Dubai Esc. Out

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Revolution

I really doubt she was going to run with Henny Hughes in there. The ankle injury sounds like a good excuse for retirement after Bernardini wins the Classic by 5 lengths. "We were going to bring him back at 4 but he injured his ankle".

I don't know where you people come up with this stuff. I have never heard of an owner or trainer feigning injury so they could retire their horse. It's just the opposite. They usually try to claim that unsound horses are sound. A horse is not going to look as attractive as a stallion if people think he was unsound. The same thing can be said for broodmares. Do you remember the first thing that Marty Wygod said when he announced that Sweet Catomine was being retired. He said, "She is being retired sound." This was obviously nonsense. He wouldn't have retired her so early in the year if she was sound.

I think that some people have this illusion that owners feel like they need an excuse to retire a horse. Nothing could be further from the truth. When I make a decision whether or not to retire a graded stakes winner, the decision is going to be a combination of what is in the best interest of the horse and what the best business decision is. If I decided that the prudent thing to do was to retire the horse, do you think I would make up a story about an injury? Of course not. Why would I do that? That's the last thing I would do. If my horse was sound, the last thing in the world that I would want was to say that the horse has an injury. That could lessen my horse's value for breeding. I wouldn't want people to think the horse had an injury.

[SniperSB23]

It's just an excuse to get their pre-entry money back. If the pre-entered horse comes up with an injury you get a refund. If she just withdrew because they didn't want to face Henny Hughes then they'd lose the fee. She'll run once more in the De Francis and that is it. Pathetic that they wouldn't run her here and find out what she is really made of.

[paisjpq]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

It's just an excuse to get their pre-entry money back. If the pre-entered horse comes up with an injury you get a refund. If she just withdrew because they didn't want to face Henny Hughes then they'd lose the fee. She'll run once more in the De Francis and that is it. Pathetic that they wouldn't run her here and find out what she is really made of.

Not trying to argue here but do you honestly think this particular owner cares at all about getting back the pre entry fee? I have a hard time believing that they do.
i agree that the motive behind the withdrawl may be somewhat suspect...but like rupert said they have nothing to gain long term by faking an injury.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

Not trying to argue here but do you honestly think this particular owner cares at all about getting back the pre entry fee? I have a hard time believing that they do.
i agree that the motive behind the withdrawl may be somewhat suspect...but like rupert said they have nothing to gain long term by faking an injury.

I agree. I mean, we all go to the store and buy something and it comes to 98 cents and we give them a dollar and walk away without getting our two pennies. That's about what this is to them. I think Rupert was right. I think it's the other way around when they lie about injuries. Like with Afleet Alex. Telling us all that he was ok in order to cover up the injury. Of course then u had the Mineshaft and Sightseek situations where there really wasn't any injury that could have kept them from running in the BC but they pulled out citing those injuries. I'm so confused now.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

Not trying to argue here but do you honestly think this particular owner cares at all about getting back the pre entry fee? I have a hard time believing that they do.
i agree that the motive behind the withdrawl may be somewhat suspect...but like rupert said they have nothing to gain long term by faking an injury.

I don't care how rich you are, if it takes two seconds to get $25,000 you'll do it. They never had any intent to run her against Henny so I don't see why they'd announce an injury if there was one. If there is no long term gain by faking an injury why not just say she isn't running because Henny is going? The only reason to announce it is to get their pre-entry money back.

[paisjpq]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I don't care how rich you are, if it takes two seconds to get $25,000 you'll do it. They never had any intent to run her against Henny so I don't see why they'd announce an injury if there was one. If there is no long term gain by faking an injury why not just say she isn't running because Henny is going?

because then they appear un-sporting...which is an image that they want to maintain no matter how tarnished it might be.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

because then they appear un-sporting...which is an image that they want to maintain no matter how tarnished it might be.

Well Harty already said exactly that in a couple interviews. Maybe they were pissed at Harty and told him he could foot the pre-entry bill for spilling the beans on their non-sporting ways.

[Rupert Pupkin]

I was actually responding to the post about Bernardini. The poster was saying that after he wins the BC Classic, they will make up a story about him being injured and retire him.

I disagree with that. They don't want to defame their own horse. Owners don't need an excuse to retire a horse.

As I've said, most owners are going to do what is in the best interest of themselves and their horse. And they're not going to feel a need to justify their decision.

If Bernardini was my horse, I would definitely retire him if he won the BC Classic. My reasoning would be that he has done everything asked of him and it is time to retire him. It would be the right business decision and it would be the best thing for the horse. I wouldn't feel guilty about retiring him. Quite to the contrary, I would feel guilty if I continued running him and something happened to him.

The word I got is that Eoin knew she didn't belong anyway and was getting pressure to run....I'm sure he was looking for any excuse out.....