Declan’s Moon at Hollywood Park (Charles Pravata).

Declan’s Moon undergoes throat surgery [NTRA], according to the article, “in hopes of helping him recapture his old form”.

I take it he was presenting with symptoms other than ‘loosing streak” to warrant surgery. The article doesn’t go in to detail but I can’t imagine something as drastic as surgery being undertaken as a shot in dark… or at least I certainly hope not!

At any rate, best of luck to him for a speedy recover… I know I’d love to see him back on his form.

Compassion? Sportsmanship? I guess it depends on the issue. While checking the various entries and results at DRF I noticed an ad on the right hand side. I noticed it because it was simply a very well cropped head shot of a horse, not blinking, not a ton of animation with too much info it, just a nice looking horse.

I clicked on over to find the stable of Roxanne D. Luethy. Her mission as an owner is to save unwanted claimers and raise awareness of their plight. I also found this story about her and her husband.

With all the recent (and sadly persistent) examples greed and over drugging it was nice to find some folks doing something positive for horses, not for positive cash flow.

Teuflesberg and Robby Albarado win the Grade 2 Woody Stephens (Sarah K. Andrew)

I guess one good thing came out of my afternoon of being hit over the head with the pass-out stick, I didn’t wake up in time to see Teuflesburg get pulled up.

Valerie notes that there was some footage of him hobbling on the track before the outrider could get him. Ugh!! Also, very interesting note about the Jeanine Edwards comment.

Best of luck for his surgery and recovery.

Was it just me or did No Biz’s late run look a lot like Curlin’s in the Jockey Gold Cup? I think we’ve just seen No Biz have his breakthrough race!

Annoyingly I started to come down with a nasty head cold yesterday, sitting at work sniffling and sneezing, I knew it meant I was gonna be scratched from any action this weekend. Normally Friday night is handicapping night at GbG manor, but not last night. I’ve been passed out in front of the idiot box all day today, occasionally waking up to catch a race at Belmont.

As luck would have it, I woke up just in time to catch the Champagne Stakes… War Pass ($11.20) took the field wire to wire winning by about a length and half over a closing Pyro ($19.60) while 35-1 long shot Z Humor ($10.80) held on well for show after stalking War Pass the whole way! As Tom Durkin put it “Majestic Warrior and Ready’s Image nowhere today”. Actually, the replay is on now, Pyro came from last to place… nice! Good for Nick Zito… and those payouts were reminiscent of Saratoga!

The Champagne is somewhat sentimental for me, last year the second time I went to the track ever was it was the running of the Champagne. Back then Swifty & I couldn’t tell a prep race from a claiming race. Later on during the Derby Trail whenever the Champagne was mentioned we would laugh knowing that A) we were there and B) we had no idea what we were witnessing. Our trouble line would have been, Stumbled, greenly.

No Biz and Scat Daddy were the two favs, both at very low prices. I liked No Biz but went with a longer shot Pegasus Wind across the board. Pegasus Wind did show, I wonder what happened to him, I’ll have to do a little research. But No Biz has remained one of my favs, “a big old love bug in the barn” as quoted by one of Barclay Tagg’s team in a New York Times article prior the derby.

He’s running in the Jamaica today going for his third win on turf, and I will be rooting for him. I haven’t looked at the past performances, but he’s definitely got some competition in Shamdinan and Red Giant… and possibly others. Go No Biz!

Fabulous Strike running away with the Vosburgh (Charles Pravata).

As it turns out, my fav west coast race photog was in town last weekend… just when I was starting to wonder where there all the fab shots of Oak Tree were!

Was just checking my DRF watch lists and there are 2 carryovers for tomorrow! Belmont’s Pick 6 is $33,946 and Santa Anita’s Pick 6 is $82,981. I won’t be playing (believe me, it will be more profitable for me just to go to work) but good luck to all!

Bobby Trussell, co-owner of Walmac farm, has a nice opinion piece at Bloodhorse that I just saw today (it’s been up for about a week).

