Comments on: It’s Churchill Downs, not the wheelchair races!

By: Fantasia

Fantasia — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:26:21 +0000

If the “proud flesh” is on the sole of the foot it could well be canker, an extremely difficult and expensive condition to cure. You’d need a very experienced vet and farrier to make the diagnosis and attempt to treat it.

http://www.equipodiatry.com/canker1.htm

Photos would help, Fugs.

By: cheerwine

cheerwine — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:37:52 +0000

I also find it hysterical (and ironic) that they called John Veitch “that bald loser”… By that alone they proved their very limited knowledge / stupidity with regards to racing. Methinks insulting the Chief Steward (I believe that’s the official title) would be the last thing one would want to do….

I have no problem with older horses racing. I have a problem with a horse that has been yard art for 9 years coming back to racing. It’s simply not in the best interest of the horse.

By: Rusty Angle

Rusty Angle — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:46:08 +0000

Yeah, I know Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra – the lucky ones (so far), I do also remember Ruffian and Barbaro, and the countless others whose young bones simply gave up under pressure ( but thank God they were run by famous, great horsemen, not inexperienced “asshats” like Kathleen Costello)
And yes, I know the Secretariat was unusual, but my point was that if you look at human sports, there is a steady progress in results in the last 70 years – for example 100 meter dash record in 1940 was 10.2 seconds versus 9.84 sec today. And women made a whopping 10.5 % improvement in the same period of time – any discipline.
Could you explain why there is zero improvement in racing Thoroughbreds ? If I’m not mistaken it was trainer Lucas who said: ” I get the fastest ones, and then pray they don’t break down right away ”
As far as steroids usage -are you kidding me? – you are actually believing everybody is clean as they claim and horses don’t get anything because it’s banned?. The theft and murder are banned and people still do it.
And LOLASL – it’s none of your business to decipher somebody’s “hair (hare?) brained” schemes when it comes to her own horse that passed all required vet checks – go to the racing stewards and tell them to change the rules if you don’t like them. And perhaps think about retiring your OWN horses at the ripe age of 12 – fortunately others can for the most time still decide for themselves. Regards.

By: funnycide

funnycide — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:25:01 +0000

Yeah, I didn’t find much funny about this but I did have a good LOL over some hack calling Hall of Famer John F*cking Veitch “that bald loser”.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to watch the oldies run, by which I mean the ones who get winters off (not a decade) and come back in the spring at seven and eight and nine. Unless your name is Michael Dickinson and you are widely known as “The Mad Genius”, you probably don’t have the chops to be trying something like this…and even then, I’m not sure he could’ve or would’ve.

By: lolasl

lolasl — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:57:17 +0000

You are judging the state of the industry on the fact that we haven’t had another Secretariat? You do realize it is widely known that he ran on steroids, I hope? I guess you haven’t heard of Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra? Two pretty amazing horses that are NOT running on steroids because they are now banned……Even Secretariat got beat in his career. He was a once in a lifetime horse. If it was that easy to just have another like him, believe me there would be many.

Yes, it is people’s business when you decide to run a horse at a public meet. That is why there are racing commissions and rules and regulations. Because there will always be some complete nut, like this Costello creature that hatches some hair brained scheme to hit it big rather than go the conventional route of hard work and love of the animal. Again, take a poll of the trainers that started horses in the Breeder’s Cup this year. Ask how many of them would every or have ever consider pulling a 12 yr old broodmare out of retirement for ANY reason let alone to cash a bet or extort the claiming price from somebody. I suppose you will tell me they are ALL wrong and evil and only poor little Costello Creature is right….

By: twinspires

twinspires — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:36:27 +0000

Please remember that breeders attempted to reproduce Secretariat for years. FAIL! Secretariat had a heart that was substantially larger than the normal horse’s heart, a trait which he failed to pass down. I can show you a barn full of TBs with good bone and strong feet. I do disagree with breaking long yearlings and would love to see two year old racing abolished and I believe that will happen. This woman did wrong by telling the former owner that she wanted the mare for dressage, yet turned around and decided to race her. I reccommend that anyone who wishes to discredit top horsemen at the greatest track in the country spent some time on the backside actually rubbing those horses and getting to know those horsemen. This woman needs to take some advice from someone who knows more than her because she has made herself look a fool. There is a reason the mare was retired as a three year old. She should stay retired.

By: Rusty Angle

Rusty Angle — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:58:15 +0000

Go for it Kathleen! Don’t let anybody to stop you – if you think you horse is up to task and fit to race, it’s non of their business to tell you what to do.
And the big time, knowledgeable racehorse trainers and breeders some people on this forum referred to ?
I’m not sure if you are referring to the breeders who produce inbred crap on weak, spindly legs with no hoof to run on that nowadays passes as TB horse, or the trainers who run their yearlings to the ground, and since 1978 were not able to produce any horse to win the Triple Crown, nor make any horse to run a nanosecond faster than the great Secretariat.
That’s the state of a racing industry today, and it makes me sick when these people feel like giving advice to the others.

By: lolasl

lolasl — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:34:39 +0000

The previous owner probably didn’t specify she wasn’t to be used for racing because it never occurred to him that anybody would be so stupid and cruel to attempt to run a 12 yr old broodmare. Its NOT a good idea no matter what anybody says. She is a former racehorse and probably retired with a lot of wear and tear on her already. If she’s a decent horse, she will also likely try beyond her physical capabilities and get hurt. I don’t know about the rest of you, but watching some jockey beating the ass off an old broodmare to try and save jock mount is about as fun as going to a bullfight. Its cruel and disgusting. This mare doesn’t owe anybody her life like this….

By: whitewolfe001

whitewolfe001 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:29:21 +0000

Good for the previous owner and for the racetrack for taking a stand.

I mean, even if by some miracle the poor mare doesn’t break down, it is just the stupidest idea ever. It never fails to amaze me how truth is stranger than fiction… I mean you just can’t make this stuff up!

Anyone could go a track and take their pick from a large number RACING FIT horses from trainers who are looking to dump underperformers, for free or next to nothing. WHY pick an out-of-shape 12 year old to start your “career”? Besides the questionable ethics of doing that to a horse… Why set yourself up for disaster/humiliation?

You gotta have the right tool for the job. If I decided I wanted to start competitive mountainbiking, I would try to get a mountain bike or something close to it…. I wouldn’t pull my pink banana-seat little-girl bicycle with the training wheels out of storage and try to ride down a wooded trail on it.

She must have read The Black Stallion one too many times.

Her logic that the mare ‘loves to run’ is so flawed. Sure, maybe she likes to run. But there is a big difference between a feel-good gallop and race training. Sure, I like to sing in the car, but that doesn’t mean I think I should try out for American Idol.

There’s just no hope for people like this who don’t have an ounce of common sense. Other people have to make the decisions for them, and I’m glad the track did just that.

Do horses attract a high percentage of crazy, or is it just as prevalent amongst the general population?

By: RedOTTB

RedOTTB — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:52:11 +0000

This is a fantastic idea. I do the same thing with my OTTB so I’m glad to hear I’m not alone. I keep an online blog of the horse’s progress and try to put a photo up at least once a month, usually more. Even if it’s nothing more than him standing in his pasture eating hay on a sunny day, you can see he’s happy, healthy, and not being raced. I am in another state than where I got him from so I can’t invite them over to see him when they like, but my website and phone are always available.