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Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
The thought that bloodlines in the US are the same is not exactly correct. While in recent years there have been more American bloodlines imported into Australia the vast majority of the mares contain very little relation to American mares. Northern Dancer blood is incredibly infused there but mainly through European connections. One very prominent name that is found everywhere in American pedigrees and hardly anywhere in Austalian ones is Storm Cat. The full effects of the shuttle stallions will take many years to judge.
The fact that all racing is done on turf and much of it at sprint distances is something that would make it much easier to run back on short rest as opposed to dirt racing and training. It has been my experience that horses come back much fresher in general after turf sprints than any other type of race.
The racing card at Dubai is of much greater all around quality than the Breeders Cup. There are many horses in the BC that are not much more than allowances horses. I would have to think that George Washington's breakdown would be a stretch to blame on drugs.
Everybody tells me that we train our horses too soft but Allen Jerkens who is about the only trainer left from the older generation tells me that he had to lighten his training schedules because the horses simply werent holding up.
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but many of the euros, who have shuttled there for years, are descendants of north american stallions. but then again, the same could be said for ours, in that for years we went to europe to freshen our bloodlines. i don't think the breed in general is very divergent, since all horses feed back to only three foundation sires-unlike lipizzaners for instance, with six.
i think that the reason behind more sturdy horses overseas is the predominance of turf racing-as many have noted, turf racing is kinder to a horse. i would also think training would have something to do with it as well, with many euros taking their horses for longer rides over undulating countryside, not just jogging about on a dirt track every day. we have to deal with what we have here, but i don't think that shouting 'drugs' is the answer. especially when so many from overseas rush to the vet as soon as their charges land here.