Thoroughbreds

 Horse racing has some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. There are stories that are quite unlike other sports because the main players do not care about prize money or earnings and have no concept of retirement. The horses themselves either have the will to run and compete or they don't, and if they don't there is no amount of whipping that will make them be a champion.

Continue reading "Great Sports Moments in Horse Racing"

While Slewacide is a respected sire few people seriously look at Tennessee bred Thoroughbreds. Claimed and set on another course, the fiery tempered gelding rose through the ranks. His name was Slew of Damascus, winner of 16 races from 48 starts, $1,420,353 and winner of the 1994 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park. The gelding also set records at Yakima Meadows and Del Mar and still is tied with Sky Jack fr the Washington state record of 1:33 for a dirt mile. The gelding had his final win in the 1997 FSN Handicap at Emerald Downs.

Continue reading "Washington based trainer Craig Roberts passes away"

La Ville Rouge probably has more fans than any broodmare out there and many likely don't know her name. She foaled on March 10 with a 142 pound colt by Dynaformer. Said to be a bay with a white marking center forehead he'll be the latest in Dynaformer - La Ville Rouge babies, the first of whom was Barbaro. Nicanor, now 3, had an injury in the first start; a two year old Lentenor is in training in Florida. She'll be bred back, of course, to Dynaformer.

Continue reading "foaling season names in the news."

For those who doubt the "toughness" of modern Thoroughbreds I challenge you to look down this field. There are many who think the fire and drive of a Thoroughbred is on the track but the fire comes from within. Invisible Ink was a horse that refused to give up. Not only in trying until the very end in the Kentucky Derby but this is a horse that "should have" died. A superficial cut became a problem and antibiotics were given. The colt began to go downhill. He lost appetite and condition. Colitis set in and his body began breaking down. His skin was stripped and he hurt so badly he couldn't drink. He dropped to 500 pounds and the persistance of veterinary care combined with his heart kept him going. The insurance company gave up on him and with plasma costs of $1,000 per day they gave permission to euthanize him. Hour by hour he hung in there, small amounts of dissolvable pellets the only nourishment they could get down him. Someone suggested buttermilk left in the sun...and he was tube fed this. The bacteria responded and the colt began gaining weight. Months later he outran later-named Horse of the Year Point Given in the second fastest Kentucky Derby in history. For all of those who say horse racing is just about money...money would have put this colt down. People gave him a chance. People sat with him and refused to give up. He finished the Belmont Stakes wiith chips in the ankles and although he returned to the races it wasn't at the same level and he was retired. Today the son of Thunder Gulch and Conquistress (by Conquistador Cielo) stands at Rising Hill Farm in Ocala Florida for a $3500 fee.

Continue reading "Kentucky Derby moments"

Damascus is just a name on a page to many fans and for recent fans not even that. Damascus won the Preakness and the Belmont in 1967, along with the Dwyer, American Derby and romped in the Travers by 22 lengths. He won at two miles in the Jockey Gold Cup. He did all that was asked of him as a three year old and perhaps the only thing he didn't do was win the Kentucky Derby. He was third, washed out from nerves and humidity. He was handed nothing as among his competitors were legends Buckpasser and Dr. Fager. In the Woodward he won by 10 lengths over both of those horses. Damascus was easily Horse of the Year. Retired to stud Damascus sired scores of stakes winners including Desert Wine, Highland Blade, Belted Earl, Private Account (sire of the hard knocking classy mare Personal Ensign), Timeless Moment and many others. By Sword Dancer out of Kerala by My Babu Damascus carried the old lines of Blue Larkspur, Phalaris and Teddy. He was pensioned in 1989 and died at age 31 in August of 1995. He is buried at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky.

Continue reading "The unknown family members"

For a moment the bay son of Harlan's Holiday was a maybe Kentucky Derby contender. After winning the Grade III Holy Bull it was foud he has a chip in the knee, meaning a layoff to heal until summer. H

Continue reading "Holy Bull Stakes winner Saratoga Sinner injured"

Back in 1982 a grey filly won the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr.I), Ruffian Handicap (gr. I), Monmouth Oaks (gr II) and was even third against the boys in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. She returned the next year at 4 to beat the boys in the Gulfstream Park Handicap and retired sound. Christmas Past was her name and she was laid to rest last month in Kentucky at 29 years old. A daughter of Grey Dawn II out of a Bold Ruler Mare she didn't set the breeding world on fire but had 6 winners of 10 foals, none of major races. In her day she was a homebred champion for Cynthia Phipps.

Continue reading "Christmas Past euthanized"

From the beginning my thoughts on this blog were not just the well known horses and events that there was already massive coverage of but the sometimes unseen. Everyone knows Curlin. The names of FunnyCide and DaHoss ring familiar even after retirement. So Good Night Shirt is another who deserves a moment in the sun.

Continue reading "Good Night Shirt: an overlooked champion"

While many people decry racing there are others who are watching closer than ever.

