the triple crown trail is the biggest culprit racing

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 10:42 am

We all look forward it. I do more than anyone. But when you really look at it, it's one of the things that is wrong with racing.

I'm not going to get into WHY it is wrong becuase that's not a question we can answer. but it's become a slaughterhouse more than a showcae for talent.

This is actually whn you look at it, a very, very nice 3YO crop of colts that has bee utterly deplted by this "triple crwn trail"

I don't know if mine that bird, or heck even summer bird or rachael for that matter, are the "best" 3YOs , the lukiest or the most durable.

Old Fashioned - Ddint' make it to the derby

Quality Road - Feet problems the week of the derby

Dunkirk - Will quite possibly never be the same after the belmnt

Fresien Fire - I dont' think he was right going into the derby. definatly wasn't right coming out of the preakness

Pioneerof The Nile- "soft tissue"injury

Grapefruit - I forgot what it was but didn't make it to the last prep for the derby

I Want Revenge- AGain forgot exactly what it was but it was something that put him out for the year

Musket Man- out for year

Terrian - put down

Win Willy - injuired week of the derby

Point Encounter - 1 race. 1 very ery nice race. But 1 race.

Beethoven - didn't make it to the last prep

General Quarters - sidelined

Desert Party - Injuried in the derby

I'm sure I missed something

What is causing this Idont' know. bad training, racing too early, too hard races, etc. I don't know. but the derby trail is the common denominator

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:10 am

One of the things affecting those triple crown horses might be the breeder's incentive fund inspectors. In each state that has breeder's awards, inspectors are sent out either to see the mares in foal, or the foals by the sides of the mares once they are born. This dampens the prospect of the September foal that is reported as a February baby.

It just seems that today there are more rules about everything, and folks involved, than ever before so now the "big guys" just can't get away with as much shenanigans as they once could. I really truly wonder how many of those "three year olds" of yesteryear were really only three.

Lisann · Postby **Lisann** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:19 am

Interesting point, madelyn. I hadn't thought of that.

Me, I prefer April foals to February. Weather is just to yucky that time of year!

oliverstoned · Postby **oliverstoned** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:37 pm

Wow Madelynn I wonder, back in the 80s I worked at breeding farms in NJ and saw no Fall breeding going on. You would think there would be alot of ex-employees to talk about these shenanigans around today....are there?

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:37 pm

I have researched all those TC winners, & tbs that ran in all 3 TC races. U will not find those Fashion Breds among the names of those tbs.

The breed has changed, all those TC winners of the past were Non-Fashion Breds. Long live those hickory tbs of the past.

LB · Postby LB » Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:04 pm

One big change is the fact that 2 and 3YOs now have to be identified early as potential Derby prospects and then work diligently toward that goal. If they don't pile up the graded earnings in time, they're not running.

As recently as the 1970s, 3YOs that peaked at the right time were simply entered, and ran in, the Triple Crown races. They didn't have to go through any arduous qualifying process to get to that point--which gave their trainers the luxury of managing them as they thought was best.

It seems to me that one of the reasons so many Triple Crown horses fall by the wayside is because they're used up just trying to get there.

Sysonby · Postby **Sysonby** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:33 pm

I'm pretty sure someone famously dubbed the series "The Cripple Crown" back in the 60s because of the toll it took on horses. Tim Tam broke down in his Belmont; Majestic Prince never ran again; Dancer's Image retired after the Preakness; and Kauai King didn't run after the Belmont. The ones that did run afterwards like Northern Dancer, Stage Door Johnny; Forward Pass and Proud Clarion didn't run much.

This isn't really new.

Barbaro06 · Postby **Barbaro06** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:26 am

The Crown is not for pretenders. It's a tough feat to accomplish and should remain so.

I can remember when racing slowed down in the fall and winter and then picked back up in Florida in January and February.

I sort of look at the BC as being a bit of the culprit. That's the goal nowadays--get to November. So the 2 year-olds are trotted out in the spring vice the late summer as in the "old days" and pushed to make the BC so they can have their bona fides for the TC trail in place.

Don't get me wrong, the BC is cool, but I am beginning to wonder about it. And the breeding practices going on today where the emphasis is on sales vice racing. Hello hothouse flowers, good-bye Iron Horse.

Tappiano · Postby **Tappiano** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:41 am

What else could we expect when there's been unsoundness being bred into horses for 25 years now...... it's all about being a pretty pony and selling well at auction, get them to the races, let them win a few and send them off to stud.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:29 am

oliverstoned wrote:Wow Madelynn I wonder, back in the 80s I worked at breeding farms in NJ and saw no Fall breeding going on. You would think there would be alot of ex-employees to talk about these shenanigans around today....are there?

I know of one fellow who interviewed with me for a job. He named a few big stakes winners he had bred and raised for his employer who was also a trainer. He told me which ones were actually "September" foals. I treat the specifics as confidential information, but the substance of the information is there. If that farm was doing that with its own stallions and mares, I'm pretty confident they were not the only ones.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:44 am

can you explain to me what you mean by a september foal?

ASB · Postby **ASB** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:47 am

A foal born in September.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:51 am

the signifiance being?

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:03 am

It would be older than the foal born in January, February, March, April, you get the picture. Older, better faster, stronger... sorry not necessarily, the words to the song "Stronger" just had to come out :shock:

ASB · Postby **ASB** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:08 am

The significance being huge.

You have a horse that's about 6 months older than all the other horses on the trail, and when they start their foundation races at 2, are so much more developed and aren't being pushed.

It's the same disadvantage as running against Southern Hemisphere horses who are older.