Saturday, May 10, 2008
Tornadoes Kill at Least 19 in OK and MO; OK Town Almost Destroyed
Note: in chaotic situations, death tolls vary. KTUL is on the scene, and we're trusting them.
Ambulances literally raced back and forth between the tiny, struggling town of Picher and the nearest hospital in Miami, OK after a fourth day of severe weather ended in a tornado savaging the area.
At least six people are known to have died in the tornado, tentatively classifed as an F3. The twister was one of several that gouged across Eastern Oklahoma early Saturday evening.
Complete story, with photos and video, at The Pep Report.
We're in the process of moving into new digs, please bear with us! We'll be able to offer far more interaction with readers at the new place.
Tax Evader: Rev. Al Sharpton Owes $1.5 Million in Back Taxes
Apparently the Rev. Al Sharpton hasn't yet heard the part that says "..render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." Earlier, Sharpton, a firm Barack Obama supporter, threatened lawsuits over the Democratic party's handling of Michigan and Florida delegates. The question now is; who'll pay for those court costs?
This isn't the first time Sharpton has been in trouble over his finances. His non-profit, National Action Network, has previously been under federal investigation for handling of funds, including donated monies.
One of Sharpton's staffers complained because federal agents came to her home and knocked on her door, asking to speak to her. In the tax evasion scandal, Sharpton is following his usual line: he's being picked on because he's an activist.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Beauty of a Routine, Maybe Boring Day
We'd like to have a routine day back. You know, the kind of day where maybe you think "Is this my LIFE? Is this boring?"
We were sailing along here, researching, analyzing and writing about Eight Belles--and at work on other things. Enjoying the dialogue here.
Then came news. One of the most beloved, most important women in the Peanut crew's world had a cyst removed from her breast.
The procedure went fine. All seemed well. Then the surgeon called.
She has cancer. She has to start immediate radiation treatment, even though the surgeon thinks she got it all.
She's been this route before. Decades ago, she had breast cancer. And survived. She's also survived a seeming never-ending series of health challenges and illnesses. But she always come up still in love with life, still determined.
She's 91. A remarkable woman.
We felt like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. Stunned. Maybe that's working into angry, we're not sure yet. Scared.
Somehow, we just didn't get back to the work on Eight Belles. Not yet.
Before the next wave of storms sweept through here, we went out and gathered an armful of irises that were battered down by the last wave of stormy weather. They're beautiful.
There are some stalks out there still on the ground. Some still standing, but looking battered.
We're betting that when this cycle blows over, they'll bloom again. They'll stand tall and dance in the wind again, opening white and purple and gold into the sun.
We're betting on our own Iris, too. Storms come, storms go. They're hard to go through when they're around. But they always go. And beauty endures.
Always. We're betting on it.
We were sailing along here, researching, analyzing and writing about Eight Belles--and at work on other things. Enjoying the dialogue here.
Then came news. One of the most beloved, most important women in the Peanut crew's world had a cyst removed from her breast.
The procedure went fine. All seemed well. Then the surgeon called.
She has cancer. She has to start immediate radiation treatment, even though the surgeon thinks she got it all.
She's been this route before. Decades ago, she had breast cancer. And survived. She's also survived a seeming never-ending series of health challenges and illnesses. But she always come up still in love with life, still determined.
She's 91. A remarkable woman.
We felt like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. Stunned. Maybe that's working into angry, we're not sure yet. Scared.
Somehow, we just didn't get back to the work on Eight Belles. Not yet.
Before the next wave of storms sweept through here, we went out and gathered an armful of irises that were battered down by the last wave of stormy weather. They're beautiful.
There are some stalks out there still on the ground. Some still standing, but looking battered.
We're betting that when this cycle blows over, they'll bloom again. They'll stand tall and dance in the wind again, opening white and purple and gold into the sun.
We're betting on our own Iris, too. Storms come, storms go. They're hard to go through when they're around. But they always go. And beauty endures.
