Definition of "Sporting"...

[Linny]

He bought the filly for $10m and paid $100k to nominate her. He won about $660k on Saturday. How is that GREED? He could have bought her and won the Acorn or Mother Goose or CCAOaks. He chose to put HIS filly in a spot where she would be challenged. Is that not the point of racing at the highest level? Is that not why we complain when connections duck the tough spots?

He may crave the attention and the spotlight but he is paying very good money for it.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Linny

He bought the filly for $10m and paid $100k to nominate her. He won about $660k on Saturday. How is that GREED? He could have bought her and won the Acorn or Mother Goose or CCAOaks. He chose to put HIS filly in a spot where she would be challenged. Is that not the point of racing at the highest level? Is that not why we complain when connections duck the tough spots?

He may crave the attention and the spotlight but he is paying very good money for it.

Well said.

The original post is so ridiculous, I don't know where to start. So far he's minus-$9,572,000 on the Rachel Alexandra deal, gave us one of the great Preaknesses in recent memory, brought tremendous exposure and interest to racing, and this is ... greed?

Say what you will about Jackson, but don't just say anything. Jeez.

[eajinabi]

Lava Man - Gelding
Evening Attire - Gelding
Funny Cide - Gelding

Giving up your balls for the sport is what I call SPORTING

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Well said.

The original post is so ridiculous, I don't know where to start. So far he's minus-$9,572,000 on the Rachel Alexandra deal, gave us one of the great Preaknesses in recent memory, brought tremendous exposure and interest to racing, and this is ... greed?

Say what you will ab but don't just say anything. Jeez.

No actually he is not out anything as the horse as an asset is more valuable after winning the Preakness than before. Greed has nothing to do with his purchase. Ego is the only reason. The biggest problem that most people in the business have with Jackson is that he has hardly been successful in the business. The fact that he has enough money to buy ready made horses like Curlin or RA does not prove that he knows more than everyone else does as he asserts during his "lectures" on the business or breeding. Who is his best horse that wasnt bought after a 15 or 20 length win? The truth is that guys like this get involved to fulfill their egos. If Jess Jackson doesnt buy RA or Curlin he is just another fairly anonymous billionaire. Instead he gets an interview with Bob Costas on national tv and is called a great sportsman by the sheep who follow racing. I am not saying that any of this is a negative for the sport but lets call him what he is, an egotistical billionaire who loves the spotlight.

[Linny]

Clearly Jackson loves the spotlight and has the money to but stock that will keep him there.
IfsRA really worth$10M (or was she 2 weeks ago)? Realistically, she is by a young sire with no BMS record. Her family is solid but hardly glamourous. If Jackson chooses to race the offspring she produces, that slims the margin even more as a Curlin X Rachel Alexandra page would certainly draw a big price. Sure she's "priceless" now but had she not run in or won the Preakness, not exactly.

He is like many rich men (and women) who buy what they want whether a racehorse or work of art or a rare gem. They want it because they want something that is one of a kind. When Samuel Riddle was offered a million dollars for Man O' War (a rare sum in the 20's, certainly for a horse) he said (I paraphrase) "Many men have a million dollars, only I have Man O' War." That sums it up.

[sumitas]

Originally Posted by Linny

...
IfsRA really worth$10M (or was she 2 weeks ago)? Realistically, she is by a young sire with no BMS record. Her family is solid but hardly glamourous...

Rachel's 1-o family, 1925 Champion 2 year old filly Friar's Carse is the main reine de course, has produced many notable runners to this day . Maybe Rachel will add the glamour this family deserves . I confess that I am biased toward the 1-o family because of a certain muscular 2 year old colt I am fond of . If his 1-o family isn't glamorous then maybe his 5x6 Miss Disco fits the bill .

Besides Rachel, Song of Navarone and Caribbean Sunset are probably the biggest 1-o family stars today . In recent years Storm Song, Honey Ryder, High Cotton and Trust N Luck have added some glamour to the family .

Maybe Ogygian should add Sportin Man to his virtual stable .

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I am not saying that any of this is a negative for the sport but lets call him what he is, an egotistical billionaire who loves the spotlight.

Which is pretty much what I said. He's obviously an egomaniac, but to call what he did w/RA and Curlin "greedy" and "unsportsmanlike" is scary dumb.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Which is pretty much what I said. He's obviously an egomaniac, but to call what he did w/RA and Curlin "greedy" and "unsportsmanlike" is scary dumb.

yeah the greedy and unsportsmanlike are strange choices

[Ogygian]

Looks like I took a beating on this one, which is ok. I will try to explain the reasoning behind my opinions.
When I said the word "greed", it had nothing to do with finances at all, it had everything to do with breeding. I have to be honest, if I had not heard Hal Wiggins talk about Rachel and the plan he had already mapped out for her and the fact that he "liked" to have 5 weeks in between races I may not have been as pissed. In hindsight now we can say..."it was good for the game".
In my eyes it felt like he swooped in, bought her, rushed her back. He wasn't thinking at the time, "This will be good for the game" or "this is a great filly, Hal isn't testing her, let's buy her and test her". No he bought her with the sole intention of saying I am going to breed two Preakness winners together. She ran one heck of a race and he made the right decision...by the way everything is working out, my guess she will not run in the Belmont will have been correct, there is way to much back and forth going. And I still won't be surprised if a phantom injury pops up...

[Left Bank]

I don't think it is very sportsmanlike for what the ASS Mussen/Jackson camp is doing to Borel.Make your damn decision!! Stop leaving Calvin hanging.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Ogygian

Looks like I took a beating on this one, which is ok. I will try to explain the reasoning behind my opinions.
When I said the word "greed", it had nothing to do with finances at all, it had everything to do with breeding. I have to be honest, if I had not heard Hal Wiggins talk about Rachel and the plan he had already mapped out for her and the fact that he "liked" to have 5 weeks in between races I may not have been as pissed. In hindsight now we can say..."it was good for the game".
In my eyes it felt like he swooped in, bought her, rushed her back. He wasn't thinking at the time, "This will be good for the game" or "this is a great filly, Hal isn't testing her, let's buy her and test her". No he bought her with the sole intention of saying I am going to breed two Preakness winners together. She ran one heck of a race and he made the right decision...by the way everything is working out, my guess she will not run in the Belmont will have been correct, there is way to much back and forth going. And I still won't be surprised if a phantom injury pops up...

if his sole intent in buying her was for breeding, she'd already be in the shed. as for a 'phantom injury'...i'm not quite sure where that's coming from. he may have had no choice but to run curlin, but he certainly showed no fear in doing so once he had no other option.

i can't believe i'm at all in the position of defending jess jackson... he had the wherewithal to buy the top filly in the country, quite possibly the top horse in the country. he likes her pedigree, he once tried to buy her sire and was unable to.