Alright, sorry if this is in the wrong place... http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/triplecrown2012/story/_/id/8025449/another-race-belmont-trainer-says I know a lot this happens a lot of the times, I know that it's a part of life. I don't blame the owner/trainer for making this decision to scratch the horse from the race. Swelling on any horse in the legs is a very bad sign. The fact that they jogged it a mile and a half the day before and he had swelling in his legs made it clear that he couldn't run in the Belmont. Any small swelling or injury like this can be a thousand times worse when ran, at the worse, he'll have pain when he gets older. Like people who get arthritis from an old injury they got in high school. He could easily end up permanently lame or a broken leg from galloping on a small injury. Who I do blame, however... I blame the New York Racing Association. (NYRA) They're the ones that call all the shots about racing in the state of New York. Who decided out of ignorance to change the rules three weeks before the race. They insisted the horses are put in the same barn, that they had to be consulted before anything was given to them, that they needed a vet and their approval for anything 24 hours before the race. If they decided on this a year or even a month ago and set this up, I wouldn't be upset. But it took them two and a half weeks out of three to set this all up. The horses were settled, they were happy, they were relaxed. And then the trainers were forced to move them into crowded conditions into stalls where strangers were moving strange horses all the time for their own workouts, the media was moving around and the conditions were appalling. The barn they put them in was set up originally for a horse to spend a few hours max in there before and after the race. The horse in question was close to winning a series of races that haven't been won by one horse at all in 34 years. He was an easygoing, relaxed horse who loved the track, loved the atmosphere and was relaxed in his original stall. Due to the NYRA, when he was moved, he didn't settle at all and ripped his water bucket from the wall and hurled it down the aisle. That is a massive alarm bell for any horse, no matter what breed, size, shape color or temperament. He was found with swelling two days ago, the day before, the swelling was so bad after a light jog around the track that they retired him. It could have happened anywhere, when he was walking, galloping, being groomed, hell, when he was in the trailer to the track he could've accidentally bumped against a wall and it is just showing now. It most likely could have happened when he was scared to death in the stall and banged his leg in the process. The signs were all there, but the NYRA refused to change it. The owners and trainers of all the horses involved threw a fit about the conditions these horses were going to be put in but they did it to make themselves look good for a sport that a lot of people, ironically enough... Are blasting the sport for being focused on greed and animal abuse. Sadly, it's still not going to change. Thoughts?