Always. We're betting on it.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Larry Jones Filly Follies? Police Investigate Maren's Meadow Sponging Incident; Jones & Jockey Gabriel Saez Face Doubts Over Eight Belles Derby Death
As controversy erupts over the sudden, mysterious collapse of Kentucky Derby second-place winner Eight Belles, another mystery still haunts trainer Larry Jones' barn. Filly Maren's Meadow, who could have been a contender for the Kentucky Oaks, last fall was the victim of something called "sponging," which effectively sidelined her away from crucial training and conditioning time.
In sponging, a cruel and illegal form of hurting horses and tampering with racing outcomes, someone literally shoves a sponge up a horse's nose to interfere with the horse's breathing. This causes excruciating pain and lack of oxygen during workouts and races. Sponging usually takes two people, one to hold the horse, the other to shove the sponge up the nose, veterinarian Keith Soring said earlier this year.
Maren's Meadow was living in Jones' barn, under his care, at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. The facility has 24-hour-a-day security guards.
Jones sent the horse to a vet after she ran poorly in one race and had mucus drain from her nose. Surgery revealed that someone had shoved a round section of sponge about two inches by three inches up Maren's Meadows' nose.
The Delaware Park incident is under investigation by the Delaware State Police, the Delaware Racing Commission, and the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. No arrests have yet been made, and police are regarding it as a race-fixing crime.
Maren's Meadow and her usual jockey Gabriel Saez --also Eight Belles' jockey--is back on the racetrack. On March 22, she won the Bourbonette Stakes at Kentucky's Turfway Park.
But she didn't get her shot at the Kentucky Oaks. Another Jones-Saez filly, Proud Spell, handily took that race the day before the Kentucky Derby. The next day, Eight Belles, with Saez aboard, shattered multiple bones after the race and was euthanized on the track in front of horrified race-goers and international television.
This year, Jones fielded three top fillies: Eight Belles, Proud Spell, and Maren's Meadow. In March, Jones was blunt about his plan for Maren's Meadow: "..stay away from our other two (Proud Spell and Eight Belles) who are on the Oaks path."
Jones said he made a last-minute decision before the Derby to move Eight Belles from the shorter, female-only Oaks to the Triple Crown opening race because Proud Spell had a good chance of winning the Oaks. "The only reason Eight Belles is running in the Derby was because we felt like we had a really good shot of winning the Oaks without her," Jones said.
Sponging, an old racetracks nasty bit of business,is known to have occurred in Kentucky and New Mexico in the 1990's.The New Mexico incident led to the five-year suspension of a trainer. In 2001, horses were reportedly sponged at California's Santa Anita racetrack.
Jones laughed off Maren's Meadows' dangerous trauma. As she returned to racing, he guffawed "I put in for a change of equipment -- sponge out."
Jones now is defending Saez, his favored jockey. He also defended the Churchill Downs staff who tended to Eight Belles and who euthanized her.
In his statements, Jones created some neat bundling and a master bit of spin to lump together Churchill Downs staff and Saez as though they were one entity, or as though the issues were related. They're not.
In fact, we didn't know that the Churchill Downs staff, who acted impeccably--especially in Jones' absence on the track--needed defending. Saez, however, is another matter. Word is that Jones may hold a press conference Tuesday to discuss the handling and death of Eight Belles.
In sponging, a cruel and illegal form of hurting horses and tampering with racing outcomes, someone literally shoves a sponge up a horse's nose to interfere with the horse's breathing. This causes excruciating pain and lack of oxygen during workouts and races. Sponging usually takes two people, one to hold the horse, the other to shove the sponge up the nose, veterinarian Keith Soring said earlier this year.
Maren's Meadow was living in Jones' barn, under his care, at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. The facility has 24-hour-a-day security guards.
Jones sent the horse to a vet after she ran poorly in one race and had mucus drain from her nose. Surgery revealed that someone had shoved a round section of sponge about two inches by three inches up Maren's Meadows' nose.
The Delaware Park incident is under investigation by the Delaware State Police, the Delaware Racing Commission, and the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. No arrests have yet been made, and police are regarding it as a race-fixing crime.
