Hope Mike Smith is OK! Terrible breakdown

[Zippy Chippy]

Hate to see that!! So sad....

Guessing RIP Fantasy Free :-(

Another breakdown in Cal. Not sure if the horse just broke down, or got pinned against the rail

[Shelby]

OMG I looked up at the TV at the exact moment it happened and I died.

Anyone know how old the horse is????

Trainer Mike Mitchell visibly upset. :(

RIP Fantasy Free :(

[freehouse2002]

This sucks. Two days in a row that we have a breakdown in the stretch although last nights wasn't as bad as todays. RIP Fantasy Free :(


freehouse2002

[Shelby]

They said the horse took a bad step.


Is that what they always say? Does that happen on real dirt a lot??

[Zippy Chippy]

OMG I looked up at the TV at the exact moment it happened and I died.

Anyone know how old the horse is????

Trainer Mike Mitchell visibly upset. :(

RIP Fantasy Free :(

I am not joking. I could have sworn they said Fantasy Free was a first time starter. I hope im wrong. That would be awful

I had to turn the channel but they said Mike Smith walked on his own feet to the ambulance.

[Saratoga_Mike]

I am not joking. I could have sworn they said Fantasy Free was a first time starter. I hope im wrong. That would be awful

I had to turn the channel but they said Mike Smith walked on his own feet to the ambulance.

He was 5.
Racing Summary:

Starts Firsts Seconds Thirds Earnings
43 8 7 4 $ 301,551

[PaceAdvantage]

Does that happen on real dirt a lot??It happens on all surfaces.

[andymays]

http://www.nctimes.com/sports/equestrian/racing/article_1d8c763d-25eb-59ea-bd88-3804fc204c40.html

Excerpt:

DEL MAR -- Jockey Mike Smith apparently escaped serious injury when his mount, Fantasy Free, broke down in the home stretch in front of the grandstand during the running of the sixth race.

[Shelby]

It happens on all surfaces.

When they say "took a bad step" does that mean that the horse twisted an ankle?

[PaceAdvantage]

When they say "took a bad step" does that mean that the horse twisted an ankle?It means pretty much what it says. It really has nothing to do with what the resulting injury might be...

"Took a bad step" is one way to try and make sure the racetrack escapes blame...not saying that is true in this case...but if you think about it, it's pretty hard to prove either way...

[Shelby]

It means pretty much what it says. It really has nothing to do with what the resulting injury might be...

"Took a bad step" is one way to try and make sure the racetrack escapes blame...not saying that is true in this case...but if you think about it, it's pretty hard to prove either way...

Ah ha. I see. So, it's a way of being ambiguous.

[PaceAdvantage]

Ah ha. I see. So, it's a way of being ambiguous.Only because most of the time, nobody really knows why or how it happened...could be an actual bad step where the horse stumbles or bobbles and comes down the wrong way on a leg....or it could be an uneven part of the racetrack which causes the horse to bobble...or it could be a pre-race condition that was either known or unknown at the time....could be any number of things really...

It all happens so suddenly, it's often difficult to pinpoint the origin...at least right away...

[Tom]

Horses were taling bad steps for decades befroe poly was invented and before the VULTURES began to sit and wait for a catastophe to happen on it so they pound their chests.

[Stillriledup]

It happens on all surfaces.

So you're not saying that polytrack is evil garbage and was the direct cause of this particular breakdown? :rolleyes:

[WinterTriangle]

I could have sworn they said Fantasy Free was a first time starter.

First time in Mitchell's barn only. FF has had 44 races lifetime.

This was his 8th race at Delmar. He's raced in Calif. on synth his entire life, most all maidens, claiming races and allowances.

Other than those kinds of races, he's been entered in 2 non-graded stakes and a G1 and G2, where he did pretty badly except he won that one non-graded stakes for Avila(Tiznow stakes). He's almost 6 years old, and he was needing class relief in this race, which he was getting with Mitchell.

However, if you look at his record on equibase, it appears he hasn't had a good long vacation since 2007 when he started racing----pretty much runs twice a month or once a month.:confused: I don't see any 3 or 6 months layoffs at all in his entire career???? Can somebody check that for me? Looks like about a month off back at the end of 2007. For 44 races, seems awfully *thin* on vacation time to me----4 years of racing? :
http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorseInfo.cfm?refno=7411790&registry=T


Fantasy Free's accomplishments
44-8-7-4
Earned $301,951

Would appreciate another set of eyes on the schedule. He was the M/L favorite and due to seeing his schedule I purposely left him out of even my top 3.

