Tina Hurley Racing

01/21/2024

01/20/2024

My name is Linda Larson and I support horse racing.

I worked at Claiborne from 1971 to 1975; I got the job because the old veterinarian at the farm was leaving and the new vet’s wife knew that I was a pathologist and they needed one. The old veterinarian, Col. Floyd C. Sager, was a 1904 WWI veteran; he transported donkeys to Europe. Their job was to carry ammunition to the troops. His father-in-law had been a colonel in the army, both uncles had been in the army. One uncle had even been with the first tank that went into the concentration camps at the end of World War II. His other uncle had been shot down over Berlin but survived when he grabbed his machine gun out of the plane and ran for cover. When the Colonel left the Army he went to Cornell University Veterinary School and graduated in 1914.

Colonel was 6 feet tall and weighed 285 pounds yet he was a “sweetheart.” He taught the new vet everything he needed to know about the farm. The new vet, Dr. Walter Kaufman, graduated from the University of Georgia. Hancock built him a house next to the clinic. Bloodwork in the Colonel’s clinic was done just as I had done at the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington. Dr. Kaufman was thrilled that I was there! I could assist in surgeries and run the autoclave. Rood and Riddle did not open till 1980 and we very seldom sent horses out to Hagyard Veterinary Clinic. The Colonel ran his clinic “just so” like a human clinic with charts and information that you could pull up on every horse in each division on the farm.

I was only 5’2” and weighed all of 95 pounds soaking wet. When I met Bull Hancock for the first time he said to the Colonel, “Three weeks and this is all that’s left of her?” He once said of me after seeing how hard I worked, “I tell you what Miss Linda, you’re really a trooper!” There had been three assistants before me and no one thought I was strong enough…
Bold Ruler was getting pretty old when I worked at Claiborne. He had developed a tumor in his nose that was malignant. We ended up taking him to Auburn Veterinary School when they took out the tumor and put in a trachea tube and Bold Ruler covered mares for two more years! He was rank but not mean. You had to be careful. Colonel and I would go down to clean out the trach or put in a new one. Bold Ruler never hurt me or the Colonel. As we entered the stall, Colonel would say “How are you old man? Hope you are doing fine. Miss Linda is going to love on you while we work on you.” Bold Ruler was owned by his breeder Mrs. Ogden Phipps who was not much bigger than I was! When he raced, she could lead him to and from the track so Colonel and I thought that was why he responded so well to me!

Bull Hancock was thankfully still on the farm when I started work there and I had great admiration for him. Bull Hancock was huge, 6’4”. I came to his waist. I was a single Mom with 2 small daughters aged 6 & 4. My Dad was deceased and my Mom was a nurse. When my oldest daughter was ready to go to school, I thought I would have to quit my job at Claiborne because I could not pick her up when school let out at 3pm. One afternoon, I was told that “The boss wants to see you.” I went to his office and said, “whatcha need?” It was a cold, damp rainy day and he was drinking Bourbon. He asked his secretary to bring me some hot coffee. He said he had a few personal questions and that it had been brought to his attention that I had a little girl that was about to start school and that I might not be able to pick her up and because of that I might not be able to stay. He said, why not put her in school over here? I wasn’t sure. Mr. Hancock said, “Don’t worry, I’m on the school board. I’ll get it fixed.

Mr. Hancock said “I’ll get back to you.” And two days later the Boss came in my office. He was a tough task master but a super guy and he said, “Miss Linda. She is enrolled. Ride in the Claiborne Farm car (provided free of charge for employees that lived in Lexington) and at 7:30 drop her off at school. After school the bus will drop her off at the front gate at the top of the road. In bad weather Dr. Kaufman’s wife will pick her up because it is just as easy to pick up 3 as it is 2.” Dr. Sager was 80 years old and Bull said “she can sit and talk to Dr. Sager.

Irving, who was 65 years old at the time and knew everything about cleaning and all, would meet her at the gate after that every afternoon. My daughter and Irving would walk to Secretariat’s paddock by the farm’s main office and with an apple in hand and my daughter would feed him every school day. Secretariat grew to love this special treat and as time went on he would be waiting for her at his paddock gate at 2:15 every day! My daughter is 52 now and remembers every detail.

01/10/2024

Honest inside
Dem Cats Luv Me outside

01/10/2024

Hi lee Favoredcats inside
Rubies outside

01/10/2024

It's gate day for babies.
Rarotonga inside
Alphabet Adams outside

01/05/2024

My handsome boy ready for work. ❤️

12/27/2023

Guess what day it is..
Gate day for babies.
Rarotonga
Alphabet Adams
Rubies
Hi Lee Favoredcats
Honest
Dem Cats Luv Me

12/16/2023

2024 lineup for Sam Houston Race

06/10/2023

First Avenue, this is how he feels about his race not going. we keep entering, the race keeps getting brought back.

05/18/2023

Welcome to the jungle, Rarotonga

05/16/2023

First Avenue

05/16/2023

Gangster rap

05/09/2023

Brought a horse home, picking a horse up.
A list a mile long to get done, nothing but rain!
Forthcoming is liking the rain!

04/21/2023

Hempstead is home
Thank you everyone for all the prayers
❤❤

04/20/2023

Meet Lucky our new barn cat.
She showed up at the back of Century Acres Farm, came up out of the woods.
I kept taking her up front to the barn, she kept coming back to my camper. I didn't want to leave her back there by herself. So here she is, the sweetest girl.

04/20/2023

Myrtle Beach

04/20/2023

Queen Of Magnolia

04/13/2023

Unfortunately Heavenly Rhythm got banged up in the trailer moving to Lonestar, she is going to be alright, just not to race today.

03/26/2023

Heavenly Rhythm
3rd in The Yellow Rose Stakes
Tahitian Breeze
5th in the San Jacinto Stakes

03/24/2023

Rarotonga ❤️❤️❤️
Photo credit Tiffany Hernandez
Century Acres Farm

03/23/2023

Myrtle Beach finally deciding Big Brown is not so bad.

03/23/2023

Queen Of Magnolia
Equipment change

03/23/2023

Tranquility getting some gate love

03/20/2023

❤❤❤

03/19/2023

Myrtle Beach
Got her gate card.

03/16/2023

Myrtle Beach, getting closer. 😁

03/10/2023

Eight minutes
Blood Orange

03/10/2023

Myrtle Beach