Horse Racing's Elite Meet Kicks Off At Saratoga

[two gun sid]

From NTRA.com:
Overseeing 4,500 slot machines at Aqueduct may be the primary reason there are as many as 16 entities formulating bids for the franchise to run Thoroughbred racing in New York. For the rest of the story, pay attention to the next six weeks.

Saratoga, the premier meet on the Thoroughbred racing calendar, opens the gates on Wednesday for its 138th season. From the backstretch, to the jockeys' quarters to the owner's boxes to the betting windows, Saratoga is the place where the elite meet to race, gamble, and party.

"It's 36 days of a 250-plus New York racing calendar; in those 36 days the weight that it carries is considerable," said Bill Nader, senior vice president for the New York Racing Association, which holds the franchise to conduct racing at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga through the end of 2007. "It's a huge part of our economic numbers, obviously attendance and wagering, and in terms of awareness and visibility for New York racing and for racing nationally and worldwide, it's clearly the biggest race meet in North America. It's clearly the reason why people want to invest so much in owning and breeding horses, because they want to win at Saratoga."

http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&id=19114

[jakefrep]

1. Saratoga's a beautiful place....

...if it weren't so damn expensive, I would go every year.

[two gun sid]

2. Hey, jakefrep...

gonna make it to the Jug or the Hambo this year?

The Spa sure would be nice right about now. I'm gettin' really sick of this humid midwest summer.

[jakefrep]

4. I'll definitely make it to the Jug....

...and possibly to either the Confederation Cup at Flamboro or the Adios at The Meadows. The Breeders' Crown may be an option as well.

Our Lindy Lane 2yo made his first start tonight - 4th in a nw1 at Indiana Downs.

[two gun sid]

6. Congrats on the Lindy Lane's first start....

did you go to Indiana Downs to watch the race?
Our Davanti 3 YO finished 2nd today at Holland. Got beat a head.

[jakefrep]

11. Thanks...

...I didn't make it down to Indiana Downs. Watched it on youbet.com instead.

If all proceeds normally, we're slated to race at Indianapolis, DuQuoin, Delaware, and Lexington.

[Justpat]

5. It is 92 degrees and humid here at the Spa.

We have been here since the 16th. It's great being here.
They had a huge crowd yesterday for the opener.

Let me know if anyone can make it up for the meet.

[two gun sid]

7. Glad you made it to Saratoga safe and sound...

but, 92 and humid? That's worse than it is here. We were 88 and humid today. And it just started raining.

[Awsi Dooger]

9. It was like that last year

I've been maybe 7 or 8 times since '96 and last summer was easily the hottest and most humid. First time I ever considered a golf cart if not mandatory, since I was really struggling to walk 18 holes in that sweatbox weather.

Great place to be for a racing fan. Racing museum across the street. Knowledgeable and friendly fans everywhere. Four or five giveaways, with the items immediately showing up on Ebay due to the "spinners." Even a little harness track that runs a few nights a week, not too far from the main track. Hell, the whole town gears up for the meet.

My goal was to win hat day this year but this means I have another year to strategize and perfect. :)

[Awsi Dooger]

3. This will be one of the few years I don't make it

And I'm sick about it, stuck here in 110 degree desert misery.

Oh jeez, I'm thinking about all the things I normally do there, besides the great racing atmosphere. The New York City Ballet at SPAC. All the terrific golf courses. The Ripe Tomato. Giants training camp not too far away in Albany.

One of the local TV stations does a great job covering the meet, with a handicapper who picks the feature race the previous night. Italian guy named Anthony, but I forget his last name. I always look forward to watching his analysis. Once in a while he gets on a hot streak, notably two years ago.

