Horse of the Day: George Washington

[brianwspencer]

Beautiful picture. Stunning, really.

I'm a big softy about just about everything in this game, but I hold no ill will toward Coolmore or O'Brien about the whole thing.

My favorite horse in quite some time was obviously at her best on the grass, outside of a romping maiden claiming win against overmatched company, she was never a dirt horse. She was a solid turf runner, turning the corner into something potentially really special last year at Fair Grounds.

I was surprised when she wasn't scratched out of an off-the-turf race earlier this year, despite the track being listed as "fast."

I was surprised to see her pull up after a bad step down the lane, and surprised to hear she had been euthanized and that those on-track have said it was pretty nasty.

But I'd never blame her trainer for keeping her in that spot when grassy allowance races for fillies are carded seemingly every other day down at Fair Grounds and he could have run her back in no time at all. I hold no ill will, despite the fact that I regularly wonder what kind of runner she was on her way to becoming and have yet to find a horse who catches my attention quite the same way.

I'm as emotional as they get, and though I really honestly do miss seeing her run and the way I appreciated her like very few horses who have come before her, I still don't blame anyone or anything but pure bad luck.

[NTamm1215]

There was an eerie silence in the grandstand after the Classic as everyone realized it was George who went down. I immediately remembered the two Irishmen who I walked into the track with that morning from the train and them asking me if I had ever seen George in the flesh. They told me he was the most beautiful horse ever and they were probably right.

It was a sad day and a perfect illustration of how these great animals that bring us so much enjoyment are so fragile. RIP GW.

NT