[Stillriledup]

First time in Mitchell's barn only. FF has had 44 races lifetime.

This was his 8th race at Delmar. He's raced in Calif. on synth his entire life, most all maidens, claiming races and allowances.

Other than those kinds of races, he's been entered in 2 non-graded stakes and a G1 and G2, where he did pretty badly except he won that one non-graded stakes for Avila(Tiznow stakes). He's almost 6 years old, and he was needing class relief in this race, which he was getting with Mitchell.

However, if you look at his record on equibase, it appears he hasn't had a good long vacation since 2007 when he started racing----pretty much runs twice a month or once a month.:confused: I don't see any 3 or 6 months layoffs at all in his entire career???? Can somebody check that for me? Looks like about a month off back at the end of 2007. For 44 races, seems awfully *thin* on vacation time to me----4 years of racing? :
http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorseInfo.cfm?refno=7411790&registry=T


Fantasy Free's accomplishments
44-8-7-4
Earned $301,951

Would appreciate another set of eyes on the schedule. He was the M/L favorite and due to seeing his schedule I purposely left him out of even my top 3.


I didnt' like him today because i felt that he wasn't sharp and there was not much pace in the race to set him up. He surprised me and he was on his way to at least a 2nd place finish, or maybe a win. What a shame.

[WinterTriangle]

He surprised me and he was on his way to at least a 2nd place finish, or maybe a win.

So you didn't think that not having any real time off in 4 years of racing was odd?

I just avoid the knee jerk reaction of "it must have been synth." The horse has never run on anything but. Maybe he was giving his all on his way to 2nd, as you thought, but wasn't sound or rested enough to get the job done. I know when I am tired and/or stiff I often take misteps.

I like to do a full look when a horse breaks down, mostly because I think they deserve the devotion of us going over their career--- with a fine-tooth comb, even if nothing else but to commemorate their accomplishments.

(But sometimes I see other stuff that I want to share thoughts with others about.) In his case, I'm still a bit unsure, or at least, not entirely comfortable.

[Stillriledup]

So you didn't think that not having any real time off in 4 years of racing was odd?

I just avoid the knee jerk reaction of "it must have been synth." The horse has never run on anything but. Maybe he was giving his all on his way to 2nd, as you thought, but wasn't sound or rested enough to get the job done. I know when I am tired and/or stiff I often take misteps.

I like to do a full look when a horse breaks down, mostly because I think they deserve the devotion of us going over their career--- with a fine-tooth comb, even if nothing else but to commemorate their accomplishments.

(But sometimes I see other stuff that I want to share thoughts with others about.) In his case, I'm still a bit unsure, or at least, not entirely comfortable.

I guess he was sound enough to not need time off? I don't know, most horses usually need some type of break.

The day that A C Avila claimed him off of Bob Hess (i believe it was Hess) i bet him in that race and he was horrible. I dont know if he was lame or not, but he just couldnt run well, that was a weak field and he was 'no good'. But soon after that, he magically transformed into a very good horse, his first start for Avila was bad and then like magic, he was running Beyers in the 90s.

[PurplePower]

It means pretty much what it says. It really has nothing to do with what the resulting injury might be...

"Took a bad step" is one way to try and make sure the racetrack escapes blame...not saying that is true in this case...but if you think about it, it's pretty hard to prove either way...In the 40's and 50's medical research focused on footwear and other safety precautions that elderly women (and men, but initial research focused on women) could take to prevent them from falling and breaking a hip. As researchers studied the breaks they discovered that the women were not falling and breaking their hip, rather their hip was breaking and then they would fall (sometimes breaking the other hip in the process). That led to further studies of bone de-mineralization, osteoperosis and OCD's (osteochondritis dissecans) among other things. Results led to some current recommendations regarding calcium supplementation for humans, especially females, etc.