[two gun sid]

8. I've never been to Saratoga...

I've always wanted to go. I once had orders in my hands to a Naval base there. I ended up in a fist fight with a E-6 and got busted a rank back to E-3 and lost my orders. Got sent to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. From the beautiful, historic Spa to S. Broad St. The Sixer's at the Spectrum, Liberty Bell Raceway, the local bookie at the Big A Tavern, Lefty Carlton and $1 Schmidt's Beer at Vet's Stadium.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

[aaronbees]

10. Looks like a Jim Dandy weekend

at the Spa. Bernardini is making a return to the track, so we can see if he can repeat something close to the stellar Preakness run; I like him and Sunriver in this race. Here's Haskin's advance on it: http://www.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34594. Corinthian is scheduled to run in the third race on Saturday, as well; I'm still kinda keen on that headcase. Oh, and the Diana (Grade I on turf, fillies and mares) is right before the Jim Dandy.

I've never been to Saratoga but that track and Del Mar are the ones I'd most like to visit some summer; they seem like the perfect summer meets in different ways. I've only been to: Oaklawn, Balmoral (grew up like 20 minutes from it), Arlington Park (for John Henry's Million win in '84) and Churchill Downs (for Swale's Derby victory in '84).

Looks like the Pletcher/Valazquez combo is dynamite so far this meet.

[aaronbees]

12. Bernardini

wins the Jim Dandy, Minister's Bid second with Hemingway's Key up for third. Wire to wire paid workout essentially; he just destroyed them and didn't turn a hair, gliding down the slop. And just think, this horse is only going to improve off this.

[Awsi Dooger]

13. Now that was impressive

Exactly, a glorified workout. He inherited the lead and I wasn't sure how he'd react to that, but down the stretch it was like he was eased yet extending the lead.

[Justpat]

14. He made the rest of the field look like 25,0000 claimers

He never broke a sweat and won in a canter.

[aaronbees]

15. Spun Sugar

gets the Go For Wand in a thrilling stretch drive over Balletto. She's got mad heart, this lady. Won by a head bob and she wouldn't let the late-charging Balletto get by. Take D'Tour backed up after leading the way and Oonagh Maccool loomed and then faltered. Super race by the winner.

[two gun sid]

16. She is a nice horse...

and she ran her guts out today.



Oonagh Maccool's effort was disappointing.

[aaronbees]

17. I was sure Balletto would blow by...

but Spun Sugar just gamely gutted it out and nosed her way back in time. It's horses like this that make me love thoroughbred racing. Consider me a big Spun Sugar fan now. Go For Wand herself would be proud.

[two gun sid]

18. Summerly vs. In the Gold in Ashado

From DRF:
Summerly, one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country until her career was put on hold last summer by a splint bone injury, will launch her comeback against a strong field that includes old rival In The Gold in Wednesday's $70,000 Ashado Stakes. A 1 1/8-mile overnight test, the Ashado is named in honor of the two-time Eclipse Award-winning filly who won two Grade 1 races at Saratoga.

Summerly and In The Gold finished first and second in the 2005 Kentucky Oaks. Summerly, a daughter of Summer Squall, subsequently finished third in the Grade 1 Mother Goose and second in the Grade 1 Coaching Club America Oaks for trainer Steve Asmussen before being sidelined while training here for the Alabama.

Summerly, currently under the care of Scott Blasi, was entered but scratched from the Grade 1 Go For Wand on Saturday.

"The filly's doing wonderful," said Blasi. "Her breezes have been beautiful. She looks to be coming back into form."

http://www.drf.com/news/article/77005.html

I'd really like to see this race.

[two gun sid]

19. New Joysey Jeff euthanized at 3

From DRF:
The eventful, curious career of New Joysey Jeff came to a sudden, tragic, and ugly ending Monday morning at Del Mar during a workout on turf, when the 3-year-old stakes-class colt suffered multiple fractures in his left front leg that necessitated his euthanization soon after.

According to an official veterinarian report filed with the California Horse Racing Board by New Joysey Jeff's attending veterinarian, Dr. Ted Simpson, New Joysey Jeff had a "displaced and compound fracture" to his left front cannon bone and had fractures in that leg's sesamoid bones.

