The Forgotten Warriors

[CryingForTheHorses]

Every racetrack has them,The horses that you come to wager on every day.Not being stake horses but horses having to risk their lives or stats to the next horse dropping down in class.Lots of these claiming horses run at least 20 times a year and grind out a living for their owners but never getting any kind of respect for how they do. Sad thing is racing has turned into Hollywood with the invention of the internet. All you hear about are superstar horses that would be stars anywhere or for anyone that had them. You never hear about the horse who broke his leg and lost his eye in a year come back to almost win 3 of his last 5.You never hear any credit for a horse that was claimed for 6k and wins almost 50k since.What about a horse that made over 500k and was dropped to 5 k from his owners that had him for 5 years.You never hear about that special claimer/claimers in the papers.All you hear about are the stars but most of you bet all races everyday. So please tell me why you guys are in the game...Dont you think these warriors deserve respect?.

[Hajck Hillstrom]

So please tell me why you guys are in the game...Dont you think these warriors deserve respect?.Your perspective is a valid one, but it is a perspective of someone who actually touches the horse, and in turn, the horse touches you.

A large percentage of the sport's fan base has never, ever, come close to even touching a horse, and I know for a fact that some of the game's premier handicappers have a physical disdain for the equine.

Your perspective of the thoroughbred as a warrior is one of respect, and I admire the passion in your position, but as most handicappers solely appreciate the abilities of the racehorse, that perspective alone is what is focused on. I could go on ad nauseum why handicappers remove themselves from the nuts and bolts of the sport, as it allows them to concentrate on making money, which is why most punters are in the game.

I would think, as a trainer, you wouldn't want your clients getting too emotionally attached with their horses, and as an owner, I wouldn't want my trainer getting too attached to them either. It clouds the judgement. I would save the sentimentality for their post-racing career, and reward them in a fashion befitting their service.

[Imriledup]

I read this thread and thought it was about the serious handicappers that give their blood and guts for this sport. The serious bettors who get slapped constantly by the powers that be thru high takeout rates, robots skimming the books, drexel graduates, drug cheats masquarading as trainers and the list that goes on and on with no relief in sight.


These handicappers dedicate their lives and are rewarded by having the racing industry take 15-25 percent of every dollar they wager, while getting nothing back except a headache.

These handicappers/bettors have to deal with horrible judges and unfair disqualifications and jockeys not riding mounts out to the finish costing trifecta, superfecta and pentafecta players untold tens of thousands of dollars with absolutely no recourse from the legal system.

These players have to deal with the ups and downs of knowing that tens of thousands of dollars are riding on 1/100th of one second. You can be 1/100th of a second away from buying a new house for cash....or living with the thought of what might have been.

You take medicine for your ulcer and yet keep supporting this game while being kicked in the teeth by ungrateful track owners, higher ups and state governments.

You get lucky and hit a big one and you immediately have the government grab 28% of that money from you and give you some of it back in a year and a half, if you are a nice little soldier.

You stay up to the wee hours watching dozens of videos to sniff out the right horse, only to have that horse go from 3-1 to 8-5 after the race is over.

You put your life on hold to support this game, you don't go to the family functions because you have to handicap the pick 6. You don't get to watch your children grow up because you are huddled in a corner sifting thru dirty racing forms trying to find that nugget of gold that will set you free.

You support this game as hard and as loyally as an employee of a fortune 500 company, yet you get no medical benefits, no 401k and no retirement plan. All you get is indigestion and never a thank you.

So, when i read this thread about warriors, i was thinking about the horseplayer.

Horseplayers are the unsung heroes of our sport, without them, nothing gets done. The great thing about horseplayers is that they keep coming back despite getting a tooth kick and nary a thank you.

Horseplayer = warrior

[samyn on the green]

Warrior in action. Weapon in hand.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/samynonthegreen/R942KgCvirI/AAAAAAAAADM/iCHhBnFtk7c/stooper.jpg

[samyn on the green]

Some real warriors from recent years on my home circuit are Arromanches, Spooky Mulder, Delta Sea and Diligent Gambler. Claimers that gave their all year after year to little avail. There are so many of them out there.

[Shenanigans]

Your perspective is a valid one, but it is a perspective of someone who actually touches the horse, and in turn, the horse touches you.

A large percentage of the sport's fan base has never, ever, come close to even touching a horse, and I know for a fact that some of the game's premier handicappers have a physical disdain for the equine.

Your perspective of the thoroughbred as a warrior is one of respect, and I admire the passion in your position, but as most handicappers solely appreciate the abilities of the racehorse, that perspective alone is what is focused on. I could go on ad nauseum why handicappers remove themselves from the nuts and bolts of the sport, as it allows them to concentrate on making money, which is why most punters are in the game.

