Uphold: Son of Lentenor

It's been awhile since we've posted, and that's because the human part of this duo has been swamped. I'm so excited to say that on Dec 1st, Up and I were officially able to start legit training. Now granted, have we? Not as much. Like I said, I've been swamped. I have brought on my trainer to put in one training ride on him a week, we take a lesson together another day, and I try to get in two rides a week outside of that. We're slowly teaching him the concept of relaxing under saddle, as well as bending. You can't have any bend without relaxation, so of course relaxation right now is our top goal. He had a chiro appointment today, will have a massage on Sunday, and will have a magna wave session next week to try and make sure the big guy stays feeling his best.

Uphold’s modeling for MyRacehorse! He looks so dapper in those scarves🥹

We finally have gotten back all of Uphold's tests and his full dental completed. Thankfully, nothing in his blood or bacteria hints at an issue. There was a very strange finding that gave me a bit more insight into his past, but nothing affecting him now. He did have some massive hooks and ulcers in his mouth, so we're hopeful that by tending to the sharp points in his mouth, the ulcers will heal naturally. At this point in time, there are two camps of thought. I have learned he's had sinus issues for most of his life when the seasons change. I could continue exploring what causes the runny nose by doing a CT scan and scope, or I could wait to see if the runny nose dries up naturally as the weather gets a bit more consistent. I'm a bit more inclined to see how he does since beyond a runny nose, he is absolutely his normal, bright, goofy self! So, for now, we are just going to let him relax. He looks phenomenal and has been a very good patient for his care team! Will lunge him tonight to get him moving!

A positive update: Up's blood work came back normal!!

Of course, we expected it to, but it's always nice to have that extra reassurance! He is getting his teeth examined and floated today to 1) get him up to date and 2) make sure a tooth issue is not causing the snotty nose. Interestingly enough, his nose was hardly runny at all yesterday, so maybe this truly is a seasonal issue. I did ride him yesterday, which is usually when the snot is at its worst. I checked him over at the end of the ride, and while his nose was a little damp, it was not truly runny. He will have at least the weekend off since he will be a bit sore in his mouth... and it's Breeders' Cup weekend.

The idea behind the vet recommending us to ride through this is to get him moving so the snot will move as well, which can be recreated with lunging. I plan on focusing on a mini lunging BootCamp this next week (partially because we are entering the busy sales season and will not have as much time in general) and will go from there. We still have 10 rides left in order to maintain his RRP eligibility (if the rules for that stay the same), but I probably will not take advantage of many of those, just to make sure if there is a rule change, we are still good. Either way, I'll keep everyone updated. We should have results from the lab either today or tomorrow, so when that comes in, I'll let you know the results!

Last night, Uphold was seen by the vet. For the last three weeks, his right nostril has been runny, even almost pouring when he speeds up above a walk. It's little dramatic sometimes, with snot flinging in the air while he parades in his field, but this whole time his vitals, behavior, and weight have remained normal. At first, I thought it was allergies so I started him on Zyrtec. While this helped a little bit, as the weather changed over and over the snotty nose would get worse.

Our wonderful vet Dr. Escaro pulled blood for a blood test, took samples of his snot to send off the the lab, and flushed his nostrils. Up stood like a champ and gave them the best snot sample he could muster (it was quite gross, lots of boogers). We will have the results of these tests in 72 hours. In the mean time, he will be getting his teeth floated on Thursday and the dentist will be searching for any abnormalities that could cause this runny nose. If we can't find something there, we will be taking radiographs of his skull to make sure there is nothing broken or impeding his sinuses.

While this is certainly a bit stressful, I've since learned he has had sinus issues for most of his life so I don't feel as bad about it. He's such a stoic horse (you have to be to run as much as he did for as long as he did!) but we want to make sure to address all ailments to ensure he stays happy in his new life and career. Thank you to everyone who has had him in your thoughts! I will link a video that explains the whole situation a bit more.

TikTok · Campbell 89 likes, 5 comments. “An UpDate on our sweet boy! Nothing majorly concerning, just a lot of questions. We’ll keep you informed!”

✨MEET THE TEAM✨
It's about time to let you know the stories and faces behind this journey. Some of you may followed Uphold throughout his racing career since he is the lifetime leading runner for his sire, Lentenor (who happens to be the full brother to Kentucky Derby hero, Barbaro) while others may have just found us via TikTok or other social media platforms.

My name is Nik. I was practically born a racing fan, even being in a winners' circle at a few weeks old with my grandparents' standardbred racer, Painted Biscuit. But for me, I loved the thoroughbreds. My first memory of a race is from the first Saturday of May in 2006 when I fell head over heels in love with Barbaro. I was lucky enough to have a parent who loved horseracing as much as I did, and just a few short months after Barbaro won the derby, my dad started our racing stable with our first racehorse Medical First, and my first OTTB Rise Ball. Around the same time, we bonded over watching Barbaro's younger brother, Lentenor, grow up. As the years passed, we started our breeding operation by standing various stallions and breeding our mares (of course when I was not showing them) while I developed my skills as a rider. The whole time, we tracked Lentenor. He was our favorite of the Barbaro brothers, so 6 or so years later when the opportunity to stand Lentenor became available, we jumped at the chance. We stood Lentenor in Indiana for the 2014 breeding season, and during this time, the breeding that would result in Uphold was planned.

