|
|
09-20-2018, 07:20 AM
|
#31
|
BANNED
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 520
|
I know this one isn’t thoroughbred related but at my local racetrack (grand river raceway) they have this day where they have wiener dog races and that day probably gets more people out to the track than a normal race day. It’s pretty sad to see that people like to watch a 5 second sprint of wiener dogs and not to horse racing. They parking lots and full like very full. Like when I went over it was so packed I had to park across the street. And once the race is over everyone screams to get out of there. So sad to see
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 07:53 AM
|
#32
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: East Texas
Posts: 1,338
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobphilo
Some racks actually do have mule racing with pari-mutual betting. These big eared characters are surprisingly fast and lots of fun to watch.
|
You haven't lived until you've been on a big mule, in thick woods, that gets spooked by the sudden appearance of a herd of wild hogs.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 08:24 AM
|
#33
|
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 341
|
I have also never witnessed an Arabian break down. I remember hearing about a fatal incident at I believe Delaware Park and the story bing how devastated the community was since that was such a rare occurrence. Never seen a mule injured either for that matter.
I imagine more than anything it has to do with the simple fact that Arabians are more of a boutique industry. There is less incentive to rush them to the races, or medicate them to the gills and race them in less than optimal physical condition. And a full blooded Arabian has value off the track, probably more so than as a racehorse for the vast majority of them. Not too many thoroughbreds are worth more off the track than on.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 08:54 AM
|
#34
|
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 2,465
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hambletonian
I have also never witnessed an Arabian break down. I remember hearing about a fatal incident at I believe Delaware Park and the story bing how devastated the community was since that was such a rare occurrence. Never seen a mule injured either for that matter.
I imagine more than anything it has to do with the simple fact that Arabians are more of a boutique industry. There is less incentive to rush them to the races, or medicate them to the gills and race them in less than optimal physical condition. And a full blooded Arabian has value off the track, probably more so than as a racehorse for the vast majority of them. Not too many thoroughbreds are worth more off the track than on.
|
Yes, medication, steroids and performance enhancing drugs are a big part of the problem. It's also a question of anatomy. If you get to see and compare the legs of race horses with pleasure horses or police horses close up you will see what I mean by a big locomotive running on toothpicks at high speeds. Breakdowns are going to be inevitable, unless we do what the German Jockey Club does and not let a horse stand at stud that has not raced soundly without drugs for 2 or 3 seasons. Never happen here, though. Too much money to be made from breeding fast unsound horses.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 08:55 AM
|
#35
|
Veteran
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,849
|
Irresponsible breeding has caused this problem and continues to make the thorobred more fragile.
The second item that make harness racing better is the durability of the standardbred. At yesterday Little Brown Jug races leading trainer Bob Mcintosh was interviewed and discussed how his wife turned his champion trotter into a show horse.
Harness horses can race 35-50 times a year and generally keep their form.
How many t'breds can race even 15 times a year. Very few and it is getting worse.
As an earlier poster said, horses that break down early and are bred continue to proliferate and worsen the problem.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 08:59 AM
|
#36
|
Veteran
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,849
|
Weiner dogs are not mercilessly whipped down the lane. In this day and age people are sensitive to seeing animals whipped lie they are. The industry can also institute the round about whipping style they have overseas.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 09:06 AM
|
#37
|
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 2,465
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hambletonian
I have also never witnessed an Arabian break down. I remember hearing about a fatal incident at I believe Delaware Park and the story bing how devastated the community was since that was such a rare occurrence. Never seen a mule injured either for that matter.
I imagine more than anything it has to do with the simple fact that Arabians are more of a boutique industry. There is less incentive to rush them to the races, or medicate them to the gills and race them in less than optimal physical condition. And a full blooded Arabian has value off the track, probably more so than as a racehorse for the vast majority of them. Not too many thoroughbreds are worth more off the track than on.
|
Another thing about Arabian racing. Arabian horses are not allowed to begin racing until they are at least 3YOs and at least close to maturity.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 09:50 AM
|
#38
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 63
|
Dang, VJS!
Seems like you need a leather hide, underneath a flak jacket, while deep inside a bunker and under the effects of an elephant tranquilizer... when posting.
Even "friendly fire" seems excessive.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 09:55 AM
|
#39
|
PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,657
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobphilo
Even so, I bet if he had witnessed the same number of Thoroughbred as Arabian races, he would have witnessed more breakdowns and/or injuries among the Thoroughbreds. I'm sure he would say he's seen a higher % of this in T-bred races.
T-breds are much more fragile than Arabs.
|
I never said they weren't. All I'm saying is, lack of observable events WILL skew the thought process on this.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 10:09 AM
|
#40
|
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Baystater
Posts: 3,496
|
Standardbreds are a sturdier breed, many race once a week and are on the track jogging or training daily, yet their numbers are dwindling as well.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 11:43 AM
|
#41
|
Buckle Up
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 10,614
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmyb
Standardbreds are a sturdier breed, many race once a week and are on the track jogging or training daily, yet their numbers are dwindling as well.
|
Imagine that....Both Standardbreds and Arabians are sturdy breeds, yet the hybrid result of the two, the Thoroughbred, is not....Go figure.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 12:02 PM
|
#42
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: East Texas
Posts: 1,338
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReplayRandall
Imagine that....Both Standardbreds and Arabians are sturdy breeds, yet the hybrid result of the two, the Thoroughbred, is not....Go figure.
|
Arabs routinely win international endurance races. However, the longest U.S. endurance race (roughly 3,000 miles in 1976) was won by a mule, sired by a Thoroughbred. An Arabian was second.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 12:04 PM
|
#43
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,738
|
I've never seen an octopus break down.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 01:03 PM
|
#44
|
clean money
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 23,559
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by elhelmete
I've never seen an octopus break down.
|
The ink would make it tough for the stewards to maintain their standards of excellence.
__________________
Preparation. Discipline. Patience. Decisiveness.
|
|
|
09-20-2018, 02:54 PM
|
#45
|
Registered User
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,284
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.XXX
Dang, VJS!
Seems like you need a leather hide, underneath a flak jacket, while deep inside a bunker and under the effects of an elephant tranquilizer... when posting.
Even "friendly fire" seems excessive.
|
Nothing new X
__________________
"Just because she's a hitter and a thief doesn't mean she's not a good woman in all the other places" Mayrose Prizzi
|
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|