Bodemeister

[TJ]

Bodemeister was on a plane today from California to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Kentucky. Baffert isn't happy with the way he's been going and will undergo a complete examination. TJ

[bdw0617]

I hope he is okay.

what was looking like a really really promising BC classic is now looking like a down year

[zinn21]

He did a lot in such a short period of time I am not surprised. If you look at the sum total of Derby trail horses most of them are on the shelf or done. And Bode went from Maiden to Derby runner up from 1-16-12 to 5-5-12. A giant physical move in in less than four months. Insanity, IMO..

[bdw0617]

i agree with you zinn but my whole point of teh matter is why is it like that.

i do not doubt at all that the TC trail has had this effect on him that it has. but i don't think that means that the correct remedy is to not run your horse and only baby him through the trail. that logic doesn't add up.

i mean, he's a race horse. even though he won the A derby by the tv screen that was a paid workout for all intents and purposes.

my whole thing is see people look at this and every trainer in america goes "welp see what happened, here this is why you cant' push your horse, nope just one start before the derby that's it and if we don't win the derby just the belmont". that is what scares me instead of asking "why are all the horses that ran a few times are now getting hurt and sick, what can we do to make sure that the horse are better prepared for the wear and tear that is about to come up"

[TJ]

The truth is unless you have a good gelding they aren't going to race much past their 3YO season. We've seen this since Secretariat's 3YO campaign and will continue to see this as long as we keep watching horse racing. The reasons for retiring at 3 may change, but bottom line....the money is in the breeding shed once they make their mark, not racing. They are just worth too much money to continue to race and insure them for the multi-millions of dollars they are valued at. Not to mention the risk involved each time they go to the post. This is big business and anyone that's in it and has a good horse must take advantage of the situation. This year was unusual in that we had some lightly raced, brilliant horses show up at the head of the class in Bodemeister and I'll Have Another. Then along came Paynter, another lightly raced but brilliant horse. I doubt anyone expected them to become as accomplished as they did in a short period of time....but they did and now will all end up as sires raking in the big bucks. There is a big business aspect to this sport and the owners of all three of these horses are in it to get them to prove their ability and go on to stud duty. The steady goer' of the season was Union Rags who finally proved himself in his last race....it was announced today he will stand at Will Farish' Lane's End Farm where his deceased sire Dixie Union stood. TJ

[bdw0617]

lol TJ i just realized something.


in 2007 when i first rally really started following horse racing you had the 3YO crop. you had hard spun, you had curlin you had street sense, you had any given saturday you had rags to riches. I'm missing one or two. anyway, so they are running and their races are spaced out and everyone is crying beucase they don't run that much and how they are all going to be taken to stud at the end of the year


fast forward 5 yerars later, horse racing has gotten so pitiful with it's horses that they can't e4ven do that anymore. lol now horse racing horses have to be good in quarters of the year. it's too much to ask for a 3YO to actually be really good all year long. now you got union rags/hansen at the beginning of the year. then they have to take their break and now you got i'll have another and bodemeister. well they had their 2 races lol now it's time for them to step aside, and now you have paynter and after he gets his 2 races he's now gone lol. so we have went through 3 quarters of hte racing year and we have had good horses for each quarter. that is flat out pitiful. there just is no other way to describe it. horses can't be good for even a year , not even talking a career or multiple years, just one year. now 2 races and bam gone.

[TJ]

Think about it and you can go back pretty far and find the same business sense applied. How about the other red horse, Man O War...he raced at two and three......his son, War Admiral raced as a 2 and 3YO. Northern Dancer as well.....then off to the breeding shed where they belonged. Those that stayed longer had something to prove for one reason or another...for example Seabiscuit. Others like Kelso, Forego and John Henry had no choice:>) TJ

[zinn21]

TJ, I guess your right but it's a helluva way to make a buck in the breeding shed; hammering on these horse to the point they are done after a half dozen races or so.

Let's take Union Rags for example. What will he stand for? 25k? Times 120 breedings equals $3 million. Guess you are right..

It just seems to me that racing in general is so dysfunctional with the "Derby Trail" money grab that there is no way racing can be successful and grow if we continue down this road..

[TJ]

TJ, I guess your right but it's a helluva way to make a buck in the breeding shed; hammering on these horse to the point they are done after a half dozen races or so.

Let's take Union Rags for example. What will he stand for? 25k? Times 120 breedings equals $3 million. Guess you are right..

It just seems to me that racing in general is so dysfunctional with the "Derby Trail" money grab that there is no way racing can be successful and grow if we continue down this road..

Hi Zinn,
I understand what you're saying. Yet, on the other hand, without the Kentucky Derby and the excitement of seeing a possible Triple Crown contender each year....where would racing be? Seems like it's the only time of the year when horse racing is front and center. Everyone....horse racing fans or not are interested in watching the Kentucky Derby. If interest like that could be injected (no pun intended) into racing year round, maybe it would be possible to gain some new fan interest. TJ

[louis finochio]

Seabiscuit, John Henry, Kelso, Forego, did not have prolific crosses of one sire line. Citation ran his TC races close together. The breeders of these FB are to blame for creating tbs of short duration.

[TJ]

Seabiscuit, John Henry, Kelso, Forego, did not have prolific crosses of one sire line. Citation ran his TC races close together. The breeders of these FB are to blame for creating tbs of short duration.

Hi Louis,
I don't know about FB, prolific crosses and all that which has nothing to do with what we are talking about? But John Henry, Kelso and Forego were geldings with ability, issues and good trainers and that's why they came back and raced year after year. Seabiscuit found a new lease on life after Tom Smith got him...he had plenty unsoundness issues....but the healing hand of Tom Smith kept bringing him back till he attained his goal...winning the Big Cap. Concerning Citation running his Triple Crown races close together....that was not the case, as a matter of fact there was a 4 week span between his Preakness win and his Belmont win.....a week more than the 3 week span which is the norm today. Because of that extra week, it allowed Citation to win 4 races in route to his Triple Crown achievement...while keeping to a 2 week race schedule. Citation won the Derby on May 1st, 1948 the Preakness two weeks later in May 15th. Then two weeks after that, his workout for the Belmont Stakes was winning the Jersey Derby on May 29th....another 2 week rest and he topped it off with his Belmont Stakes win on June 12th. TJ

[louis finochio]

I posted my info on Citation, from, Great Breeders & Their Methods, look it up & you will find what i posted.

[TJ]

I posted my info on Citation, from, Great Breeders & Their Methods, look it up & you will find what i posted.

Hi Louis,
I don't have to Louis, I all ready did. I think you may need to look it up and check what they said?. Citation won his triple crown over a 6 week interval from May 1st to June 12th. As I noted all 4 races he won during that time span were run at his preferred two week intervals. This was a horse who thrived on racing and leading into his Derby win, he won the Derby trial April 27th....just 4 days prior to the Derby! If they quoted he ran his RACES close together I will agree, but he did not run his Triple Crown races close together as he had an additional week than those TC winner's listed below.
Secretariat was May 5th to June 9th, Affirmed was May 6th to June 10th and Seattle Slew May 7th to June 11th.....all at a 5 week interval. TJ

[louis finochio]

Thanks, the Derby Trial was in my memory bank, Citation was a great mover, his action resembled a deer, light on his feet. All the Best, Louis.

[TJ]

Thanks, the Derby Trial was in my memory bank, Citation was a great mover, his action resembled a deer, light on his feet. All the Best, Louis.

Hi Louis,
All the best to you as well. TJ