The piece, entitled Culture Change, highlights changes in the racing culture as it pertains to frequency of racing. One thing he rightfully highlights is the outrageous use of legal drugs.

It is my belief that our horses are over-medicated to the point that they are seriously weakened. Over the last 30 years, horses have received more and more medication and have raced less and less. The drugs not only don’t work; they are counter-­productive. Just look at other countries where they medicate less and race more. All drugs are toxic and our 2- and 3-year-old horses receive dozens of drugs in a given month. My average vet bill here is more than $800 per month.

The trainers are letting the vets run the game. The real problem is not illegal drugs, but the legal ones that they train and race on. Salix and Bute are given out like candy. These drugs have major side effects; just ask the humans who take them. Salix, which is used for works as well as races by many trainers, is a diuretic that depletes minerals and dehydrates a horse. Bute causes ulcers, a common ailment on the backstretch. Horses need more time to recover from their drug “hangover” after a race.

I suppose it’s not surprising given the incredible over use of legal drugs in our culture by humans. I’d love to see a general percentage of what commercials in prime time are for medications (both prescriptions and over the counter). At some point we all have to pay the piper, whether it’s the liver failure that awaits statin takers or the weakening of the bred which is already upon us.

He also goes on to point out issues with shoeing and win percentage conscious trainers as other contributing factors.

Also, check out Valerie’s post about the fire sale at West Point Thoroughbreds. I read the move as the partnerships realizing that they can make a nice profit on their very talented assets, not so much that they we would be being purchased for breeding. Am I being naive? I hope not!!

Rescued horse at Horse Rescue Relief & Retirement in Georgia (Chris Stolt).

No, not at the betting windows, where I usually give it back. A few months ago I decided that whenever I had a daily win over $200 that I would donate a percentage of it to thoroughbred rescue with a donation minimum of $20. I wanted the donations to go to local horses, so if I would win at Belmont or Aqueduct, ideally I would donate to a rescue in Long Island… a win at Saratoga would be a donation upstate, etc. Finally, this Sunday I surpassed a $200 win at Belmont so I donated 5% to New York Horse Rescue.

Being an optimist I already picked out some organizations for tracks I like to play:

Belmont/Aqueduct: New York Horse Rescue

Saratoga: Harmony Hill

Monmouth: Mylestone Equine Rescue & ReRun

Churchill/Keeneland: Kentucky Equine Humane Society

Golden Gate / Bay Meadows: Glen Ellen Farms (GEVA)

My criteria for the organizations is that they must rescue thoroughbreds but don’t have to exclusively rescue thoroughbreds, and ideally they except donations online. One place on my list for Saratoga is Crane Mountain Valley, but they don’t accept online donations… maybe by next year’s meet.

I still need rescue organizations for Santa Anita/Hollywood Park, Pimlico/Laurel, Calder/Gulfstream if anyone has any recommendations. Also, I’ve never actually wagered at Golden Gate or Bay Meadows, but saw an article about GEVA in the spring and donated. I also will give preference to smaller groups who may not have marketing dollars to attract donations, GEVA is one such place.

Hopefully at the end of the month I can make some nice big donations to Mylestone & ReRun!

Fabulous Strike and Ramon Dominguez bring it in the Vosburgh (Sarah K. Andrew).

No real post here, just wanted to share this pic… I love how it looks like he’s flashing the old “I told ya so” smile.

He was actually my pick of the day (wish I would have posted that *before* the race, der), even though I stupidly didn’t wager anything on the race. I had him, on all my 7th race picks for the pick 4 & 6.

If you’re not in the habit of looking at Sarah’s photos, I highly recommend that you point your browser here immediately. She’s got the NYRA circuit covered and will always have amazing stuff after the weekend, and you know she’ll be the BC too!

Same for Charles Pravata on the west coast… I can’t wait to see his stuff from the opening of Santa Anita!