"With that kind of injury, it's exceedingly obvious" that there was no hope to save New Joysey Jeff, Simpson said later when reached by phone. "There's no way to treat an injury like that successfully because of the contamination" caused by the compound fracture, Simpson said.

New Joysey Jeff had become something of a cause celebre in recent weeks. On June 25 at Hollywood Park, while headed to an apparent victory in the Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap, New Joysey Jeff suddenly ducked out, dislodging jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., who suffered a fractured collarbone.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/77025.html

What is going on with the turf at Del Mar?

[aaronbees]

22. That's really sad news....

It's pretty freakin' unbelievable it took 19 minutes to get him in the ambulance ... just how wet was the track? And I sure didn't understand the turf superintendent's explanation. It sounds like the injury itself was horrific, and I can't imagine the pain NJJ was in hobbling into the vehicle. :(

What I'd like to know is why were they letting horses run on a track that wet after another night of rain? According to a poster on another site familiar with the SoCal tracks (so take it as you will), this was the point on the track where NJJ had been shying away in earlier races.

Here's an article on Del Mar's main track problems: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/horses/2006-07-29-del-mar_x.htm (Seven horses euthanized in Del Mar's opening week)

[two gun sid]

20. Frankel cleared on old charge

From DRF:
A long-standing case against trainer Bobby Frankel alleging one of his horses tested positive for morphine six years ago has been dismissed by the California Horse Racing Board, board spokesman Mike Marten said Tuesday.

Frankel was cited after his horse Mojave Moon finished third in the Californian Stakes in June 2000. Two tests showed and confirmed positives for morphine. Frankel, who was not at the track the day of the Californian, has maintained for years that the test results were in error, believing the samples were contaminated.

According to Marten, speaking on behalf of Ingrid Fermin, the board's current executive director, an agreement to dismiss the case against Frankel was reached near the end of 2004 by the board's previous executive director, Roy Wood, in consultation with Neil Papiano, an attorney representing Frankel, and Roger Licht, who at the time was the chairman of the racing board. The agreement, however, was "never culminated," Marten said.

Marten said Fermin has made it a priority to clear a backlog of cases left over from the previous administration. Wood retired at the end of 2004.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/77047.html

God, I hate that sonuvabitch.

But, wait!:

From The Bloodhorse:
A second case involving a Frankel horse that tested positive for morphine "is still open and pending," according to Fermin. That horse, Starmaniac, won a claiming event for Amerman Racing Stable at Hollywood Park one day before Mojave Moon's race.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34660

[aaronbees]

21. Barbaro's intelligence

This is a very interesting article, I think, on how Barbaro's attitude and smarts have helped his recovery -- confirms much of what I've thought all along.


Vet: Barbaro’s smarts aiding his recovery
TERRY CONWAY, Special to the Local News
08/01/2006

A century ago, a bay horse named Beautiful Jim Key was one of America’s most celebrated performers, famous neither for his beauty nor his speed, but instead for his exceptional intelligence.

Performing at state fairs and in nationwide expositions, the horse could "read, write, spell, do math, tell time, sort mail, distinguish between coins, make change and identify playing cards."

Trained by Dr. William Key, a self-taught veterinarian, former slave and Civil War veteran, the gifted horse also sparked a dramatic shift in the public’s mind in regard to kindness bestowed on animals.

But mostly, Beautiful Jim Key astonished crowds everywhere with his "smarts."

** snip, rest at link below **

http://www.dailylocal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16990750&BRD=1671&PAG=461&dept_id=17782&rfi=6

[Awsi Dooger]

23. I heard they cancelled the entire card today at Saratoga

Due to heat and humidity. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been there last year, almost exactly at this time. I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread how unbearable it was, much worse than previous years.

[Justpat]

24. It was 97 here today at Saratoga and humid.

Actually it might have been higher - it was 96 in the shade at our house at noon today.

Good thing we breezed the whole barn the other day before it got this hot.
We trained lightly this morning.

It is supposed to be in the high eighties tomorrow.

