A Stringhalt "Misstep" in the Belmont Stakes

[Blenheim]

Interesting, there has been NO mention of War of Will’s Stringhalt disease in any of the popular internet horse racing sites. Why hasn’t any of their reporters or writers asked . . . Hey Mark, can you tell us what type of Stringhalt the colt has, how severe it is and are you treating it? And Mark, after the Louisiana Derby you said the colt had a stumble of some sort, strained maybe a muscle or caught his patella. Did your vet find anything wrong after the race and how did the colt recover so quickly?

Imagine the pandemonium if War of Will has a “misstep” in the Belmont similar to the “misstep” he had in the Louisiana . . .

[Saratoga_Mike]

Did you forget?

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...ighlight=hitch

[Blenheim]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

Did you forget?

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...ighlight=hitch

What happens if he has a Stringhalt episode during the running of the Belmont similar to the episode he had in the Louisiana?

Raises some difficult questions: should War of Will be allowed to run w/a debilitating disease; is it safe for War of Will to run w/the disease; is it safe for the other horses that War of Will be allowed to run w/the disease; is it safe for the jockeys that War of Will be allowed to run w/the disease; do New York State Gaming Commission rules and regulations address this type of case - is there a precedent; what about the wagering on a horse w/a debilitating disease?

~

From what I've read, the NYRA has a new CEO; read he walks the walk.

Terry Finley, a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and head of West Point Thoroughbreds, also endorsed NYRA's new leader while acknowledging the need for change during troubling times. “We've got to walk the walk more as opposed to just talking the talk,” Finley said. “David is not a guy who talks a lot, but he certainly walks the walk.”

[Saratoga_Mike]

Yes, I read this on May 20, right here.

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by Blenheim

What happens if he has a Stringhalt episode during the running of the Belmont similar to the episode he had in the Louisiana?

How come nobody asks this about Lasix? Ask trainers about the bad reactions some of the horses get when either first time or the dosage isn't exactly right. Any horse can have a "medication episode"......and given the sheer amounts of meds our horses are given, why isn't it talked about more? What does losing tons of body weight due to lasix do to a horse in terms of electrolytes, metabolism, etc.? How come Life at Ten was listless in the paddock before the breeders cup and was not warming up properly, but was raced anyway?
Do YOU know exactly how many drugs are administered to every horse in this race and in what quantities for the last 3 months? Any horse can break down from this, like Coronado Heights.
Is it safe for any jockey to board ANY horse unless we know all the veterinary details about them for at least 3-6 months?

[groupie doll]

seems like a stuck needle in this section of the forum...

[Blenheim]

Think it through . . .

Racing fans at the track and across the world will be betting on War of Will, most of them have never heard of Stringhalt, and most of them have NO IDEA that they are betting on a colt with a debilitating disease – a disease with no known cure.

If these fans know, in advance, that War of Will has a debilitating disease, do you think they would bet on him?

Now further consider the colt has a “misstep” in the Belmont similar to the “misstep” he had in the Louisiana, he finishes up the track and the “misstep” is linked to Stringhalt . . . imagine the outcry. Why didn’t the NYRA disclose to the betting public the colt has a debilitating disease?


Another nail in the coffin of an already dying sport.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by Blenheim

Think it through . . .
Another nail in the coffin of an already dying sport.

That coffin is already covered up with flowers in the back of a black limousine. Just a matter of when it's buried. There are no longer enough superstars to maintain even a modicum of casual fan interest. Look at what Winx did in Australia. That horse would have been retired several years ago here. Much of what remains in America is effectively subsidized through casino gaming.

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by Blenheim

most of them have NO IDEA that they are betting on a colt with a debilitating disease – a disease with no known cure.
.

yup, just like the many race horses who have arthritis, a debilitating disease for which there is no known cure. And causes many of them to retire early. Wanna make a list ?

Other stuff like tendonitis or bursitis can be somewhat controlled, but are *pesky* and hard to ever chase away. They aren't arthritis specifically, but may as well be.

[Blenheim]

Horseracing had its time in the sun . . . and it never will be what it was back when Citation and Whirlaway ran in the early 20th Century. However, I think the calls and proclamations that horseracing is dead are nonsensical. Horseracing has been and always will be part of the American cultural fabric.

~

Not only is Stringhalt a debilitating disease with no known cure, Stringhalt symptoms intensify and escalate with excitement and exhaustion, both of which will be in full measure coming down the long Belmont stretch.