Evaluation of data obtained from four years of necropsy on fatal breakdowns (and data obtained by U.Cal Davis in the mid 1990) See list of references here (http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vorl/research_programs/musculoskeletal_disease_injuries/racehorse_injuries.cfm) suggested that in 90 to 95 percent (California veterinarians make that claim in this article) (http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+Equine/Track-surfaces-consume-recent-summit/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/662771) of breakdowns (most would have been attributed to a horse taking a "bad-step"), the horse broke its bone and then took the bad step rather than the other way around.

(In the case of Eight Belles, necropsy indicated that she had NO pre-existing pathology in her ankles.) Bad steps can and do occur and can and do cause injuries. Efforts to identify pre-existing pathology can help prevent such "bad-steps", regardless of which comes first.

[Shelby]

So you're not saying that polytrack is evil garbage and was the direct cause of this particular breakdown? :rolleyes:

I wasn't trying to start the usual discussion about the track surface...I was just trying to finally figure out what was meant by saying "took a bad step".

But, I'm a laid back kinda gal, so carry on :cool:

[bigmack]

Just a shame. He was running his heart out.

L2h92K4O_vA

[WinterTriangle]

Results led to some current recommendations regarding calcium supplementation for humans, especially females, etc.

Since you brought up humans, I'll go off topic to insert public service message #1 here :) : The mechanism by which calcium is fed to the bones: vitamin D.
Get tested. Every doctor is testing now---if they don't.....ask.

[nijinski]

So you didn't think that not having any real time off in 4 years of racing was odd?

I just avoid the knee jerk reaction of "it must have been synth." The horse has never run on anything but. Maybe he was giving his all on his way to 2nd, as you thought, but wasn't sound or rested enough to get the job done. I know when I am tired and/or stiff I often take misteps.

I like to do a full look when a horse breaks down, mostly because I think they deserve the devotion of us going over their career--- with a fine-tooth comb, even if nothing else but to commemorate their accomplishments.

(But sometimes I see other stuff that I want to share thoughts with others about.) In his case, I'm still a bit unsure, or at least, not entirely comfortable.
I know how you feel WT.
These days horses are not handling constant racing.
The gelding raced 14 times in 09 and didn't have much time from training or racing into 2010.
The plight of many a gelding , damn he earned his keep !
Maybe it's time to get rid of the Lasix and Bute too.
RIP Fantasy Free.

[pandy]

Good point about lasix and bute, get rid of them. They races horses all over the world without these medications.

[Shelby]

In the 40's and 50's medical research focused on footwear and other safety precautions that elderly women (and men, but initial research focused on women) could take to prevent them from falling and breaking a hip. As researchers studied the breaks they discovered that the women were not falling and breaking their hip, rather their hip was breaking and then they would fall (sometimes breaking the other hip in the process). That led to further studies of bone de-mineralization, osteoperosis and OCD's (osteochondritis dissecans) among other things. Results led to some current recommendations regarding calcium supplementation for humans, especially females, etc.

Evaluation of data obtained from four years of necropsy on fatal breakdowns (and data obtained by U.Cal Davis in the mid 1990) See list of references here (http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vorl/research_programs/musculoskeletal_disease_injuries/racehorse_injuries.cfm) suggested that in 90 to 95 percent (California veterinarians make that claim in this article) (http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+Equine/Track-surfaces-consume-recent-summit/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/662771) of breakdowns (most would have been attributed to a horse taking a "bad-step"), the horse broke its bone and then took the bad step rather than the other way around.

(In the case of Eight Belles, necropsy indicated that she had NO pre-existing pathology in her ankles.) Bad steps can and do occur and can and do cause injuries. Efforts to identify pre-existing pathology can help prevent such "bad-steps", regardless of which comes first.
Interesting.

***I so loved Eight Belles and my husband and I cried in our kitchen after watching that horrific breakdown***

I read somewhere on this PA forum that a certain horse (is it Unbridled???) needs to stop being bred from due to poor bone structure. Do they do tests to determine if the genes are bad before breeding?

[bane]

Good luck stopping Unbridled he's a still a big sales horse due to his 2 year old crop but I agree he breeds on weak blood.

[jognlope]

I was crying over this. I'm tired anyway. But sick of racing and took all my racing connections off my facebook.

[TheBid9]

After 52 years of this game, I still cannot relate the heart break of watching a horse go down. Sleep in peace, little boy.

