Backstretch people and exp horseplayers - "VET SCRATCH"

[Bobby Fischer]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

Didn't Rupert discuss that already ala IWR?

yes, IWR and Pamplemousse.


one difference is with 3yo "stars", the connections wish for the paper trail to signal that all is well and healthy with the horses

with the drop-in-claimer game, the connections might actually prefer a "Vet" scratch over trainer scratch as the listed reason to ward off would be claimers...

Originally Posted by Thoroughbred Fan

Some vet scratches are really jockey scratches. Better to know the jockey than the vet.

I hadn't noticed that before. That seems like a confusing way of representing the information...

[Cannon Shell]

A vet scratch can be any number of things. If you scratch a horse because they are sick or coughing it is considered a vet scratch. It isnt necessarily a lameness issue.

[chucklestheclown]

I never thought a vet scratch meant "lameness": I thought it meant the horse wasnt fit to run for whatever reason. Maybe they should have to designate-lame;lungs;colic-whatever.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

I never thought a vet scratch meant "lameness": I thought it meant the horse wasnt fit to run for whatever reason. Maybe they should have to designate-lame;lungs;colic-whatever.

Actually not a bad idea

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

I never thought a vet scratch meant "lameness": I thought it meant the horse wasnt fit to run for whatever reason. Maybe they should have to designate-lame;lungs;colic-whatever.

When a horse is a vet's scratch, the horse will go on the "vet's list". The vet's list will in fact denote why the horse is on the vet's list. It may say "unsound", "sick", "lame", "injured", etc.

In the case of the horse Bobby asked about, I have no idea when the horse was scratched. Was he scratched in the post parade? Was he scratched in the paddock? Was he scratched the morning of the race?

[chucklestheclown]

[quote=Rupert Pupkin]When a horse is a vet's scratch, the horse will go on the "vet's list". The vet's list will in fact denote why the horse is on the vet's list. It may say "unsound", "sick", "lame", "injured", etc. QUOTE]
Except for "sick," those all mean the same thing!

[phystech]

I'm surprised Delpark let the horse run at Belmont. Used to be, and I would assume it still is, if you vet scratch, you pay a "days" penalty - i.e., you can't race anywhere for 5 days, or 10 days, etc.

Maybe they've changed their rule in Del.......

[Dick Powell]

Rupert,
In Louisana, the claiming rule had to be changed for exactly that reason. The rule is that the claim is valid when the horses leave the paddock. We actually had a race there years ago where a horse was listed as claimed and scratched in the same race.
Dick

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Bobby Fischer

yes, IWR and Pamplemousse.


one difference is with 3yo "stars", the connections wish for the paper trail to signal that all is well and healthy with the horses

with the drop-in-claimer game, the connections might actually prefer a "Vet" scratch over trainer scratch as the listed reason to ward off would be claimers...



I hadn't noticed that before. That seems like a confusing way of representing the information...

I would say that it would be highly unlikely that a trainer or owner would somehow get the vet to scratch their horse. The only time I have ever heard of something like this happening was many years ago. When you run a horse in a claiming race, if there are any trainers that are planning on claiming your horse, you will usually see them looking at your horse closely when the horse enters the paddock and/or receiving barn. I have heard stories of cases where a trainer that did not want his horse to get claimed, asked the jockey to try to get the horse scratched by the vet in the post parade so that the horse would not get claimed. But I have never heard of a case of someone somehow getting their horse scratched by the vet to avoid getting claimed on some future date.

[chucklestheclown]

And the plot thickens...This is great!