Denman trying hard; (Bejarano-Multiple facial fractures)

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by docicu3

If you know you are sending a jock out on a lame horse you shouldn't feel remorse you should feel shame and disgust that you set up a jock to possibly die because you had to win a damn 12.5K claimer or whatever it was. Never mind that it is one of the leading jocks in the game, it doesn't matter.......tar and feather wouldn't be enough for that crime and that is exactly what is if you knew the horse was lame when you sent him out there.

I am not going to comment on this particular horse because I don't know what his issue or issues were.

But in general, guys run horses every day that they know have serious physical problems. These horses usually don't break down but these horses are obviously at 100x greater risk than a sound horse.

If they didn't let horses run that had serious problems, the fields would be cut in half. Half of those claiming horses have serious problems. But it's not an exact science as to when or if they will break down.

All you can really do is just hope that the track vet can catch the ones that are at serious risk and not allow those horses to run. But as I said, it's not an exact science. Ever since the Eight Belles incident, the track vets out here have been much stricter. Overall, I think they are doing a really good job.