Pajiba

I cried like the blubbering baby I am when I read Barbaro had been put down; it was so stunning, just that previous day, everything looked so promising and it looked like his laminitis was under control. And then, bam. What a tragedy.

I will watch this at home, alone, where I can pretend it's me on the back of that horse, flying down the turfway. I watch the Derby these days more out of tradition than anything else, the glory and awe that used to accompany the drama of the Derby wore off sometime around the time I went to college. If I want my over eager imagination to have fun, I watch Black Stallion (NOT the porn version) and Man from Snowy River for horse-related pulse-quickeners.

Also, Barbaro was the closest thing we had to another possible Triple Crown winner... I continue to dream that I will be around when the next one happens. Sigh. 30 years and counting.

I'm so torn about this sport. My father was a huge fan and worked in veterinary pharmacy for a while just to be near the horses. He passed the love on to us. Nothing was more exciting than putting the names of all the Grand National horses in a hat on a Saturday morning in April and hoping you pulled the eventual winner. BUT, I'm also with Dargis on hating the dark side of this sport. Stuffing horses nostrils with ping pong balls to induce colic and fool the insurance company? Horrifically cruel. I tend to weaken every May now that I live in the US, because the Derby is the Derby and I love to wear flamboyant hats. Yes, I know how to spell "shallow".

Nicely nicely done on the Guys and Dolls reference, W. Can do, can do...

I also love wearing a big hat, guzzling mint juleps and placing bets on Derby day.
I'm nuts for those keeper Derby glasses with the names of past winners on them.
But horseracing is all about the money and hardly for the love of the animal. If Barbaro had not won the Derby two weeks before, he would have been euthanized on the spot. That poor horse was kept alive for the human aspect. His owners were probably cursing about how much money he was costing them.

It's especially heartbreaking when you realize for every foal that made it to derby, so many more did not. So what happens then? Horseracing is not particularly kind to its losers. This year as feed prices have grown for humans, they've also skyrocketed for animals, and every other time I turn on the news horses are being starved to death--it's brutal. People try to breed these animals like you would a litter of puppies in the hopes that the one good one will pay for the host of worthless ones. I guess I just don't care much for the sport. And I speak as a native Kentuckian.

I grew up in horse racing, and I still love the sport. Yes, there are terrible, hateful things that happen to some of these animals, but for every money grubber who is willing to put his charge in harm's way just to turn a profit there are hundreds of caring, intelligent, passionate horse lovers who are great ambassadors of the sport. Among thse are the owners of Barbaro, who, indeed, stood to lose millions of dollars with his death, but who obviously did not keep him alive simply to guarantee the lining of their already full pockets. These were people who suffered right along with that horse, and when it became apparent that he would never be the same, they made the decision to have him put peacefully to sleep. People who become involved with horse racing to make money are in the wrong sport - there many more losses than wins, and it's a tough, tough life.

I still can't watch video of that Preakness, because it's just too hard. I love animals, but I've always held an extremely special place in my heart for horses.

Stella - Barbaro certainly could have won the Triple Crown, but Smarty Jones came the closest when he was just beat in the stretch of the Belmont. That was the best hope in recent years.

I will add that the documentary notes how hard it was -- emotionally -- for Matz and his stable to recover from Barbaro's death.

Kolby, you're right, I'd forgotten about Smarty Jones. I liked how he was pitched as the everyman's horse, when in reality he still cost more than most people would ever spend on a hobby.

Don't you feel a bit like an abused spouse watching this sport, waiting for someone to win the Triple Crown? Every year, I tell myself, it won't happen, it can't happen, I'm just going to get my hopes up for nothing, but man it would be cool if it happened! Battered-TC Syndrome: You know you're going to get hurt, but you still keep coming back for more.

I write this from downtown Louisville, where the Derby season is now in full swing. I don't really care for the sport itself, but the tradition of it and the whole festival that precedes the Derby is fantastic. If you ever want to visit Louisville, the two weeks before Derby is the time to do it!

I live across the river from L-ville. While I am a little over the whole pre-Derby thing (the reactment of the bombing of Dresden by Allied bombers--er, sorry, "Thunder over Louisville", parade traffic, cheating in the steam boat race, tourist traffic, rowdy drunks), I do get a kick out of the pagentry of race day. And the Queen came last year--how cool was that? You are right SCG, late April and early May is the best time to visit here.

Stella - I try not to get too absorbed into the frenzy for a Triple Crown - the last one was the year I was born, so every year without one is just a huge reminder of how old I'm getting.

Horseracing, or racing for that matter, has never done anything for me. I can't imagine this would, either.

Rudyard Kipling has a great line about horseracing (from the Broken-Link Handicap in Plain Tales from the Hills):
"There are more ways of running a horse to suit your book than pulling his head off in the straight. Some men forget this. Understand clearly that all racing is rotten--as everything connected with losing money must be."

Kevin, you're never fascinated by things you don't do or the people who immerse their lives in them? I love watching documentaries about all kinds of things I've never done/never thought about doing.

Having indulged in the sport of kings for several years, I know first hand how it can become very addictive.

Watching those majestic beast in all there glory reminds me that animals indeed belong free. I yearn to go back to the track and partake in all it's trappings. But for a slight misunderstanding between myself and a bookie, It is best I stay away.

