maybe it's time you paid an Earthly visit to Buddy at Cake Boss!!?? 
7.  Slew is paying an Earthly visit to Buddy at Cake Boss....cause he just peaked over my shoulder and read this Heavenly update......OH NO!!!!!!    

In The Words Of Barbaro

"It is said that horses do not understand the way humans speak....Maybe so, maybe we don't know the inflection of words used in a sentence, or the punchline of a joke told, or funny sarcasm......But this I can guarantee you...... We can feel emotions. We know when you're sad, and we can tell when you're happy. We can feel when you're nervous, and we are fully aware when you're heartbroken. It was on this night, four years ago, that a team of dedicated, loving people poured their hearts out to me....'Whatever happens, happens', they said, 'We'll still love you.' One by one they talked to me, privately, looking from side to side to ensure that no one saw them....Who would ever want to be caught talking to a horse. Seems silly. But they knew different. They knew my language, and that's what makes a good team. They spoke words of encouragement and told me to go out there and fly......I did, and I will forever be grateful to all of them. I realized how special the Derby was to each one of them, in their own memorable way. I paced in my stall, uninterested in food or drink, just waiting for the first glimpses of the Kentucky sunrise to peak above the horizon. So many people believed in me, so many people loved me. I told myself over and over that I could win this, not for me, but for them. And finally, with what seemed like an eternity, the rays of the morning sun shone brightly into my eyes, almost like an Angelic calling. I stood waiting and wondering in anticipation......Let me out onto the track, let me show you who I am, let me show you what I can do. I knew at that moment, that a plan was in place for me, a calling, a reason, a way to touch the lives of so many for years to come.......Don't ever think a horse cannot understand you....we can...we just do it with our hearts instead of our ears......~Love Barbaro"

The Gift of a Hero

The Gift of a Hero


It is a gift for those of us that have been blessed with the determination of a horse -- displaying itself proudly when we call upon it -- when we need it the most. For their determination is immeasurable.


It is a gift for those of us that have been invited to learn a horse's language -- one that uses not words -- but pure and truthful reflections. For their language knows nothing but unconditional love.


It is a gift for those of us that harbor the courage of a horse -- to be able to look fear in the eyes -- yet stand proud while seeking triumph. For their courage is celebrated.


At some point in time, a horse has touched our lives in some unique and special way -- and because of this -- the horse, in all its glory, gives us the strength to carry on in the face of adversity. Their title, that of "horse", encompasses what we've known and felt deep inside our hearts all along.......all you have to do is rearrange the letters.....they are our "heros"......

Happy Heavenly Birthday Barbaro...!!!

An Extra Long Vacation!

Well, the "View Crew" and I just got back this Heavenly morning...the gang wanted to stay a little longer on your Earth in order to "chat" with this year's Earthly Kentucky Derby contenders, and they even got a chance to do a little "question and answer" period with them too!!  Right now though I'm heading off to help Ruffian unpack her 50,000 pieces of Heavenly luggage and will be back later to report on the "View Crew's" Wal-Mart excursion, their "trial Kentucky Derby race" at Churchill Downs (talk about cutting across the infield in order to gain positions!), and why Slew found it necessary to stop in at Carlo's Bakery (Cake Boss) in Hoboken, New Jersey!  Check this out:  http://www.carlosbakery.com/  

(Btw: Ruffian celebrated her Heavenly birthday down on your Earth too...more on that later!)

Stay tuned....you're NOT gonna want to miss out on all their shenanigans....!!!

Wal-Mart......Here we come!!!

The "View Crew" have "left the Heavenly building"!!  That's right...the gang is making their way down to your local Earthly Wal-Mart and since I'm going along to chaperone, I know for sure that I'll have my Heavenly hands full!!  The gang is due to return to Heaven's Gate Farm on your Earthly Tuesday, so I'll report on all their shenanigans on your Earthly Wednesday!!  Remember....if any of you happen to be at your local Earthly Wal-Mart and you see something "odd", it could  very well be one of the "View Crew"!!!!

Till Wednesday everyone!!  Have a great Earthly weekend!!

The Painted Pony, er ah, Ponies!!

