What A Song injured

milesm · Postby **milesm** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:46 am

Got this e-mail from one of the clockers at Del Mar this morning. Still hasn't hit the wires yet....

The top two-year-old in the country, undefeated, What A Song suffered a knee injury in a gallop at Del Mar on Friday morning.

At approximately seven in the morning What A Song was galloping with his regular rider, Manuel Avila, on board when he went wrong in the front right. He was immediately pulled up.

He walked on to the equine ambulance on his own power and walked out under his own power. The injury, seemed to be in the knee area.

What A Song just won the Best Pal Stakes in authoritative style this past Sunday and was undefeated in three lifetime starts.

Regretfully, we will not see the Henny Hughes ~ What A Song match-up in the future.

Tough break for Baffert and owners, Bob & Beverly Lewis.

Stay tuned for more on this unfortunate incident.

LSB · Postby **LSB** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:59 am

What a shame. I hope he comes back okay.

Ruffian · Postby **Ruffian** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:26 am

From ESPN boards-

I just heard some very sad news. What a Song broke his sesamoid and had to be euthanized

True?

Sierra · Postby **Sierra** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:57 am

They are confirming on TVG that he had to be euthanized.

Waquoit · Postby **Waquoit** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:31 pm

It's on Blood Horse too. What a damn shame.

Gerry · Postby **Gerry** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:57 pm

heres the link from the bloodhorse http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=29592

such a shame

windham · Postby **windham** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:25 pm

I'm totally shocked and saddened by this news.

I'm fairly new to the racing world (but not the horse world) and had taken quite a liking to this colt. I had him in my virtual stable and could NOT believe how much he was worked and raced as just a 2 yr. old. My gut was telling me it was too much, and now this. DAMN -

R.I.P. What A Song, you will be sadly missed :cry:

nferro9925 · Postby **nferro9925** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:20 pm

You are right Waquoit, it is a damn shame.
He had such possibilities.

Oldschool65 · Postby **Oldschool65** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:04 pm

This is very sad news, but....

...this is what happens when you give thoroughbreds to guys like Baffert and Lukas who train them like they're still training quarter horses. Its been a pattern with these two trainers for years, but some owners will just never learn.

ageecee · Postby **ageecee** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:19 pm

[quote="Oldschool65"]This is very sad news, but....

...this is what happens when you give thoroughbreds to guys like Baffert and Lukas who train them like they're still training quarter horses. Its been a pattern with these two trainers for years, but some owners will just never learn.[/quote]

I will agree with your post but lets remember these are 2 yr olds. Anytime you run a 2 yr old you are taking a chance of something going wron with them. They are way too brittle to be racing at 2. Just my opinion..

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 5:22 am

I will never forget Bob Baffert, quoted here in our local media, on getting a very promising two year old in his barn... "I like him a lot but I haven't Baffertized him yet." The horse later died.

Thoroughbreds are fragile and individual... and the "one size fits all" training program is guaranteed to eliminate along the way the ones that can't stand up to that and require an individualized training program. One can't argue, though, that Mr. Baffert has not had some blazing successes with his techniques..

judi · Postby **judi** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 5:57 am

The two year old in training sales process puts too much stress on these young horses.
Many of them come out of these sales the worse for wear. The problems don't always surface immediately. This could be another factor in this sad incident.
Judi

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:41 am

O.K. Guys heres my 5 cents worth and I will not waste time............. a picture is worth a thousand words and I humbly suggest that everyone take a look at the photo of What A Song that is shown on the Daily Racing Form page. Take a good look.......... as a trainer and owner of thoroughbreds I will tell you what I see. Here is a horse winning a stake race .........he is wearing blinkers with an outside scoop which is usually used on older horses that try to bear outwards probably because they have an old physical problem and they want to get off the track and not really take part anymore. Look further and you will see the rider has the bit pulled through the poor beasts mouth as he tries to steer him towards the wire........... and finally check the horror in the horses left eye as he approaches the finish. As Bob Dylan once wrote" You dont need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows". This horse had had enough and his problems were obviously major but nobody cried a halt to this farce. It happens all too often and it makes me sick!!!!!!!!!!

Sysonby · Postby **Sysonby** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:20 pm

Wilf if I am not mistaken--I think What A Song had a little bit of a wall eye on that side.

LSB · Postby **LSB** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:27 pm

wilf, what you're referring to as a look of horror in What a Song's eye was his habitual look. This is a picture of him taken, standing at ease, before he ever ran a race.

http://www.finalturngallery.com/album1121/whatasong2