Maren's Meadow and her usual jockey Gabriel Saez --also Eight Belles' jockey--is back on the racetrack. On March 22, she won the Bourbonette Stakes at Kentucky's Turfway Park.
But she didn't get her shot at the Kentucky Oaks. Another Jones-Saez filly, Proud Spell, handily took that race the day before the Kentucky Derby. The next day, Eight Belles, with Saez aboard, shattered multiple bones after the race and was euthanized on the track in front of horrified race-goers and international television.
This year, Jones fielded three top fillies: Eight Belles, Proud Spell, and Maren's Meadow. In March, Jones was blunt about his plan for Maren's Meadow: "..stay away from our other two (Proud Spell and Eight Belles) who are on the Oaks path."
Jones said he made a last-minute decision before the Derby to move Eight Belles from the shorter, female-only Oaks to the Triple Crown opening race because Proud Spell had a good chance of winning the Oaks. "The only reason Eight Belles is running in the Derby was because we felt like we had a really good shot of winning the Oaks without her," Jones said.
Sponging, an old racetracks nasty bit of business,is known to have occurred in Kentucky and New Mexico in the 1990's.The New Mexico incident led to the five-year suspension of a trainer. In 2001, horses were reportedly sponged at California's Santa Anita racetrack.
Jones laughed off Maren's Meadows' dangerous trauma. As she returned to racing, he guffawed "I put in for a change of equipment -- sponge out."
Jones now is defending Saez, his favored jockey. He also defended the Churchill Downs staff who tended to Eight Belles and who euthanized her.
In his statements, Jones created some neat bundling and a master bit of spin to lump together Churchill Downs staff and Saez as though they were one entity, or as though the issues were related. They're not.
In fact, we didn't know that the Churchill Downs staff, who acted impeccably--especially in Jones' absence on the track--needed defending. Saez, however, is another matter. Word is that Jones may hold a press conference Tuesday to discuss the handling and death of Eight Belles.
Eight Belles: Gabriel Saez, the Whip, & Questions about Larry Jones' Choices Leading to Kentucky Derby Death, Eight Belles Racing Video
When evaluating a mystery--like why Eight Belles, a supposedly healthy racehorse, suddenly breaks multiple bones and is put to death at the Kentucky Derby--it's useful to look for the common element that becomes a common denominator. Just as the old teaching poem says "for want of a nail, a horse was lost." What led that nail to be wanting? Poor choices.
We're bringing you videos of Eight Belles on the track. They all have important clues that show why former rodeo guy Larry Jones, the filly's trainer, and her jockey Gabriel Saez, need to be thoroughly investigated, with Saez immediately suspended.
In 2007, Eight Belles didn't just win this race, but galloped away with it, leaving the field about 14 lengths behind. Watch jockey Saez carefully.
The more Eight Belles pulls away from the others, and the bigger the lead she gains, the more Saez whips her. That's right--her reward for responding to what should have been a signal "tap" or two, is to get repeatedly hit with the stick the faster she runs and the better she does.
Rewind. There clearly is no way that the trailing horses are going to catch up with Eight Belles--unless, of course, she falls--but Saez just piles the whip blows on. That, friends, is just plain nuts as far as racing strategy--as well as cruel and indicative of a major problem.
Saez brutally whipped Eight Belles to a second-place finish in the Derby. Over-using the whip is a common denominator in Saez' riding style.
Eight Belles won the Martha Washington by 13 l/4 lengths, as shown in this retrospective. For most of the race, she's running sixth out of a field of eight. Suddenly, she explodes and runs past the field like they're taking a Sunday stroll.
Who's riding Eight Belles for the Martha Washington win? Gifted rider Terry Thompson. Thompson, who's come back from two major injuries, wins 14% of the time and is in the money 45% of the time.
Here's Eight Belles winning the Fantasy Sweepstakes earlier this year. She rears up a little bit at the start of the race. She runs behind most of the race. Then she wins, by 3/4 of a length, or: just barely.
The jockey finally goes to the whip at the very last. Notice that when she is ahead, even though her lead is very short, the jockey's hands are on the reins. He could see she had the race, and he finished up with a hand ride, albeit a short one.