Here's a "head scratcher" quiz for everyone.......What happens when you combine tonnes of Heavenly paint (for Easter Egg decorating), a Pottery Barn FULL of Heavenly animals, and then sprinkle into that mix about a hundred giant plastic water gun cannons???  The answer.........A MESS!!!!  That's right.....seems like the Heavenly Easter Egg decorating task is getting completely out of Heavenly hand, er ah, hoof, since some "genius" or "geniuses" (we're not sure who, but we have our suspicions!), decided to start putting the paint into those giant water cannons, instead of on their paint brushes!!  You all are familiar with those kids toys, right?  The cannons that you have to "pump" the bottom before it'll start shooting a massive flow of water equivalent to your Earthly Niagara Falls at you??!!  Ya...those!!!!  Needless to say, after peeking in on everyone, I decided to retreat and retrieve my Heavenly "Maid of the Mist" cloak in order to regain control of this "out of control" Heavenly situation!!  On my way back though, about four Heavenly equines, namely, Secretariat, Affirmed, Alydar, and Swaps, blew by me looking more like the Partridge Family bus rather than their handsome selves!!  YIKES!!!  I had to "tuck and roll" into the front door of the Heavenly Pottery Barn and head for cover as a rainbow of Heavenly paint beamed across the air heading RIGHT for me!!!  COME ON!!  SERIOUSLY!!  I don't remember reading this in my Heavenly job description!!!!  A "slew" of Heavenly laughter ensued, and as I pulled down my Heavenly face shield (Yes, I put on a mask with a face shield....you didn't think I'd go in here unprotected did ya??), I could feel the out of control beam of paint reach it's destination.....and that destination would be directly on my Angel wings!!  SPLAT!!!  Now, you know me, as the Heavenly Farm Manager, I'm all for having some Heavenly fun, but when I see your undefeated Earthly Triple Crown winner (that would be your beloved Seattle Slew), with a Heavenly forelock and mane FULL of PINK, PURPLE, and MAUVE paint......well, something's gotta give!!!  Oh...wait.....I can see Ruffian tucked neatly in the corner of the Pottery Barn with some other Heavenly equine ladies......From what I can see (because my Heavenly face shield is now spattered with paint), Eight Belles, Go For Wand, Flawlessly (Affirmed's daughter) and Shenanigans (Ruffian's "mom") are with her......and while they are not participating in the "paint fiasco", they ARE doing something productive......THEIR NAILS.....er ah, HOOVES...!!  Yep, that's right....there's always time to polish up those pretty Heavenly hooves...and leave it to Miss Ruffian to have the pinkish of pink hoof polish on while she quietly chats away with the ladies discussing tiaras, the latest Jimmy Choo designs, and how much Heavenly luggage she's going to bring the next time the "View Crew" decides to visit your Earth !!!  What the heck happened to having a relaxing day painting some Heavenly Easter Eggs???!!!!  OK, wait a Heavenly minute here.......WHO had the bright idea to paint Northern Dancer to look like an unsolved Rubik's Cube?????  I'll bet it was our "face painter extraordinaire" Native Dancer!!!  It actually looks pretty cool, but I'm not sure if Northern Dancer's Earthly owners, Windfield Farms, would think the same!!

Well, I have come to the conclusion that I will exit this "mess" with the hopes that at least a FEW Heavenly Easter Eggs end up getting painted.......If not, then at least fun was had by all.....and as I retreat backwards out of the Pottery Barn door, I am pummeled with a barrage of turquoise/blue/green plume of paint!!  Hey, at least it's a pretty color!!!!

Doing Some Heavenly Spring Cleaning!!

Heaven's Gate Farm is having a Heavenly "Spring Cleaning" Party!  Of course, anytime we doing ANYTHING, we must turn it into SOME type of party!!  Seattle Slew and his "Kitchen Crew" made a GIANT cake in the shape of a broom and a dust pan!!  OH MY!!  Regret is busy with her Heavenly yellow rubber gloves, polishing up anything and everything!  She LOVES cleaning!!  And news from the Heavenly racetrack is that the 2010 Triple Halo contenders are busy practicing!!  For those who are not familiar with the Triple Halo....it is the Heavenly equivalent to your Earthly Triple Crown.....Here are the Heavenly races:

The Celestial Derby~Run For The Rainbows
The Peak~Of~Performance Stakes
The All~Is~Wellmont Stakes

Heavenly dates will be posted soon!!




A Cherub's Welcome To:
Abby
And all animals who have currently joined us.