Kentucky Derby contender resuced

[WinterTriangle]

Appropo for this week---but a happy ending *finally* for this guy, who was in pretty bad shape.

"Truth of It All was the 1992 champion 2-year-old in Canada and a legitimate contender for the 1993 Kentucky Derby. Truth of It All ran against the top 3-year-olds of that year in such races as the Rebel Stakes, the Lexington and the Ohio Derby. He finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby, and it was all downhill from there."

Apparently, some kind soul spotted him in a $2,000 claiming race at Los Alamitos :eek: Born in 1990.


According to the article, trainer was asked before the race: "Well,” Cooper began, “I think he’ll make it around, but I don’t know how many races he has left. His ankles are just about fused, and I can’t work him too hard. Frankly, I hope the owner comes to his senses and does the right thing for the horse.”

The breeder even tearfully offered to take him back......(and finally did, bless them and stephanie Diaz!)

"Cooper tried to persuade the owners to sell the horse before the race. They declined the offer, and Truth of It All went to the post as the 5-1 fourth betting choice. He finished ninth of 10 horses and pulled up lame."


http://www.thepilot.com/news/2010/may/09/rescued-racehorse-biggest-winner/


I find it quite an embarassment that we can't do better for horses. No owner should even WANT to run a horse who's teeth have turned to corncobs and ankles are fused.:confused: It needs to be discouraged, and I mean that with some seriousness.

[Tom]

Disgusting how low some in this game really go. We attract the worst of the worst at some tracks. That trainer has a room in Hell waiting for him.
What a miserable excuse of a worthless man.

And where is the track vet? Alleged vet I should say.

[johnhannibalsmith]

...According to the article, trainer was asked before the race: "Well,” Cooper began, “I think he’ll make it around, but I don’t know how many races he has left. His ankles are just about fused, and I can’t work him too hard. Frankly, I hope the owner comes to his senses and does the right thing for the horse.”
...

This is pathetic. You hope the owner comes to his senses, but in the meantime, you have no qualms about sending off the bill and keeping him in training. Douchebag.

[WinterTriangle]

Racehorse retirement is important, then I thought of something cool, out of the thousands and thousands of racing fans, if we *each* just wrote down the name of a horse we liked, you would only have to do this once every 10 years ---- and just followed them like a "buddy", you know, pull up the records etc. every 6 months.

They might get to rescue faster that way, or at least, we could make sure they don't ever fall on hard times. :)

I know by posts I've read here that there are already people who follow certain horses who seem to be in danger of .......whatever........

Plenty of horses are old and do well on the track, so I'm not suggesting it should have anything to do with age, etc.

[saratoga guy]

No owner should even WANT to run a horse who's teeth have turned to corncobs...

For what it's worth -- this is the story of someone visting a horse many years after the effort to retire him... So, from the way I read it, the teeth-issue was something that happened to this 20YO in the years after he finished racing (ie, "...from chewing on the fenceposts.").

[kenwoodall2]

Horse was 7.

[saratoga guy]

1997... Horse was 7.

Mmm, I'm not sure if you were answering me -- but, if so, the teeth description came as part of the author's visit to the 20YO version of the horse, two weeks ago.

Again, for what it's worth.

I'm not arguing in favor of, or against, the racing situation of this horse. I was just addressing the original poster's contention that the horse was racing while having "gums that look like half-eaten corncobs." That wasn't the case.

[joanied]

Thank God this horse got to live out his life in grazing glory...thanks to Nuckols for giving him a home...as for his owners & trainer...shame, shame, shame.

[CryingForTheHorses]

What the hell is wrong with people...A 2k claimer..Bet the purse was worth the poor old guy pulling up lame..Myself as a trainer am disgusted at so called horsemen like these..Here I am with my claimers and old horses doing all I can just to make sure they are safe..I dont understand the track vet leting this poor guy run,Are they that hardup for horses?..Kudos to the people that bred him for taking him back home..Hope he lives the rest of his life knowing he is now safe from disgusting people..Horses have feeling too!!

[46zilzal]

Some one mercifully claimed Ricks Natural Star from that idiot owner and retired him to a farm in Kentucky.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Some one mercifully claimed Ricks Natural Star from that idiot owner and retired him to a farm in Kentucky.