They did the right thing canceling the card. The public would have been in a bigger uproar
over horses falling out from heat exhaustion than the annoyance of losing a day's racing.

[two gun sid]

25. Artie Schiller looking to rebound and the return of Caller One

From DRF:
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Saratoga has been a great tonic for Artie Schiller the past two summers. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens hopes that trend continues Sunday, when Artie Schiller seeks his first win of the year against four rivals in the Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap.

As a 3-year-old, Artie Schiller won the Hall of Fame Stakes here after getting beat in the Virginia Derby. Last year, following a loss in the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont, Artie Schiller was able to run down Silver Tree here and win the Bernard Baruch.

This year, in two starts since his win in last fall's Breeders' Cup Mile, Artie Schiller was beaten a nose in the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland and a neck in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico. Jerkens did not like the way Artie Schiller came out of the Dixie so he gave him some time to perk up. He was hoping to bring him back in the Caesar Rodney Stakes last month at Delaware Park but decided to wait.

"He was doing okay but not for long enough," Jerkens said. "I said we waited this long, we'll wait and try to get him super good."

http://www.drf.com/news/article/77209.html


Caller One gets back in the swing
By MARTY McGEE
Never before has a horse brought such unusual-looking past performances to Mountaineer Racetrack - or to any track, for that matter.

Caller One, who figures as the horse to beat in the West Virginia Legislature Chairman's Cup - one of five $85,000 stakes on a sensational Sunday program at Mountaineer in Chester, W.Va. - not only has a $3.2 million bankroll but also has raced exclusively in the two-furlong Rocket Man at Calder in each of the last three years.

In fact, the last time that Caller One ran in any race other than the Rocket Man was in May 2002. Most recently based at Ellis Park in western Kentucky, Caller One, 9, will be seeking his first victory since he captured the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen for the second time in March 2002.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/77194.html

[two gun sid]

28. Caller One finishes 4th and Artie beat one horse...

tough weekend for my horses. Last Wednesday my horse Mick finished 6th at Fowlerville and had no excuse.

[two gun sid]

26. Be sure to catch the Hambletonian today if you can...

on CBS from 2 to 3 pm.

I'm pulling for Chocolatier and the Ackermans. Mr. Ackerman is a MI horseman and has been after this prized race for years.

Chocolatier is the fastest trotter I have ever seen. Look for him to be flying at the end. Too bad he drew the 10 hole. That is gonna make it tough on him. Still, this horse has the talent to do it.

[two gun sid]

27. Glidemaster gives Campbell a record sixth Hambletonian

From USTA.com:
Glidemaster gave John Campbell his sixth Hambletonian win, angling from off the pace at the head of the stretch to wear down Mr. Pine Chip for the win in the $1.5 million Hambletonian Final on Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands, in track and stakes record time of 1:511, breaking Self Possessed’s record, set in 1999.

Glidemaster was well off the early pace set first by Blue Mac Lad at the :264 first quarter, who was then passed by Here Comes Herbie and driver-trainer Trond Smedshammer, who led the field to the half in :543. Berto Primo was outside to pressure Here Comes Herbie as the field passed the 1:233 three quarters and turned for home, with Blue Mac Lad tracking Herbie.

Down the home stretch, Campbell sprung the $10,000 yearling Glidemaster wide to give him a chance and those two wore down Here Comes Herbie, who was bearing out in the stretch.

In the closing strides, Glidemaster gobbled up ground, with Blue Mac Lad trotting furiously on the inside to be third and Chocolatier in the middle of the track to finish second, just inches in front of Blue Mac Lad.

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=17010&z=1

[aaronbees]

29. Arlington Million, other turf stakes this weekend

I'm really excited for this one; I think I like English Channel and Cacique and have soft spot rooting interests for The Tin Man and Phoenix Reach, but not sure yet who I'll pick. This race always recalls John Henry for me.

DRF article: http://www.drf.com/news/article/77387.html

Gorella, whom I adore, will run in the Beverly D. and Showing Up, owned by Barbaro's owners the Jacksons, goes in the Secretariat.

