Why Super Frolic matters

[my miss storm cat]

There are vague indications and rumors on a few other forums that he was euthanized, that the injury was horrific, that he is gone, but it hasn't been confirmed so his fans wait and we remind ourselves that there are miracles even if in our collective hearts we fear what 'they" say is true.

In the arguments and debates that some of the old-timers are have perfected, the point is raised that race horses simply don't race these days. Around their third year the greed sets in and they're whisked off to stud and replaced by the newer flavors of the month. The cycle continues, the back-in-our-day-isms flow and the end-is-near shouting begins, and we hear how the sport is dying.

In waiting for news about Super Frolic I just want to remind the doom-sayers that THIS horse represents everything that is right with this sport that we all love. THIS horse never ducked competition. THIS horse went to Dubai to run in the World Cup, ran in the Breeder's Cup, in the Pacific Classic, in the Hollywood Gold Cup.....

THIS horse who is 7 years old (and not a gelding) and who came out of retirement for whatever reason..... THIS horse represents everything the nay-sayers claim no longer exists.

If he survives I hope that he'll live a long and happy life in retirement.

If he does not, I hope it was over quickly and that he didn't suffer, and that his connections know that some of us are profoundly sorry for their loss and that he was appreciated.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

THIS horse who is 7 years old (and not a gelding) and who came out of retirement for whatever reason..... THIS horse represents everything the nay-sayers claim no longer exists.

Well he only came back because no mares wanted to breed to him. Unfortunately he is gone. Sorry.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Well he only came back because no mares wanted to breed to him. Unfortunately he is gone. Sorry.

I didn't know it was confirmed till after i posted this.

I hope he didn't suffer.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

There are vague indications and rumors on a few other forums that he was euthanized, that the injury was horrific, that he is gone, but it hasn't been confirmed so his fans wait and we remind ourselves that there are miracles even if in our collective hearts we fear what 'they" say is true.

In the arguments and debates that some of the old-timers are have perfected, the point is raised that race horses simply don't race these days. Around their third year the greed sets in and they're whisked off to stud and replaced by the newer flavors of the month. The cycle continues, the back-in-our-day-isms flow and the end-is-near shouting begins, and we hear how the sport is dying.

In waiting for news about Super Frolic I just want to remind the doom-sayers that THIS horse represents everything that is right with this sport that we all love. THIS horse never ducked competition. THIS horse went to Dubai to run in the World Cup, ran in the Breeder's Cup, in the Pacific Classic, in the Hollywood Gold Cup.....

THIS horse who is 7 years old (and not a gelding) and who came out of retirement for whatever reason..... THIS horse represents everything the nay-sayers claim no longer exists.

If he survives I hope that he'll live a long and happy life in retirement.

If he does not, I hope it was over quickly and that he didn't suffer, and that his connections know that some of us are profoundly sorry for their loss and that he was appreciated.

I'm sorry that u are saddened by his death but I don't think u are at all correct here. We've come to expect the second level horses to stick around for years and years and race much more often than the good horses. We see the Wilko's, the Sun King's, the Super Frolic's hang around and compete all the time. This horse doesn't represent anything that I love about the sport. What most of us "doom-sayers" as u call us want to see is a time when the good horses stick around and race more than 5-6 times a year and don't take two month layoffs between races. Sure, they never ducked competition with him but that's because he was no competition. Would they have taken the same kinds of risks with him had he been good enough to be winning some of those big races he was running in? Who knows? But I can't help but believe that he was only sticking around because he was fairly competitive on the lower levels and could earn some money (nothing wrong with that at all) and because as Sniper said, he wasn't a strong breeding prospect.

But to say that he represents everything we say doesn't exist anymore is flat out wrong. We know it exists at the lower levels. We just want to see it exist again at the upper levels. Super Frolic isn't an upper level horse.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I'm sorry that u are saddened by his death but I don't think u are at all correct here. We've come to expect the second level horses to stick around for years and years and race much more often than the good horses. We see the Wilko's, the Sun King's, the Super Frolic's hang around and compete all the time. This horse doesn't represent anything that I love about the sport. What most of us "doom-sayers" as u call us want to see is a time when the good horses stick around and race more than 5-6 times a year and don't take two month layoffs between races. Sure, they never ducked competition with him but that's because he was no competition. Would they have taken the same kinds of risks with him had he been good enough to be winning some of those big races he was running in? Who knows? But I can't help but believe that he was only sticking around because he was fairly competitive on the lower levels and could earn some money (nothing wrong with that at all) and because as Sniper said, he wasn't a strong breeding prospect.

But to say that he represents everything we say doesn't exist anymore is flat out wrong. We know it exists at the lower levels. We just want to see it exist again at the upper levels. Super Frolic isn't an upper level horse.

There are so many things I could say in reference to the above posted nonsense, but I'll keep my mouth shut.

