4/27: Incident mars Derby Works..

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I saw Kurt this weekend.

Clothed, I hope.

[justindew]

Originally Posted by justindew

The article on DRF states that Raspberry Kiss was taken to a clinic and then put down. But I can assure you she was put down on the track.

Now a second source is reporting that Raspberry Kiss was taken to Lexington before she was put down.

Maybe someone can clear this up. I watched Raspberry Kiss try to stand up, and then saw her body contort as she fell back down. They then brought out the screen to shield her from the crowd and injected her with something. Then she was scooped up and loaded on the ambulance.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

I guess that we'll have to agree to disagree over the relative speed of the Churchill racing surface this weekend. But just like all stakes races are not equal, neither are all claiming races. Sometimes, they come up tougher than usual; other times not. The races this weekend at Churchill all seemed to come up universally weak for the respective class levels, so we're not necessarily comparing apples to apples.

The inner track was slower than usual this winter (with admittedly weak horses sometimes clocking miles in 1:41 or 1:42) because of the cold winter preventing the NYRA track maintenance crew from watering the track, the result being a very dry, cuppy racing surface.

The 1:39 and 1:40 times to which I was referring were to one turn miles. In this regard, a perfect example of an abnormally slow, tiring racing surface was Aqueduct on Saturday, April 11. Churchill on Saturday pales in comparison.

That was my one trip to Aqueduct this winter. The track was a MESS (and yes, abnormally slow and tiring) because it rained so much, and the fields were terrible (not to disparage your horse, who actually ran well that day behind a perfect trip winner). They missed the guarantee in the pick 4 because of the conditions.

I think my comparisons of each race at CD shows the times were slower than normal and it's incorrect to generalize that all the races were worse than their norms. In fact, the race you mentioned previously (the 30k N2L that went 1:36.40) was actually better than what's typical of that level, and they ran like it.

Slow doesn't necessarily mean safe, either.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by justindew

Now a second source is reporting that Raspberry Kiss was taken to Lexington before she was put down.

Maybe someone can clear this up. I watched Raspberry Kiss try to stand up, and then saw her body contort as she fell back down. They then brought out the screen to shield her from the crowd and injected her with something. Then she was scooped up and loaded on the ambulance.

Probably pain medication - sedative combination so she could be transported.

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by justindew

Now a second source is reporting that Raspberry Kiss was taken to Lexington before she was put down.

Maybe someone can clear this up. I watched Raspberry Kiss try to stand up, and then saw her body contort as she fell back down. They then brought out the screen to shield her from the crowd and injected her with something. Then she was scooped up and loaded on the ambulance.

Just drive over there by the maintenance shed, and look under the tree. If there is a tarp with a horse underneath it you have your answer.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by philcski

That was my one trip to Aqueduct this winter. The track was a MESS (and yes, abnormally slow and tiring) because it rained so much, and the fields were terrible (not to disparage your horse, who actually ran well that day behind a perfect trip winner). They missed the guarantee in the pick 4 because of the conditions.

Slow doesn't necessarily mean safe, either.

No disrespect received about Slick Wheelie. I think we've learned that, despite how he trains in the morning, he's better suited to one turn races. I know that he won't be confused with a stakes horse, but he's honest. Also, I don't think he particularly cares for the mud, but if he had changed leads that afternoon, I'm certain that he would have caught the winner. Of course, changing leads properly has frequently been a problem for him in the afternoon.

I agree that slow doesn't necessarily mean safe, but the souped-up, hard tracks are really tough on the horses.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I already saw him crawl around the track a couple of times at Saratoga.

Oh well that seals it.
The first two runs of his career come on turf in Aug 08.
Im sure nothing has changed.
If only Baffert could see the naked truth.

[Sightseek]

http://www.drf.com/news/article/103309.html

"Fortunately, it was isolated to the outside," said Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Join in the Dance. "It could have been worse. There were a lot of high-caliber horses out there working in a short amount of time."

Pletcher said he thought it might be wise for Churchill Downs to close the track earlier for the renovation break and then allow only Oaks and Derby runners on the track for the first few minutes after the track re-opens.

"This morning's incident is the perfect opportunity for Churchill Downs to realize they need to do this," Pletcher said. "Just for 10 minutes after the break. It would be a great idea. It would be great for the Oaks and Derby horses and safer for the horses of every caliber."

Jim Gates, general manager of Churchill Downs, said Pletcher's idea is "not something we'd be opposed to in the future."

[Left Bank]

Originally Posted by justindew

Now a second source is reporting that Raspberry Kiss was taken to Lexington before she was put down.

Maybe someone can clear this up. I watched Raspberry Kiss try to stand up, and then saw her body contort as she fell back down. They then brought out the screen to shield her from the crowd and injected her with something. Then she was scooped up and loaded on the ambulance.

LEX 18 news reports she was taken to rood and riddle and died of shock,before vets could euthanize her

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I already saw him crawl around the track a couple of times at Saratoga.

I am heartened to see you already hedging for this weekend.

There's a lot of horses. Stuff happens. Belmont's a more fair race. The surface is (usually..lol.) more fair too.

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by Left Bank

LEX 18 news reports she was taken to rood and riddle and died of shock,before vets could euthanize her

This is really just sick to me. When you watch the works on television you get no sense of what sounds like mass confusion out there. Sounds more like a rodeo than any kind of thorobred operation, maybe that's why they do it so early in the morning. There is really no excuse in this day and age for horses to be purposely run in opposite directions on the same track (like in the Tin
Cup Chalice incident, from what I was told) or to have horses just milling around while a loose horse is running towards them (here).

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

This is really just sick to me. When you watch the works on television you get no sense of what sounds like mass confusion out there. Sounds more like a rodeo than any kind of thorobred operation, maybe that's why they do it so early in the morning. There is really no excuse in this day and age for horses to be purposely run in opposite directions on the same track (like in the Tin
Cup Chalice incident, from what I was told) or to have horses just milling around while a loose horse is running towards them (here).

There is also no excuse for posting something so idiotic.

[sumitas]

I don't know the cause or the frequency of these tragic incidents and I doubt the NTRA does either . A thorough investigation is needed into tragedies like this .

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by sumitas

I don't know the cause or the frequency of these tragic incidents and I doubt the NTRA does either . A thorough investigation is needed into tragedies like this .

Do you know anything about thoroughbreds?

[sumitas]

I know enough to know that incidents like this are not acceptable .

[Indian Charlie]

I think they should investigate as well.

The first thing they should do is question the horse that dumped the rider in the first place and ask why it ran straight into another horse.

I feel if they could just understand a horse's motivation for doing such things, they could probably talk other unruly two year olds out of making similar mistakes.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by sumitas

I know enough to know that incidents like this are not acceptable .

It's much better to criticize from strength than from weakness. You really need to spend even a little time around the racetrack.

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by sumitas

I don't know the cause or the frequency of these tragic incidents and I doubt the NTRA does either . A thorough investigation is needed into tragedies like this .

I think you should have stopped after saying "I don't know."

Everything after that was ludicrous.

[westcoastinvader]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

I think they should investigate as well.

The first thing they should do is question the horse that dumped the rider in the first place and ask why it ran straight into another horse.

I feel if they could just understand a horse's motivation for doing such things, they could probably talk other unruly two year olds out of making similar mistakes.

OK.

That was a good post in the face of a bad day for horse fans and lovers.

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

There is also no excuse for posting something so idiotic.

What could possibly be so hard about only having one horse on the track at a time? Or two or three spaced strategically apart around the track?