[Taltarzac725]

Contenders | 2012 Kentucky Oaks & Derby | May 4 and 5, 2012 | Tickets, Events, News

Grace Hall is obviously not in the Kentucky Derby, but... is in the Oaks. Kentucky Oaks | 2012 Kentucky Oaks & Derby | May 4 and 5, 2012 | Tickets, Events, News

[jimbo2012]

Hansen was there, edging out a hard charging Union Rags. Dullahan ran too, as did Daddy Long Legs, Creative Cause, Take Charge Indy, Alpha, Optimizer and Prospective.

Those horses are expected to line up again Saturday in the Kentucky Derby, just six months after the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the same Churchill Downs track set the stage for the Run for the Roses.

While no horse has distinguished itself as a clear-cut favorite ahead of the post-position draw Wednesday, as many as nine horses that will start Saturday also ran in the premier race for 2-year-olds.

"When you look back at the race, it was a key," said Union Rags trainer Michael Matz. "And, a lot of those horses have done well. I think this is a pretty competitive crop."

The top five graded stakes earners are all from the 13-horse field that started at the Juvenile.

Hansen held off Union Rags, winning the 1 1/16th-mile race in 1:44.44. Creative Cause finished third, Dullahan was fourth and Take Charge Indy fifth. Optimizer, who needs one horse to pull out to be eligible for the Derby, was eighth while Alpha ended up 11th, Daddy Long Legs 12th and Prospective last.

Rags & Alpha look great but in the Derby it's always tough to pick.

take a read on drf

[BeeGee]

Union Rags - trainer for '06 Derby winner Barbaro, then Optimizer has my attention...D. Wayner Lukas trainer - it's a toss up, but oh so fun!!! My daughter is giving me a derby themed 60th birthday party, complete with mint juleps and whiskey sours, derby hats and good times.

[jimbo2012]

It's not the trainer as much as the horse then the rider

[BeeGee]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

It's not the trainer as much as the horse then the rider

Well, I've seen a lot of horse races and yes both horse and rider have to be good, but if you'll look back in history....trainers are VERY important!

[shcisamax]

It is a magnificently competitive group. And yes, it is exciting to see. But what I wonder about is how many of those beautiful and trusting horses will end up with a dead bolt smacking them numerous times in the head until they fall the the floor to be strung up and slaughtered so they can be shipped off to Europe or Asia for human consumption...because they didn't perform well enough. Even Ferdinand, a triple crown winner, was sent to stud in Japan and ended up in a tortured inhumane slaughter. And FYI: We send over 100,000 horses every singe year to an inhumane slaughter of which the majority are not the sick and old but healthy and in the prime of their life.

[jimbo2012]

None, you are way off there are 40,000 thoroughbreds born a year at a cost of $10K to millions each in value.

It costs about $3,000 a month to train a race horse and they are treated like kings & queens.

When their racing career is over the mares go to breed, the better colts stud.

The rest become riding horses in various capacities.

They are NOT slaughtering 100,000 that is a miss statement of facts.

[shcisamax]

I did not mean to infer that the 100,000 plus American horses were ALL racing horses. However, it is an absolute fact that not all racing horses are going to stud...or to be a broodmare. If a horse is not able to pencil out fo rhtat #3000 a month board, feed, and training fee, and is not going to get a return on investment, there is a very easy way to dispose of the problem. Google Mel Hoover and the Racing industry/thoroughbred's dirty little secret. They disappear in Mel's slaughter pipeline. No questions asked. In a week, they are over the Canadian border and slaughtered.
That said, we have seen significant progress in the racing industry which is now starting to take a bit more accountability.
To correct any misunderstanding, there ARE over 100,000 American horses going to slaughter every year. Probably more in this economy. That is NOT a misstatement. I work on this every day at both the state and federal level so have a fairly good understanding of the issue.

[jimbo2012]

Ok thought you were referring to race horses I don't know about other than those.

[shcisamax]

I was referring to all American horses including ex race horses which contribute to apx. 10% of the 100,000 plus annual slaughter trade.

[jimbo2012]

lets stay on topic

[Midge538]

'Union Rags' ... he had a bad trip last time out but if JL gives him a good ride .. he should be there at the finish.

[jimbo2012]

chat with a few experts Friday at 8

NYRA Live Web Chats - Friday Nights - 8 pm ET



Andy Serling,
TV analyst for The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA),
will participate in a live chat on Friday, May 4 at 8 p.m. EDT.

[asianthree]

We have trainers in our family and if you ask them yes the rider does make a difference but if the trainer does not do their job then their horse is not the first to cross the finish line.

[jimbo2012]

Sure the trainer is important, but since their trainers isn't that self serving?

I'm an owner here in NY, the trainers IMO are all good or there no longer here.

I'll bet on the horses ability.

anyone have a list of what the entries cost if they went thru auction?