[two gun sid]

30. Go, Tin Man...

I love that hard knockin' old horse. He always trys.

[aaronbees]

31. Gorella....

Wow!!!

[aaronbees]

32. He sure did....

Outpaced em, slowed it down and pulled away down the lane. Still rockin' at eight years old!

[two gun sid]

33. The Tin Man looked great...

It is so great to see a horse like him win such a big race.

[aaronbees]

35. He did look great. ....

Shades of JH winning as an old man. I'll be rooting for him if he makes it the Breeder's Cup. That was a nice piece ABC did showing John Henry at 31 w/ footage from this year... nipping at Chris McCarron of course ;)

[two gun sid]

34. Gotta post a picture of my horse...

Mick winning at Ithaca. He lost a shoe during the race. I think I know when he lost it.

[Justpat]

36. Thanks for posting that picture of Mick.

A win with a homebred is always extra exciting.

Congratulations!

[two gun sid]

37. OB, thank you. I hope you are doing alright....

haven't seen you around much. I was hoping it was because you guys are busy.

[Justpat]

39. We have been really busy up here

The owners are at the barn every day and that is more stressful than
training a barn full 24/7.

Our young horses will not run here. The track has been very hard on soft tissue and
we need to have something left for the fall.

Good luck with Mick. Let me know how he does.

[two gun sid]

41. Owners need more training than 2 YO's....

and they can be way more stressful.

I'll be looking for your young runners this fall. How's your baby doing?

We have had a bad week. Last saturday we wormed and had the ferrier out to do some trimming. One of the yearling colts went completely beserk. He started striking and caught my partner over his eye and split his noggin wide open. One of the mares took a shot at me with both hind feet and missed my nose by a hair. I don't know if she was trying to get me or she was trying to get at a fly. Her and I have a real good relationship and I've never seen her kick like that. I've stood up behind her to AI her and she never tried anything like that. She'll dance around but never kick.

Mick finished 5th at Marshall and got a small check. Now he's got a snotty nose.

The EPM mare is doing well. She looks and feels great. The vet that does the acupuncture is on vacation and is due out to the farm next week to check on her. Everybody here is feeding this cattle/sheep medicated crumbles to their EPM horses and they swear by it.

So, that's the news out here on the Fair Circuit.

[Justpat]

43. What is the name of the stuff you feed for EPM?

Dr. Cain was here all day today going over horses and we have several EPM horses in the barn.
It seems to go in cycles. We have gone for years at times with no EPM, then we come up with
half the barn having it.

[two gun sid]

44. Decocci Krumbles by Kent Feeds

http://www.kentfeeds.com/deccox10.html

The medicated crumbles is made with this Deccox10. I'll get the tag off of the bag and post a picture of it later.

OB, we have just started using it so I personnaly cannot tell you if it keeps EPM from coming back. Everyone here is using it and saying it works. We put about a pound of the crumbles in Shark Warning's feed every day. We pay $26.20 per 100#.

The stuff everyone was buying in Canada and mixing with RedCell has fallen out of favor. I think because it is hard to get.

OB, I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. I'm a big fan of you guys and I hope everything turns out alright.

[Justpat]

52. Thanks for that link.

I'm calling them tomorrow.

[Justpat]

40. deleted double post.

[two gun sid]

38. We go again tomorrow at Marshall....

Mick drew the 6 hole and we are going against 3 or 4 leaders of our division. I took 1/2 of the day off of work to go down and be a groom.

I am scared to death. I'm afraid the big boys are gonna jerk Mick's bridle off. It is gonna suck. He doesn't know he isn't a great racehorse.

[two gun sid]

42. Mass in Lost in the Fog Believed to be Cancer

From The Bloodhorse:
Doctors at the University of California-Davis veterinary school, through a stomach sonogram, have found a mass in Lost in the Fog's spleen that they suspect is a lymphoma, according to Greg Gilchrist, who trains last year's Eclipse Award-winning sprinter.

