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Obviously I'm a aware he is a ( double ) Grade 1 winner. However, his three races this year, followed by his virtual easing in the BC, makes his retirement pretty ridiculous. The good news is they have plenty of mares to breed to him. I have a sneaky suspicion few of their good ones will however. |
#42
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Gambling is what drives racing, not breeding. If all the gamblers who bet on the ponies decided to spend their dollars on other sports, breeding would have nothing to breed for.
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I think the argument in this particular situation exists because there was a feeling, obviously unjustified, that the Sheik's interests in the game could transcend the average owner's, in that he was one of very few that could afford to race an extra year, as the lure of instant dollars was not an issue for him. I absolutely agree if " regular " people, like probably just about anybody here, owned a horse and was in a life changing situation which necessitated a retirement, that situation would be understandable. However, I agree with the posters who suggested the breeding end of the game is hurting it from a fan's perspective, and the general hope was that the Sheik would be immune to that. Obviously he is not. Look, I'm a bettor, I am liable to bet as much on a Thursday in February as BC Day. Personally none of this really affects me. However, I like seeing good horses racing, and I am heartened by enthusiasm for the game, and I find the rush to the breeding shed depressing. Wouldn't a showdown in the Met Mile between Henny Hughes and Discreet Cat have been exciting? |
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Maybe the cost to insure him ($3 mil? $5 mil?) for a year without a realistic chance to earn that much on the track coupled with the chance of a catastrophic breakdown plus the desire to get him going as a stallion makes it a more palatable decision. It ain't likely about the money. Probably the chance of him getting injured or worse is more important to the owner than it would be to most other people. |
#53
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but good news, invasor remains in training. everyone has been calling the wrong sheik a sportsman.
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Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. Abraham Lincoln |
#54
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but hey, we have discreet cat to look forward to next year. maybe he can run half a dozen times over the course of the year and go to stud too. hot dog!!
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Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. Abraham Lincoln |
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__________________
Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. Abraham Lincoln |
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I am honestly shocked about Henny Hughes. How could they retire him. He has barely raced and accomplished very little for a sprinter. I don't know a lot about breeding but I fail to see his appeal.
Maybe they just wanted to prove conclusively that they have no interest in racing. |
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__________________
Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. Abraham Lincoln |
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__________________
Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. Abraham Lincoln |