[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Kasept

What he knows about are elder horses. With arthritic joints. And Lava Man has them because EVERY HORSE HIS AGE HAS THEM.

And what he doesn't know is Lava Man personally. And what else he doesn't know is what sort of response the horse will have to stem cell therapy, very much in the fledgling stages. I understand he has a lot experience training racehorses, but he's reading the same news reports us Googlers are, and last time I checked, holding a valid trainer's license doesn't concurrently endow you with the skill or knowledge of veterinary medicine, never mind make you well-versed in stem cell therapy.

Chuck is certainly correct that those who seem excited beyond comprehension at this fiasco in the making don't get the point.

I don't know if anyone in this thread who supports this return to training could be labeled "excited". However, the detractors who try to make this more or less dime-a-dozen comeback story some sort of hot button issue by flame-throwing terms like "liar" and "dead horse" could possibly be considered to have their respective panties in a bunch.

The downside of this vanity driven effort, which comes in direct contradiction to the connections announced plans for the horse, is far greater than the upside.

I think there is more vanity driving the effort on this board to denounce this move, rather than that which prods the horse's connections along.

Are those that don't like the idea rooting against Lava Man returning and competing at a high level or guaranteeing a devastating injury? No.. The argument against this derives from the potential that this has, however small or large, to be an embarrassment or humiliation for the game.

Embarrassment or humilation for the game...or for Old Friends (who have committed a lot of publicity--within the racing world anyways--to his retirement there)?

And while we're looking at the bigger picture here, holding his connections accountable for how this singular move might affect "the game", what sort of upside would the horse represent for the sport should he make it back and show ANY kind of winning form? What sort of boost would that be to proponents of stem cell therapy specifically and equine injury research in general?