I would think, as a trainer, you wouldn't want your clients getting too emotionally attached with their horses, and as an owner, I wouldn't want my trainer getting too attached to them either. It clouds the judgement. I would save the sentimentality for their post-racing career, and reward them in a fashion befitting their service.

I have never worked for a trainer that has told the owner not to get attached to the horse nor the owner not wanting the trainer to get attached to the horse. I think that is a common misconception about the business. We don't treat the horses like livestock (at least the majority of us). There are some breeds out there where the mentality is "don't treat it like a pet, it won't perform well" - very common in the Saddlebred industry. Thoroughbreds are very intelligent horses and the better they are treated the happier they are so in turn the better they perform. I have been around some really nice horses that the normal Joe would call "spoiled" and it never seemed to interfere with their performance on the track.
Another poster recently stated how the trainer "threw him out of the barn" because he was playing with one of his horses, the trainer siting "they aren't pets" as the reason why he asked him to leave. Sorry, but the trainer was probably just being nice to the guy because he didn't want to see him get hurt in his barn and just told him that so he'd leave. Trainers usually don't like "outsiders" coming into their barn and touching their horses.
I think something that McSchell was trying to get across to the non-horse person is the respect a person can acquire for an animal - something that the majority on this board wouldn't understand. In all the years I've been around the Thoroughbred, I have met more of them and respected and admired more than any humans I have encountered.

[Shenanigans]

I read this thread and thought it was about the serious handicappers that give their blood and guts for this sport. The serious bettors who get slapped constantly by the powers that be thru high takeout rates, robots skimming the books, drexel graduates, drug cheats masquarading as trainers and the list that goes on and on with no relief in sight.


These handicappers dedicate their lives and are rewarded by having the racing industry take 15-25 percent of every dollar they wager, while getting nothing back except a headache.

These handicappers/bettors have to deal with horrible judges and unfair disqualifications and jockeys not riding mounts out to the finish costing trifecta, superfecta and pentafecta players untold tens of thousands of dollars with absolutely no recourse from the legal system.

These players have to deal with the ups and downs of knowing that tens of thousands of dollars are riding on 1/100th of one second. You can be 1/100th of a second away from buying a new house for cash....or living with the thought of what might have been.

You take medicine for your ulcer and yet keep supporting this game while being kicked in the teeth by ungrateful track owners, higher ups and state governments.

You get lucky and hit a big one and you immediately have the government grab 28% of that money from you and give you some of it back in a year and a half, if you are a nice little soldier.

You stay up to the wee hours watching dozens of videos to sniff out the right horse, only to have that horse go from 3-1 to 8-5 after the race is over.

You put your life on hold to support this game, you don't go to the family functions because you have to handicap the pick 6. You don't get to watch your children grow up because you are huddled in a corner sifting thru dirty racing forms trying to find that nugget of gold that will set you free.

You support this game as hard and as loyally as an employee of a fortune 500 company, yet you get no medical benefits, no 401k and no retirement plan. All you get is indigestion and never a thank you.

So, when i read this thread about warriors, i was thinking about the horseplayer.

Horseplayers are the unsung heroes of our sport, without them, nothing gets done. The great thing about horseplayers is that they keep coming back despite getting a tooth kick and nary a thank you.

Horseplayer = warrior

Blah, blah, blah.... No one forced you into this "occupation". Get a real job and then see how much the Gov. really takes.

[joanied]

I read this thread and thought it was about the serious handicappers that give their blood and guts for this sport. The serious bettors who get slapped constantly by the powers that be thru high takeout rates, robots skimming the books, drexel graduates, drug cheats masquarading as trainers and the list that goes on and on with no relief in sight.


These handicappers dedicate their lives and are rewarded by having the racing industry take 15-25 percent of every dollar they wager, while getting nothing back except a headache.

These handicappers/bettors have to deal with horrible judges and unfair disqualifications and jockeys not riding mounts out to the finish costing trifecta, superfecta and pentafecta players untold tens of thousands of dollars with absolutely no recourse from the legal system.

These players have to deal with the ups and downs of knowing that tens of thousands of dollars are riding on 1/100th of one second. You can be 1/100th of a second away from buying a new house for cash....or living with the thought of what might have been.

You take medicine for your ulcer and yet keep supporting this game while being kicked in the teeth by ungrateful track owners, higher ups and state governments.

You get lucky and hit a big one and you immediately have the government grab 28% of that money from you and give you some of it back in a year and a half, if you are a nice little soldier.

You stay up to the wee hours watching dozens of videos to sniff out the right horse, only to have that horse go from 3-1 to 8-5 after the race is over.

