The Second Race's Valentine

Last night I watched the HRTV "Inside Information" episode on Ferdinand. I wanted to watch the original airing of the show, as Ferdinand holds a special place in my heart, and unknowingly the hearts of many horses alive today, due to the death of Ferdinand.



A reporter years ago, wanted to know what had happened to Ferdinand and she began the process of tracing where Ferdinand had went since his original sale to stand in Japan...the answer was one that many could not fathom....he had been sent to slaughter. This news changed the trajectory of my life and many others. It wasn't possible that this had happened. How could a lovely horse, a Kentucky Derby winner no less, meet such a violent end?.


When Ferdinand ran, I wasn't a regular racing fan. I knew about him, but wasn't at the track on a weekly basis as I am now, I didn't grow up in racing, and never saw him in person. His reported slaughter was shocking to me. I didn't know about "racing's dirty secret", as it was later dubbed in the press. Because of Ferdinand, I went on to learn so much about what happens to some race horses when their careers are over.




To read more about the news story that broke in 2003, read Ray Paulick's article here:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/17051/death-of-a-derby-winner-slaughterhouse-likely-fate-for-ferdinand

The Second Race was born from the death Ferdinand. His life is a daily valentine to the horses that we have in our foster program and to so many others since his unfortunate demise. The Second Race in a small part, hopes to pay tribute to each racing hero by changing the lives of many race horses in the years to come.

Ferdinand may not have sired many winners, he may have faded from the collective memory prior to his reported death, but he gave birth to the saving of thousands and thousands of horses since 2003.

I know that The Second Race would not exist without Ferdinand being the winner he was and I know I wouldn't be blessed to live the life I do and help the horses we have, without the lovely Ferdinand, our special valentine.

Lava Man-- A Commentary

I don't care how many quotes I read about how much happier Lave Man is now than when residing in a paddock somewhere. No doubt a good horseman can read his animal's emotions to some degree; but until Lava Man inks the contract himself and tells us all just exactly what he really wants to do, this is just another case of humans putting themselves before the animals they claim to love.
Obviously the connections of Lava Man will say they'll only run the old guy if they're 100-percent sure he's healthy and capable. And the truth of the matter is they will have no clue. Consult the spirits of Barbaro, Eight Belles, Pine Island, George Washington and Ruffian.

Since the official announcement of Lava Man's return to the race track I have received numerous emails, phone calls, text messages, commentaries, comments and now the latest, a petition to remove Lava Man from the race track altogether. For some reason, this request directed to the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), Dr. Rick Arthur and Doug O'Neill has irritated me more than the others. There isn't a horse alive that "inks a contract" so the comment is hyperbolic at best.

I understand the emotion, I understand the fear and I understand the risk for any horse on any given day; including the risk associated with the "un-retirement" of Lava Man. What I believe has been missed in most of the debate is the potential that many race horses will have their careers extended with the advances of stem cell procedures such as Lava Man's.
I am in a unique position, having a small glimpse into Lava Man from my association with some of those involved with him. I can say that originally I was shocked when I learned that Lava Man was galloping and training at Magali Farms months ago. I love Lava Man as much as the next person, and have had the privilege of seeing him several times during his racing and resting periods. I know the care and condition that he was in before he left Magali and arrived at Hollywood Park. The pictures for this post are from my last visit with him four days after he arrived back at the race track. Does this look like a beaten down, broke down, unhappy horse? I beg to differ.
But his being happy is not what this commentary is about. This commentary is from another point of view. The stem cell research while expensive at this time could have far reaching ramifications for race horses. Much like Barbaro, Eight Belles, and Ruffian (the later having an equine hospital named in honor of her) their tragedies did make a difference, but AFTER their injury and demise. Lava Man is alive and well, and the research and results will be monitored and that means going back to the race track and entering in a race to really understand the full success or failure of this procedure. Absolutely there is risk involved with this, heart sick risk, but when I think of the numbers of horses that could race longer, retire sounder, or have a better quality of life because of advances in equine medicine when they can no longer race, I have to take notice. Others like myself, take in the broken down horses that can't race. At 2 or 3 years of age these horses become available to rescues/retirement facilities on a regular basis. What if these same horses were able to take advantage of replacement therapies as a viable option instead of being a disposable commodity?