The difference? The jockey who stayed seated and calm although Eight Belles reared in the gate--one of the most dangerous things that can happen-- and whoe trailed most of the way wasn't Saez.
Ramon Dominguez steered Eight Belles to this win. So why wasn't he on Eight Belles at the Derby? Was he not Derby-qualified?
Actually, Dominguez is not only Derby-qualified, but he was at the Derby. He was aboard Ronba. The colt won the Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland in April, but was a sluggard in the Derby. Notice that when Dominguez wins Keeneland he's not laying on the whip. Dominguez, who had won before on Eight Belles, would have been a good match for the talented filly in the Derby.
As of May 2, Dominquez is the fifth highest-winning money-maker among jockeys, with $4,690,994 to his credit. His stats show that he wins 28% of the time, and is in the money 65% of the time.
But Jones went to Saez, who appears to be his favorite rider. Why? It must be because of outstanding stats, right?
Wrong. Saez, who's just barely out of the apprentice class, isn't even cited by the Jockeys' Guild. He wins 10% of the times he rides, and is in the money 40% of the time.
Another question--why did Jones put Eight Belles in the Derby? Why this last-minute decision? Was it because he thought her checkered racing stats, her long, often-gawky legs, and her heavy body all signaled readiness for what is, even in a smaller field, a long shot for a filly and one of the more demanding races?
"The only reason Eight Belles is running in the Derby was because we felt like we had a really good shot of winning the Oaks without her," Jones said.
Jones figured he could win the big bucks in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Derby with another horse. So he threw Eight Belles into the 20-horse Derby field. There's a difference between running the Oaks and the Derby, and running in the Derby shouldn't be an off-hand, pocketbook decision.
But Jones has made some other controversial decisions, too. Last year, he rewarded jockey Mario Pino for helping to develop Hard Spun, guiding him through his career starts, by dumping him just four days before the Belmont Stakes.
Pino had ridden Hard Spun to second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness. Jones said that Pino had not followed his orders in rating Hard Spun. Pino, fearing the colt would get boxed in, had moved Hard Spun into a better track position.
Aw shucks'ing all over the place, Jones opined "“I feel badly for Mario, as he is truly a nice guy, but he made a mistake." He didn't, however, address why, if Pino had made the mistake in the Preakness he waited until just four days ahead of the Belmont rather earlier.
How did that work out? Hard Spun, who racing experts said clearly seemed too tired for the race, barely sputtered into fourth place. He battled new jockey Garrett Gomez, who tried to follow Jones' demands and rate the horse. Meanwhile, Gomez's former mount, the filly Rags to Riches, stumbled and went to her knees at the start of the race and then ran right by the boys to win.
And how is Pino doing? His stats show that wins 22% of the time and places in the money 54% of the time. Pino, Maryland’s all-time winningest jockey, has just been honored by by named The Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 133 Station.
If we here at the Peanut headquarters were into betting, we sure wouldn't bet on Jones' decisions. Except for one: he likes, really likes, a rough rider named Gabriel Saez.
We're bringing you videos of Eight Belles on the track. They all have important clues that show why former rodeo guy Larry Jones, the filly's trainer, and her jockey Gabriel Saez, need to be thoroughly investigated, with Saez immediately suspended.
In 2007, Eight Belles didn't just win this race, but galloped away with it, leaving the field about 14 lengths behind. Watch jockey Saez carefully.
The more Eight Belles pulls away from the others, and the bigger the lead she gains, the more Saez whips her. That's right--her reward for responding to what should have been a signal "tap" or two, is to get repeatedly hit with the stick the faster she runs and the better she does.
Rewind. There clearly is no way that the trailing horses are going to catch up with Eight Belles--unless, of course, she falls--but Saez just piles the whip blows on. That, friends, is just plain nuts as far as racing strategy--as well as cruel and indicative of a major problem.
Saez brutally whipped Eight Belles to a second-place finish in the Derby. Over-using the whip is a common denominator in Saez' riding style.