RIP to Super Frolic. I'm sorry that he didn't make it.

[FGFan]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

There are so many things I could say

Me too...
I enjoyed watching Super Frolic and am sorry he didn't make it. He was a nice horse.
There are many horses that people don't follow and some of us for whatever reasons take a liking to them.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by FGFan

Me too...
I enjoyed watching Super Frolic and am sorry he didn't make it. He was a nice horse.
There are many horses that people don't follow and some of us for whatever reasons take a liking to them.

That's not what I'm saying at all. There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking the horse and being a fan. We all like some horses that aren't the most popular horses or the highest of class. But that doesn't mean that Super Frolic represents all that is good in racing and that those of us that miss the old days should appreciate what he's doing. When she said that he represents everything we say doesn't exist anymore, she's not correct. We miss the top horses not sticking around. As much as u may like him and appreciate him, u should at least be able to admit that Super Frolic is not a top horse.

[cmorioles]

While I never like to see a horse break down, do we need these eulogies every time a horse breaks down? Dogs die, bugs die, horses die, even people die. How can a horse duck competition? Is he going to hide on race day?

I'm sure I'll come off as a bad guy, but this whole thing seems over the top to me.

[Bystander]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

While I never like to see a horse break down, do we need these eulogies every time a horse breaks down? Dogs die, bugs die, horses die, even people die. How can a horse duck competition? Is he going to hide on race day?

I'm sure I'll come off as a bad guy, but this whole thing seems over the top to me.

Well, I know ily.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

While I never like to see a horse break down, do we need these eulogies every time a horse breaks down? Dogs die, bugs die, horses die, even people die. How can a horse duck competition? Is he going to hide on race day?

I'm sure I'll come off as a bad guy, but this whole thing seems over the top to me.

just ignore it then if its so troublesome for you. all of these eulogies that you find so objectionable amount to probably less than 1% of what is posted on here.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

just ignore it then if its so troublesome for you. all of these eulogies that you find so objectionable amount to probably less than 1% of what is posted on here.

You don't really believe this....do you?

People post thoughts and others have a right to post their thoughts. Sure, they can ignore whatever they wish, but they can also respond as they see fit. Surely you've disagreed with posts here before and then chosen not to ignore them. Why should it be different this time?

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

You don't really believe this....do you?

People post thoughts and others have a right to post their thoughts. Sure, they can ignore whatever they wish, but they can also respond as they see fit. Surely you've disagreed with posts here before and then chosen not to ignore them. Why should it be different this time?

where did I imply that he doesn't have the right to post his thoughts?

nothing is different this time. he expressed a thought and so did I.

I do object to others at times, but for the most part choose to ignore most of it. I certainly wouldn't object to people who get emotionally involved with horses and therefore need an outlet to express that emotion when they go down.

the last thing you need when you're hurting is for some wiseass who comes on with the "its like a bug dying" stuff.

to some its not like a bug dying. I may not feel the same for every horse in every situation but there have been times when I was deeply hurt. you or others may not be hurt and that is fine. by why choose to object to THAT issue? is it really so horribly inconvenient?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I'm sorry that u are saddened by his death but I don't think u are at all correct here. We've come to expect the second level horses to stick around for years and years and race much more often than the good horses. We see the Wilko's, the Sun King's, the Super Frolic's hang around and compete all the time. This horse doesn't represent anything that I love about the sport. What most of us "doom-sayers" as u call us want to see is a time when the good horses stick around and race more than 5-6 times a year and don't take two month layoffs between races. Sure, they never ducked competition with him but that's because he was no competition. Would they have taken the same kinds of risks with him had he been good enough to be winning some of those big races he was running in? Who knows? But I can't help but believe that he was only sticking around because he was fairly competitive on the lower levels and could earn some money (nothing wrong with that at all) and because as Sniper said, he wasn't a strong breeding prospect.

But to say that he represents everything we say doesn't exist anymore is flat out wrong. We know it exists at the lower levels. We just want to see it exist again at the upper levels. Super Frolic isn't an upper level horse.

does this mean that you only like the top performers? i like all horses in general, and enjoy a good race run regardless of the horse, his name, or if he's a gr 1 performer...not quite sure what you mean. super frolic was a solid horse, a good runner, who wasn't quite what breeders wanted--which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

and what's with the u? you spell out every word but you. that's kinda weird.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Danzig

does this mean that you only like the top performers? i like all horses in general, and enjoy a good race run regardless of the horse, his name, or if he's a gr 1 performer...not quite sure what you mean. super frolic was a solid horse, a good runner, who wasn't quite what breeders wanted--which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

and what's with the u? you spell out every word but you. that's kinda weird.

No, it's not a bad thing at all. He just doesn't represent the kind of horses that we are talking about when we say we miss the way top horses used to be campaigned. Nothing more, nothing less.

