Union Rags done for the year?

[The Hawk]

That's what Glenye Cain Oakford (DRF) posted on Twitter...

[nijinski]

Already tweets about Lanes End , not too encouraging to hear this.
Tendon injury. :(

[cj]

Shocking news.

[classhandicapper]

That's a shame. I really wanted to see him run, almost as much out of intellectual curiosity about how he would develop as just being a fan.

[Zydeco]

Shocking news.

shocking as in...we got a classic win under our belt now lets get the heck out of here? :lol:

[andtheyreoff]

shocking as in...we got a classic win under our belt now lets get the heck out of here? :lol:

I'm serious here- why does everything have to be a conspiracy with horseplayers? Maybe the horse just got hurt. It really sucks and it's deflating for the rest of the year, but it doesn't mean it was all some grand idea to retire him once he got a Belmont win (never mind the fact that breeding season isn't for many months).

[letswastemoney]

I would have liked him to stay healthy even if I did not like him.

Now there will always be a mysterious cloud over how good he really was. I thought he was overrated, but I wanted to see definitively whether he could live up to his hype or whether my thoughts were right.

[Itamaraca]

The connections probably weighed the odds of this horse getting another once-in-a-career perfect trip with those of getting its ass significantly kicked in some of the major 3 year old (and up) races the rest of the year. When the scale fell over on the latter end, they knew what they had to do.

[andtheyreoff]

The connections probably weighed the odds of this horse getting another once-in-a-career perfect trip with those of getting its ass significantly kicked in some of the major 3 year old (and up) races the rest of the year. When the scale fell over on the latter end, they knew what they had to do.

See my above post.

[Bullet Plane]

I think he would have wound up being the whipping boy of all whipping boy's, but I wish him well....

[Shemp Howard]

Will never face the starter again.

[Cholly]

I'm serious here- why does everything have to be a conspiracy with horseplayers? Maybe the horse just got hurt. It really sucks and it's deflating for the rest of the year, but it doesn't mean it was all some grand idea to retire him once he got a Belmont win (never mind the fact that breeding season isn't for many months).

You don't have to allege any conspiracy to recognize that horses who are players in the Triple Crown tend to race and accomplish little thereafter. Half the horses who run in The Derby never win another race.

It makes me appreciate what a great horse Shackleford is (and Curlin was)!

[Zydeco]

I would have liked him to stay healthy even if I did not like him.

Now there will always be a mysterious cloud over how good he really was. I thought he was overrated, but I wanted to see definitively whether he could live up to his hype or whether my thoughts were right.

agree

[David-LV]

Just another phony horse that got lucky with a perfect trip and now it is time to cash in.

Hello Japan. Will you have Another?

_______
David-LV

[nijinski]

Just another phony horse that got lucky with a perfect trip and now it is time to cash in.

Hello Japan. Will you have Another?

_______
David-LV

Lanes End

[burnsy]

I would have liked him to stay healthy even if I did not like him.

Now there will always be a mysterious cloud over how good he really was. I thought he was overrated, but I wanted to see definitively whether he could live up to his hype or whether my thoughts were right.
i feel the same way...plus if we were right. there was money to be made betting against. this horse reminded me of To Honor and Serve. they are decent horses but they are overbet when they run at the highest level. people fall in love with horses like this and bet them every time. they win a share of races but they have a ceiling of ability that is not top grade. i kind of thought if he kept racing he would be the same type. there would be fields he could man handle but the big races would probably be out of reach.

[Shelby]

Is he being retired?

[CincyHorseplayer]

I want to see the Kentucky Derby be a Maiden Special Weight race and each winner of the first 2 triple crown races barred from eligibility to the rest like the non winner allowance series.Then all participants go straight to the breeding shed on June 12th.There's too much at stake.Why risk it?;)

[horses4courses]

Will never face the starter again.

Hmmm....Trainer Matz states this morning the horse is out 4-6 months with a good prognosis. Shemp Howard says he's done. Who can I trust?

[tucker6]

Hmmm....Trainer Matz states this morning the horse is out 4-6 months with a good prognosis. Shemp Howard says he's done. Who can I trust?
I guess a better question is, "how many times have we seen such an outlook given by a trainer or owner for a three year old G1 horse and they came back to race"? I bet it's less than 50/50.

