Shake You Down

[LARHAGE]

Originally Posted by phystech

OK, here's my take on this situation - and it may not be a popular one....

None of us know what is best for this horse, including me. It's a nice thought to envision him standing in a field full of daisies somewhere and all he has to do is eat. But, that might not be what is "best" for the horse. Isn't it possible that the horse simply enjoys life at the track? Isn't it possible that the horse likes to run? Isn't is possible he could be shipped off to stand in Salzman's field in Carroll County (note - it's spelled with 2 LL's, not one) and hate every minute of it?

Now, before I draw the ire and vitriol of some of you, make sure you understand my point is that NONE of us knows what is BEST for the horse. I'm not a big fan of Cole's as I think he's the second coming of Mike Gill and doesn't do much for the sport except take up stall space. But I'll defend his right to choose what he thinks is best for the horse as long as he is the owner. And if you want to affect the future life of the horse, save your money and go claim him when/if he races again. It's just that simple.

Rest assured, he's getting quality feed, quality bedding, quality vet care, etc in Lake's barn. The horse is being well taken care of. If he could only breathe like he used to.......

Oh there's no question the absolute best thing for this horse, or any horse, is not racing, the issue is if THIS particular horse has done enough to deserve the life of riley so to speak, and the overwhelming conclusion on this board is that he has. I love racing and understand the risk versus rewards of racing, but to deny the inherent dangers to the horse's participating is clearly putting your head in the sand, add an older warrior like Shake you Down with a lot of wear and tear and the risks are that much greater. Than there's the issue of degrading the old boy by throwing him in a low level claimer, no doubt just to cash in, thats the gratitude for earning you over a million dollars, far more than enough to ensure a nice dignified retirement. If he truly loves being around the track than they could use him as a pony while maintaining his dignity and protecting him from harm.