Orb Retired, to Stand at Claiborne in 2014

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Sooo he's retiring completely sound eh? Is that code for 'we can't figure out what's wrong with him based on our tests, and there's no way of knowing if we can fix it or how long that might take'? I get retiring if you don't want to risk finding yourself in summer 2014 with a horse whose issue has still not been determined. I'm guessing it's not bone or tendon related or they'd know.

It could be a bone or tendon injury. When there is a bone or tendon injury, some owners will make it public, but other won't. There have been plenty of cases where a horse was retired due to unsoundness or an injury and the owners announced that the horse was "retired sound".

With regard to Orb specifically, I have no idea. I would say that whatever it was, the connections were not particularly confident that the horse was going to be able regain his old form. I would say he is worth much more right now as a stallion than he would be in a year from now if he bombed as a racehorse next year.

[Calzone Lord]

I think if people take a retrospective look at the "inside straight" Orb pulled off in Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, and Kentucky Derby ... they'll see that he was an example of decent horse, with the right type of running style, getting good and lucky at the right time.

Orb's reputation is built almost entirely on that inside-straight.

Violence was the better horse in the Fountain of Youth. I don't see any person with two eyes and a basic understanding of horse racing who can argue that.

Orb's Florida Derby win wasn't all that impressive. Merit Man was 3rd going 9 furlongs. A 100/1 shot was 4th. 2nd place had missed almost an entire month of training.

Orb's Kentucky Derby win from way in back of a pace meltdown hardly looks impressively, especially retrospectively. Though his presence in the race did save us from Golden Soul becoming the worst KY Derby winner since the 1930's.

Mine That Bird's Derby win, also on a wet track, was a more impressive performance than Orb's. He was another horse who got hot at the right time and made his reputation on 3 races.

Orb's reputation was such, that almost halfway through Gulfstream, Shug didn't even want to give him a shot on the triple crown trail. His hand was basically forced.

[randallscott35]

Not only was MTB's Derby better, his subsequent races in the Triple Crown were much better.

[Calzone Lord]

You are right, but Mine That Bird had awful form outside of the Triple Crown.

"2-year-old champion in Canada" or not, he was an unbelievable mediocrity outside of the Triple Crown series.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

You are right, but Mine That Bird had awful form outside of the Triple Crown.

"2-year-old champion in Canada" or not, he was an unbelievable mediocrity outside of the Triple Crown series.

Look at Super Saver, another slop monkey who did absolutely nothing outside of the Derby. I'd take Mine That Bird over him as well.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

It could be a bone or tendon injury. When there is a bone or tendon injury, some owners will make it public, but other won't. There have been plenty of cases where a horse was retired due to unsoundness or an injury and the owners announced that the horse was "retired sound".

With regard to Orb specifically, I have no idea. I would say that whatever it was, the connections were not particularly confident that the horse was going to be able regain his old form. I would say he is worth much more right now as a stallion than he would be in a year from now if he bombed as a racehorse next year.

I'd generally assume 'yeah right, they know he's not sound' because we've heard that before, but something about the way Shug and the owners were talking about him in interviews and things made me feel like they were genuinely baffled. At least during the TC and coming out of Fair Hill. I've seen enough BS delivered to know if they were going 'nothing to see here, folks' about a known problem. Maybe there was something brewing and they figured it out later. I think if he'd bled through Lasix they'd have known that too before he falls on his face the last time. Simple enough to detect with scoping isn't it? Possibly even visually. They wait til November probably after trying to get him ready again and still not being able to. Curiouser and curiouser.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

I'd generally assume 'yeah right, they know he's not sound' because we've heard that before, but something about the way Shug and the owners were talking about him in interviews and things made me feel like they were genuinely baffled. At least during the TC and coming out of Fair Hill. I've seen enough BS delivered to know if they were going 'nothing to see here, folks' about a known problem. Maybe there was something brewing and they figured it out later. I think if he'd bled through Lasix they'd have known that too before he falls on his face the last time. Simple enough to detect with scoping isn't it? Possibly even visually. They wait til November probably after trying to get him ready again and still not being able to. Curiouser and curiouser.

Whatever issues he may have right now, he may not have had during the TC. Or as you said, he may have had something that was just beginning to brew back then which became more evident later.

And I agree with everything that Linny said.

[Alabama Stakes]

phony phaker