Eight Belles won the Martha Washington by 13 l/4 lengths, as shown in this retrospective. For most of the race, she's running sixth out of a field of eight. Suddenly, she explodes and runs past the field like they're taking a Sunday stroll.
Who's riding Eight Belles for the Martha Washington win? Gifted rider Terry Thompson. Thompson, who's come back from two major injuries, wins 14% of the time and is in the money 45% of the time.
Here's Eight Belles winning the Fantasy Sweepstakes earlier this year. She rears up a little bit at the start of the race. She runs behind most of the race. Then she wins, by 3/4 of a length, or: just barely.
The jockey finally goes to the whip at the very last. Notice that when she is ahead, even though her lead is very short, the jockey's hands are on the reins. He could see she had the race, and he finished up with a hand ride, albeit a short one.
The difference? The jockey who stayed seated and calm although Eight Belles reared in the gate--one of the most dangerous things that can happen-- and whoe trailed most of the way wasn't Saez.
Ramon Dominguez steered Eight Belles to this win. So why wasn't he on Eight Belles at the Derby? Was he not Derby-qualified?
Actually, Dominguez is not only Derby-qualified, but he was at the Derby. He was aboard Ronba. The colt won the Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland in April, but was a sluggard in the Derby. Notice that when Dominguez wins Keeneland he's not laying on the whip. Dominguez, who had won before on Eight Belles, would have been a good match for the talented filly in the Derby.
As of May 2, Dominquez is the fifth highest-winning money-maker among jockeys, with $4,690,994 to his credit. His stats show that he wins 28% of the time, and is in the money 65% of the time.
But Jones went to Saez, who appears to be his favorite rider. Why? It must be because of outstanding stats, right?
Wrong. Saez, who's just barely out of the apprentice class, isn't even cited by the Jockeys' Guild. He wins 10% of the times he rides, and is in the money 40% of the time.
Another question--why did Jones put Eight Belles in the Derby? Why this last-minute decision? Was it because he thought her checkered racing stats, her long, often-gawky legs, and her heavy body all signaled readiness for what is, even in a smaller field, a long shot for a filly and one of the more demanding races?
"The only reason Eight Belles is running in the Derby was because we felt like we had a really good shot of winning the Oaks without her," Jones said.
Jones figured he could win the big bucks in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Derby with another horse. So he threw Eight Belles into the 20-horse Derby field. There's a difference between running the Oaks and the Derby, and running in the Derby shouldn't be an off-hand, pocketbook decision.
But Jones has made some other controversial decisions, too. Last year, he rewarded jockey Mario Pino for helping to develop Hard Spun, guiding him through his career starts, by dumping him just four days before the Belmont Stakes.
Pino had ridden Hard Spun to second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness. Jones said that Pino had not followed his orders in rating Hard Spun. Pino, fearing the colt would get boxed in, had moved Hard Spun into a better track position.
Aw shucks'ing all over the place, Jones opined "“I feel badly for Mario, as he is truly a nice guy, but he made a mistake." He didn't, however, address why, if Pino had made the mistake in the Preakness he waited until just four days ahead of the Belmont rather earlier.
How did that work out? Hard Spun, who racing experts said clearly seemed too tired for the race, barely sputtered into fourth place. He battled new jockey Garrett Gomez, who tried to follow Jones' demands and rate the horse. Meanwhile, Gomez's former mount, the filly Rags to Riches, stumbled and went to her knees at the start of the race and then ran right by the boys to win.
And how is Pino doing? His stats show that wins 22% of the time and places in the money 54% of the time. Pino, Maryland’s all-time winningest jockey, has just been honored by by named The Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 133 Station.
If we here at the Peanut headquarters were into betting, we sure wouldn't bet on Jones' decisions. Except for one: he likes, really likes, a rough rider named Gabriel Saez.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The Tragedy of Eight Belles: Kentucky Derby Death Sounds Warning Bell for Racing; Investigation of Gabriel Saez, Larry Jones & Racing Required
Did the world watch an over-challenged, under-prepared filly be literally run to death in this year's Kentucky Derby? The collapse of Eight Belles with an extremely rare, "sudden" case of not just one, but multiple, bone breaks cries out for investigations of jockey Gabriel Saez, trainer Larry Jones, and the money-lusting parody of equine achievement that horse racing and the once-proud Triple Crown have become.
