Great Friends,

As many of you know, Mr. Chairman ran really well last Thursday, but we suffered another heart-breaking loss.  Our jockey, Rafael Bejarano, apologized for not being able to get the horse out of the "box" he was in for virtually the entire race.  He assured us that Mr. Chairman was the best horse in the race and should have won.  Although another second place finish is disappointing, at least we collected over $16,000 in purse money.

Below is a quick synopsis for each of our horses:

Glimmering Pete - Finished third on Opening Day and was claimed for $10,000.

Enchanting Moment - She will be the next Great Friends Stable horse to run.  We have her slotted to run Friday, August 1.  It will be fun to have a horse in on a Four o'clock Friday, and Enchanting Moment should be one of the favorites in the $32,000 Maiden claiming race.

Sandita - He ran a close second on July 21.  Sandita is doing really well and is expected to return to the track on Thursday, August 7 in a $20,000 claiming race.

Mr. Chairman - After winning his first race for the Great Friends Stable at Hollywood Park in June, Mr. Chairman returned to the track on Thursday and ran the best race of his life (89 Beyer figure) finishing an unlucky second in an allowance race.  Look for Mr. Chairman to come right back in the same type of race on Sunday, August 10.

Band of Thunder - He will make his Great Friends Stable debut for trainer John Sadler on Sunday, August 10 as well.  Could we possibly win twice that day?  It's not out of the question.  Reports from the Sadler barn indicate Band of Thunder is feeling good and should be one of the favorites in the $40,000 claiming race.

Mikey Bones - She will likely race in the second week of August.  Doug is taking his time with Mikey Bones to put a little extra weight on her.  Once the next condition book of races comes out, we will know exactly when she is running.  Stay tuned.

Rush With Thunder - We have high hopes for this guy if we can get him to relax in the early stages of the race.  Initially we were going to bring him back with only two weeks rest on Saturday, August 2, but now Doug would like to give him a little extra time, so we will be looking for a race in the second or third week of August.

Remember, our plans can sometimes change.  We will do our best to keep everyone informed.  Hope to see you all next Friday for the debut of Enchanting Moment.  And don't forget to plan ahead for "Big Sunday" August 10, when we are scheduled to have two horses in.

The Great Friends Management Team