RACE FOR THE TRIPLE CROWN

[Duchess]

you should be there Duchess!

who do you like?

Oops, I hadn't seen you address me directly.

I'd like to see I'll Have Another win but only because it will be the second jewel in the Triple Crown. I like Optimizer too. I think Bodemeister is going to do very well on a shorter track & it won't be shocking to see Bob Baffert win another Preakness race.

[Duchess]

That was some race. I'll Have Another wins the second jewel in the Triple Crown. YeeHaw

Bodemeister finishes second by a whisker...although that's an awesome achievement & quite a sizable purse many in the horse business view that as simply being the first to lose. Losing sucks.

[Lady Cop]

no horse has won the Triple Crown in 34 years.

Duchess, do you mind if i merge this thread with Derby thread and create a Triple Crown thread?


the contender for the Crown

[Duchess]

No, of course not.

[Ma Huang Sor]

Was I right?

[Lady Cop]

Belmont tomorrow...what a shame:

(CNN) -- I'll Have Another, the winner of this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, is out of Saturday's Belmont Stakes, a spokesman for the horse's trainer said Friday.

Trainer Doug O'Neill announced on "The Dan Patrick Show," a sports talk program, that the horse won't be running because of a leg injury.

"He galloped great yesterday, and in the afternoon, he had a little bit of swelling in his left front leg. This morning, he looked perfect. I took him out, and I just did a little something with him.

"After training, that swelling came back. I had the vet come over. He scanned his left front leg. He's got the start of tendonitis going on in that front leg, so he's not 100%. And we ain't taking any chances," he said.

The 3-year-old colt and jockey Mario Gutierrez would have made a run for horse racing's first Triple Crown in 34 years. Since 1990, only seven horses have won the first two legs of the title.

[Duchess]

I'm sorry to read that but they are doing the right thing. There are many owners/trainers who would run him anyway.

[Lady Cop]

he'll still be a happy horsie.

he has the potential to earn as much as $10 million in stud fees, according to breeding experts.

[Donovan]

I'll play devil's advocate here: the owner, O'Niell, is under tremendous scrutiny for "milkshaking", various cheating tactics and unscrupulous behavior. He's facing sanctions in California after July 1 and has been slapped something like fourteen times in other states for essentially cutting corners and cheating. They even changed the freaking boarding rules for tomorrow's race BECAUSE OF HIM to prevent anyone from having the opportunity to cheat.


And now his horse mysteriously pulls up lame and can't compete.

I'm not saying it's a fake injury, but it IS a convenient one. IF there were shady doings with I'll Have Another that gave him the edge, and the current arrangement prevented those sneaky doings for tomorrow, which horse would you rather own: one that won two races clouded by accusations and was annihilated in the third? Or a near-triple-crown winner who had a great chance before being sidelined by a tragic and untimely injury?

S'all I'm saying.

[QueenBee]

Supposidly, the "dosing" is not a factor here...horse had been tested prior to injury, and no sign of it. I also heard on the news that this is not an uncommon injury for race horses...and unrelated to any dosing.
But I am just glad they are retiring the horse, instead of going for "just one more" race and risking even more injury.
But, bet we will still have some good stud fees here.

[Duchess]

They can test all they want but new performance enhancing drugs come to the states every day, they can't test for a drug they are not aware of.

It's very difficult to fake a tendon injury unless you're the only one who has access to the horse. It's a visible injury & with this particular injury once it's occurred the first time chances are it will repeat, sometimes taking up to 18 months to heal.

[crash]

Grandpa used to say "Odd white socks, bad fetlocks"

[Duchess]

That adage is believed by many.

This injury, if it's true, could have occurred because of a number of things that are not even related to being out on the track, a bad reaction to a shot or even a bandage applied the wrong way. Without knowing all the details I tend to believe this is a real injury. Racing is all about the money & while this horse will have a substantial stud fee right now it would have doubled or even tripled with participation in this race.

[Duchess]

pulls up lame

Are you familiar with racehorses? I ask because that's not a term the average person would use or even know.

[Lady Cop]

the Belmont won't be half as exciting as hoped without a contender for the Triple Crown. sucks.
there's not even a long-shot grey in the field i can cheer for. :(

[Donovan]

@ duchess not as familiar as I'd like. I know of racing from the gamblers's perspective which is probably where I first learned the term, but. Have had occasional dealings with owners and riders at various points in my life.

[Ma Huang Sor]

I'll play devil's advocate here: the owner, O'Niell, is under tremendous scrutiny for "milkshaking", various cheating tactics and unscrupulous behavior. He's facing sanctions in California after July 1 and has been slapped something like fourteen times in other states for essentially cutting corners and cheating. They even changed the freaking boarding rules for tomorrow's race BECAUSE OF HIM to prevent anyone from having the opportunity to cheat.


And now his horse mysteriously pulls up lame and can't compete.

I'm not saying it's a fake injury, but it IS a convenient one. IF there were shady doings with I'll Have Another that gave him the edge, and the current arrangement prevented those sneaky doings for tomorrow, which horse would you rather own: one that won two races clouded by accusations and was annihilated in the third? Or a near-triple-crown winner who had a great chance before being sidelined by a tragic and untimely injury?

S'all I'm saying.

Truth is, he's a bleeder. I bet he spotted when they scoped him after the Preakness.

Cant use Lasix in NY. I sold a product for VitaFlex called "Nutraguard" back in the day, that was the one nutritional non test formula that actually worked.

If he's a cheater like you say (and I don't know O'Neill at all) that's why the horse suddenly pulled up lame. Easy to get a vet to sign off on that shit too.

[QueenBee]

Heard something trivial, but interesting in a news report..this will be the first time since, I think, the 20's or 30s that a contender for the Triple has had to be cut from the third race.
I do not follow horse racing, but for some reason I always follow these three races. Probably because of the big deal made of them. I am sure all the people planning to bet on him are scrambling to decide who to bet on.
Who is the next best contender?

[Lady Cop]

New York (CNN) -- I'll Have Another, the injured colt who won't have a chance to become horse racing's 12^th winner of the fabled Triple Crown, will retire from racing in high style on Saturday.

The horse, which won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness but developed tendonitis before the Belmont Stakes, will have a nationally televised retirement ceremony before the race begins this evening, New York racing officials said.

The New York Racing Association said I'll Have Another won't lead the post parade with jockey Mario Gutierrez, as had been previously planned.

Instead, I'll Have Another's grooms will walk him to the winner's circle and trainer Doug O'Neill will remove his saddle. The ceremony is scheduled for 5:53 p.m.

[Lady Cop]

Union Rags wins the Belmont in a close finish
John Velazquez aboard



hahaha