Uphold was the second foal out of his dam, On the Point. His older sister was a multiple stakes winner and has cemented herself as a producer in her career as a broodmare, with her 2020 filly by Cross Traffic winning the G3 Indiana Derby and the G1 Ashland. Uphold himself was also a stakes winner, winning the inaugural running of the 2020 Unreachable Star Stakes. He raced in 40 races over his 6-year career, earning over $290,000 on the track. I earmarked him early on as a dream horse. A hulking 17-hand dark bay with no white, I regularly dreamed of owning him. and even reached out to his connections an entire year before he retired. So when the opportunity to provide a soft landing for him arose, I jumped at the chance!

Up is now two months post-retirement. We are planning on making an RRP 2024 appearance next year to not only show what moves this guy has but also to celebrate these Indiana-bred and sired thoroughbreds who are every bit as athletic as the high-dollar Kentucky horses. I'm honored to be Up's person and can't wait to bring you along our journey! He is my lifetime horse, and I couldn't be more thankful.

I don't have a ton of updates at the moment, we did have front shoes put on Up this past Friday to help with some front-end lameness he's been dealing with since we took his fronts off. Turns out, his feet were very, very flat, and had most of their soles removed, so now our goal is to get his feet off the ground to relieve pressure and pack him for the next week or so to help alleviate the tenderness! In the meantime, I've started lessons again to be prepared to bring him along once his feet are better! We had initially balked at the idea of RRP just because I was a little nervous about keeping him primarily out of work until December. However, with how everything is aligning at this point, I believe the RRP would be a perfect goal for us. Here's a glimpse into what our day was like yesterday! He loves playing around with baseball hats if you can't tell!!

https://www.tiktok.com//video/7290282599874874654?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7270596408251057706

It's been a while since our last update, so here's the latest scoop! Over the past few weeks, we've been dedicated to slowing down our journey a bit in order to prioritize our horse's comfort. Last week, Up enjoyed a lengthy massage session and a date with the PEMF machine. The session revealed some tightness in his stifles, glutes, hamstrings, and spine. Although our bodyworker doesn't suspect a kissing spine issue, this overall tightness is attributed to the normal wear and tear experienced by a war horse. Despite his large size, our bodyworker was impressed by Up's excellent physical condition, which speaks volumes about the love and care he received during his racing days!

For now, we're taking a step back in the transition to a riding horse so we can properly loosen those tight muscles. We're following a kissing spine rehab protocol to ensure that Up builds supple, healthy muscles in the right way. Additionally, Up has successfully completed his first full trimming cycle as a barefoot horse. However, he's still a bit tender on his feet, which is expected until they toughen up. With this in mind, I've decided to hold off on riding him until he's no longer sore. Instead, we've started walking him in the cross-country field and introducing him to those crazy jumps. It's incredible to see how calmly he steps over downed logs and barrels already! There are so many exciting things to come for this beautiful boy, and it's important that we exercise patience throughout the process.

What an exciting past few days for Up! On Friday, Up modeled for my work’s retail store… meaning he had to wear ties, scarves, get handled by people he has never met all just three weeks post the track! He was a pro and enjoyed basking in all ofthe attention. He then got the weekend off to enjoy the beautiful weather. And today, he had his second post-track ride! One thing that I found to be so cool about him is he’s already figured out how to move away from the slightest bit of leg pressure. I know I keep saying it, but this big boy may have the best brain of any horse I’ve ever worked with. All of the treats for this Barbaro nephew!!

Up has been really enjoying his time off the track, including all of the new experiences that come with it! Yesterday, Up had his first post-track bodywork session with the amazing Jenna Doktor. It was absolutely incredible to watch his body relax! He has a very wonky back right now, which makes sense given his upright movement and his lengthy career. Jenna did also note some potential SI weakness, alongside stifle weakness so we do have some homework for our next appointment. All of these things are fairly typical for any horse who is a high-level athlete for an extended amount of time. Racehorses in particular are a bit more prone to stifle weakness since they do spend quite a bit of time in the stall. Stifles will strengthen naturally, however, we also have groundwork exercises and lots of hills we can use to help him out. I was so impressed with how much more relaxed and supple his body seemed after the session! He will be on a regular schedule of bodywork, PEMF, and chiropractic work, so I can't imagine how much better he will feel heading into the winter!

On another note, Up is getting his front shoes removed today hopefully! Then he will be going through a massive pampering session since he will be modeling in a photo shoot on Friday. Lots of new experiences, but this boy takes it all in stride.

Enjoy these pictures from Uphold’s groundwork session tonight: getting comfortable around a mounting block. He didn’t spook at it, just calmly sniffing at it which did surprise me. He’s still not a huge fan of when you step all the way up to him, but that will come in time!