In yesterday’s 9th race at Parx, 3-year-old The Man Himself “broke down in the opening quarter mile and was humanely euthanized.” Had he lived, the colt, who was claimed prior to the race, would have been laboring under a 4th different trainer in 6 1/2 months:
2 starts (4/27, 6/9), William Mott (for Besilu Stables)
3 starts (8/16, 9/2, 9/29) Edward Plesa Jr (for Besilu Stables)
3 starts (10/23, 10/28, 11/11) Joseph Mazza (for Lucille Caruso-Mazza)
In the 10/23 race at Belmont, his first under Mazza, The Man Himself finished 9th (of 10) chasing a $40,000 purse. With no rest for the weary, the not-yet-fully-formed Thoroughbred was thrust into a $28,000 race at Parx just 5 days later; 14 days after that, he was dead.
NOT EVEN HIS BREEDING MATTERED TO THE MANY CONNECTED WITH HIM …..EACH OF WHOM COULD HAVE SAVED HIM FROM THIS TRAGEDY…of course, they’d probably say…”oh, it’s just part of the game…” Here is what the BloodHorse had to say on Feb. 9, 2013: The Man Himself (Distorted Humor – Words of War by Lord At War (ARG)) is out of turf stakes winner Words of War, who earned $683,832. Words of War is the dam of 5 winners, including grade II winner E Dubai, and grade I turf winner No Matter What. Four of Words of War’s offspring won on the turf. Words of War is a full sister to 3 winners, including grade III turf winner Ascutney; and a half sister to 6 winners, including stakes winner Word o’ Ransom. – See more at: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/maidenwatch/archive/2013/02/08/wabbajack-to-navigate-the-syndicated-beach.aspx#sthash.4d2QBeUq.dpuf
The Man Himself sold as a yearling for $525,000 through Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2011 [Hip #25].
Irresponsible trainer and owners don’t know how to count days between races.
I see he has one in tomorrow at Aqueduct, he ran 5 days out from a prior start too.
Another WRONG in horseracing, Geeezz…poor boy, not yet a man….RIP
I have questioned many times why there are no rules re time between races for horses and especially for young colts and fillies. The biggest abusers are, of course, in the claiming game. As much as I dislike racing and it’s abuses, I absolutely despise claiming. Claiming is open season on the ultimate in abuse of the unfortunate horse. There are really bad actors in claiming and that is a well known fact. Of course that does not mean they are confined to claiming !!
The “elite”, in this so called sport, use the claiming races to “unload” the horses that do not meet their “standards”. We all know the “standards”, MONEY AND EGO associated with winning and participating in the “BIG RACES”. The poor abused horses sentenced to the downward spiral of the claiming game are run into the ground, literally, and if they survive the abuse, they wind up in slaughter, with few exceptions, while the “top tier” of the game looks the other way. This is nothing short of animal abuse, top to bottom.
A double shame on this industry because the “elite” side can’t exist without the so called “claimers” and the bottom feeders who play the game. Who is looking out for the horse in all this ? I guess the short answer is, nobody ! . Where are the “officials” when horses can start with as little time between races as a few days! ??
This is one sick industry with little to no oversight, and especially when it comes to the horse.
Shameful !!