Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Seriously, I know PETA = bad!!! BAD PETA!!! but haven't many of you been saying basically the same thing this year? How it's a shame that a horse with such bad feet is going to be passing his genes on to hundreds of new thoroughbreds?

Originally Posted by Payson Dave

I may be in the minority here... but imho BB is a more legitimate candidate for stud duty than at least half the stud population out there right now.....unless I missed something his retirement is not due to soundness issues but rather due to an injury that was sustained during training....and while it has been pretty well documented that he has had feet problems, I'm of the opinion that there are few if any horses that don't have some type of issues during there racing career.... I don't think he will necessarilly become a notably great sire but I don't agree that he will be negatively impacting the breed as compared to many many of the sires that are out there at this time.

Originally Posted by philcski

I agree with most of this... there is a sire out there right now who stands for six figures who has almost 500 registered progeny, of which a grand total of NINE have started 30 or more times (which I'd consider a good 'durability' number)- less than 2%.

Originally Posted by Scav

who?

Originally Posted by philcski

Research project, my boy.

Clue #1: His most famous offspring never won a race.

Originally Posted by philcski

Research project, my boy.

Clue #1: His most famous offspring never won a race.

Originally Posted by Linny

The Green Money's sire... Forestry?

Originally Posted by Scav

How about you take that research and put it.....

My boy Linny already hooked it up...heck with you

Originally Posted by philcski

:D

(linny's a chick by the way)

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Seriously, I know PETA = bad!!! BAD PETA!!! but haven't many of you been saying basically the same thing this year? How it's a shame that a horse with such bad feet is going to be passing his genes on to hundreds of new thoroughbreds?

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

yeah like Danzig and Mr P

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with them, I just find it funny that people who have been saying the same basic thing about Big Brown are reacting so negatively to this.

Originally Posted by Scav

The only thing that PETA can bitch about in horse racing is when Cannon finally lets me get on a thoroughbred.....

Originally Posted by Kasept

October 14, 2008

Michael Iavarone, Co-President/Co-CEO
Richard J. Schiavo, Co-President/Co-CEO
International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc.
595 Stewart Ave., Suite 810
Garden City, NY 11530

1 page via fax

Dear Messrs. Iavarone and Schiavo,

On behalf of PETA’s two members and supporters, I am writing to extend our condolences on Big Brown’s injuries, which are reportedly serious enough to be career ending, and to ask you to take a very difficult step. For the good of future generations of thoroughbreds, we ask you not to stand Big Brown at stud. Rather than pass on the traits of a horse who has been plagued by injuries throughout his brief career, we ask that you geld and retire Big Brown.

Following the breakdown and death of Eight Belles, questions that had been confined to racing insiders became public: What has happened to thoroughbreds? Why are more than 700 horses suffering catastrophic injuries resulting in deaths on the race track every year? Some of the problems are attributed to breeding. Stallions with the fewest starts, whose careers are cut short by injury or fear of injury, are more likely to be bred than horses with longer racing careers. Logical people are questioning why unsound horses are being bred.

One of the issues is that the use of legal drugs such as phenylbutazone has contributed to keeping unsound horses competing and thus covering up weaknesses. But as important, the desire for speed appears to have trumped common sense. Numerous media outlets reported that all 20 of the horses who competed in this year’s Kentucky Derby had genes from Native Dancer—a winning horse who likely passed along a tendency toward unsoundness along with his speed.

Native Dancer, too, was retired for leg injuries. Like Native Dancer, Big Brown’s ascendency has been marred by ongoing leg and hoof problems, including a quarter crack in his hoof just before the Belmont Stakes. Will you set aside your own desire for profit and do what’s right for the horses? These animals have brought you fame and fortune. Perhaps now you could find it in your hearts to do them a favor.

Best regards,

Kathy Guillermo
Director of Research