teapot
Well-Known Member

Kentucky Derby overshadowed by horse deaths
Mage wins the 149th Kentucky Derby as America's most celebrated race is overshadowed by the death of seven horses in the build-up.

Wonder if the breakdowns in America are linked to the amount of drugs (which are not legal here) are using for racing over there .. their losses on the flat seem much higher than here..
That's really interesting, suppose that's why outriders are out during exercise. Isn't it like that in Australia too? Or just USA?Many don't ever train on anything other than the oval racetracks so they never go on any other surface.
That's really interesting, suppose that's why outriders are out during exercise. Isn't it like that in Australia too? Or just USA?
Are they still using steroids on their horses? When American horses come to race here they seem much more heavy tipped than ours and I assumed it was steroids. What drugs do they use now?
@stangs
Very interesting articles.
I will be unpopular I am sure for saying this, but I don’t think horses ever get a good life when money is involved, i.e. any sporting events with large prizes or betting.
They get the very best of nutrition, veterinary care, body care, work regime to get them and keep them fit all worked out for them by professionals. What many lack is the mental health care. Horses need time to be horses and whilst a lot more people are seeing this and adapting to it by giving them more turnout - even if it is in individual paddocks - many professional outfits across all equine sports still do not. They don't want to turn out for fear of the horse hurting itself. But they then risk losing the brain of the horse. They shut down and become institutionalised. The world bleets about human mental health but they don't always consider the animals.
You can understand why trainers wouldn't want to turn out a lot of colts together, although do they get turn out in the winter after the flat season has ended?
Alot of yards especially in Newmarket are concrete jungles, I follow many flats, like Amy Murphy, John Berry, Phillips Mcphantee (spelt wrong sorry) and more who turn out but so many of them aren't. It also seems to be a common trope of having more stables than acres for the racing yards for sale?No. Once colts come in as foals/yearlings for the sales they don't get turned out in company again generally and most certainly not in herds. We turn our colts out with one of our old gelding companions. A few yards now have turnout paddocks connected to the horses stable - just another stable/double stable length area of all weather for them to walk in and out of. But colts rarely get that privilege unless they are super dead quiet. Some go home to studs but most are kept in light work jogging out or lobbing on their "holidays" so they aren't cooped up in a box 24/7.
Does flat racing over here follow more or less the same model (minus the Lasix... I know that's banned)?
If I am a racehorse owner, and I run my horse in a claiming race, then you, another racehorse owner, can take my horse at the end? Do you pay me more the horse? Does it come out of the purse? Can you only claim one which has won or placed? Why would anyone run a horse they liked in a claimer??
Does the handicapper come up with those values for the horses? Or some other track official? I guess no one is going to say their claimer is worth a million bucks.