in Mister Diz Stakes. No matter, can’t help but be amazed at the old hard charger. If every track had a few like him to race in overnight stakes, maybe a fan base would develop and grow.
http://www.theracingbiz.com/2016/08/20/unlucky-seven-bens-cat-upset-mister-diz/
So will Ben’s Cat be retired or will he run forever? I wish he’d be retired to being a hunter or some kind of show horse, if possible.
I wish they would retire him while he is still healthy and still on top. From the article though it sounds like they are going to keep racing him.
Why on earth would you jump straight to wishing he was retired? I don’t get it. This should be celebrated and encouraged, not wished away.
^^^ agreee with Laurie.
I find it slightly amusing when folks start hollering for the horse to be shuttled off to retirement as soon as they have a non-winning race.
The armchair trainers are already ranting for Beholder to retire after the Pacific Classic.
WHY? If the horse is happy, healthy, & still enjoying the training/racing… why would you want them to be retired!?
“No matter, can’t help but be amazed at the old hard charger.”
So very true. I was there, actually. 
He still looks happy and fresh. He stopped a few times to look around & look at things. That is a beautiful attitude, esp. in a veteran like him. What a gorgeous horse he is, too!
I’m wishing be was retired because he is 10, not 5, not 6. And in the article the trainer said he hasn’t had the push in his run.
Yes he looks in beautiful condition, but that doesn’t mean he won’t look just as beautiful in a second career that isn’t so hard.
[QUOTE=Gestalt;8809070]
I’m wishing be was retired because he is 10, not 5, not 6. And in the article the trainer said he hasn’t had the push in his run.
Yes he looks in beautiful condition, but that doesn’t mean he won’t look just as beautiful in a second career that isn’t so hard.[/QUOTE]
You are entitled to your opinion but I do not agree with it. One loss, does not mean something is amiss or he has seen better days. If he were in bottom claimers I would agree with you but at this level, no way.
One thing you need to keep in mind is this is a turf horse. He may be 10 years old but he has only ran a few months per year during those racing years. My best horse I ever trained ran until he was 13. I never dreamed I would race a horse anywhere near that long but he was a turf specialist who took it easy the majority of the year and ran his eyeballs out when he did race. I finally retired him because every time I claimed him back he came back filled with equipoise. You let the horse dictate every step of the way and see where he takes you.
[QUOTE=Gestalt;8809070]
I’m wishing be was retired because he is 10, not 5, not 6. And in the article the trainer said he hasn’t had the push in his run.
Yes he looks in beautiful condition, but that doesn’t mean he won’t look just as beautiful in a second career that isn’t so hard.[/QUOTE]
Ben’s Cat is running at a level that places him in the top 1-2% of racehorses. His last 4 races have all been stakes races (1 of them graded). He won one of those and placed 3rd in the other 3. His only other race this year was an allowance race which he won.
Would you recommend that a 10 year old eventer who’s capable of placing at Rolex be retired due to his age? Do you think the Olympic showjumping horses should be retired when they reach double digits? And if not, why should racehorses be different?
I don’t see why you think Ben’s Cat’s owners would be doing him a favor by removing him from what he does best. The horse is sound and healthy, and happy and successful in his job which is more than can be said for most horses.
Who’s to say the job is “hard” for the horse? If he’s still sound and running well at 10, that probably says something about how he enjoys the job. If he’s well suited for it, let him keep running.
Add to that the fact that he may or may not like a 2nd career that is chosen for him. Some OTTB’s love eventing, others don’t. Some like dressage, some hate it. Besides, if this horse has good owners and a good trainer, it’s likely he’s getting more attention and care at the track than he would get in many sport programs.
Well I am allowed my opinion, and you yours. I think the possibility of a catastrophic break down is a bit more of a likely hood in racing vs hunting. And the trainer did say the horse didn’t have the same kick in the final drive of his last few races.
So you think what you want and I’ll do the same.
[QUOTE=Gestalt;8809234]
Well I am allowed my opinion, and you yours. I think the possibility of a catastrophic break down is a bit more of a likely hood in racing vs hunting. And the trainer did say the horse didn’t have the same kick in the final drive of his last few races.
So you think what you want and I’ll do the same.[/QUOTE]
You read that wrong, he said he did have that kick his last three races but not this one. Not to mention your line of thinking opens up a Pandora’s box. Why is it acceptable for a younger Ben’s Cat or any other horse to have a catastrophic breakdown but not a 10 year old? Where do you draw the line? The only way to remove all risk is not to race them at all. Which means they wouldn’t even have been born. That all seems like an overreaction to a horse not winning a stake race that he has won the past 6 years before.
His last three races he’s had that same kick. He didn’t have that big kick at the end," Leatherbury said. “There’s really no excuse. I thought he’d like the track because he’s always liked a little bit of an off track. Being pushed wide might not have been perfect for him. It’s disappointing of course, but I guess he’s doing the best he can.”
[QUOTE=Gestalt;8809234]
Well I am allowed my opinion, and you yours. I think the possibility of a catastrophic break down is a bit more of a likely hood in racing vs hunting. And the trainer did say the horse didn’t have the same kick in the final drive of his last few races.
So you think what you want and I’ll do the same.[/QUOTE]
So basically your opinion is not of Ben’s Cat, because you don’t have any first hand experience with him, but simply that a 10 yr old should not race. Some states have upper limits wrt the age of the horse. In MD, 10 yr olds can run. The reason that he is still racing at age 10 is because he is so sound. If you feel that at age 10 a horse should not be racing, then you should take that opinion to the commissioners along with all the evidence that supports your opinion and ask for a rule change.
Horses that continue to race at age 10 are usually much much sounder than those who had to retire at age 3 or 4 or 5 due to physical problems. Many of those horses who go on to race at an “advanced” age then go on to 2nd careers in the hunt field or eventing or showing. Whenever I see one of those campaigners, I always ask about the horse and the rider is always so proud to discuss the horse’s career (ran 65 times!) and how it never puts a foot wrong.
I also suspect he’s still running at 10 because he likes it
Why retire him when he appears to enjoy the job he has and is still sound?
Looking for redemption in the Laurel Dash this Saturday.
And just to throw this out there, for the folks who think Ben’s Cat should be retired because he’s 10: http://www.horseracingnation.com/news/No_Brakes_not_Slowing_Down_at_Age_11_123#
No Brakes (also by Parker’s Storm Cat, but a year older than Ben) just came in second on 8/20 in a Starter Allowance at Laurel.
Man, the world is tough on owners and trainers. If they retire a horse at three or four, they get slammed. If they keep a sound, healthy horse running at 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ect, they get slammed.
There was a QH named Silent Cash Dasher that raced until he was 17, believe it or not.
Ran 91 times, earned $150k+, competed and won mostly in allowance/stakes company.
I personally love those rare horses that love their jobs and can continue to do them well.
I’m not slamming the owners for continuing to race him, good grief, what a bunch of drama llamas. Forgive me for spouting off my opinion, I’ll crawl back under my rock. :grief:
Oh, yay, thanks Shammy! I just told the family we are going. Must go off to Costco to look for orange (Kirkland) polo/tee shirts to wear.
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