Community Chat

[Kachina624]

It's more about the size of the heart. Upon their deaths all the ""greats"" were proven to have enlarged hearts.

[Kalli]

On 5/4/2014 kachina624 said: It's more about the size of the heart. Upon their deaths all the ""greats"" were proven to have enlarged hearts.

Didn't realize they all did but it was highly publicized that Secretariat had a larger than normal heart.

-Kalli

[pitdakota]

On 5/4/2014 KittyLouWhoToo said:

If you've ever worked with thoroughbreds you can see which ones love to race by watching them in the fields as they are growing up.

Some are very competitive. Others, not so much.

Oh my goodness, you can say that again. Back in the day when I went to UofK, they offered riding classes through their equine program at what is now The North Farm (they don't offer these courses anymore though). I took one of the riding classes and had a retired thoroughbred for my horse. Geez! He wore me out trying to hold him back. LOL! It was a feat on the day we were to be scored on posting to keep him from just letting her rip. Getting him to just trot was almost next to impossible...he wanted to run! And if he ever thought another horse was getting the edge on him....LOOK OUT! I fell in love with him though. What a personality!!

Several of the horses were that way. We would be worn out by the end of the lesson just trying to hold them back. I have since had a whole new appreciation for exercisers.

[OC FRESH]

I love horses and used to ride but never owned one so I don't know anywhere near as much about them like most of you do.

Racing may be rough on them but I think that jumping events are hard on horses too. It's tough for me to watch. It's constant jumping with only a few steps in between and the cross country events are worse.

Your stories of working in the racing realm are so interesting.

[jst4jan]

On 5/4/2014 boby said:

Focksie et al: Lasix is a vasodilator and a diuretic. It does have therapeutic value, but it also induces fluid loss, which reduces blood pressure and makes it less likely that horses will bleed during a race.

It does not drastically dehydrate horses. That would be dangerous. If you remember Big Brown's disastrous performance in the Belmont Stakes a few years ago it is commonly believed that he "OD'd" on Lasix on a very hot day, and lost so much fluid that he was kind of "punch drunk."

Lasix is also commonly administered to humans to relieve congestive heart failure.

It is legal in most racing jurisdictions, although some are getting away from its use. California recently turned down the Breeders Cup races for 2014 because the BC people wouldn't agree to its use in all races, insisting that it be banned for use in all 2 year old races. It is estimated that denial of the Breeders Cup races cost the local economy of SoCal about $60 million. That's how addicted some trainers out there are to Lasix for their horses.

There are lots of trainers who would love to see it banned but continue to use it, because they would be at a competitive disadvantage if they didn't. It is a PED. That is why the Racing Form lists Lasix users, especially first-time users. Lots of trainers and owners don't use it, but there is so much pressure put on them by some track vets to use, because the vet gets about $30-35 per pop.

John Veitch, a former top-notch trainer for some of the best outfits in the game and an articulate and brutally honest individual, once said that he got out of training when racing went from "My horse against your horse to my chemist against your chemist."

And that's part of the Lasix story.

I don't know where you got your information about the 2014 Breeders Cup, but it is being held October 31-November 1 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA.

[terrier3]

On 5/4/2014 ILikeShade said:

Question please. Don't the jockeys whip the heck out them to make them go faster while in a race? Just asking....not stating that this is what is done.

One of the issues is that some trainers use shock treatments - not in the race, but while training them!

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/03/sports/scandal-casts-shadow-over-grandeur-of-kentucky-derby.html