I guess I'm believing a stooge over Matz on this one. Call me pessimistic about my fellow man.

[horses4courses]

I guess a better question is, "how many times have we seen such an outlook given by a trainer or owner for a three year old G1 horse and they came back to race"? I bet it's less than 50/50.

I guess I'm believing a stooge over Matz on this one. Call me pessimistic about my fellow man.

Each to their own....... :rolleyes:

It's a logical conclusion, though.
You have one of the best 2yo's from 2011, and a Belmont winner.
The stud farm is very likely.

[tucker6]

Each to their own....... :rolleyes:

It's a logical conclusion, though.
You have one of the best 2yo's from 2011, and a Belmont winner.
The stud farm is very likely.
If you agree with Shemp's conclusion as being the most logical outcome, why the eyeroll to me? Or am I reading your post incorrectly?

I'm not really dissing Matz either. He's giving the standard political-speak in these situations. I don't consider that lying. Simply massaging the issue.

[melman]

Only Phyllis Weyth knows for sure if UR runs again.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/horse_racing/20120712_Lesion_found_on_Union_Rags__leg.html

[horses4courses]

If you agree with Shemp's conclusion as being the most logical outcome, why the eyeroll to me? Or am I reading your post incorrectly?

I'm not really dissing Matz either. He's giving the standard political-speak in these situations. I don't consider that lying. Simply massaging the issue.

Not meant as an insult to you, but it says something about this sport when you can take the word of a PA poster over the trainer's. :eek:

[melman]

horses--I don't think it comes down to "taking the word" of anyone. Shemp make a post which IMO was over the top. How does he know for sure?? For that matter neither does Matz. I don't think Phyllis Weyth has made up her mind yet. And she is the only one that counts. :)

[tucker6]

Not meant as an insult to you, but it says something about this sport when you can take the word of a PA poster over the trainer's. :eek:
Okay, thanks.

Not believing an insider happens in every sport though. Look at the Peyton Manning example. "My surgery went well and I expect to be back in time for training camp". Then we find out he had another surgery with no chance of making it back. Then it was, "I'll be back before season's end", but we all knew that wasn't going to happen either. Like I said, I hold nothing against statements like these as I normally take the more pessimistic side on issues like this and consider it PR until proven otherwise. Besides, what Shemp said makes more sense to me.

[Bullet Plane]

Hmmm....Trainer Matz states this morning the horse is out 4-6 months with a good prognosis. Shemp Howard says he's done. Who can I trust?

News broke today. I guess you better dial in Shemp....

[antigeekess]

He's done, folks. http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/full_edition.cgi

[Beachbabe]

I'll Have Another; Union Rags....they did what they had to do to get that breeding shed money.
Dontcha just love this sport at the high-end ??? :sleeping:

[tucker6]

News broke today. I guess you better dial in Shemp....
This wasn't hard to figure out given past history of G1 winning 3 year olds. IHA followed this path, and Bodemeister looks to be following a similar illness path. Call me a pessimist, but when big money is involved, side with the money and not the sport. I don't blame the owners either. They took the risk and get to see a reward. I just don't like it when owners wring their hands in false "woe is me" for the horse not racing just after inking a $30M deal for stud duty.

[nijinski]

Good Luck to Union Rags at stud duty !

Algorithms is back under tack . Lets hope we get to see him soon .

[Citation1947]

Now we hopefully wont have to hear about this highly over-rated Micheal Matz for ANOTHER 6 years!

[nijinski]

Now we hopefully wont have to hear about this highly over-rated Micheal Matz for ANOTHER 6 years!

I think he did a good job with Union Rags .

Training a Derby and a Belmont winner is not too shabby .

Crawling back into the wreckage of the plane crash you were in to save a baby . I think he deserves some respect . Not racing related , but shows
alot about his good charactor and will.

[Tom]

Good luck on your retirement, Dollar Bill...er, ah, I mean Union Rags.
Never could tell those two apart. :rolleyes:

[molson721]

Maybe the horse was retired because the owner and the family needed the money he could make as a stallion????:confused::confused::confused::confuse d:

[classhandicapper]

In my book, Union Rags is going to go down as one of those rare horses that is simultaneously overrated and underrated depending on which segment of the horse racing population you are talking to.