Loose Shoe Could have Hampered Big Browns Loss

[IntegritysDream]

Loose shoe could have hampered Big Brown - Horse Racing - MSNBC.com

A dislodged shoe on Big Brown's right back foot could be the reason the horse faltered so badly in the Belmont Stakes, Newsday reported Monday.

A photograph, which will appear in the June 21 edition of The Blood-Horse magazine, showed the horse's dislodged shoe, Newsday reported.

IEAH Stables co-president Michael Iavarone said he was e-mailed copies of the photos Saturday night, Newsday reported.

"The picture shocked me," Iavarone said, Newsday reported. "When the shoe spread, a nail could have been pinching him. Or he could have been stepping on a hot nail, which would have been worse. I'm guessing the nail went back in but not in the same spot. Or it could have been a loose shoe, which would be like trying to run with a wobbly cleat."

"Any of those things would be significant for a horse running a mile and a half. The (deep) track was my original explanation. But now I'm thinking the shoe was dislodged during the race and incorrectly reset while he was running."

Attention had focused after the race on Big Brown's left front hoof, which had a quarter crack treated before the race.

A veterinarian who works for Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow said the loose shoe could have been a problem, Newsday reported.

"When a shoe comes off, it does throw a horse out of balance, but it depends how traumatically it happens and at what stage of the race," Dr. Greg Bennett said, the newspaper reported. "A couple nails can loosen up, which can cause a lot of problems and affect a horse's performance.

"I'm not sure how much of an issue it was with Big Brown. Sometimes horses feel it after the race and are sore, but I'm not aware of that with Big Brown."

 

[IntegritysDream]

heres a picture of the shoe

 

[BlissfulJumper]

Don't you think someone would notice this? It's not like its a small problem, that shoe is hanging off. It's wierd that it's just now coming up. A groom or anyone could spot that while warming up. Who knows, just carelessness IMO

 

[jetmonkey]

Does "quarter crack" mean the crack was 1/4 the depth of the hoof?

 

[BlissfulJumper]

Does "quarter crack" mean the crack was 1/4 the depth of the hoof?

I really don't think there's a specific answer to that. It all depends on whos talking and what they know exactly. It's more than likely a "quarter crack" meaning its 1/4 the way up the hoof wall from like the bottom or the top. not depth but how long it is

 

[jetmonkey]

That's what I meaned, lolz. Does that grow out or just get worst?

I really don't think there's a specific answer to that. It all depends on whos talking and what they know exactly. It's more than likely a "quarter crack" meaning its 1/4 the way up the hoof wall from like the bottom or the top. not depth but how long it is

 

[jazz lady]

How could a loose shoe 'hamper' his loss? I would think it would caused his loss. :shrug:

 

[fredsaid2]

Don't you think someone would notice this? It's not like its a small problem, that shoe is hanging off. It's wierd that it's just now coming up. A groom or anyone could spot that while warming up. Who knows, just carelessness IMO

I haven't followed much on the race but he appears to have overreached and sprung the shoe. That could have happened in the course of the race not before and so the grooms or anyone else on the ground couldn't have seen it.

 

[DQ2B]

Does "quarter crack" mean the crack was 1/4 the depth of the hoof?

Refers to the area of the hoof, i.e., the "quarters" which is the side of the hoof around 3:00 and 6:00.

 

[Cowgirl]

Am I the only one anal enough to get irritated they used to word foot instead of hoof?

 

[covekat]

They knew shortly after the race that he had sprung his shoe... probably happened during the break... I think it's just another grasp at finding an exuse... the rider would have felt if he was off while he was running...Kent was positive the horse was not lame.

 

[BZHorseMomE]

They knew shortly after the race that he had sprung his shoe... probably happened during the break... I think it's just another grasp at finding an exuse... the rider would have felt if he was off while he was running...Kent was positive the horse was not lame.

Hasn't Kent been fined in the past in CA for pulling horse up for one reason or another? Some of the horses because they weren't going to win.