One of the names being watched is a young bay cold named Lentenor - being documented in video long before his racing career. http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/nicanor/archive/2009/01/30/lentenor-video.aspx is a look at a young Thoroughbred that many don't see, and wouldn't see if not for the continued interest in the "Barbaro brothers".

Continue reading "Barbaro 2 years later"

It is the most visible - Thoroughbreds that get the black eye. There is absolutely no way on earth to beat speed into a horse. No matter how much the whip is used a horse is only going as fast as his genetics, heart, body and talent will let him. Some relish in a challenge while others quit, and some are better one day than the next. However, the blatant misinformation often spread is wrong. The idea that race horses are weighted down unfairly - when the fact is you can SEE in the program how much weight each horse is carrying. The riders weigh in before saddling and mounting up and weigh out on leaving the track. Most horses run with 110-126 pounds and for a horse weighing over a thousand that, proportionately is nothing. Comparison - for a 150 pound person it's a 15 pound amount or less. This is not even close to the nearly 150 pounds carried by the forgotten champion Roseben in his day. This is not close to a futurity colt with a 45 pound saddle and 140-180 pound rider. What is inhumane is having a horse with a broken leg that has no hope of repair or a normal life and keeping it alive just for the sake of not euthanizing it. THAT is cruelty. Horses with injuries are not put down just to cast them off - they're put down because the very constitution of the horse does not allow for a recovery. Some years ago there was a beautiful bay three year old colt, not a top level horse but he always did his best. He suffered a fatal injury and every attempt was made to save him. A veterinarian administered oxygen, but could not get the bleeding stopped. When it started to clot he couldn't breathe. After almost two hours trying to save him it was clear he was suffering and the decision was made to euthanize him. His groom shed buckets of tears as he, despite his injury, trusted her to take that walk out to the side of the barn where his pain would be removed. I was that groom - and the injury DID NOT occur on the race track. It happened in a pasture. Horses support roughly 60% of their weight on their front end. The horse has no muscles below the knees and hocks - only a network of bones and tendons. If either of those is gone so is the support for a horse to be on his feet. Horses cannot lie down for six weeks of bed rest. Without standing the blood does not circulate properly. A sling is a poor substitute for short term use, but does not eliminate those two things. When too much stress is placed on those legs and it is not balanced on all four feet laminitis can develop - and it was laminitis that resulted in Barbaro's euthanasia. It was also the reason for the death of Secretariat and a long list of other champions and unknowns.  The example in an article by Bernice Pritchard featured on Helium.com of Jeremy Rose hitting the horse in the eye so he "apparently was given the ok" to do it is not only bad reporting but outright slanderous. The fact is he got a six month suspension for that incident and a poor horsemanship mark from a good share of the racing community. Of course considering the source accuracy is not a major focus there.  There is much said about drugs in racing - and it is a topic that is being addressed for the good of the horses. However, I don't recall NEARLY the uproar in the animal rights community for the four horses at the Olympics disqualified due to doping. Now I realize that isn't racing and doesn't fit the plan and maybe there's the view that it's ok to drug horses as long as it's not

Continue reading "Horse racing and cruelty charges"

The horse racing industry needs change. Congressional time? No. We have escalating costs in the economy and jobs going out of the country. There are so many things elected officials need to be doing a

Continue reading "Does Horse Racing Warrant Congressional action?"

 A horse as the top athlete of 2008? Have I been sniffing the liniment? I mean what a year for sports! Any year that the Olympics is held that certainly brings outstanding achievements on top of

Continue reading "Top Athlete of 2008 - Curlin"

It has always amazed me that Thoroughbreds have horses worth millions of dollars and yet do not get the protection of a $1500 barrel horse. Even some standardbreds give protection and don't get slowed down. Some people claim it isn't traditional or that it will slow a horse down. I maintain that if 16 ounces is going to slow a horse down that much then as an industry we need to step back as many horses carried much more than today.

Continue reading "Breaking traditions"

In December 2003 a fire in Henderson Kentucky killed 22 horses. In 2005 31 Thoroughbreds were killed in a barn fire in Elkton Maryland. At Woodbine in August 2002 a desperate attempt to save horses at Woodbine racetrack in Toronto Ontario meant turning horses loose, with news reports of three horses killed and 50 injured, despite those running stall to stall opening doors to get horses out of the 126 stalls. March 2007 seven horses - five Thoroughbred and two World class Saddlebreds - were killed in a fire in the Lexington area. January 31, 2007 two others died in a fire caused by an electrical malfunction near Paris Kentucky. February 2002 22 head of Thoroughreds,mostly young prospects including a $200,000 Grand Slam colt died at the Ocala Stud farm. In February 1994 35 were killed at Fonner Park in Nebraska; July 2001 28 Standardbreds were killed at the Meadows; December 1993 29 killed at The Manor in New York.

Continue reading "Fire at Oak Tree barn"