That would be Dwain and (former wife) Bobbie Grissom on behalf of "owner" Larry Weber.

One of the best moments in racing.

[WinterTriangle]

I'm not arguing in favor of, or against, the racing situation of this horse.

Then you should have stayed the hell out of the topic.

People who know why it was posted *get* the point.

I was just addressing the original poster's contention that the horse was racing while having "gums that look like half-eaten corncobs." That wasn't the case.

Yes, in other words, your interest in discrediting another poster on pace advantage far outweighed your interest in the ethical point of the whole topic....

and that is that even KY Derby contenders "end up" in 2K claimers, running lame.

got it?


Joanie, ziz, mcshcell and others, thanks for getting the point. There are many who support retirement and rescue efforts and we all need to just be reminded of what a worthy endeavor it is.

Please remember to send a small % of your racing winnings thoroughbred rescue, they need it :)

[joanied]

Indeed...no one needed to jump in and freakin' nit-pik this thread...everyone here is always interested in good news...and any rescue story is good news...

I also think Winter T is on to something...look for a horse to follow, and be sure he/she gets a good home after racing...I'm gonna go get me one:jump:

[Nikki1997]

I am very happy to hear that this horse was remembered and spared further wear and tear on the track or worse .

There are many others in need as he was, and each one pulled from an uncertain fate is a step in the right direction .

Many more steps are needed .

I just attended a wedding where the bride requested donations to a working draft horse rescue in lieu of presents, and had a team of Belgians take the guests for a hayride after the reception .

A great idea to help horses that have served man well and deserve consideration in their retirement.

[nijinski]

Thank You for posting this WT , it is a subject that we need to be reinded of
again and again.

I am very happy that this horse was rescued , I wonder if anyone here is aware of the contraversial campaign and loss of a filly who is no longer with us named
Heavenly Perfect.
I will not bring up the major players names but it is sad that no one was penalized for the damage she was put through.
Her final race is on You Tube .

[saratoga guy]

Yes, in other words, your interest in discrediting another poster on pace advantage far outweighed your interest in the ethical point of the whole topic...

I certainly wasn't trying to "discredit" you -- I'm not even sure why you would assume that.

Rather I was addressing a factual error in your original post, ie
No owner should even WANT to run a horse who's teeth have turned to corncobs and ankles are fused. It needs to be discouraged, and I mean that with some seriousness.

It might be a minor point - but I disagree with the poster labeling it a "nitpick". I was simply setting the record straight for readers of this thread that might not click-through and read the article. In fact, no owner has been accused of running a horse with nubby teeth and corncob gums.

As such, that was unfair to the industry. If we are to believe the story as written -- it's bad enough, it doesn't need to be ramped up another half-step. I certainly don't think you did that on purpose - you simply mis-read that part of the piece. I merely wanted to correct that point -- and I attempted to do so in what I thought was a short and innocuous reply.

As for my own ethical stand on the story -- I would guess the piece received more than a fair share of readership because my website linked to it. Perhaps that's even where you found it!

That said, I tend to reserve judgement when only one side of a story is told. But, accepting what was written, it certainly didn't sound like the horse was in a good situation when he was retired -- so I wouldn't begrudge anyone else from shaking their fist in rage.

Again however, I would rather that folks were shaking those fists at what actually happened...

[WinterTriangle]

***

I gotcha, SG, sorry I misunderstood your intent. Thanks for linking to the story when it came out. It's old, but I revived it for TC season. :jump:

[joanied]

I gotcha, SG, sorry I misunderstood your intent. Thanks for linking to the story when it came out. It's old, but I revived it for TC season. :jump:

Hey...me too, SG... funny thing...me & Winter T both replied at the same time...her post got there first:) ...anyway, I ditto Winter T's post above, and sorry I called ya a nit-picker...we do get carried away at times:faint:

[Spalding No!]

Just for curiosity's sake, Acting Happy, who just won the Black Eyed Susan, is out of Grade 1 winning mare I Ain't Bluffing, a 1/2 sister to Truth Of It All.