Arizen Acres LLC

01/09/2025

The views around the farm are pretty incredible this morning. 🧊 ❄️ 🥶

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas! 🎄

📸: Amber Daniels

12/18/2024

Thank you for the wonderful article, Back on Track USA ! I absolutely love using Back on Track products on the horses and myself. They are a must-have in this barn!

Back on Track Ambassador Nicole Dlugosz believes that with the right training, racehorses can learn to dance. A passion for dressage and a love for Thoroughbreds inspired Nicole to participate in the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover. After two consecutive top ten finishes in the Mak...

11/05/2024

Kai has been such a fun horse to develop! I’m so proud of him and can’t wait to see what he accomplishes from here!

We always say "if there are 250 horses at the Thoroughbred Makeover, there are 250 stories to be told," and to that end, we're going to keep telling these stories through the end of the year. One such tale is that of No Ka Oi, called "Kai" by his Makeover trainer Nicole Dlugosz.

"He had a rough start when he first arrived at my farm," Dlugosz details. "After a two-day trip from Louisiana on the hottest week of the year, he had an impaction colic that started as soon as he arrived and lasted five days. He was already race fit, but lost a lot of weight from the colic. He was so weak I really wasn't sure that I could get him ready in time for the competition."

Dlugosz patiently spent the winter in groundwork with Kai, rebuilding his weight and doing light walking under saddle. Their training began in earnest in March, and not only was Kai ready for the Makeover by October, but he placed in top 10 in Dressage, one of the event's largest disciplines. On top of that, he recently broke 70% at Training Level at his last rated show of the season. Describes Dlugosz, "the Makeover is just the beginning."

No Ka Oi (Will Take Charge - More d'Amour, by Tour d'Or) is a 2017 chestnut gelding bred in Kentucky by Douglas Arnold & Steve Snowden. He was a $140,000 yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton, and went on to make 22 starts with two wins and total career earnings of $22,630. Dlugosz sourced Kai through New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.

11/05/2024

Thank you to Jenny Doyle for capturing these lovely fall photos from Kai’s last show at Greystone Dressage at the Dell. Such a beautiful backdrop at Maple Dell Ranch!

10/27/2024

No Ka Oi finished out the season on a high note! Debuting at Training 3, he not only received his highest rated scores to date, but he broke 70% and earned T.I.P. Overall High Point and Open Overall High Point for the show at Greystone Dressage at the Dell. This is one special Thoroughbred! ♥️🐎♥️

10/15/2024

We're grateful for the support from sponsors who seek to recognize particular populations of horses competing at the Thoroughbred Makeover, including those from state-bred programs or that were sourced through individual routes of aftercare. Full special awards results can be found at https://bit.ly/3Y4imD7; we've highlighted the winners here!

🐴 CANTER USA Grad Award, sponsored by CANTER USA: Fairview, trained by Brenda Awad (first); Mislead, trained by Charli Moore (second); Brix, trained by Anthony LaRusso (third)
🐴 Delaware Park Horse Aftercare Initiative Award, sponsored by CANTER Delaware: Hokua, trained by Georgia Allen
🐴 Empire State Success Story Top New York-Bred Award, sponsored by NYRA: Not Phar Now, trained by Jessica Frederick
🐴 Iron Horse Award, sponsored by MidAtlantic Horse Rescue: Covington Quality, trained by Chya Johnstone
🐴 Thoroughbred Charities of America Award, sponsored by Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) - one winner per discipline: Not Phar Now (Barrel Racing); Play Action Pass (Competitive Trail); No Ka Oi (Dressage); In the Union (Eventing); Mor Than Tough (Field Hunter); Your Time's Coming (Freestyle); Brooklyns Finest (Ranch Work); Straight Answer (GB) (Show Hunter); Accel Rose (Show Jumper)
🐴 Top California-Bred Award, sponsored by Georgia B. Ridder Foundation in honor of After the Finish Line: Big Fame, trained by Angela Carmitchel
🐴 Top Kentucky Bred Award, sponsored by KTA/KTOB (6-way tie): Mulling, trained by Sydney Solomon; Comin' Back, trained by Madison Barnet; Play Action Pass, trained by Toni Harmon; Baytown Ringer, trained by Meghan Shader; Eagle Feather, trained by Colton Thacker; Bold Quest, catch-ridden by Ryleigh Schofield
🐴 Top Louisiana-Bred Award, sponsored by Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association: Too Much Crown, trained by Julie Anna Prusak
🐴 Top Maryland-Bred Award, sponsored by Copper Beech Stables: Little Bear, trained by Christine Starer-Smith
🐴 Top Pennsylvania-Bred Award, sponsored by Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association: He Did It, trained by Annisa Butler
🐴 Turning For Home Grad Award, sponsored by Turning For Home: Plamen, trained by Aubrey Graham
🐴 USPC Award In Memory of E. Marilyn Searle, sponsored by MidAtlantic Horse Rescue: Bowie Mun, trained by Lilia Rodgers (first); Truly A Dream, trained by Rowan Hughes (second)

