If "Freddy" proves himself as a racehorse, he may be used as a stud. In general, only horses that were great runners get to stand at stud in KY, although there are exceptions, such as some horses that have great pedigrees but maybe got injured in training or something. Really, the fillies are lucky because they stand a much better chance at being used for breeding purposes than the boys do. The vet didn't seem to think that it was a genetic thing--more of a mutation. I guess if Freddy gets to be a dad we'll see if he passes that on to his kids. Barring any unforseeable accidents or injuries, he will start training in the fall of his yearling year (which will be fall 2006), and start racing in 2007. Most of them start racing as 2 year olds, although if they are not doing well in training some owners will turn them out a little longer and wait until they're 3. He is not officially named yet, so I guess I'll keep you posted when they get his papers done and then you can follow his career. On a related note, the organization that oversees the Thoroughbred registry in USA is the Jockey Club. To name a t-bred, we have to submit 3 choices of names to the JC. They then reply to us whether any of those names are acceptable. They have certain rules, such as no profainity, no famous or notorious people (withough their written permission), no company trademarks or copyrighted material. There's also a limit of 18 characters (letters & spaces), so a lot of times you'll see several words run together, such as "Factofthematteris" or "Justoneofthegirls". For the list of rules, click the link below. Another interesting fact is that offspring by the same sire are not considered "brothers and sisters." If I say I have a full sister to Smarty Jones, for example, that means that my horse has the same mother and father as Smarty. If I have a half-sister to Smarty, then my horse has the same mother, but different father. But if I have a horse by the same sire as Smarty, well, then I just have a horse by Elusive Quality (Smarty's dad). As for why they paint the fences black: the paint lasts longer. They mix it with creosote, and it gives a stain to the wood so that even when the paint peels off, it still looks black (or gray at least). The creosote helps protect the wood, and supposedly the horses won't eat the paint off the boards as bad. So, black paint is cheaper in the long run. Here is a link that might be useful: Jockey Club Naming Rules

Mr. ayyubaddeen, I have an excel spreadsheet for all my plants, so your post made the sheet! Please send me an email if you have similar info for olives, grapes, citrus, or pomegranates. Gardenweb has no special place for those fruits, except Citrus. They are left out, ignored, and kicked to the curb, but they are mentioned in the Bible, and I am sure, the Quran. I grow them all, and it hurts my feelings that Garden Web ignores these wonderful fruits!! This is the FIG forum, so it would not be appropriate to post alternative info here, but I would love it if you email me. Just click on my name, and I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance, Your friend, Suzi

Hi Garrick, seeing that this post is still sitting here at the top, I would add that it is usually spelled koekemakranka or koekmakranka, according to the "Handboek vir Afrikaanse Taal" The description states that it is grown in the winter rainfall areas, and that the fruit is partially underground, and fragrant. I never had a chance to taste it while I lived in SA, have you had the opportunity yourself? I seem to recall that the Koi and San people used koekemakrankas as a source of hydration in the absence of water ... or am I confusing it with another plant?

Good thoughts for Oliver!