No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

tom mallios — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:07:30 GMT

then slew,we do agree. my entire point to start was that i would not run a horse into the ground. i am trying to preserve its' health.i understand your love for them after racing.but bottom line these are race horses.of course they will be put through strenuous races.that is why they are famous and you love them.if money were not involved where you say i care about odds.you would never of heard of them.please take a poll of peole and ask them.if parimutual wagering would not be allowed.how many would follow the game as intently. sometimes the problem with the so called animal lovers is. and i personally take offense to this.is that we could care less about the horses health and well being.that we are barbarians that say,put them in the oval and let them run so we can bet them. you did not understand my initial post. it was in favor of preserving the health of not only horse,but jockey.god forbid if a horse goes down.the potential for human and horse fatality is great. i want to avoid that circumstance. thus my initial point not to run horses to much.then there are the old timers who say todays horses are brittle,they cant run as often as the old timers.one or the other please.i agree there are dangers to lasix.what happens to the thousands of horses that are bleeders and cannot race without the medication.do we just lay them up as pets,or do we race them and say the hell with them.lasix like any drug has its' positives and negatives.another reason i am in favor of not over racing them.the less they run,the less lasix they take in if they use the medication.therefore the side effect is not as harsh. so to summarize,we both agree,that we want the safety of horse and rider.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Slew — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:32:19 GMT

Tom, the dissension between us is due, I believe, to that fact that we approach horse racing from 2 very different perspectives.

You see the horses as odds, numbers on a page, pp's, and $$ won.

I see horses as the epitome of courage and fluid grace. Watching them move makes my world a better place. I care about their career and life after racing. I appreciate the intelligence I find in their eyes. I respect the power they convey. I love the fire in their hearts. I worry about their vulnerability.

To me, any decision not made in the best interest of the horse is the wrong decision.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

tom mallios — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 13:33:55 GMT

slew, i have to laugh at your comments about R.A. , all of a sudden she was immature and did not know how to pace herself.first of all the woodward was end of august whereas 3 yos' develop.as far as the immaturity and the fact she did not know how to pace herself.was that an optical illusion in the oaks and in the preakness.she sure did not look like a rank immature filly who could not control herself on the front end.when i say it is up to the owners. i mean responsible owners. running against the boys is a major exception and not the rule.but as stated earlier.if you went by speed figures,RA was 2 to 3 lengths faster than the nearest competitor.the same thing if you go back a while.when personal ensign beat the boys at saratoga. on paper she was 3 lengths faster than her nearest competitor. i know races are not run on paper.but i would much raher be sitting on the fastest horse by far going in to a race. than backing a slower contender. whatever happens during the race is never predicted. as far as life at ten not being scratched in the BC. how can you relate that to running a horse into the ground.the owners pointed to that race.fact she was not scratched in my opinion is the same why other horses are not scratched . the tracks do not want to refund the money wagered .especially with her.she was a huge favorite on the ultimate platform. the money that would of had to be refunded with the exotics and other wagers would of been severe. chalk that up to greed.do not say they ran her into the ground.so what may look like a bold and challenging move,may just be an excellently calculated decision.at least it is a decision they are pointing to.an example of running a horse into the ground ,then coming to their senses was palace malice. he ran in the La. derby end of march,since he did not qualify for the derby. the connections,whoever made the call. they decided to come back 2 weeks later in the bluegrass.now that he qualified,he came back 3 weeks late in the derby.gave me the impression that all they wanted was a derby horse.being a public stable.it looked as though he was just an advertising billboard. look how he ran in the derby,he was over the top.he could not relax and took off and set those rediculous fractions.thankfully smith pulled him up and conserved him to race another day. you saw the difference in the belmont when he was a fresh horse. so that is running a horse into the ground.excessive races within a short period of time.not taking on a challenge that you and i or anyone else may deem ridiculous.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Slew — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 13:26:28 GMT

Tom: Zenyatta did not begin her racing career until late in her 3 year old year. She ran approx. 5 times a year, and she raced at 4,5,and 6. She ran mostly on artificial surfaces (protects the joints). She ran against the boys only twice, and those races were spaced a year apart, even though she was bigger than most of the males. She was well-protected while racing.

Rachel was pushed as a 3 year old. She didn't need urging to run; she just took off and ran.

She was raced 6 times at 2, beginning in May, 2008. She raced 8 times at 3, hard races on dirt against stiff competition. She ran 4 times at 4, and was then retired with an undisclosed ailment. (People don't seem to realize, she actually ran just as well at 4 as she did at 3; the other fillies, however, had matured at 4 as RA had precociously done at 3.

