Epicharis and the Mystery of his Workouts

[Mulerider]

Originally Posted by Mlnolan00

Similarly you'll be best served by observing silently and learning before making rash decisions based one one piece of information...Learn what to look for and research what you're reading/observing and you'll be far better served in the long run than making quick decisions and asking others for help.

Thanks so much for your helpful advice, but I've got a pretty good working knowledge of phenylbutazone and what it's used for, especially in this context.

[Mulerider]

Originally Posted by Mlnolan00

If the horse was lame, believe me, he'd be on more aggressive therapy and it wouldn't be listed as plainly as lameness.

Breaking:

Bloodhorse: Epicharis Does Not Train After Lameness Treatment

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Is Epicharis a likely scratch as well?

[Mulerider]

Originally Posted by Lemon Drop Husker

Is Epicharis a likely scratch as well?

I'd guess it depends on what the underlying issue is. Could be something minor, like a slight stone bruise. Who knows? But the horse was apparently feeling discomfort, hence the bute.

[Wiley]

I think another Japanese import Casino Drive had a hoof bruise that caused him to scratch in D Tara's Belmont.

Isn't there an old saying about horses with 4 white socks? saying to stay away from them because of possible hoof issues.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by Mlnolan00

2 grams of Bute is absolutely de rigeur with many racing outfits as evidenced by the vet records of horses from the 2017 Wood Memorial. https://www.gaming.ny.gov/pdf/04.06.17.WoodMemorial.pdf A horse getting a small amount of NSAIDs four days prior to a race is not showing overt lameness but most likely earning a justification for the Rx from the vet.

I agree with this part of your post.


If we look at today's medical records, we may well see that they all get bute (or not). Could well be a vet's justification for getting bute a day earlier/extra than the rest of the field.

Assuming Epicharis starts, I think all of the health questions should then be thrown out the window.

Bet the horse based upon whether your handicapping determines that he is a contender or not.

[Thomas Roulston]

Doesn't the "UAE/Dubai/Abu Dhabi Jinx" apply in the Belmont (and the Preakness, too) as well as the Derby?

[handyman1968]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

I agree with this part of your post.


If we look at today's medical records, we may well see that they all get bute (or not). Could well be a vet's justification for getting bute a day earlier/extra than the rest of the field.

Assuming Epicharis starts, I think all of the health questions should then be thrown out the window.

Bet the horse based upon whether your handicapping determines that he is a contender or not.

How can you not take into account the health issue when capping the race? In all my years of following horse racing, I know of only 1 instance where a horse had foot issue a few days before a big race won and that is Vision d'Etat in the 2009 Hong Kong Cup.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by handyman1968

How can you not take into account the health issue when capping the race? In all my years of following horse racing, I know of only 1 instance where a horse had foot issue a few days before a big race won and that is Vision d'Etat in the 2009 Hong Kong Cup.

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

If we look at today's medical records, we may well see that they all get bute (or not). Could well be a vet's justification for getting bute a day earlier/extra than the rest of the field.

https://www.gaming.ny.gov/pdf/06.08....montStakes.pdf

Yesterday, 9 of the horses got NSAIDs.
poor Irish War Cry has arthritis, if you believe what they write.

this time, Epicharis was listed as "Musculoskeletal inflammatory."

• most trainers feel NSAIDs enhance performance
• This is a betting game. Epicharis has two pools. Japan and US. The Japan pool is projected to underlay Epicharis severely.

If I see a hoof picture/video that I'm 100% is the animal in question, and it looks nasty, of if they scratch the horse, then I'll factor-in an injury.

Otherwise I'll handicap the horse race.

I understand incentives. A vet record that accompanies NSAID admin a day earlier than the other contenders, and a bloodhorse article that simply restates that vet record and says the horse walked hots instead of going out to the track, doesn't make me start to second guess my handicapping.

[Thomas Roulston]

Epicharis is not even getting Lasix.

I'll pass all the way around.

[Robert Fischer]

He didn't run on lasix before either.

How about we handicap the horse?

[Mulerider]

Epicharis Bypasses Training Again at Belmont Park

Treating him with ice now, according to a NYRA spokesman, still hoping to make the race. No comment from trainer.