Not a good way to start Saratoga
 

Man oh man I hope everyone is OK. Please please let everyone be OK.

This was a grass race, so you shouldn't hear anything about Poly...

It didn't look good at all, but I guess Johnny V was moving all limbs and Rojas.
Looks like Massoud just broke down, sad.

I know Johnny is Ok. If anyone has any info on the two horses that went down please let me know. Thank you in advance.

Sorry busy at work took time to listen to the race, my bad.

Thats real sad, It looked like Massoud was going to win the opening race for the 2nd time in the row.

It didn't look good for Massoud. Looked like he tried to get up after he brokedown and couldn't. Sad, very sad.

He was moving so fluently. Velasquez wasnt even moving a muscle on the horse. Just saw the head on and man Johnny was lucky. Massoud look as if he got up and galloped away. Not sure if he or L. Dan is ok.

I think Lieutenant Dan was the horse who you saw gallop away, after Rojas fell off. I could be wrong, I hope they are both okay...

Gotcha--thanks

Both jocks are ok. Also, see that things are perfectly normal, as I lost the photo since I had the 8.

Massoud got up and ran into the infield.

Couldn't see anything dangling... (sorry for that graphic)

How AWFUL for the opener. I'm watching on DVR so I'm delayed, sat down so excited for the opening race.
Just sad for all involved, hope ALL come out OK.
Thanks for the updates, please keep posting them, TVG never updates on accidents.

I agree....he actually looked like he might not have broken anything. but I wouldn't say that for sure.....it was a nasty spill.

They said Lt. danz went down but all I saw was the jock fall off and him running away. Did he go down?
I put on slow mo but it all went out of the screen.
Yes it looked just awful.
In freeze frame it almost looks like Massoud just stumbled, but so hard to tell.
No matter what all did a great job in avoiding an even worse situation.

I didn't see him fall....and he still galloped under the wire so if he did he got up pretty quick.

I hope he is okay, it was a very nasty spill, lucky it wasn't a horrible one, it easily could have been.

okay, you aren't a dink :)

Yes, your right, I went back and watched, I thought I saw him pass the wire but then Durkin said he fell.
Boy that could have been a mess. I'm afraid to watch R4 on the turf.
Anyone have updates on the horses?
I couldn't believe TVG replayed it.

Tough start to turf racing at Saratoga this year. The 4th race is a little bit of a mess.

I'm sorry to say that I've heard he's gone.

Rest in peace, good boy. :(

Thank you for the update, I was hoping you would keep us informed.
That's sad.
As you always say, he died trying.

here is the article

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/sto...date=7/25/2007

Shoot, when I saw him still on his feet in the equine ambulance I thought he had a shot. Guess it wasn't meant to be. Poor guy.

Sucks to be the guy that claimed him!! $35K gone!

Bad start to the meet could have been much much worse. everybody has seen the chain reaction when the leader of a race goes down, thank God no one else fell over him and also that Johnny V or Rojas wasn't trampled. Also, I believe it was Coa who did a great job to avoid the spill and manage to stay on his horse when it looked like for sure he was on the way off too. Hopefully this is the first and last incident of the meet.

this is a small piece of an article from drf.com


"I thought overall it was a great day," said Charles Hayward, the New York Racing Association president and chief operating officer. "It was disheartening to have the fall in the first race. We were thrilled the jocks were okay, and sorry we had to euthanize" Massoud.

What caught my eye about the rest of that DRF article, today, was this:

"Velazquez was lucky not be struck by a trailing horse and he was soon seen sitting up. The ambulance was extremely slow to respond to Velazquez and he eventually walked off the course and back to the jockeys' room under his own power.

According to track officials, there was a lack of communication between the outriders and the ambulance driver in part because there weren't enough walkie-talkies.

"That is more than unacceptable,'' said Bruce Johnstone, NYRA's manager of racing operations."

Yes, Bruce. It is more than unacceptable. That infuriates me. I'm shocked.

Reminds of when the horse broke down at Keeneland, and nobody got to him or his jockey to help for some time.

Sorry - before handle, before attendance, before ensuring the bathrooms all have enough toilet paper for the opening day crowd, take care of the horses, and the jockeys that ride them!

Couldn't agree more

Yes this is absolutely unacceptable. And frankly this is not something I would expect from as venerable a track as Saratoga. I hope this gets ironed out immediately.
The Keeneland situation was very upsetting especially when the jocks were miked and you could hear the jock screaming for an equine ambulance. It was very disturbing.

I am shocked at the lack of preparedness for this emergency by the Saratoga crew. I think the connections of Massoud and all fans need an apology.