Churchill Downs veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage, speaking honestly, said that he had "never seen" a dual break in all his years in racing. The question now is: why did Eight Belles, over-whipped to a second-place finish, die?
Some background here: the CEO of the Peanut enterprise is a long-time equestrian and Triple Crown fan. One of our best horses was one reclaimed from the track as being "too slow" for sprints. This horse was then retrained by a loving 16-year-old novice rider for pleasure and trail riding.
We love horses here in the Peanut office. What we don't love is the spectacle of greed, lust for quick fame, and change in racing traditions that we have seen develop over the last 10 or so years.
Here's one basic: no horse that is properly conditioned and ready for such an arduous race as the Derby is likely to spontaneously break both front ankles. A mis-step could cause a single bone breakage.
But two? It's time to take a look at trainer Larry Jones' records, and all vet records and history of this beautiful, gallant filly. It's also time for a criminal investigation, a thorough one, into the trainer's entire operation and also into jockey Gabriel Saez. Criminal? Yes--any cases of suspected animal abuse warrant criminal investigations.
Saez, a recent import from Panama, has had five starts in 2008, with two wins and three shows (third place). Yet he was aboard a Kentucky Derby horse, an achievement that in the past, seasoned riders worked hard to attain.
But when a money-maddened racing industry loads twenty horses in the starting gate, what else can they expect other than inadequate training, under-proven jockeys, and danger for all? It's long since past time to put higher qualifying standards on the Triple Crown races and to limit the field.
Let's take a look at the race. If you know horses, and know racing, you will understand the use of the riding crop. Even if you don't, it's pretty easy to see a jockey whipping rather than inspiring a horse.
Warning: this video, when you focus on Eight Belles, is not an easy one to watch. However, it's a must-see in order to understand what happened, and why racing has got to return to older, better standards and values.
Did you see the almost-endless, frantic whipping?The correct use of the light-weight crop is not one of whipping. The message that Saez' heavy hand sends is clear: his horse was faltering.
A well-conditioned Thoroughbred doesn't have to be whipped into a good finish. Thoroughbreds love to run. Usually, they have to be held back in carefully-planned race strategies. The use of the crop is a tap to signal "OK, now it's time to go!"
The best witness for the fallen Eight Belles? Winner Big Brown, who was frisky and wanted to keep going after the race. Right there, in front of the world, you can see the difference between a well-conditioned horse who was ready, willing, and able to go the distance, and one who was frothed, exhausted, and whipped to the finish line, running her heart out.
Compare also the difference between the jockeys when Barbaro and Eight Belles went down. No one could doubt that Barbaro jockey Edgar Prado did his best for Barbaro, and that he deeply cared.
There are many images of Prado's gallant work in doing his best for Barbaro. In the top one, this "little man," as these small, resilent athletes are called, is literally doing his best to support the full weight of a big, big horse while trying to soothe him and waiting for help. In the second photo, Prado is overcome by grief.
Compare Saez after Eight Belles fell. Here, he nonchalantly saunters away, leaving Eight Belles, hurt and afraid, in the hands of strangers. Saez, we here at the Peanut headquarters hope that waiting around, even briefly, for someone to hand you your saddle didn't seriously nconvenience you. Too bad, of course, that you weren't kneeling by your horse, soothing her.
And what of the trainer, Larry Jones,who came to high-end racing out of a rodeo background? Jones has very graciously said that he doesn't blame the "game" of racing for the death of the horse entrusted to him.
And well he should not. He conditioned and trained the horse, not the industry nor "the game." To his credit, owner Rick Porter has asked for an autopsy of his horse.
Jones had comments for the media. "Then Kent Desormeaux [the jockey aboard Derby winner Big Brown] come back looking too somber. Then I'm fighting through the crowd, and I heard a horse broke down. I figured it had been one of the ones that had been struggling to finish. Then I heard it was Eight Belles.'' He said he then ran over to the ambulance.