In California while synthetic tracks have reduced somewhat the catastrophic injuries, it has been documented that the injuries now to race horses are of a different nature. More fractures and career ending injuries due to the new tracks. What if stem cell therapy was an answer to keeping horses racing longer? Thereby extending for a few more years their careers and alleviating the need to scramble to find them homes (meaning not dumping them when they can no longer race. The potential results, more race horses running, filling races, and keeping horsemen and owners in the game, which is what this sport currently needs especially in California. http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/49797/stem-cell-research-potential-benefits

The TOC (Thoroughbred Owners of California) recently produced a video of the presentation given on stem cell research perhaps if we educate ourselves on exactly what Lava Man has had done to him, we can better see the advantages of this medical intervention and remove emotion and name calling.

Let's stop for one minute, remove the emotion and outrage from whatever perceived ills the owners of Lava Man have done by putting him in training and let's look to the science of this decision for the greater good of many others. Perhaps this will make it easier to see that Lava Man may have not "inked" this deal, but I do know one thing, Lava Man is a champion in more ways than one, and could have the legacy that makes him one of the greatest for the sport of racing.

The End of a Racing Meet Finds Me With a Renewed Sense of Hope?

It was Sunday late in the afternoon after the 8th race at Hollywood Park that I decided to visit the backside to see how Spring House was after his race.

Two weeks prior I had visited him in Julio Canani's barn and he was full of himself. You sensed he was ready for a big race. He was jumping out of his skin and the handsome dark brown gelding was a joy to be around. Spring House has become a favorite of mind during this past meet. As usual, the barn was a bustle of activity. If you have never been to the backside of a race track there really isn't anything else like it. It has it's own rhythm, culture and lifestyle. Saturday, the day before the race was much the same. I did note that there were more horse transport vans than usual, and rental vans had desks, chairs, tack and every other item you can imagine loaded up in them, but that was to be expected as the horsemen had been excitedly talking for a week about Del Mar, the next stop on the So Cal racing circuit. I watched as horse after horse were being lead up the ramps, and wondered who he or she was. All with their legs wrapped ready for the long ride down the highway, they were loaded up efficiently.



Well Spring House did not win his race on Sunday, but I was proud of him just the same and wanted to say goodbye before I left. The difference in 24 hours was amazing. The backside at this late hour of the afternoon was a ghost town. Barn after barn were cleaned out, some looked as if nothing had occupied the stalls even a day prior. When I reached Julio's barn, Spring House was happily eating up his mash, and barely flicked his tail in recognition that someone was standing outside his stall. To me that was a sign of a happy and hungry race horse, and so I said goodbye and told him I would see him soon. As I was getting ready to leave, for some reason I looked down the shed row and noticed five or six heads peering out from their stalls. To that point, I hadn't paid attention to who else occupied the barn.



The horses looked forlorn and there was something different about them that drew me to walk down the row. I noticed several of the stalls were empty, most with trash strewn about and these five or six horses. One in particular with the brown eyes that only a horse possesses stared at me. I stared right back and found my pulse quickening. Where was their hay, where was their food, and where were their caretakers? I looked around and there was no one in the barn at all. And then a thought crossed my mind, have these horses been left behind? Are these the "less than's" that I worry about at the end of a racing meet? Surely someone was coming for them? Another horse was eating the straw in his soiled stall, and I was beginning to feel a sense of panic that I couldn't describe. I was imagining things, I told myself, too much time spent thinking about rescuing horses had made me jaded. I faintly heard my friend say "who left these horses here"?



As we both stared at each other and the horses, a van pulled up to the barn. We slowly, in our own thoughts, walked to my car. We looked back in unison to see if the proximity of the van to the barn somehow ensured that we were correct and the van was there to take the horses to the next stop, Del Mar. Surely no one would leave the horses behind, I told myself over and over again. Yes, of course don't be silly Sharla, of course someone will wrap their legs and give them a small bit of hay as they drive down the highway to make the trip less stressful, of course they will, of course they will be running in Del Mar enjoying the cool beach air, of course........ I drove home in silence.



For a story about a horse that was not forgotten read this post from The Blood Horse regarding Boule D'Or.



http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/thoroughbred-bloggers-alliance/archive/2009/07/15/boule-d-or-a-new-beginning-for-an-old-friend.aspx