 

[spellbound]

Why does a jockey get fined for pulling up?

I tried to call you yesterday BZ. Where are you?

 

[epona]

The horse in this article Devil's Bag was the sire to a horse that I rescued about 5 years ago. I think its possible that Big Brown's owners did the same thing.
RACEHORSES REAP BIG PROFITS BY TAKING EARLY RETIREMENT - New York Times

 

[covekat]

BZ...I havent ever heard that about Kent... although I know him well, I hadnt really followed his career out in CA, other than watching the bigger races...I'll have to ask around on that one!

 

[BZHorseMomE]

BZ...I havent ever heard that about Kent... although I know him well, I hadnt really followed his career out in CA, other than watching the bigger races...I'll have to ask around on that one!

I've been a Kent fan for a long time and so wanted him to win the Triple Crown. My Mom brought up the being fined for pulling up when his mounts weren't going to win fact. Here is another interesting article I foung.

Seattle Slew's Trainer Critical of Desormeaux

Now you can add Bill Turner to the list of people who think Kent Desormeaux was wrong to pull Big Brown out of the Belmont Stakes this weekend.

Turner, the trainer of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, called the results "a disaster."

From The Blood-Horse:


"I’ll tell you one thing. You never, ever pull up a horse who’s structurally sound. No jock should ever pull up a horse in a classic race. If he had bobbled, that’s one thing. But he had a hard time pulling him up. When he did pull him up, he was sound! He took him out of the race. In the 1960s, ’70s, and even into the 1980s, the New York stewards would have run him (Desormeaux) out of New York and told him not to come back.”
The way he echos my argument from earlier in the week, I'd think Turner was a regular reader of my blog. If jocks start to regularly pull up their mounts when they're out of the money, horses are going to start being put in dangerous and possibly deadly situations.

Turner continued:

“He was getting beat and he couldn’t stand it,” Turner said. “When I saw him pull up, I thought, ‘Oh, no! He’s broken down and the rider’s saving him.’ But then I saw him when he walked off and there was nothing wrong with the horse. The horse was happy. He would have beaten most of the horses in the Belmont…No wonder (trainer) Rick Dutrow had nothing to say after the race. What can you say? The stewards have got to do something to prevent this from becoming a regular practice. They can’t allow this kind of thing to go on.”
It's easy to blame the jockey when things go wrong, and as I said on Sunday, I'm not usually a person who will pile on a jock. And while it's true that Desormeaux can't (and shouldn't) be blamed totally for Big Brown's loss, I think it is certainly fair to question his ride during the race -- particularly the decision to pull the horse up. However, Desormeaux's actions in the Belmont were just more of the same for those of us who've watched him give up on mounts that were being beat in the stretch. The only thing that was different this time is that he gave up on national television and in front of 95,000 fans.

I agree with Turner that something must be done. I was hesitant to fully make this argument before we were certain that the horse was free of injury, but since all the post-race examinations have come back clean and Desormeaux has failed to provide a adequate reason for pulling up the horse (other than the fact that he wasn't going to win), it is time to demand that he be suspended and fined.

Posted by Michael at 6/10/2008 04:43:00 PM

 

[BZHorseMomE]

Why does a jockey get fined for pulling up?

I tried to call you yesterday BZ. Where are you?

Hey,

I'm in Myrtle Beach for the week. Forgot to bring my phone charger and the car charger takes forever to recharge the phone. I'll try to give you a ring tomorrow.

 

[covekat]

The only thing that will hold water is that sometimes the jocky's discretion comes into play... lameness isnt the only thing that will slow a horse down... there are breathing disorders and EIPH (bleeding)... so if Kent thought that the horse didnt "feel right", he was within his right to pull up... it's a slippery slope.

I have watched jocks push beaten horses to the finish, only to have them collapse after crossing the wire, usually of heat exhaustion...I'm guessing Kent didnt want to take the chance on such a high dollar horse, and was saving him for another day.