4/27: Incident mars Derby Works..

[sumitas]

Yes sir I do . And I understand the unpredictability of horses and the dangers they pose . Safety improvements should always be strived for . Of course they need to be affordable as well .

[Left Bank]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

I just don't know what's so hard about having only a certain number of horses on the track at one time. Of course, accidents are that, but if they are there to work they should work, get off the track, and then put the next one on. Isn't that how they do it at the sales?

How about we just get rid of the jockeys and trainers,put the horses in a starting gate,release them,then release a huge frickin tiger to chase them past the finish line.The breed would improve,since it would be survival of the fittest,and all workouts would be eliminated and not needed.Races would be better,with all garbage horses being eaten by the tiger.

[Linny]

You might need a couple of tigers...

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by Left Bank

How about we just get rid of the jockeys and trainers,put the horses in a starting gate,release them,then release a huge frickin tiger to chase them past the finish line.The breed would improve,since it would be survival of the fittest,and all workouts would be eliminated and not needed.Races would be better,with all garbage horses being eaten by the tiger.

Would this complicate the claiming process?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by sumitas

I'd like to see some of these brilliant observations in an interview on CNN explaining the tragedy after the accident is aired yet again. It's been aired it several times today.

Tell the world how the exercize riders had no clue a horse was rampaging down the track so that it hit a horse standing still from behind . Explain that one .

I guess you have no clue what the proper and safest response is, if you are in a group of mounted riders - on the track, in a ring, on a trail ride, at a foxhunt - and one young horse tosses it's rider and rampages out of control back towards the group.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Hey, that's what I said earlier!

Though I guess for some people, any hint of subtlety gets lost in a fog of numbness.

I'm not referring to you, by the way.

I thought your earlier response brilliant

[byalip]

A horse is stupid enough to jump its own shadow. They weigh like 10X the average rider. Expect the unexpected....a nutso horse is gonna have its own way.

[Indian Charlie]

Thanks.

I just couldn't believe West Coast Invader was too dense to understand what I meant.

[Clip-Clop]

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.

Sad that this happened. Real shame that these things get so much bad publicity and create ill-will toward the SPORT that I love. Every one looks to blame, race cars cant dump their drivers and go off scared into other drivers like horses do. Shame. People always cheer the loose horse in races but they are freaked and don't know what to do. Most of the time it works out OK but this week bad stuff. Hoping for a safe and exciting weekend of racing without incident.

[chucklestheclown]

Thanks guys, things are clear as mud for me now. I guess as long as tracks keep shortening their race weeks there will be more time to space work-outs in a better manner. Or at least have all the horses go out at once in a big con-fab to get used to their surroundings. Will they put slots at the finish line too?

[cowgirlintexas]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

Thanks guys, things are clear as mud for me now. I guess as long as tracks keep shortening their race weeks there will be more time to space work-outs in a better manner. Or at least have all the horses go out at once in a big con-fab to get used to their surroundings. Will they put slots at the finish line too?

Do you think before you type?

[skippy3481]

I just think most of the media as a whole, sucks. A drunk driver kills 6 people and no one cares, but hell a run away horse hits another horse and they have 7 reporters out there.

[PPerfectfan]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

There is also no excuse for posting something so idiotic.

Chuck, as Ron White says "You cant fix stupid"!! wow there are some great responses to this thread, my fav being let each horse go out by themselves....yeah thats the answer. Personally, I say we have Dr. Phil, standing at the gap as they step onto the track and have him give them a lecture about being a "good horse" and everything should be fine!!

[Linny]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

Thanks guys, things are clear as mud for me now. I guess as long as tracks keep shortening their race weeks there will be more time to space work-outs in a better manner. Or at least have all the horses go out at once in a big con-fab to get used to their surroundings. Will they put slots at the finish line too?

Short race weeks don't help. Horses train every day. They don't all go out at once but at any given time there might be 100+ horses on the track.

[Danzig]

dr. rap update from drf:


Dr. Rap on the mend

Dr. Rap, the unraced 3-year-old colt injured in a gruesome two-horse accident on Monday morning, is continuing to recuperate at the equine clinic Hagyard-Davidson McGee in Lexington, Ky., trainer David Carroll said Wednesday.

"He has radial nerve paralysis in his right shoulder," Carroll said. "It's a stinger. The next two or three days are pretty crucial. We're keeping our fingers crossed. He's getting acupuncture to try to regenerate the nerves."

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by Linny

Short race weeks don't help. Horses train every day. They don't all go out at once but at any given time there might be 100+ horses on the track.

LOL. If there is no racing on a given day they have all day for training. If people have to wait an extra 24 hours TFB. Get it?
Good to hear Dr. Rap may pull it out.

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by PPerfectfan

Chuck, as Ron White says "You cant fix stupid"!! wow there are some great responses to this thread, my fav being let each horse go out by themselves....yeah thats the answer.

What's wrong with that?
If they're there to work it's the optimum. What trainer wants to work their horse in all that traffic? Obviously at least one doesn't.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

What's wrong with that?
If they're there to work it's the optimum. What trainer wants to work their horse in all that traffic? Obviously at least one doesn't.

who would that be? pletcher?! lol you might want to re-read TAP's comments. he only suggested that the derby horses get the track to themselves after the renovation break. he certainly didn't suggest anything as ludicrous as having only three horses at a time on the track to train.

[chucklestheclown]

Were you there? Seriously, go ask him what he'd prefer, or any other trainer there. I'll give you odds.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

Were you there? Seriously, go ask him what he'd prefer, or any other trainer there. I'll give you odds.

i'm sure they'd prefer to be able to do their job as well as they can, without every aberration being blown out of proportion, followed by reporters asking stupid questions, and internet posters making ridiculous suggestions on how to handle something that is the exception, not the rule.