When RA walked in the post parade for the Woodward, she was highly agitated. (I still think she might have been in heat). She tossed Calvin, then whacked him with her head. She was difficult to settle. RA ran her heart out, but for the final 2f, for the first time, she ran under the whip. When the race was done, RA could barely stand. To me, that is running a horse into the ground. And from an interview with her former trainer, Hal Wiggens in BH, he thought she was run into the ground in that race.

My opinion has nothing to do with handicapping, and everything to do the healthy career and life of a thoroughbred.

Zenyatta retired sound at 6; RA was retired early at 4 due to injury.

Mary: Man O'War and Secretariat were considered huge at 16 hands 2 inches.(16 and a half hands or 16.5 decimally) Slew was 16 hands (and he looked huge.)

War Admiral was smaller than Seabiscuit, who wasn't very big himself. 1940's TC Champions were about 15 hands.

Midnight Lute...17 hands 1 inch

Zenyatta...over 17 hands 1 inch

Rock Hard Ten...17 hands 3 inches

First Dude....17 hands

Stately Victor...17 hands

Unbridled Belle...over 17 hands

Unrivaled Belle...over 17 hands

and many more over 17 included a few TC contenders this year. The TB is trending from small and compact to large and bulky.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

robinm — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 12:51:00 GMT

There do seem to be more big thoroughbreds today, but maybe it only seems that way as some of the most popular and successful horses recently have been on the tall side of "average". I suspect the average thoroughbred is still 16 to 16.2 hands (and I'm sure by 16.5 Slew meant 16 and 1/2 hands, which is 16.2). In regards to Northern Dancer, I would be very surprised if he was actually 15.2; maybe with long feet and shod. 15 is probably closer to his true height.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

El Kabong — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 02:46:36 GMT

Steve, well done.

Obviously the gloves are on the ice and racing this summer has much to settle in the minds of many an expert.

If I'm not mistaken, Orb was given his due, and no one covered his story more objectively. He's a talented horse managed by an impeccable trainer according to everything you have written.

Maybe this TC season will force all parties to realize that they need to race, train and think beyond the TC series if they want their champion to rise above. I for one could care less about a TC champion as along as we continue to see full fields and spirited racing. I can't remember a Belmont race with a field like we had this year. In past years where the triple crown was on the line, we had a field of 5 or 6. Hogwash. I prefer a year like this year where perhaps the best is yet to come and one where more trainers/owners are compelled to compete. The flip side as many have pointed out is that when we have a dominate TC horse on the trail, the fields melt away. The champion is not tested by his best adversaries who know it is best to wait and hope the Monster is lofted to the breeding shed before the summer and fall races conclude the year. Despite my misfortunes of handicapping the year, I have enjoyed the racing thus far immensely. From the sound of it, most are healthy and still in the hunt for the good of all racing. How can that lead to any bitterness about the state of racing? We have a bounty of healthy horses on the verge of entertaining us once more in the summer season leading up to the breeders cup. May they all stay that way and keep confusing those so willing to crown one King.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Alex'sBigFan — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 02:39:57 GMT

Steve,

I love this article, it provides hope for the future. I agree, these 3 warriors lasted through another grueling Triple Crown run proving there is fortitude and stamina in the breed yet. I even think there were far less injuries this year than the last couple of years.

Does some tweaking need to be done in regards to breeding and medication, most likely, but the strength we've seen in Paynter, Animal Kingdom, etc. is remarkable and speaks volumes for the breed.

I think Abigail hit the nail on the head with timing. Perhaps we are trying to fit the thoroughbred into human agendas and we need to see more 2 yr. old foundations.

Great article and happy vacation Steve. I hope you will still be at the Haskell. Don't stay away too long.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Fran Loszynski — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 02:39:50 GMT

I'm one of those fans Steve that says exactly that our racehorse are no longer bred for stamina but reading your article reminds me that it really isn't the physical aspect but the heart and courage that crosses the finish line, thank you.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Mary — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:58:34 GMT

Bigtex, Hear The Ghost was my favorite also.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Racingfan — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:35:08 GMT

Slew - sorry to say but "yesterday's" Thoroughbreds NEVER averaged 14 hands (even "little" Northern Dancer was 15.2 and he was not well accepted in his day due to his small size) and many of them were plenty big like Man O War, Native Dancer and Forego. And today's Thoroughbreds do not "average" 16.5 (which is not a measurement) to 17.3 hands. Although they are out there, a 17 hand horse is still not the norm.....

