Triple Crown hopeful Barbaro loses... Seriously injured during race

http://www.preakness.com/ ^

[HairOfTheDog]

Post Position	Silks	Horse Name	Trainer	Jockey	Morning Line
1	(NA)	LIKE NOW (Picture NA)	Kiaran McLaughlin	Garrett Gomez	19-1
2		PLATINUM COUPLE	Joseph Lostritto	Jose Espinoza	28-1
3		HEMINGWAY'S KEY	Nick Zito	Jeremy Rose	30-1
4		GREELEY'S LEGACY	George Weaver	Richard Migliore	38-1
5		BROTHER DEREK	Dan Hendricks	Alex Solis	7-2
6		BARBARO	Michael Matz	Edgar Prado	1-2
7		SWEETNORTHERNSAINT	Michael Trombetta	Kent Desormeaux	6-1
8		BERNARDINI	Thomas Albertrani	Javier Castellano	17-1
9		DIABOLICAL	Steve Klesaris	Ramon Dominguez	24-1

[Rhiannon]

Give him a break .I know the risks for riders and horses. That adds to the draw for a sport. Risk. Look at the X games, very high risks and kids love it.

The fact is it is tragic that a horse with that much promise might be terminated early.That is part of the heartbreak of horses and racing.

Horses die every day ,ust not on a national broad cast.It upsets people.

[RobFromGa]

No AI is allowed for TB's

How stupid is that? That must have been negotiated by the stud horses themselves as part of a collective bargaining agreement.

Too bad about the injury to the horse- they are magnificent animals. Now we'll have to wait another year for a Triple Crown opp.

[Hildy]

Animals are not people, but some act as if they are more important than people.

Eight years ago I would have agreed with you...Seven years ago I was given my first dog. My dogs are more important TO ME than some people are. That's just a fact. And yes, I am a woman...but my husband feels the same. Hell, he's worse than I am about it!

[Wolfstar]

Not seeing where in the first fifty or so posts you indicated so much disdain for the sport.

I don't have disdain for the sport. Like many others, I believe research should be done to look for ways to improve racing surfaces. I also follow NASCAR. It took Dale Earnhardt's death to get NASCAR to adopt rules for HANS devices and safer barriers. People can speak for themselves. Horses can't.

[Wolfstar]

I'm a relative novice at this, but I would agree with that.

Thanks for speaking up. :)

[HairOfTheDog]

If you want my opinion, which is worth as much or little as you want to pay for it, the single greatest improvement to the sport would be to let them get a year older before they run them. But the sport will always cause injuries. So does any other sport. So does jumping, so does trail riding. We can't just encase them in bubble wrap. Well, we can try, but they won't run near as well. ;~D

They can try to make it safe and many keep an eye out for abuses, but even with the best of circumstances injuries will happen. I'm thankful for the level of care available to these animals when they do get hurt. They're luckier than some.

[Lemondropkid31]

There is always something more to do for protection. You can't ever do enough to protect them. I do not think that Barbaro breaking down had anything to do with the track. It looked to me like he took a bad step. There is so many thousands of pounds of pressure put on their spindly legs when they go full speed that even an undetectable microfracture is dangerous.

[RobFromGa]

I would imagine that even though the owner and trainer of this horse probably loved him dearly, they are likely more concerned at this point about the money. There is a lot of money at stake here- in fact that is why they are racing in the first place-- the money.

[Wolfstar]

I really hope you are right and that they can save him.

I'm not encouraged, just hopeful. I agree with you about the vet. Didn't see the first interview, but the second one and he did seem very worried for the horse's life.

[Rhiannon]

These horses exist only for our entertainment. Thoroughbreds and bred to race. The rejects do all the other sports. Pleasure , trail hunting , jumping x country . Without racing, these horses would not be bred.Many breeds have died out once their purpose ended. Like heavy draft etc.

Horses race for us, but they won't race unles they love it. That is how we get great TB's for other uses. If a horse doen't want to win or is too slow, they will often find their way to the sport users.

[prisoner6]

Oh, I know it seems odd, but onyx and I are empathetic to horses I guess. She and I and several others are always on the triple crown threads. The thing is this year we were all excited about breaking the triple crown winless streak. We had hopes with Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex, but Barbaro's convincing win in the derby had us all worked up. Would have set up a great Belmont.

Now if a TC potential just loses one of the jewels, or has to be pulled for health concerns that's one thing. But having this happen just turned our stomachs. Same thing with the guys at work with me tonight. We had planned on celebrating and maybe speculating on the Belmont. Then this, and knowing how painful and life threatening it is...well....nobody felt like food.

And it isn't just about the horse. It's all the people who work with the horse and feel worse than we do about it. I'm sure many of them are going through a lot more than upset stomachs right now.

NoOw that I think about it it's kinda selfish on our part. Talking about how the outcome is affecting us and not thinking about the animal and those people who were close to it.

prisoner6

[Lemondropkid31]

Yea, you are right. That vet on tv did not have a good look on his face.

[HairOfTheDog]

I know, right now you're fixating on the track surface and there's no indication the track surface had anything to do with it.

[HairOfTheDog]

< And it isn't just about the horse. It's all the people who work with the horse and feel worse than we do about it. I'm sure many of them are going through a lot more than upset stomachs right now. Now that I think about it it's kinda selfish on our part. Talking about how the outcome is affecting us and not thinking about the animal and those people who were close to it.

Terrific post. :~D

[Rhiannon]

No AI since the breeding has to be witnessed and prevents fraud..

[Lemondropkid31]

"How stupid is that? That must have been negotiated by the stud horses themselves as part of a collective bargaining agreement. "

LOL! the Jockey Club has never allowed it. I think they feel that the breed may be compromised if they allowed it.

[Fairview]

I think you're posting to the wrong person. I agree with everything you wrote. Yes, the sport is risky. Yes, it's tragic that such a promising and exciting horse was injured and might die. And yes, most people don't have to see horses get injured and die up close and personal the way they did today. We who are country people have seen such things before and will again. But no one will ever get me to say that a creature is "just a horse."

[Fairview]

The important thing is this: does anybody know where we can go to get ongoing updates on the horse's condition and prognosis?

[Lemondropkid31]

"And it isn't just about the horse. It's all the people who work with the horse and feel worse than we do about it. I'm sure many of them are going through a lot more than upset stomachs right now."

You are right. I feel bad for the trainer and the jockey. Especially the trainer and the groom that are with the horse every day, all day.

[Wolfstar]

Can you at least take a moment to be thankful that no jockey was permanently injured today?

Ah, come on, OldFriend, that's a comment unworthy of you. You know me well enough to know that's an unwarranted shot. Of course human beings come first, but that in no way negates concern for a magnificent animal with a shattered leg. Sheesh! Sometimes...well, I'll keep that thought to myself.