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

http://www.preakness.com/ ^

[Lemondropkid31]

Yea, its about salvaging him for breeding now. Even if he gets through the surgery, the doc said it would be a few months until he is out of the woods.

[carton253]

Well until mine scenario is played out... we really won't know how exciting the races would be.

[marajade]

It was greed. Greed that made them decide to put that horse back in the gate.

[HairOfTheDog]

Uh-oh! Reinforcements from the Hobbit Threads. I better yield the field before more of you show up! Retreat here may be the better part of valor! :)

You know... He may have been a HHer first, but I think his loyalty now, if any, might be that he's my husband, who has been sitting here, right beside me, watching this race, and this thread, the whole time. He had something to add to the issue. Is there some kind of HH quota limit on a thread?

[prisoner6]

Thanks for the updates!

Guess it's gonna be how he acepts coming out of surgery. Let's hope for the best!

prisoner6

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting. Went to the local track to bet The Preakness. Had a $5 perfecta 8-7. WOOOHOOO!

[ecurbh]

[romanesq]

I'm just trying to share the feelings with others on the thread about Barbaro.
And it's getting annoying with the constant harping on changing the rules on the Triple Crown.

Maybe that petition can begin and leave the thread where it serves no purpose.

Yeah, I'm upset with other folks on this thread.

[Lemondropkid31]

No, the horse WANTED to run. He was very anxious. That is how he is. He heard a noise when he was in the gate, and that is why he broke. This happens with maidens, they get all excited and they break before the bell. It was wierd, but had nothing to do with the injury. That was a freak thing.

[OldFriend]

Prairie Bayou.......I will google and see, but I think you're right.

[marajade]

How sad. And I'm in tears.

[Lemondropkid31]

No it wasnt.Calm down. It was an accident.

[Lemondropkid31]

I am too

[connectthedots]

IF the schedule is part of the test... then why should some horse get to skip that part?

Two reasons:

1. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

2. No one remembers the second reason.

[OldFriend]

Google just commenting......Prairie Bayou's tragic breakdown in Belmont, 1993......that's all I could find.

[grellis]

I can't say much about the severity of the schedule. I don't know if the races have always had the two-week spacing (I doubt it) and I don't follow TB racing enough to know how often individual horses race, generally speaking. Personally, I always view the Belmont winner as the year's best racer, regardless of how that horse may have fared at the Downs or Pimlico. 1.5 miles at a run is a bitch. Only the best of the best take Belmont.

JMO

[connectthedots]

Gambling is NOT the only reason for horse racing.

Try making it work without gambling.

[HairOfTheDog]

Why did they insist on bringing him back to the gate? I would've pulled him right there.

Because it's a horse race. Horses act up, refuse to load, shy, spook or raise hell in the gate, and then run races, all the time. They occasionally false start. The concern early on was that he might have hurt his knees on the gate, not a back leg. No telling if the injury he suffered was even related, or was something else. 20/20 hindsight.

[carton253]

So, where we have a difference is on whether or not we think the schedule is part of the test. I think it is. You don't. I think that your tennis scenario would work here is the races were spread out much like the Grand Slams were.

The case that went before the Supreme Court over the golfer who wanted to ride a cart would be an good comparison. He says, that riding a cart didn't make a difference on how he struck the ball...but pro golfers said trucking up and down the golf course over four days certainly took its toll by the fourth day... so, riding a cart gave the golfer an added advantage.

I just think it is the same.

Spread those races out over the summer... then let anyone who wants to enter...enter and I would say that you are right

PS - Lendl's refusal to play in US Open had nothing to do with the timing and everything to do with the surface. Federer has the same problem with clay.

[Lemondropkid31]

That is it. He broke down on the backstretch.