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

tom mallios — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:43:12 GMT

first of all slew.i do not know or care what handicapping methods you use.the only odd thing about R.A running in the woodward was that she faced older males.in regards to speed figures.she buried the competition going in.so using your logic that running a filly against the boys is running them into the ground.john sherrifs and the mosss' should be ashamed of themselves for exposing Zennyata against males in back to back Breeders cup classics.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Bigtex — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 06:29:16 GMT

Tiz Herself

You're missing whom I thought was my Derby favorite, Hear the Ghost!

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Slew — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 23:31:40 GMT

Tom: I have to differ with your opinion. It's not just the spacing or rest time. When you throw a highly competitive 3 year old filly in a race against older males, you are running her into the ground. Every horse in that race was gutted, because RA was not a quitter. RA was gutted because at 3, she was too immature to know enough to pace herself.

Rachel in the Woodward...the Slew in the Swaps...owners' decisions that were NOT in the best interest of the horse. Usually up to the task, why wasn't Life At Ten scratched before the debacle in the BCLC? I contend that horses can be run to ground by bad choices made by their connections, whether a claimer or a G1 winner.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Mahuba — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 20:33:16 GMT

One more thing! This is a great time to be a race fan! Why? Because I just got to see Royal Ascot live!!

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Mahuba — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 20:30:28 GMT

I mainly just read the comments and laugh a lot and learn a lot. But I just had to say that Slew, you got it right on the money. During my 61 years, I have learned that appreciating "now" is the secret to life.

Racing has always changed over time in many ways, responding to changing technology, primarily. When I began watching racing, a lot of emphasis was put on carrying weight. Then as transportation became faster with easier conditions, owners chose to ship their horses to the races that assigned their animals the least weight, which, in theory at least, gave their horses a better shot at winning. That's why we don't see the great weight carriers anymore. I bet if today's ultrasounds and bone scans had been available in the 1950's and 60's, there would have been less starts per horse as trainers could identify more risks. And of course, as mentioned before, the incredible stud values have their effect, too. And so on and so on.

Thank you Steve and thank all y'all--this is always such a thought-provoking blog!

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Linda in Texas — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:46:59 GMT

Slew dear Slew - Well said indeed, especially your last sentence.

Dr. D. - always makes me smile.:)

Deacon - wise learned words from a dad schooled son.

Predict- Itsmyluckyday has a fracture of his pelvis. His future could be compromised is probably why Tiz Herself did not list him.

Thanks Steve. You are always right on target with your writings. And speaking of dad's, i will always wonder if down deep inside your dad had a secret wish to be a writer. Me thinks he saw in you what he held close to his own vest.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

tom mallios — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:32:47 GMT

slew running into the ground means not allowing a horse any rest.not where they run. rachel was spaced out perfectly. where a horse runs is up to the connections,i can never question that.it is how often they run that can hurt the horse.so get your facts straight.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Slew — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:46:12 GMT

I meant to add that yesterday's Champions seemed to average 14 or 16 hands. Many of today's runners average between 16.5 to 17.3 hands. It is much more difficult to keep such a large horse healthy during his racing career. You might assume they would be more durable, but all that weight on those spindly legs actually leaves them more vulnerable to injury.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Linda in Texas — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:32:50 GMT

Thank you Steve. I used to hear my dad use the word Hogwash. Reminded me sweetly of him. He was the one who allowed me into the world of horses for a summer distraction that began at age 11. Still going strong 62 years later.

Oxbow caught my eye the first time Steve photo'd him. He was as i think i even said, full of himself. Just a gutsy compact stick of dynamite. Orb, big and beautiful, Jennifer's baby. Palace Malice, still a toddler, wait til he grows up and removes his training shoes. Tracks were nasty every TC race. One horse entered the track during the post parade and i swear i heard him swear. Not this again! They want me to race on this #$/% again? But kudos to the track keepers/managers of The Belmont. How they cleared what i saw the morning of the race is amazing.

I say never give up, have faith, the best is yet to come. And a special thanks to those who appreciate the hard work it takes to put these giants on every racetrack, so some of us can sit back and knock them into the dirt with negative opinions. I say, if you are so damn smart,go buy one and see what you can do with it.

Thank you Steve.

And off topic. Ascot Races - To No Nay Never, Congratulations. And to Thomas Chippendale brave winner now in the paddock with Skippy, El Prado, Gone West and all the other's here one minute gone the next, Rest in Peace.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Slew — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:41:46 GMT

Oh, I do have a few points to address.