You put your life on hold to support this game, you don't go to the family functions because you have to handicap the pick 6. You don't get to watch your children grow up because you are huddled in a corner sifting thru dirty racing forms trying to find that nugget of gold that will set you free.

You support this game as hard and as loyally as an employee of a fortune 500 company, yet you get no medical benefits, no 401k and no retirement plan. All you get is indigestion and never a thank you.

So, when i read this thread about warriors, i was thinking about the horseplayer.

Horseplayers are the unsung heroes of our sport, without them, nothing gets done. The great thing about horseplayers is that they keep coming back despite getting a tooth kick and nary a thank you.

Horseplayer = warrior

Horseplayer= guy that enjoys betting/handicapping...in your case, sounds like you are NOT enjoying being a handicapper...if you are missing family functions because you're huddled up in a corner with the DRF...then you got a problem.
Is someone forcing you to do this?? Nooooooooooo!!

WARRIORS= all thoroughbred horses:ThmbUp:

[Hajck Hillstrom]

I have never worked for a trainer that has told the owner not to get attached to the horse nor the owner not wanting the trainer to get attached to the horse.Thats funny, because that was the very FIRST thing my trainer told me..."Don't get too attached to him, he's not a pet."

Again, it is all from where you approach the game. Maybe the horsemen you work for genuinely like the equine, and I'm in no way saying that it is a negative perspective, but as you can see, the horseplayer is a cynical lot, and you should understand that most won't appreciate the animal as much as you.

Answer me this.... How do you look a jockey in the face after beating your horse excessively down the stretch with an over-aggressive use of the whip? There are degrees of detachment in the sport, and everyone has them.

[Imriledup]

Blah, blah, blah.... No one forced you into this "occupation". Get a real job and then see how much the Gov. really takes.

A "Real" job? You mean a job that ends when the 5pm whistle blows?

[onefast99]

Thats funny, because that was the very FIRST thing my trainer told me..."Don't get too attached to him, he's not a pet."

Again, it is all from where you approach the game. Maybe the horsemen you work for genuinely like the equine, and I'm in no way saying that it is a negative perspective, but as you can see, the horseplayer is a cynical lot, and you should understand that most won't appreciate the animal as much as you.

Answer me this.... How do you look a jockey in the face after beating your horse excessively down the stretch with an over-aggressive use of the whip? There are degrees of detachment in the sport, and everyone has them.
The first horse I ever claimed was and always will be our favorite. We treated her like a family pet, carrots and apples until she was ready to explode. She was claimed from us and our trainer said let her go. My kids cried for two days they couldnt believe you could buy and sell an animal like this, one they became so attached to.

[jonnielu]

I read this thread and thought it was about the serious handicappers that give their blood and guts for this sport. The serious bettors who get slapped constantly by the powers that be thru high takeout rates, robots skimming the books, drexel graduates, drug cheats masquarading as trainers and the list that goes on and on with no relief in sight.


These handicappers dedicate their lives and are rewarded by having the racing industry take 15-25 percent of every dollar they wager, while getting nothing back except a headache.

These handicappers/bettors have to deal with horrible judges and unfair disqualifications and jockeys not riding mounts out to the finish costing trifecta, superfecta and pentafecta players untold tens of thousands of dollars with absolutely no recourse from the legal system.

These players have to deal with the ups and downs of knowing that tens of thousands of dollars are riding on 1/100th of one second. You can be 1/100th of a second away from buying a new house for cash....or living with the thought of what might have been.

You take medicine for your ulcer and yet keep supporting this game while being kicked in the teeth by ungrateful track owners, higher ups and state governments.

You get lucky and hit a big one and you immediately have the government grab 28% of that money from you and give you some of it back in a year and a half, if you are a nice little soldier.

You stay up to the wee hours watching dozens of videos to sniff out the right horse, only to have that horse go from 3-1 to 8-5 after the race is over.

You put your life on hold to support this game, you don't go to the family functions because you have to handicap the pick 6. You don't get to watch your children grow up because you are huddled in a corner sifting thru dirty racing forms trying to find that nugget of gold that will set you free.

You support this game as hard and as loyally as an employee of a fortune 500 company, yet you get no medical benefits, no 401k and no retirement plan. All you get is indigestion and never a thank you.

So, when i read this thread about warriors, i was thinking about the horseplayer.

Horseplayers are the unsung heroes of our sport, without them, nothing gets done. The great thing about horseplayers is that they keep coming back despite getting a tooth kick and nary a thank you.

