Two Punch euthanized at 28

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Do you remember Apollo's debut? He had blistering works, including, if I recall correctly from 20 years ago, a 6f work around 110 flat, in the early to mid summer of his 2yo year. In his debut, he looks like he's going to win by 10, then pulls a Sunday Silence in the stretch, holds on to win in like 111 and change, and is laid up. After he came back, I think it was in the San Miguel several months later, a race he crushed them in, Jones was interviewed about Apollo. He said the reason he ran so erratically in the stretch is because even though he already had bucked shins, he really wanted to get a race into him.

I already thought he was a butcher, but wow man. It was only a matter of time before he unraveled Apollo.

The San Miguel was his 3rd race of his 2yo year. Essentially, all horses buck their shins to one degree or another. Certainly not a shocking turn of events for a fast working, early 2yo type and certainly not a malady isolated to the Gary Jones barn.

Obviously, he didn't do a very thorough job of ruining the colt. He ran until he was 6 years old and placed in multiple stakes (sprints of course) at age 5.

Looking back on horses that debuted with Jones, you really will have a hard time finding promising horses that lasted. Turkoman? I think Reigning Countess maybe? For every Turkoman, there were many more Timebanks.

Again, who were these promising horses you speak of? Timebank was another breakneck speedball that no one would have kept going. Other than the odd Saron Stable or Allen Paulson horse, I'm not sure he had a steady supply of young horses to trash in the first place.

If Jones had a major fault compared to anyone else in CA it was that he loved to ship his good horses all over the place. He probably knocked more out criss-crossing the country back and forth than he did sending to early retirements.

He never was the same after the Turfway race.

Actually, as soon as he was back sprinting all he did was tie the world's record for 5.5f on the turf at Hollywood Park. Of course, once he had to start facing real sprinters he was further exposed from a class standpoint.

Apollo was FAST and should have had a much better career.

Again, blame the owners. Gary Jones never thought the horse was a Derby candidate. He was forced to run him in the San Rafael instead of $100 grander at Golden Gate. Ironically, its the performance you seem to champion most in the horse's career, yet fail to see it as the most likely point where he busted his gut.