I can't wait for the season at Del Mar to begin. One of the most gorgeous racetracks ever, right next to the ocean, on sunny days in July. Marvelous people-watching. I'll get up the nerve one of these years to call in sick on opening day, wear a giant big hat and get drunk in the infield.

And lose all my money, 'cause I suck at picking winners.... ooh look, I'll bet on the pretty horse!

Brigette - we are fellow Kentuckianans!!!

We are neighbors SCG! I am actually a Hoosier--my parents immigrated from Louisville to End of the Road in Floyd County IN a couple of years before I was born. I do have sisters that live in L-ville--one in the Highlands and one in the landing path of the airport. She doesn't notice the planes any more. I wave at the passengers.

Nancy, I only bet $2 on the longshot. I've seen pics of Del Mar--looks gorgeous.

Nice to know that some folks outside of Kentucky give a damn bout the Derby. Also a pleasant surprise to see that many Pajibans call the Bluegrass home. Now if someone would just produce a film about Derby time Cruising along Broadway . . . Somebody call Tyler Perry!

Brigette- Del Mar is a beautiful track, and expensive.... the drink prices are what usually have me running to the ATMs. I'm usually a $2 betting girl myself.

my friends and I celebrate our $1.60 wins by buying another $8 beer.... woo!

HAHAHAHA Nancy that sounds like something I would do--only with shots of bourbon. Wait, I'd probably have to take out a loan to get bourbon if beer is $8!

Wow, I hadn't even heard about this one. I'll definitely have to check this one out: I'm another Louisvillian by heart (if not by current home).

Brigette, what's up with the sour grapes? I simply cannot imagine not enjoying Thunder. The annoying drunks gripe I can understand, but aren't you across the river? Do they really stumble all that way? Personally, I'm jealous as hell about missing all the stuff you don't seem to enjoy, but I guess someone always is.

To see those horses cresting the last turn, all flying dirt and sweat and hooves, really is a beautiful sight.

I still can get horses at
http://www.bigblackconnect.com/

I saw them on "S e e k i n g R i c h . c o m",too.Maybe they want make more new friends.You can contact them on that site.

Sorry Just Joe, I don't like the whole fireworks/airshow thing--freaks me out a little. I have issues, what can I say?

Smarty Jones was a wonderful horse to watch live. I saw him run at Oaklawn that year. I think that it was his Arkansas Derby win that I saw. He was an impressive and beautiful horse.

I have a weakness for all animals, but damn, horse racing is just beautiful and impressive to watch. There are bad owners out there, but it is the same with all pets. There are good people and there are bad people. You cannot broadly condemn an entire subset of people for a few bad ones.

Never really understood the appeal of racing. Possibly this is because I highly dislike high-strung horses, especially Thoroughbreds. Sure, wow, they can go fast, but I'd watch dressage over a race any day.

As tragic as the Barbaro incident was (and I teared up when he died too), the attempts to keep him alive were likely financially motivated. While I believe his wealthy owners really cared a great deal for him, I doubt they would have spent $250k on his vet bills if he hadn't been a KD winning Stallion. The Thoroughbred registry (Jockey Club) doesn't allow Artificial Insemination. This means that the stallion must have the ability to perform his part of the breeding process. If Barbabro had survived to cover even a few mares at what would surely been a six figure stud fee, he would have paid his vet bills and been in the black. $200K+ stud fees are common for this caliber of horse. Rich people can afford to have soft hearts, but racing is a business. Plus, he has a young full brother out there, so all is not lost.
The upside to this whole sad affair was that the much was learned about long term treatment of broken legs in horses, since it is rarely pursued this rigorously.
As far as the ugly side of racing goes,
25+ years in equestrian sport have taught me that you can never really underestimate how depraved some people can be when money and ego are involved, and racing certainly doesn't have the abuse/fraud market cornered..

Ha ha CUNO, Me too. I am (now) a Dressage rider, although I spent many years in other areas of equestrian sport.
Racing is like Nascar and Dressage is like Ballet, to oversimplify grossly.

wasn't the "I got the horse right here" from the Richard Dreyfus movie "Let it Ride" (1989)?

I'd never known the source myself, but if it's "Guys & Dolls" that would predate it. I've only ever heard it used in "Oh God, You Devil". I guess neither of us are big on showtunes so references to beloved musicals are definitely wasted on us. However, I just had an interesting few minutes discovering that the song's called "Fugue for Tinhorns" and thus finding out what the hell "tinhorn" means as well as what "fugue" means musically.

Well, I think I understand it, but could be wrong, like when I'd think I had grasped something in algebra ("Click, Click"? "River of Orchids"? "Don't You Evah"?). Either way, I don't understand how a word meaning forgetting who you are and wandering off was adopted to also mean really neat counterpoint device.

I wouldn't mind Dressage except I hate horse people. You wouldn't believe the bullshit people say. I bought an ex-racehorse a few years ago (she was apparently a slow runner) but had an awesome disposition and conformation and let me tell you the amount of shit i had to take when I tried the horse whisperer 'join up' method (it wasn't Monty Roberts, but I can't remember the name of the guy whose technique it was - the one who jumps his blind Appy). christ on a biscuit train, you'd have thought I was abusing the horse. The biggest offense, apparently, was that I was "Westernizing" a Dressage/Jumper prospect. Fuckin' tools, horse people. If I want to ride my goddam horse bareback over a jump, then I will damn well do it - 'proper form' or not. Man, they piss me off.

For truly awesome Dressage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw

where do I get a copy of "first saturday in May"?