My thoughts exactly. Huge props to Soumillon for staying on and keeping Thunder Snow under control when the colt said, “#%^* this, I’m not playing”. A loose, distraught horse in a field that size could have caused serious problems.
So so impressed with Classic Empire. He got mugged at the start and again in the stretch but never quit.
When I saw the “bumper cars” game I was scared someone would go down. Props to all the pros in that race!
Great race! I always feel sorry for the horses that are behind, that mud looks nasty. JV had a beautiful ride. And I can’t believe that jockey stayed on when Thunder Snow went to bucking, yikes!
Has there been any official report on TS? Happen to be out on the west coast and all the local newscasts here said he got hurt out of the gate, still saying that this morning, especially the weather guessers since it’s raining. It makes fodder for the PETA crowd, hate to see it uncorrected if the colt just spit it out with a mouthful of mud.
Thought he was one wicked bucker for a hurt horse…and if it was a face full of mud and water, proved once again this is a sport that humbles kings and royal relatives.
All of the media I can see says TS is OK-- that he walked back to his own stall and was checked, nothing found.
Really bad day to throw a hissy fit…
Sounds like the mud splashed him in the belly/face and he did not like that one bit. That was one hell of a bucking fit to stick in a racing saddle, I am very impressed with his jock.
I didn’t grab this screen capture of the head-on replay (someone else on twitter did) but you can clearly see that Thunder Snow (#2 gate) from the moment the gates opened was a wreck and slamming into his neighbor (#3 Fast and Accurate)
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Thanks for the great photo. I have to admit that TS was my favorite part of the race and will be my main memory of this Derby. He did some awesome bucking, bolting and bad-assery. Kudos to his jockey for staying on and maintaining control. Horses can do some wonderfully humiliating things and this was such a moment. Any chance he’ll stay for the Preakness?
Statement from Bloodhorse:
Godolphin released an official statement Saturday night that said: “Thunder Snow walked back to the stables, where he was checked by the vets on course, and initial reports suggest that he appears to be sound. We will closely monitor him over the next 24 hours to ensure that he is OK. Our first priority is his welfare. He worked well all week and we were very happy with his progress. We want to thank everyone for their support this week. We gave it our best. The team was amazing, but it just wasn’t to be. Congratulations to the winning horse and the connections of Always Dreaming.”
I think I read that he’s shipping back to England this week.
Oh hell yeah–no way that was going to end well
Is bad-assery a word??? If it isn’t it should be as it certainly described Thunder Snow’s behavior. So impressed the jock stayed on board to get him under control and out of the racing lane. That could have ended very ugly and didn’t… whew!
Is it just me or is it partially his connections fault for shipping him over here at the last possible second to run in this race. I know it is rather customary for the Europeans to ship to races with very short notice but this wasn’t a ferry ride to Ireland we are talking about, this was a significant plane ride and arrival at a track with rainy conditions every week and colder than normal temperatures combined with a very muddy track and an electric atmosphere. In my humble opinion, Thunder Snow, should’ve been shipped over here 2 to 3 weeks ago to give him ample time to settle in and get a feel for the track and the mud which has been so frequent. They could’ve set him up much better for this race than they allowed.
As others noted; he came out of the gate completely sideways and broadsided his neighbor. If you see the series of pictures past that; his jockey was essentially hanging off the side of him for several strides as it looked like his saddle slipped completely to the left (judging by where the jockeys stirrups and feet were positioned). Looks like the jockey was able to straighten himself out rather quickly though and then hang on for the bucks. While Thunder Snow did not care for the mud; I think the real issue that started it was his few strides coming out of the gate. My opinion is he got very poor traction trying to take off when the gates opened
Thunder Snow is a lovely specimen of a horse and he’s been a good runner. I just think his connections set him up very poorly for the most electric atmosphere of a race in the states combined with really bad mud but we can all be keyboard trainers 
in terms of the rest of the race: Always Dreaming ran as I expected. If he didn’t get a good start or got caught up in traffic before the first turn; I think we’d see a different set of results. Any horse getting that mud in their eyes, nose and face behind him; just didn’t want to run and I don’t blame them!!
It was not surprising to me when no horse responded at the top of the stretch to run more. If the Preakness is just as muddy; expect similar results. If the track is fast, I think Always Dreaming will have a bigger challenge on his hands.
yes, the horse arrived at the track on April 30, the Sunday before the race and then had to spend 48 hours in quarantine before he could go train. He didn’t get to the track until May 2nd in which he only jogged on that day so that left him Wednesday and Thursday to gallop on the surface.They set themselves up for failure IMHO and they weren’t fair to the horse. I think he’s a lovely horse who was dealt the wrong end of the stick for such a huge race.
One thing is for sure, many of us would indeed feel all kinds of crappy after such a long journey on a plane. And then have to compete physically…on such a level? So soon? On mud? Bad steps out of the gate or not… Just imagine how it must be for horses… why should it not matter? It has, as I’m sure many of us have seen before, and yes it does! We ask a lot of them as it is!
I was so freaked out when the horse reacted when he came out of the gate. I was afraid he’d broken down.
Sloppy track and all that mud being thrown in their faces and eyes.
On a muddy track, do the horses have studs or caulks or anything extra on their shoes to give them better traction?
When I bought my first european warmblood, he’d never been rained on. While I’d never turned any of my horses out in the rain, I had ridden my horses since childhood in drizzle. Not for my warmblood, he did not want to get wet. It’s been 17 years and he still stays in in rainy weather even though he and my domestic WB have rain sheets and neck rugs. I can just imagine him, he’s 50% TB thru the War Relic line, racing. He’d stay in the starting gate. Might as well since a WB couldn’t keep up with the TBs.
My last ottb, Callie, a dau. of Poker (War Admiral) loved to lie down in water but did not like rain so she stayed in in rainy weather. At least she’d walk thru puddles while my WB Cloudy has always jumped over puddles. I hope the last 2 races in the Triple Crown have dry, fast tracks.
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