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Re: [RC] Belmont-Smarty Jones - Bette LamoreHi BeckyIn the interview Stewart, the jockey, said that the other horses were really pushing him hard. From what my friend Bev has told me about dirty tricks on the track, I believe the jockey might have been referring to the fear that the other jockeys would have boxed him in if he had not stayed in front. My friend lost the race career of her best stallion when another jockey pushed him into the railing and he suffered an injury. The cameras DO NOT catch everything! IT is not uncommon for jockeys to gang up on a winner. I'm happy he'll be OK to run another race. I still think of Phar Lap. It is always tougher on those undefeated horses! Halynov's son Pico Nightrider broke his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths and still the trainers were not satisfied, I had given him to someone because we could not afford to race him and he was sooo talented--- 16.1hh with an incredible reach. When Ted brought him home after the second season (the first one used to get him used to the track with a very humane trainer--- things changed when he went to 2 of the "hot-shots" the second year) Pico was full of scabs and was defending himself-- took him a few days to settle down to his sweet self. I called the track vet who leveled with me. Dr. Moag said he was surprised the horse had the heart to race at all! Between the lasix and Equipoise (sp?) and another anabolic steroid the trainer was giving him, he would sweat everything out in the paddock and would go into leg cramps in the dirt just after the finish! That's how he got his scabs! Not once but twice the dr was called to administer emergency treatment for him. I begged Ted to take him off the track and let him go to endurance. He did very well for Valerie Kanavy's rider (you can check the stats) but Val was reportedly worried about him for international competition due to the bad treatment he had had in the past--- took him a while to trust his rider-- Kristen-- but then in international competition, there would be other riders. She sold him to a dressage trainer where I understand he is very happy. I have not sold my horses to anyone who wanted to race at the track since. It is a cruel world-- and yes, there are good trainers and I know of a few-- but the risks are high and the pressure too great to win for my tastes -- although I did enjoy watching other peoples' horses race today --- But the odds are not fair in the Arabian racing-- we of course have SOME of the French horses who look like the T word, carry the tail like the T word and run like the T word--- but hey-- we'll let WAHO AND the 2 Registries figure that one out, huh? Bette (who didn't mean to get so worked up) and Bunny (who will only race to dinner!) Cowgirgoof@xxxxxxx wrote: Stewart Elliot (Smarty's jockey) should have ridden Samrty like a 100 miler- I knew at the half-way point he was going to blow him out. In each race he won before, he's ridden him at a nice easy second until the top of the stretch. This time he let Smarty pull out front and I knew then he had it blown. He assumed he had more horse than he really did. Should have paced him...Let that be a lesson to our endurance horses.
Always remember: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." (George Carlin) ============================================================ There are 2 ways to win at this sport. You take a horse and race him for a short time and then find a new horse or you can take one horse , do the homework and spend many miles and years enjoying that horse. ~ Paddi Sprecher ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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