By then, track personnel were tending his horse. Memo to Jones: there are devices called walkie-talkies and cellphones. Many trainers use them for instant communications about their horses, especially when they are in need.
Given that his horse came in second, it's hard to imagine why Jones wasn't watching here and waiting for her to come off the track. Yea, there's all that ya-hoo'ing and partying to tend to. Listen up, trainers: your job is to take care of the horses. No matter what your level of talent--or ego--you are simply someone hired to do a job taking care of an animal who has no one else to rely on but you.
We think that Jones needs to be thoroughly investigated, and all horses under his care examined by outside vets. Not because one had an injury and died, for Thoroughbreds are athletes and accidents happen, but because this horse was whipped to a finish and then had two major bones shatter.
Has a dual-injury bone break happened before? Yes. In 1983, Eclipse winner Roving Boy went down at Santa Anita with two broken hind legs in a fall. However, the horse was just returning to the track after a prior front-leg fracture. The question, of course, that any reasonable horse person will ask, given the stress on Thoroughbred legs, is why the horse was being returned to racing. The answer most likely revolves around money, glory, and greed, the Holy Trifecta of modern-day racing.
Saez must be suspended during a full-scale investigation into what he knew about the horse, his prior rides, his prior history in Panama, and what happened that day. We are not, let it be said, joining the PETA demands for action for so-called humane reasons. PETA, who we regard as slightly lower than the rear end of a mangy sewer rat, has had its own scandals. Among them: lying to pet owners, taking animals for sanctuary, killing them in a van, often before the van leaves the owner's driveway, then tossing bodies in trash bins.
Frankly, we see no difference between PETA and those who mis-use animals: power, control, glory, attention, and money are the driving forces in both camps. But we also know there's a middle camp, the great majority, who understand the balance between humans and animals, and the roles we all play.
That majority, who know and love horses and racing, need to speak up now. For our part, after decades of marking Derby Day, and the Triple Crown as important days on the calendar, events we must not miss, the Peanut crew has decided to step aside from a racing world that clearly needs to clean out its stables.
Churchill Downs veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage, speaking honestly, said that he had "never seen" a dual break in all his years in racing. The question now is: why did Eight Belles, over-whipped to a second-place finish, die?
Some background here: the CEO of the Peanut enterprise is a long-time equestrian and Triple Crown fan. One of our best horses was one reclaimed from the track as being "too slow" for sprints. This horse was then retrained by a loving 16-year-old novice rider for pleasure and trail riding.
We love horses here in the Peanut office. What we don't love is the spectacle of greed, lust for quick fame, and change in racing traditions that we have seen develop over the last 10 or so years.
Here's one basic: no horse that is properly conditioned and ready for such an arduous race as the Derby is likely to spontaneously break both front ankles. A mis-step could cause a single bone breakage.
But two? It's time to take a look at trainer Larry Jones' records, and all vet records and history of this beautiful, gallant filly. It's also time for a criminal investigation, a thorough one, into the trainer's entire operation and also into jockey Gabriel Saez. Criminal? Yes--any cases of suspected animal abuse warrant criminal investigations.
Saez, a recent import from Panama, has had five starts in 2008, with two wins and three shows (third place). Yet he was aboard a Kentucky Derby horse, an achievement that in the past, seasoned riders worked hard to attain.
But when a money-maddened racing industry loads twenty horses in the starting gate, what else can they expect other than inadequate training, under-proven jockeys, and danger for all? It's long since past time to put higher qualifying standards on the Triple Crown races and to limit the field.
Let's take a look at the race. If you know horses, and know racing, you will understand the use of the riding crop. Even if you don't, it's pretty easy to see a jockey whipping rather than inspiring a horse.
Warning: this video, when you focus on Eight Belles, is not an easy one to watch. However, it's a must-see in order to understand what happened, and why racing has got to return to older, better standards and values.
Did you see the almost-endless, frantic whipping?The correct use of the light-weight crop is not one of whipping. The message that Saez' heavy hand sends is clear: his horse was faltering.
