Last Friday, a nondescript horse named Cooper River ran a $5,000 claiming race at Laurel Park. (In fact, he was claimed.) The chart had the 6-year-old “very rank leaving the starting gate,” showing “poor action,” unseating his rider, and falling. Officially, a DNF. Watch (pick up video at 2:00 mark) as the throwaway claimer tries desperately to right himself while jockey Yomar Ortiz tries desperately to win some cash.
On Thursday, 2-year-old Uncle Betty broke down in the 5th race at Charles Town. Although calls to the racing office have proved fruitless, it is safe to presume her as dead. In all, four horses were involved in Uncle Betty’s fall (click “Track,” Thurs Mar 13, race 5).
“very rank leaving the starting gate,” showing “poor action,” THIS IS A SIGN OF A HORSE IN PAIN — IT HURTS TO RUN ON SORE LEGS/FEET…horses do not want to go forward when their body says otherwise…..Too bad humans can’t seem to figure out what other species inherently know…..
Cooper definitely should have been eased. What was the jockey thinking ? I hope the new trainer is better. Hope horse can get a new home off the track.
Some of these so called trainers should not be near a horse. Further, whether the horse is hurting or not is not a concern. The concern in this noble sport is, and always will be, money
Utterly disgusting and on and on and on it goes. I’ve waited over 20 years for some change and it has only gotten worse with reference to illegal drugs, “stacking” of legal drugs, with purses for low level claiming races artificially inflated by slot machine money enticing anyone with a horse that can barely walk to have joints injected and hit up with drugs. Remember, not just the winner gets a share of that purse money so incentive is there to finish anywhere in the money when the purse percentage to be gained is higher than what they value their own horse at AND they don’t have to worry if they come in second because the winner is most likely the only horse in that race to be tested for drugs. I cannot understand how people continue to wager on these “fixed” races. If a casino was well known for loaded dice, marked cards and manipulated slot machines, they would be forced to close as gamblers went elsewhere but horse racing fans prove the adage: A fool and his money are soon parted.