First: Tom, you said, "what idiot if he owned a star race horse would run him into the ground." Short memory? How about Jess Jackson and Rachel Alexandra? Remember The Woodward?

Second: Most people commenting seem to be concentrating only on the winners. Doesn't anyone notice the other contenders? It pays to watch them all. It is that attention to detail that allows one to project to future form in upcoming stakes. If you don't take the time to notice it, you lose.

Yes, Orb was my favorite...but basically because I liked the way he moved over the ground, and I loved his breeding. I felt he was bred for the TC. Guess the owner and trainer did too, or they never would have entered him. I make no excuses for him. If you watched the races closely, you might have noticed that Shug made no excuses.

The only apologists seem to be fair-weather Orb fans who climbed on the Orb bandwagon late on the trail.

Even Steve noticed the potential in Oxbow and Palace Malice long before the TC run began....because he, like myself, noticed how well they actually performed despite setbacks during their losses. (To be honest, I did notice Oxbow and his courage; I didn't really credit PM because the La Derby to me was simply a toss.)

Lasix: It seems a recent study by Vets concluded that diuretics cause bone loss. I have been saying the same thing for years. People tend to equate osteoporosis with aging. I don't buy that. If my bones were strong thoughout my life, and I'm suddenly faced with galloping osteoporosis, perhaps it's not my age but my medication. If you're being treated for hypertension, you're taking diuretics. If you take diuretics, you will have bone loss. When you have bone loss, they become brittle, and you break more easily. For humans there is little choice. You take the medication or you have a stroke, or drown in your own fluids. With horses, it's not a life and death matter. It's a matter of ROI. My opinion is that if a horse is a bleeder, DON'T race him/her. Funny how every other country in the world manages to maintain durable thoroughbreds without lasix, except the USA. Shame on us.

But don't tell me the true thoroughbred has vanished. Yes, I remember and love the Slew, Citation, Kelso...all monsters. But did you forget about Rapid Redux so soon? Gio Ponti? Lava Man? Kinsale King? Game On Dude? Invasor? Einstein? Mmmmmmmmm Rock Hard Ten!

Can you just imagine a race with Dr. Fager, Buckpasser, and Damascus. Wow! It happened. What about the duel in the Woodford Reserve when Einstein edged out Cowboy Cal? Awesome race. Does anyone doubt the size of the heart of little Jackson Bend? If you're always looking back ruefully, you simply might not notice what's happening in front of your nose today.

Yes, sometimes I miss the old days, but I embrace the now and what is to come. I get to meet all of you lovely people, and get to listen to your opinions, and join in the conversation with an ease that was non-existant 40 or 50 years ago. Thank you for teaching me so much.

And always be thankful with what you have now, and enjoy yourselves.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

predict — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:25:32 GMT

Orb, Oxbow and Palice Malice did not provide any Triple Crown results that I feel will go down in history as great races to remember. Orb defeated very tired front runners, Oxbow won an uncontested pace race that surprised even his jockey, and Palice Malice defeated a tired Orb and Oxbow as he crawled across the finish. Not the stuff to write home about, I dare say.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

predict — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:19:44 GMT

Tiz Herself,

Also Tiz the Truth, surprised you missed this one, and also Itsmyluckyday, just to name a couple of more. Your list in itself kind of disputes the stance that we are breeding just as strong a horse as ever.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

sysonby — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 05:24:35 GMT

40 yrs later and we certainly have not seen the likes of Secretariat again....But we seem to get another Twice a Prince every year....Improvement of the breed? Nice bumper sticker...

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Dr Drunkinbum — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 04:25:09 GMT

Palace Malice is a growing boy, late maturing physically and mentally and is a freakish talent. He has a big shot at superstardom, could be a Grade One winner on all surfaces if they choose to do so and has a good chance to win the BC Classic this year.

re: No Stopping 2013 Triple Crown Heroes

Tiz Herself — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 03:45:50 GMT

Awesome job again Steve- I enjoy this group of three year olds... what's not to like?

Also there are some that when they return to racing, it will make it even sweeter. Black Onyx, Shanghai Bobby, Code West, Dewey Square, Govenor Charlie, He's Had Enough, Long River, Mylute, Normandy Invasion, Revolutionary, Verrazano, Violence, Abraham, Delhomme, Brown Almighty, Capo Bastone, Carried Interest, Den's Legacy, Departing, Flashback, Freedom Child, Incognito, Power Broker, Quiros (1/2 brother to Invasor!), Quinzieme Monarque, Rydilluc... who am I missing? That is just the boys