Flashy Bull gets a hangnail, goes to stud

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:33 pm

Stephen Foster winner Flashy Bull retired

FLASHY BULL
by Jeff Lowe

Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) winner Flashy Bull has been retired following the detection of a cracked sesamoid in his left front ankle.

Owner West Point Thoroughbreds has not finalized stud plans for the four-year-old Holy Bull colt out of Iridescence, by Mt. Livermore.

The injury was discovered after Flashy Bull finished seventh in the Whitney Handicap (G1) on July 28 at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

“He never went back to the racetrack,” West Point President Terry Finley said on Thursday. “We put the tack back on him and brought him out of the stall and he was off. We thought it was just from a little cut on his ankle, but then he had a filling. It’s very minor, but it’s there.”

Flashy Bull hit the board in graded stakes at two and three and improved dramatically this year as a four-year-old. He notched two straight wins in allowance company before scoring a head victory in the William Donald Schaefer Handicap (G3) at Pimlico Race Course on May 19.

Finley and McLaughlin did not decide until entry day to send Flashy Bull to Churchill Downs for the Stephen Foster, and he rewarded them with a head victory over Magna Graduate.

“That was a huge win for his stud value,” Finley said. “There’s a good deal of interest. It was kind of fortunate that [the injury] happened up [in Saratoga] with all the breeders in town.”

Bred in Kentucky by Jerry and Liz Squyres, Flashy Bull finished second in the 2005 Remsen Stakes (G2) and ’06 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and third in the Ohio Derby (G2). He provided West Point with its first starter in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), finishing 14th behind Barbaro. Flashy Bull won five of 19 career starts and earned $844,313.

Buzz Chace, agent, bought Flashy Bull on West Point’s behalf for $205,000 in the 2005 Ocala Breeders’ Sale Co.’s Calder February two-year-olds in training sale.

Flashy Bull is a half brother to Pink Viper, who won the Count Fleet Stakes on January 6 at Aqueduct.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing ... tired.aspx

Barbaro06 · Postby **Barbaro06** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:41 pm

Money in the shed is to be made...he got a G1 under his girth, so there you have it.

:roll:

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:57 pm

But Holy Bull's sons just aren't killing it in the shed...you think there is even much interest?

Giacomo won the derby for crying out loud and I think his stud fee is what..12k?

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:13 pm

As great as Holy Bull was as a racehorse, his sons like Macho Uno, Giacomo, and now Flashy Bull need a Grade 1 to stand stud.

A Storm Cat son that shows zero talent doesn't even need to race or break its maiden to become a stallion.

And I think to myself.....what a wonderful world....

LB · Postby LB » Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:05 pm

If you think a cracked sesamoid is the equivilent of a hangnail, you know very little about equine conformation.

Foggytrip · Postby **Foggytrip** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:35 pm

They should keep running a horse with a cracked sesamoid?

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:24 pm

LB wrote:If you think a cracked sesamoid is the equivilent of a hangnail, you know very little about equine conformation.

Invasor came back the first time with a cracked sesamoid. it can be done.

However I pose this to you... if he had done this On June 9th instead of August 9th..... doyou honestly think he would have been sent to stud?

As soon as someone gets a Grade 1 or in some cases, even a Grade2.. let them have so much as a bad cough.. STUD

that's why I commend Tabor for what he has done with RAgs.. he had every reason to shut her down.. but he hasn't

and for what Shagwell did with Invasor. even though he had the same injury... he had no reason to come back for his 5YO campaign.. he had done all there was to be done. But yet he came back and gave the fans one of the best races of the year.

If a horse gets an injury that will keep them out for a year or so... why even waste it. send them to stud.

but something that will keep them out half the year or less... and assuming they haven't accomplished a hell of alot...

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:24 pm

He never went back to the racetrack,” West Point President Terry Finley said on Thursday. “We put the tack back on him and brought him out of the stall and he was off. We thought it was just from a little cut on his ankle, but then he had a filling. It’s very minor, but it’s there.”

majxmom · Postby **majxmom** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:08 am

The filling might be minor, but I would never put a horse back into training that had suffered a sesamoid crack. If it broke again mid-race, I would be responsible for the agonizing snapping off of the leg when all the secondary catastrphic damage occurred, and responsible for all the possible injury to one or more jockeys and other horses in the race if someone fell. I would worry too much.

Heidilady · Postby **Heidilady** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:35 pm

majxmom wrote:The filling might be minor, but I would never put a horse back into training that had suffered a sesamoid crack. If it broke again mid-race, I would be responsible for the agonizing snapping off of the leg when all the secondary catastrphic damage occurred, and responsible for all the possible injury to one or more jockeys and other horses in the race if someone fell. I would worry too much.

I saw this segment on horses recovering from a certain kind of condylar fracture and while they apparently largely are fine and come back 'as good as before' however they really mean, I'd be nervous if it were my horse.

jjmcgo · Postby **jjmcgo** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:41 pm

There was a story after one of his early 3-year-old races that Flashy Bull's heart stopped in one of his races. If true, I was surprised to see him return to the races.

As for Rags to Riches, bdw0617, I respectfully disagree that Tabor is doing a good thing. If I owned her, I'd ask myself what more does she have to prove, does she owe me anything and do I owe her anything?

Then, I'd ask Bill Oppenheim to suggest a mating and then use some of her winnings to follow his recommendation.

Barbaro06 · Postby **Barbaro06** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:20 pm

jjmcgo wrote:There was a story after one of his early 3-year-old races that Flashy Bull's heart stopped in one of his races. If true, I was surprised to see him return to the races.

As for Rags to Riches, bdw0617, I respectfully disagree that Tabor is doing a good thing. If I owned her, I'd ask myself what more does she have to prove, does she owe me anything and do I owe her anything?

Then, I'd ask Bill Oppenheim to suggest a mating and then use some of her winnings to follow his recommendation.

His heart supposedly stopped? Damn!