Another accident at Arlington

[jwkniska]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

Called me and said it doesn't look like she got stepped on or hit at all, but $hit she went down hard.

Can't do this today.

that's good news because couldn't tell from the replay whether she got stepped on. Hope nothing's broken, as that didn't look good.

[philcski]

Have we determined that Polytrack is no safer than dirt yet???

[brianwspencer]

Got word from AP that Inez gave a thumbs up when loaded in the ambulance. So it at least seems like good news that she's all there.

Will share anything else I hear.

[brianwspencer]

From the press release they just sent out:

Lopez walked off under his own power and was fine, according to his agent John Christiano, while Karlsson, who gave a ‘thumbs up’ to the Memorial Day crowd as she was being placed in the ambulance, was taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights for precautionary reasons.

“I think she’s all right,” said Penny Ffitch-Heyes, Karlsson’s agent. “She can move all of her extremities, which is the main thing. They’ll sort out anything else once they examine her.”

[JJP]

Originally Posted by philcski

Have we determined that Polytrack is no safer than dirt yet???

It'll be interesting to see if the Chicago Tribune goes on another "smear" campaign like they did in 2006, assailing Arlington re: the breakdowns. Very ironic since that paper basically quit their racing coverage around 10 years ago but they couldn't wait to go wild with the breakdown stories. The PR was so bad, AP felt no choice but to put the synthetic surface in to appease the critics.

Hope Inez is ok.

[GBBob]

I know this will sound melodramatic, but besides the obvious concerns for the jock and the horse, the most painful thing about these incidents is watching the children. This weekend Arlington had probably 15,000 each day, the majority families in the "Park" area...I wasn't there Saturday for Douglas' fall, but today after Inez went down in front of EVERYONE, there were children crying everywhere and families packing up quickly to head out. There is no way to avoid breakdowns, but to ask any family who was at the races for the first time today to come back again is asking a lot.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by GBBob

I know this will sound melodramatic, but besides the obvious concerns for the jock and the horse, the most painful thing about these incidents is watching the children. This weekend Arlington had probably 15,000 each day, the majority families in the "Park" area...I wasn't there Saturday for Douglas' fall, but today after Inez went down in front of EVERYONE, there were children crying everywhere and families packing up quickly to head out. There is no way to avoid breakdowns, but to ask any family who was at the races for the first time today to come back again is asking a lot.

Really??

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by Scav

Really??

Seriously...kids by the rail were crying their eyes out and parents grabbed them and left..

[sumitas]

It's hard enough for adults much less children . The Douglas incident was reckless riding and clipping heels, not track related, I believe .

[Scav]

Originally Posted by GBBob

Seriously...kids by the rail were crying their eyes out and parents grabbed them and left..

I understand the crying because seeing something like that would make anybody that cares about animals/humans upset.

The parents grabbing seems drastic on their part. Parents are nuts now days. I actually called one out on Facebook today as she was bitching about all the pictures of people drinking on the Arlington Park Live Facebook page.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by JJP

It'll be interesting to see if the Chicago Tribune goes on another "smear" campaign like they did in 2006, assailing Arlington re: the breakdowns. Very ironic since that paper basically quit their racing coverage around 10 years ago but they couldn't wait to go wild with the breakdown stories. The PR was so bad, AP felt no choice but to put the synthetic surface in to appease the critics.

Hope Inez is ok.

You really think that public perception outside the industry was the driving force for the installation of synthetic surfaces?

[smuthg]

per DRF.com, Inez has been released from the hospital...

http://www.drf.com/news/article/104093.html

any news on the horses?

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by smuthg

per DRF.com, Inez has been released from the hospital...

http://www.drf.com/news/article/104093.html

any news on the horses?

Inez's horse must have been put down..too many screens for anything else. Courtwight tossed Lopez but then ran off ok

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by Riot

You really think that public perception outside the industry was the driving force for the installation of synthetic surfaces?

I don't think it is for all surfaces...but whether or not Arlington put theirs in to quell the outrage around Chicago, the fact remains that it was a HUGE PR move for them. It was almost like they had to based on what happened here the summer prior.

Can't say for sure, but Arlington's Polytrack installation came under and out of a very unique set of circumstances, so tossing Arlington's installation in with the point you're obviously trying to make is a bit misleading.

[Riot]

The point I'm trying to make is that maybe - gee, just maybe - the folks in charge actually give a damn about the lives of horses and jockeys.

[Danzig]

looks like both jocks in the spill are ok, just read that inez was released from the hospital-they found nothing wrong. but i'd imagine she's sore-or will be tomorrow.

not sure if anyone was watching lone star today, but flibberjibit was pulled up on the first turn. just read this:


"Flibberjibit was pulled up in the one-mile turf race with an injury to her left hind leg, one race before the Lone Star.

"She took a bad step on the first turn," said Wolfson, who said it appeared Flibberjibit might have sustained a condylar fracture. "I'll see when we get back to the barn if we can do some surgery on her. I don't know."

hope she makes it ok.

[Payson Dave]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

I don't think it is for all surfaces...but whether or not Arlington put theirs in to quell the outrage around Chicago, the fact remains that it was a HUGE PR move for them. It was almost like they had to based on what happened here the summer prior.

Can't say for sure, but Arlington's Polytrack installation came under and out of a very unique set of circumstances, so tossing Arlington's installation in with the point you're obviously trying to make is a bit misleading.

As you know, I'm not anywheres near as bright as yourself.... what exactly is the point that she is "obviously" trying to make?

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by Riot

The point I'm trying to make is that maybe - gee, just maybe - the folks in charge actually give a damn about the lives of horses and jockeys.

Of course. And I'm a big proponent of synthetic surfaces. Just saying that there is a difference between how Arlington did theirs and how other tracks did. Arlington had to do something. The two can very well go hand in hand, though Arlington's could very easily be viewed as nothing more than a PR move. To be honest, in their case, I imagine it was quite a bit of both. They didn't want breakdowns any more than anyone else did, but cynically, it was a brilliant PR move...the best they could have made.

I'm not disagreeing with you one bit, and didn't intend for it to sound like I was. I was just noting that the Arlington situation was a bit different than others in that regard.

Originally Posted by Payson Dave

As you know, I'm not anywheres near as bright as yourself.... what exactly is the point that she is "obviously" trying to make?

Was her rhetorical question that tough for you to decipher? "No" is the point she was obviously trying to make....glad to be of service again on things like this for you, tiger.

Originally Posted by Riot

You really think that public perception outside the industry was the driving force for the installation of synthetic surfaces?