10/11/2024

Scores are final and No Ka Oi (Kai) has finished in 8th place of 99 competitors in preliminary dressage at the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover! He is also the only horse in the dressage Top 10 that was sourced through a Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) grantee organization through New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. So proud of Kai and happy that all our hard work this year has paid off. There was some seriously good training showcased this year! ♥️🐎♥️

09/13/2024

McCauley's Feeds is part of our secret sauce to transitioning horses from “race fit” to sport horse strong! ♥️🐎♥️

08/21/2024

♥️🐎♥️

📸: Taylor Storey

07/04/2024

Some great moments of Kai from the MSEDA Dressage at the Park show captured by the amazing Lisa Dean! Proud of how far he’s come in these last 6 months of his post-track training.

🐎 New Vocations 2023 Graduate - Louisiana
✨ Back on Track USA Ambassador
🐎 Retired Racehorse Project 2024 hopeful

06/30/2024

Kai had a hugely successful weekend at the MSEDA at the Park show! It was his first time out at Training Level, and he won all his classes and earned two T.I.P. High Point Awards. It was incredibly hot and we were all exhausted but it was a great weekend despite the heat and humidity.

Training 1 - 66.731% and 65.769%
Intro C - 69.000% and 66.000%, T.I.P. High Point x2

Looking forward to seeing how he develops the rest of the season in preparation for the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover! ♥️🐎♥️

06/11/2024

Kai (JC: No Ka Oi) is showing promise in his post-track dressage training in preparation for the 2024 Retired Racehorse Project ! Winning his class and earning a TIP High Point award at Intro at the KDA 37th Annual Dressage Show at the Kentucky Horse Park.

📸 photos: Lisa Dean
🪡 embroidery: THW Monograms
✨ Back on Track USA Ambassador
🐎 New Vocations Grad

06/10/2024

Vaccaro (JC: Mixmaker) having some amazing moments at the KDA Spring Warm Up.

📸 photos: Lisa Dean
🪡 embroidery: THW Monograms
🐎 Back on Track USA Ambassador

05/27/2024

The chestnut had a great weekend at the KDA Spring show. Both boys were true professionals the entire weekend, even though Vaccaro hadn’t been out since 2022 and Kai had never been to a rated show, or one as busy as this one.

While the scoring was a disappointment all weekend, Vaccaro had some lovely moments at 2-3. Even with some unfortunate mistakes on his riders part, he held his own in the ring. I’m proud of him for earning TIP High Point for 2nd-4th Level. Our highlight was scoring an 8 on our medium canter and our left turn on the haunches!

Kai handled the busy environment with a bit of tension but maintained his composure all weekend. He scored a 70 at Intro B on his first test of the weekend and also brought home his first blue ribbon and TIP High Point Award for Intro.

Incredibly proud of my boys for taking on this challenging sport and rising up to the task.

05/01/2024

Excited to officially welcome Illogical Love (Lily) owned by Erin D. to Arizen Acres! Lily is a gorgeous 5yo OTTB who has quickly settled right in at the farm. Lily has been enjoying some time off but will be getting in riding shape soon!

04/10/2024

Spring blooms at the farm ♥️🐎♥️

04/07/2024

Congratulations Taylor and Sterling on a great show at the KDA Early Spring Show earning a 64% at his first time out at T-3 and putting in a solid effort for his first time out at 1-1! So proud! ♥️🐎♥️