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

[apackof2]

Yes lots of owners are like that

I have a friend who trained but she got out of the "business" because of owners like that

I am glad you were able to take him

[Fairview]

True, if you go to the track to buy a horse you'll soon be inundated by trainers begging you to buy or take as a gift horses who have minor injuries or are just slow. They don't want to see the horse euthanized but sometimes the owners are saying, "Get rid of him, he's eating too much and generating training fees!" The trainers often feel awful about this and are thrilled to have a chance to place the horse in a good home with a nice lady like me or An American Mother.

[AnAmericanMother]

I don't go to the steeplechase any more - haven't in years.

Three-day eventing is exciting enough for me . . . or actually in our case one-day eventing. That's all the mare and I can stand. She loves the cross country, but oh my goodness we are slow. Sometimes our steadiness moves us up in the standings, because she never refuses and never falters, but usually we finish somewhere in the middle of the pack. Her stadium jumping is brilliant - but our dressage is NOT a thing of beauty! She has no impulsion on the flat, I have to canter her over a few fences beforehand to get her revved up at all.

[apackof2]

Yes its true he is young and strong, he could make it

I pray in Jesus name, for Babaro's recovery

[carton253]

I only went to one steeple-chase event when I was younger. I was positioned at a jump during the cross-country. After watching many riders and horses fall, I found it too unsettling.

[Lemondropkid31]

Believe me, if he had had the money and room we would have took them all. It was nice to be able to save this one though. Good for you for saving the strays!

[Annie5622]

G'evenin'!

[AnAmericanMother]

It's the opportunity of a lifetime!

The industry's loss is our gain. Actually, it works out well, because a "slow" horse to a racing trainer is usually PLENTY fast enough for your average hunter/jumper rider.

Of course, in my case, my mare was "slow" in the yearling paddock . . . she is REALLY slow. I was riding one of my trainer's other horses last week - a four star horse who is VERY strong (he broke my breastplate just jumping - admittedly it was old and ready to go, but he finished it off!) I remarked to my trainer that he was mighty fast, and she said, "He's just fast compared to Gracie." I responded, honestly, "EVERYbody is fast compared to Gracie." She just laughed and agreed.

[Lemondropkid31]

Mabe she should stick with jumping?

[carton253]

My brother calls them trailer trash. He has a pure bred Persian and Maine Coone. But, my trailer trash have lots of personality... and, they needed me as much as I needed them. But I had to stop after three. I don't want to be known as "that woman with all the cats..." LOL!

[AnAmericanMother]

Amen!

[Lemondropkid31]

Pure Breds are nice. I have one of those too. But it does not matter if they are a pure bred or not. A cat is a cat no matter what. And they need the same love and attention.

[SHOOT THE MOON bat]

Thank you. I have been steamed all night. Last week a guest priest had a stirring sermon about moral relevance and this week we're back to sermons from the left. I don't get it. I need to find a new church.

[SnarlinCubBear]

Poor baby. God, be with him.

[carton253]

You are right. A cat is a cat no matter what. My life has been enriched by my three additions. Just as your life has probably been enriched by the addition of your rescue horse.

I love horses. I have never owned one and only ridden one maybe twice in my life, but they are so beautiful to watch. That's why I watch horse racing and all the horse events at the Olympics. Such a majestic animal.

Today, coming home from Arabic lessons, I had to take a detour through the rich section of town. There were signs warning the driver to watch out for horses. I finally saw one on the road. He was so tall and beautiful. I passed him carefully, but I just wanted to get out of the car and pet him but I didn't know how the rider would react to that.

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh, when I get annoyed with not doing better at combined training, we go sign up for a couple of hunter shows and clean up.

She really is a pretty mare, and jumps clean and safe, so she can win a working hunter or conformation hunter class standing on her head. And the judges like a horse that isn't too fast.

But once you've ridden cross country it's hard to stop -- it's so much more fun than circulating round and round a ring. And at my age I've lost that cut-throat competitive urge -- I don't mind not finishing in the money, I just want to finish respectably - somewhere in the top third or half is just fine with me. As long as the mare's enjoying it, everything's copacetic.

Not a formidable fence, but that's where the Hunter Pace Official Photographer was standing at the time --

[carton253]

What is your horse's name?

[AnAmericanMother]

It's true that a cat is a cat, and I like all cats.

But I'm very partial to Siamese. The most dog-like of the cats -- and all certifiably insane!

[AnAmericanMother]

Full of Grace, but everybody calls her Gracie.

[OldFriend]

Howdy!!!