A well-conditioned Thoroughbred doesn't have to be whipped into a good finish. Thoroughbreds love to run. Usually, they have to be held back in carefully-planned race strategies. The use of the crop is a tap to signal "OK, now it's time to go!"
The best witness for the fallen Eight Belles? Winner Big Brown, who was frisky and wanted to keep going after the race. Right there, in front of the world, you can see the difference between a well-conditioned horse who was ready, willing, and able to go the distance, and one who was frothed, exhausted, and whipped to the finish line, running her heart out.
Compare also the difference between the jockeys when Barbaro and Eight Belles went down. No one could doubt that Barbaro jockey Edgar Prado did his best for Barbaro, and that he deeply cared.
There are many images of Prado's gallant work in doing his best for Barbaro. In the top one, this "little man," as these small, resilent athletes are called, is literally doing his best to support the full weight of a big, big horse while trying to soothe him and waiting for help. In the second photo, Prado is overcome by grief.
Compare Saez after Eight Belles fell. Here, he nonchalantly saunters away, leaving Eight Belles, hurt and afraid, in the hands of strangers. Saez, we here at the Peanut headquarters hope that waiting around, even briefly, for someone to hand you your saddle didn't seriously nconvenience you. Too bad, of course, that you weren't kneeling by your horse, soothing her.
And what of the trainer, Larry Jones,who came to high-end racing out of a rodeo background? Jones has very graciously said that he doesn't blame the "game" of racing for the death of the horse entrusted to him.
And well he should not. He conditioned and trained the horse, not the industry nor "the game." To his credit, owner Rick Porter has asked for an autopsy of his horse.
Jones had comments for the media. "Then Kent Desormeaux [the jockey aboard Derby winner Big Brown] come back looking too somber. Then I'm fighting through the crowd, and I heard a horse broke down. I figured it had been one of the ones that had been struggling to finish. Then I heard it was Eight Belles.'' He said he then ran over to the ambulance.
By then, track personnel were tending his horse. Memo to Jones: there are devices called walkie-talkies and cellphones. Many trainers use them for instant communications about their horses, especially when they are in need.
Given that his horse came in second, it's hard to imagine why Jones wasn't watching here and waiting for her to come off the track. Yea, there's all that ya-hoo'ing and partying to tend to. Listen up, trainers: your job is to take care of the horses. No matter what your level of talent--or ego--you are simply someone hired to do a job taking care of an animal who has no one else to rely on but you.
We think that Jones needs to be thoroughly investigated, and all horses under his care examined by outside vets. Not because one had an injury and died, for Thoroughbreds are athletes and accidents happen, but because this horse was whipped to a finish and then had two major bones shatter.
Has a dual-injury bone break happened before? Yes. In 1983, Eclipse winner Roving Boy went down at Santa Anita with two broken hind legs in a fall. However, the horse was just returning to the track after a prior front-leg fracture. The question, of course, that any reasonable horse person will ask, given the stress on Thoroughbred legs, is why the horse was being returned to racing. The answer most likely revolves around money, glory, and greed, the Holy Trifecta of modern-day racing.
Saez must be suspended during a full-scale investigation into what he knew about the horse, his prior rides, his prior history in Panama, and what happened that day. We are not, let it be said, joining the PETA demands for action for so-called humane reasons. PETA, who we regard as slightly lower than the rear end of a mangy sewer rat, has had its own scandals. Among them: lying to pet owners, taking animals for sanctuary, killing them in a van, often before the van leaves the owner's driveway, then tossing bodies in trash bins.
Frankly, we see no difference between PETA and those who mis-use animals: power, control, glory, attention, and money are the driving forces in both camps. But we also know there's a middle camp, the great majority, who understand the balance between humans and animals, and the roles we all play.
That majority, who know and love horses and racing, need to speak up now. For our part, after decades of marking Derby Day, and the Triple Crown as important days on the calendar, events we must not miss, the Peanut crew has decided to step aside from a racing world that clearly needs to clean out its stables.
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