[Tom]

Good point about lasix and bute, get rid of them. They races horses all over the world without these medications.

Yes - the only realistic drug policy is zero drugs on race day. Period.

[joanied]

Bane...It's Unbridled Song...in the case of Eight Belle's, IMO, she did take that 'bad step'...it's my theory that the track surface was not even out there where she broke down...when the track was harrowed before the Derby that day, I beleive it left a few uneven places near the outside rail...just where that wonderful filly was being pulled up.

As for Fantasy Free...well, $hit...another heartbreaker...a game old gelding to say the least...I forced myself to watch the replay posted here...tried to see anything wrong in FF's stride, but I couldn't see anything other than he was running straight and true, didn't see any shortening of stride...no signs at all...

Winter T...I took a good look at his entire race record...you are correct that he never had a break...best I could see was a break of about 5 or 6 weeks back in 2008...right after he ran in the CA. Breeders Champion Stakes...after that, he was dropped down to allowance company.
Unless someone has some inside info, we can't know if Fantasy Free had any physical problems, if he was being treated for any type of nagging problem...it does strike me as strange that he ran in dozens of claiming races, yet was never claimed...then as soon as he moves into a new barn...he's gone...

maybe things would have been different if they had given this game gelding a vacation a few times during his career...44 starts with no break at all over the past 2 years, IMO...that's really pushing the limit.

I won't get into the dirt/synthetic thing again, it's been brought up in this thread...but whether or not it was the surface, it doesn't do the the so called 'safety' record of the Del Mar surface any good.
IMO, because of the fact they have had such a difficult time maintaining that track surface, it is possible that down there on the rail it may not have been the best spot to find the surface level...it's quite possible during the breaks when they worked the track, there may have been a slight indent or a slight high spot left and this poor horse found it...who knows.

I also agree 110% that the use of Lasix and Bute needs to be banned...if a horse needs to be on Bute, he shouldn't be running...and lasix, IMO, contributes to lower bone density.

This makes me sick. I am very happy that Mike is OK...other than that...this sucks!

Fantasy Free
R.I.P :(

[OntheRail]

Just a shame. He was running his heart out.

L2h92K4O_vA

You Know...

However, if you look at his record on equibase, it appears he hasn't had a good long vacation since 2007 when he started racing----pretty much runs twice a month or once a month. I don't see any 3 or 6 months layoffs at all in his entire career???? Can somebody check that for me? Looks like about a month off back at the end of 2007. For 44 races, seems awfully *thin* on vacation time to me----4 years of racing? :
http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqb...1790&registry=T


Fantasy Free's accomplishments
44-8-7-4
Earned $301,951

From the looks of it they literally run this horse into the ground.

Fantasy Free
R.I.P :(

[garyscpa]

I see only three layoff lines in his entire career, and those were for less than two months.

[Dahoss9698]

Horses break down. It's unfortunate and it's the worst part about this game, but it happens. Trying to lay some blame to the connections seems unfounded and frankly low class to me.

It's not like they were trying to unload the horse, as he wasn't even up for the claim. But, since there have been many incorrect statements so far (I won't name names, but it's the usual cast of characters) Fantasy Free was claimed 5 times in his career. His newest connections claimed him for 25k and won a 150k stake with him 4 months later.

Did Fantasy Free deserve a better fate? Absolutely. But trying to blame an accident on his connections because they ran him in a logical spot is nuts. It's called an accident for a reason. 3 days or 3 months off, horses take bad steps like Fantasy Free did.

[jognlope]

OMG crying again, poor babe.

[PaceAdvantage]

Good luck stopping Unbridled he's a still a big sales horse due to his 2 year old crop but I agree he breeds on weak blood.Like joanied already stated, you mean Unbridled's Song...

[Shelby]

Like joanied already stated, you mean Unbridled's Song...

I'm sorry, that was my fault. I couldn't remember which one it was. :blush:

[Charlie D]

Anyone seen head on??

I've watched replay several times and impression i get is horse seems to get knocked off balance due to horses on outside


Look at jock in orange he is throwing kitchen sink at his mount and then put his whip hand on reigns as if he is going to try correct drift into rail horse and then whip is back out and he's throwing kitchen sink at his mount again.