Horseplayer = warrior

Hey Mcshell,

I think that you got your answer, no way could this type of attitude have any respect for the game, or the horse.

jdl

[cj's dad]

I do not know where your home base is or how many local tracks you have been to. I have attended many. I will offer that there is a big difference nationwide regarding the attitudes of horseplayers and their general behavior at the track meaning the stands, rail, paddock etc...

I will not offend by naming locales (IMO) where the patrons are any combination of rude, profane, arrogant etc... but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised as I toured around the country how different many tracks were from others. Many do have an appreciation of the race horse as evidenced by their watching the saddling in the paddock, followed by the post parade and actually staying outside and watching the race. I think maybe you are painting many of us with a broad brush.

[WinterTriangle]

Nice topic.


There are many bettors out there who never discuss the horses, and have zero interest in doing so. Horses are inanimate objects to them, just numbers. I guess I'd just go to a casino and pull a lever on a machine if I felt like that. If a horse that won me $ gets vanned off the track at the end of the race, I take the time to find out the details later in the day.


I'mriledup, maybe you were being hyperbolic, but you don't sound like you're enjoying yourself. The difference between you and a race horse......you have free will and choice to decide how to spend your day. Your rendition sounded like self-enforced slavery in which you have chosen to place your physical and mental health LAST. There is no monetary gain or compensation that can justify putting those things at risk.

[joanied]

Nice topic.


There are many bettors out there who never discuss the horses, and have zero interest in doing so. Horses are inanimate objects to them, just numbers. I guess I'd just go to a casino and pull a lever on a machine if I felt like that. If a horse that won me $ gets vanned off the track at the end of the race, I take the time to find out the details later in the day.


I'mriledup, maybe you were being hyperbolic, but you don't sound like you're enjoying yourself. The difference between you and a race horse......you have free will and choice to decide how to spend your day. Your rendition sounded like self-enforced slavery in which you have chosen to place your physical and mental health LAST. There is no monetary gain or compensation that can justify putting those things at risk.

Very well said:ThmbUp:

[Fingal]

It's close to 30 years that I've been been betting the ponies, but it's those cheap claimers from way back then that I still remember by name, even some by their breeding. I always salute the good `ol boys & Mares that grind it out year after year, & while of course they may not win every time, they always give it their all.:ThmbUp:

[joanied]

It's close to 30 years that I've been been betting the ponies, but it's those cheap claimers from way back then that I still remember by name, even some by their breeding. I always salute the good `ol boys & Mares that grind it out year after year, & while of course they may not win every time, they always give it their all.:ThmbUp:

Good :ThmbUp: for you, Fingal....
It's those claimers that are the blood & guts of the game...and sadly, they are mostly forgotten...one of the incredible things about the Thoroughbred is that the will to win is bred into each and everyone...regardless of wether they are 'cheap' claimers (hate that expression), high end allowance or stakes horses...they all love what they do, and run their hearts out everytime...even if they are hurting...they all have hearts of courage....and every person that bets their money should do so with those sentiments in mind and heart. These horses are not machines that we bet on...if someone cannot feel for these horses, then they should just go and pull the slot machine handles all day.
Three:jump: :jump: :jump: cheers for all Thoroughbreds!!
:)

[cj's dad]

Blah, blah, blah.... No one forced you into this "occupation". Get a real job and then see how much the Gov. really takes.

A "Real" job? You mean a job that ends when the 5pm whistle blows?

I think what Shenanigans meant was a job that actually "contributed" something to society, as opposed to gambling all day.

[lilmegahertz]

It is the claimers that stay around. With the superstars, we are lucky to see them retire at age 4 with 10 starts. Yes, there have been a few, but the vast majority come and go to quickly for us to really see what they can do. The claimers are like the workers on the dock, the production workers. Without them, the company as a whole falls apart. They are what keeps the race going.

[JohnGalt1]

That's why The Claiming Crown was created to honor the working class horses who race a dozen or more times a year, and for the owners, trainers and jockeys of these horses who can run for a much larger purse and get some national recognition.

And for the betters it's the challenge of handicapping these hard knockers coming from tracks from all over.

[BombsAway Bob]

That's why The Claiming Crown was created to honor the working class horses who race a dozen or more times a year, and for the owners, trainers and jockeys of these horses who can run for a much larger purse and get some national recognition.

And for the betters it's the challenge of handicapping these hard knockers coming from tracks from all over.
I wish they would keep running "The Claiming Crown" on the Saturday BEFORE the start of the Saratoga/DelMar meet, to avoid competition & maximize attention nationwide.
Rotating locations around the country every other year (with Canterbury remaining the core focus of the event, hosting 5 times a decade) will create more interest nationwide, & eventually bring more horsemen to Canterbury to run in the C.C. races over the long run.