Of course, these are the only owners in the world for whom insurance costs can't possibly be an issue!

I would hope the fact that he didn't win the Classic might stick enough in the Sheik's craw that he would want to keep him racing for one more year for Bernardini's reputation. I noticed that before the race, Jerry Bailey was saying, "Rarified, brilliant, etc., etc, pick your word to describe Bernardini" and after the race he said, "And here Invasor runs by a very, very good horse in Bernardini"-- how fast the superlatives fall after a loss, huh? From being compared to Affirmed to "very good" in two short minutes.

Its a matter of breeding economics... the question arises, what would Bernardini have to do next year to make him even more valuable than he is at this moment? It would have to be a hell of a campaign... a Mineshaft like effort. He may have the talent, but he may not. Strike while the iron is hot.

And people dont put enough thought behind how hard it is to lose a horse as an owner. The connections lost their golden boy young in Dubai Millenum... this is probably the first horse that can be equated to him. Im sure that plays a role in treating this horse a little differently than most... and being that much more protective.

They have everything to lose and nothing to gain by running Bernardini another year.