And yes, I only have interest in the horses that I think are the top performers. Which often times are not the same ones that others think are lol.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

No, it's not a bad thing at all. He just doesn't represent the kind of horses that we are talking about when we say we miss the way top horses used to be campaigned. Nothing more, nothing less.

And yes, I only have interest in the horses that I think are the top performers. Which often times are not the same ones that others think are lol.

Personally, I do feel sentiment for the horses that go down. But to each his own. And just as the horses you consider "top class" may well not be on someone else's list, you certainly can't expect anyone else to ipso facto agree with your assessment that this was not a top class animal. So you jump forward from your subjective determination of a top class horse (whatever that may be) to being critical of someone's opinion who happens not to agree with how you define "we?"

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Personally, I do feel sentiment for the horses that go down. But to each his own. And just as the horses you consider "top class" may well not be on someone else's list, you certainly can't expect anyone else to ipso facto agree with your assessment that this was not a top class animal. So you jump forward from your subjective determination of a top class horse (whatever that may be) to being critical of someone's opinion who happens not to agree with how you define "we?"

The WE I was referring to was the same group that she put us all into when she called us they nay-sayers.

But u know exactly what I'm talking about. WE lament the losses of horses like Bernardini and Birdstone and other top horses that are grade one winners that retire early when sound and the horses that trainers keep out of races and only run them 3-5 times a year even though they are healthy because they are trying to protect their value. Can u honestly say that Super Frolic is at that kind of level?

Again, I have no issue with how anyone feels about this horse or them being saddened by his loss or the loss of any other horse. I'm just saying that this horse did not represent what we are talking about when we say we lament the ways of old.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

No, it's not a bad thing at all. He just doesn't represent the kind of horses that we are talking about when we say we miss the way top horses used to be campaigned. Nothing more, nothing less.

And yes, I only have interest in the horses that I think are the top performers. Which often times are not the same ones that others think are lol.

i can relate to that part....

[stonegossard]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

There are vague indications and rumors on a few other forums that he was euthanized, that the injury was horrific, that he is gone, but it hasn't been confirmed so his fans wait and we remind ourselves that there are miracles even if in our collective hearts we fear what 'they" say is true.

In the arguments and debates that some of the old-timers are have perfected, the point is raised that race horses simply don't race these days. Around their third year the greed sets in and they're whisked off to stud and replaced by the newer flavors of the month. The cycle continues, the back-in-our-day-isms flow and the end-is-near shouting begins, and we hear how the sport is dying.

In waiting for news about Super Frolic I just want to remind the doom-sayers that THIS horse represents everything that is right with this sport that we all love. THIS horse never ducked competition. THIS horse went to Dubai to run in the World Cup, ran in the Breeder's Cup, in the Pacific Classic, in the Hollywood Gold Cup.....

THIS horse who is 7 years old (and not a gelding) and who came out of retirement for whatever reason..... THIS horse represents everything the nay-sayers claim no longer exists.

If he survives I hope that he'll live a long and happy life in retirement.

If he does not, I hope it was over quickly and that he didn't suffer, and that his connections know that some of us are profoundly sorry for their loss and that he was appreciated.

It could have been worse....I could have not nailed the exacta in that race. Fly high with extra hundred dollar bills my now bigger youbet account.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by stonegossard

It could have been worse....I could have not nailed the exacta in that race. Fly high with extra hundred dollar bills my now bigger youbet account.

It is terrribly bad form to redboard in a thread dedicated to animal or human passing.

[King Glorious]

The part that irritates me is that I am on another forum and the thread started off talking about the stakes races they were going to have at that track that day. But when I wanted to talk about the actual races, especially the feature race and the track, nobody wanted to talk about it. They were all focused on the death of this horse. As DaHoss and CMOrioles have expressed, this happens regularly. I admittedly am not a big fan of horses and I don't get the same emotional attatchments that some have but it just bothers me a little when I can't even get any discussion on the races on a racing forum.

I've told her plenty of times that if she's going to feel this way about every single horse, she's going to cry herself out of the game really fast. It's not a bad thing to have that compassion for the animals. There is a part of me that wishes that I had more. But at the same time, if u are going to stay involved in this game, even as a fan, u have to develop a thicker skin because this stuff will happen all the time. Most racing fans that have been around for awhile are going to have the attitude that u have seen on here. We're like "ok, it happened, let's move on." And then when there is a thread about each one everytime it happens, well I can see the irritation. It doesn't irritate me but I can see how it could bother some.

For the record, I think she's great. She's new and she's enthusiastic about the sport and she puts her heart all the way into it. It's not all about the numbers and the tickets cashed and the grade one horses. For her, the $5k claimer at Yvapai is as important as the Derby winner and I hope she doesn't get discouraged by the reaction to this thread.