A biopsy was performed on Lost in the Fog Tuesday, two days after Gilchrist brought the horse from his San Francisco base to the medical center an hour away. Gilchrist had found Lost in the Fog in discomfort Sunday and took him to Davis as a precautionary measure. The horse was being treated for a mild case of colic. But a biopsy on Lost in the Fog showed what doctors believe to be a cancerous mass. They plan to examine the horse to see if the disease has spread.

Gilchrist said that preliminary tests indicated that the lymphoma appears to be confined to the spleen. He said the mass is about the size of a cantaloupe. Lost in the Fog has won just one of his three starts this year, and Gilchrist had originally thought that quarter cracks were the culprits for the champion's sub-par efforts. "It turns out he's been running with this thing inside him this year," the trainer said. "It shows you what kind of warrior this horse is."

Gilchrist added that owner Harry Aleo is extremely concerned about his star, and that "We will do anything we can for the horse. It's almost a Barbaro-type situation."

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34885

[aaronbees]

45. What a rough year for him... :(

Hoping everything turns out okay for him and his friends; he's been a fun, exciting horse to watch and I hope he can get healthy, kick back, live the good life and run free in big pastures soon. I do wonder if this has affected his recent races.

Barbara Livingston has some pictures of him and his beautiful blaze: http://www.barbaralivingston.com/gallery/album69. (Check out the pic in the Saratoga fog.)

[two gun sid]

46. I thought he was a superhorse last year...

and I have watched almost all of his races on YouBet. It hurt my feelings every time he has been beaten. I hope they can save him. He is such a nice horse and one of the fastest most honest horses I've ever seen.

[two gun sid]

48. Inoperable Tumors Found In Lost In the Fog

From The Bloodhorse:
Champion sprinter Lost in the Fog has inoperable tumors in addition to the large one found this week on his spleen and has no more than two weeks to live, trainer Greg Gilchrist told TVG Friday.

The popular colt, owned by Harry Aleo, has been at the University of California at Davis' Large Animal Clinic since Sunday when he was sent there with what was believed to be a slight case of colic. It was soon discovered that his spleen was covered by a mass the size of a football.....

He said the horse's remains would be cremated and sent back to Southern Chase Farm in Ocala, Fla., where Lost in the Fog was raised, to be buried there.

Of Aleo, Gilchrist said, "Harry's a tough guy. He's been through a lot. But with an animal, it's sometimes tougher than with humans. I gotta' tell you. I've got more respect for this horse than I have for 75% of the people I deal with."

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34925


Champion sprinter Lost in the
Fog.

[aaronbees]

49. Was just reading that too ....

How completely crummy and just awful news. :( I'm sorry, Sid. :hug: I'm sure Aleo and Gilchrist will spend quality time with him before they put him down, though I'd feel that just makes the wait all the more difficult.

Run free forever, Foggy ... always a champion. :cry:

[two gun sid]

50. Lost In The Fog

This horse could flat-out fly. I have enjoyed watching his career. I will miss seeing him on race days. He's been my favorite horse of this century. I've been in this business and understand all the bad things that can happen. And I'm a pretty tough guy that can handle the heartbreaks of horse racing but, I'm having kind of a rough time accepting his fate. I hope that Wire2Wire or one of the racing shows does a retrospective of his races that I can record.

Thanks to Gilchrist and Aleo for the job they did with this guy.


Lost In The Fog heads back to the barn, after
the 2005 Breeders' Cup Sprint

[Justpat]

51. This makes me really sad.

He is a great sprinter and obviously he has the mind of a champion.
Who knows how long he has been feeling bad, but he showed up to do
his job without complaint.

I had already planned a mating to him for my filly that I have in
training now.

I watched him win at Aqueduct last year. I can't remember what stake it
was, but he won by many and was visually stunning. He appeared to be
in a medium gallup but he was setting intense fractions the whole way.

[two gun sid]

53. I would have liked to see the result of that breeding...

sires with speed as brilliant as LITF seem to get some pretty useful runners when bred to the right mares.

I remember his 7f King's Bishop from last year. Bumped leaving the gate. Went the first 1/4 in :22 and the 1/2 in :44.3. The rest of the field decided to head back to the barn. LITF won by about 5 in 1:22.3. Baze never moved on him.

He was a freak.

[two gun sid]

63. Saint Liam dies after freak fall

From DRF:
Saint Liam, the 2005 Horse of the Year and champion older handicap horse, was euthanized on Tuesday afternoon at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital near Lexington, Ky., after fracturing his left tibia in a fall at Lane's End Farm.

The 6-year-old Saint Liam suffered the injury while being led to the paddock, according to a release from the farm. Dr. Larry Bramlage, the surgeon at Rood and Riddle who attended to Saint Liam, said that the horse fell with his left leg underneath him, and that his left tibia - a bone located just above the hock - had shattered into 20 pieces.

"Apparently he was just goofing off, and he fell," Bramlage said. "Horses' legs are made to go front-to-back very efficiently, but they don't go side-to-side very well. Somehow he got his leg underneath him and just so happened to land on top of the leg."

Bramlage said the horse arrived at the hospital at approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The decision to euthanize the horse was made approximately 45 minutes later after Saint Liam's broken leg was radiographed.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/77810.html

[aaronbees]

69. That third photo ...

is so poignant now. :(

[two gun sid]

47. Lava Man is 8-5 Choice in Pacific Classic

From The Bloodhorse:
Lava Man, unbeaten in five races this year, including victories in the Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup (both gr. I), has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite in Sunday's 16th running of the $1 million Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34899



Catch this race if y'all can. You might just see racing history made Sunday.

[two gun sid]

54. Lava Man wins Pacific Classic

First horse to win all 3 big Cal races in the same year.

Real nice performance.

[aaronbees]

59. Best horse in the nation right now....

I think Bernardini, if he's the horse I think he is, can beat him come fall. But Lava Man is exciting. That was some move to shake loose on the turn like that.

[two gun sid]

60. Lava Man is only getting it done out in Cali...

everytime he has come east he gets beaten badly. Your Bernardini is probably the best horse in the country right now. Let's see what he does in the midsummer derby.

Did you hear Perfect Drift's trainer after the race? He complained about the condition of the track and Lava Man's bicarb level. He apoligised this morning. I wish he would have taken this issue up with the proper authorities and not put that in the press. I hope it is only because of the stress he's been under. Johnson has always been more of a class act.

aaronbees, are you going to the BC this year?

[aaronbees]

66. True, Lava Man is west coast ....

but no one else has traveled much either and been successful; frankly, I'm not much scared of Invasor right now, though he's a solid horse and could step up. I think I recall reading Lava Man had some physical issues when he went out east last year and Doug O'Neil said he didn't prep LM right. O'Neil admitted that Lava Man has to prove he can win elsewhere, but if I had $100 to bet it would be between him and Bernardini, whom I feel is still a wild card, and I'd be hard pressed to bet against an old warrior. My gut tells me Bernardini is beyond superfreak though. I forget if it was Gary Stevens or Jerry Bailey, but one of them said Sunday during the Pacific Classic show (or TVG runup to it) that Churchill Downs could be more to Lava Man's liking than Belmont was last year. I sure hope so.

I think Murray Johnson apoligized for those comments, which seemed way out of line and classless and, from what I hear of him, quite unusual. There was an interesting post on thoroughbredchampions board about conjecture (so take it for what you will) that trainers, because of a higher bicarb level allowed, are milshaking just a bit to stay competitive; I'm just not knowledgeable enough to gauge the veracity of that, to be honest, but found it intriguing.

There's still lots of time until the Classic. Hell, I hear Funny Cide may make the Woodward. ;)

[aaronbees]

68. P.S. on the B.C.

Don't think I'll have the funds, time or capability to get there this year, which is a shame because it's doable to make a Louisville trip. (And I'm kicking myself for not getting over to Lone Star for 2004). How about you, Old Broad and the rest of y'all on these threads? I think Monmouth has the BC next year; anyone know about the year after that?

[two gun sid]

71. OK. I was kicking around the thought of going to the BC....

I haven't bought tickets yet and I did a search and found out $25 SRO will be available at the gate. I really want to make it but, I can't make up my mind. Jersey next year sounds even better. I'd love to get back east.

[jakefrep]

55. Not to brag or anything....

but we won our first Grand Circuit race at Indianapolis this morning...

http://racing.ustrotting.com/race_result.cfm?race_id=1846844&target=873998

[Justpat]

56. Go ahead and brag!

That's great. Congratulations.

[two gun sid]

57. That is great!

I am so happy for you and your family. 29.1 is a great last 1/4.

I wish you continued success.

Post a winners circle picture sometime.

[jakefrep]

58. Not a winners' circle picture, but here ya go...

I shot this from up in the grandstand. Because of all the chicken-wire catchfencing around the track, there weren't too many good places for non-accredited photographers to shoot from.

[two gun sid]

61. Nice picture, jakefrep...

ML looks like he can really reach out and cover some ground. I put him in my virtual stable so I can catch his races. I hope he becomes a big horse for you guys.

[jakefrep]

62. We think he'll be a nice horse...

...Dad wants to try him at DuQuoin next week (if the trainer agrees). After that he's staked at Delaware, we have a couple of different options for Lexington, and in October there's a nice race for PA-sired horses at The Meadows.

[two gun sid]

64. Making new horse racing fans...( I think )...

A couple of weeks ago at Kalamazoo we had our horse staked out next to the spit barn awaiting our race. We were just sitting around when two older ladies came from the barn over to us. The braver of the gals asked me to show her how to make a horse pee. I was stunned. I just couldn't get my mind around why a couple of seventy-fiveish ladies wanted to see a horse urinate.

It turns out that the girls from the state vets were having a little fun with these women. They had told them there was a button on a horse you pushed that would make the horse give a urine sample. I kind of chuckled and told them no, we just whistle. That answer was unacceptable to them. They wanted me to show them. I said I can't because if we finish well our horse had to give a sample and I didn't want to stick around all night waiting for him to pee again. They thought I was lying.

My business partner finally stopped laughing long enough to advise the ladies to go to the spit barn after the next race and see for themselves. They petted Mick and exchanged a few pleasantries and then wandered off.

Later that day I saw those two gals again. They said I was right, they do whistle and they had learned so much about horses that day. They were totally enjoying their day at the races. They said that they would like to come to the races again.

I think that just by being nice to them and taking time to talk to them we made a couple of new fans. I'm just not sure if they are fans of the racing or the peeing afterward.

[jakefrep]

70. Well done....

That question had probably been festering in their minds for 60 or 70 years.

[Awsi Dooger]

65. Saint Liam euthanized after fracturing leg

Gad, I stumbled onto this tonight while checking political news. Less than a year after winning the Breeders Cup and Horse of the Year. I saw him run last summer at Saratoga.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/horses/2006-08-22-saint-liam_x.htm

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Saint Liam, the 2005 Eclipse Award winner as Horse of the Year, was euthanized on Tuesday after injuring his hind leg.
The 6-year-old stallion, who won the 2005 Breeders' Cup Classic at Belmont Park last October, was being turned out at his paddock at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky., when he slipped and fell, suffering a left tibial fracture.

He was taken to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, where he was euthanized.

Dr. Larry Bramlage, who examined Saint Liam when he arrived at the hospital, said there was no treatment possible on the injury.

"It was a freak accident," Bramlage said. "It's something that would require months of bedrest in a person, but in a horse, he had nothing in the leg left to support him."

[aaronbees]

67. Damn ....

Horse racing just can't catch a break. I was not a big fan of Saint Liam, but was looking forward to little Liamites running around. Sad news.