Everyone agreeing on a rumor and not fact does not, IMO, make the rumor sad.
Is the ankle filling unfortunate, yes. And not a rumor… being retired… rumor only.
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I don’t think Justify is an “unsound horse,” as some have suggested.
I think he’s a big, growing animal who just underwent a grueling campaign. Something was bound to happen to him. I would go as far as to say most horses come out of the spring 3 y/o classics with wear and tear. They are not your typical races, not even your typical stakes races.
But I don’t think he’ll race again. I never thought he’d race again after the TC given the circumstances. He’s owned by a conglomerate of partnerships and there are extraordinary sums of money on the line. He has little left to prove, but a whole lot to lose. And I don’t just mean reputation-wise if he goes off form; heaven forbid something happens that jeopardizes the alleged massive offers for his breeding rights. There would be some seriously unhappy campers.
This puffy ankle probably has them breathing a sigh of relief. They can “justify” their decision to retire him without controversy, instead of ending the career of a perfectly sound legend on account of money.
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Most things as minor as swelling in the ankle don’t result in an interruption of training. Most horses will train through it, usually just jogging. I’m surprised there has not been a mention of scanning it, although sometimes you need to wait a bit before anything will show up. For most minor injuries, it’s much better for the horse to continue to train rather than walking.
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I realize that the Bloodhorse is not the be all and end all source for racing news but IMO, reputable and reasonably accurate with little ‘rumor mongering’.
From 5 days ago
Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify will be evaluated after some filling in his left front ankle was discovered, his connections announced July 10.
“Justify had some filling in his left front ankle a week ago, which subsided in a couple days,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “I trained him last week and the filling came back. We want to get him checked out.”
None of the connections (trainer, owners) have chosen to say more or give an update. We don’t know if he’s getting jogged every morning… we don’t know if he’s been scanned or what other diagnostic tests have been done.
We can all “guess” what what might be going on based on our own experiences but we don’t know what is going on for sure (unless there is someone here actually on the SA backside (and I’m assuming Justify is still at SA and hasn’t been relocated to a different SoCal track).
Connections are under no obligation to release any additional information on Justify until they’re ready to say something 
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I just need to stop posting. Go away and read moldy magazines. If I can find that trunk.
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No news is good news???
Justify has been moved to Del Mar so BB can “personally monitor daily developments before any decision is made regarding his racing career.”
Sounds like BB would like to run him again but he may not get the final say…
Walking is the game plan for the next two weeks.
Sounds like the jury is still out
I hope he starts again in the BC Classic but also not at the expense of his potentially breaking down… glad I don’t have to be making those decisions. You know that even if he gets a complete clean bill of health and does have some soft tissue injury after that, the public will rake the connections over the coals.
They should take him down to the ocean daily and let him stand in the water. Sea water does wonders for leg issues. Wasn’t that a regular occurrence for trainers/horses stabled at Del Mar at one point?
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Baffert on Justify: “We’re in a holding pattern.”
https://www.paulickreport.com/news/breeders-cup/baffert-on-justify-were-in-a-holding-pattern/
No mention as to whether “holding pattern” includes X-rays, bone scans, ultrasounds…Obviously his connections do not have to reveal anything, but boy, am I the only one who is curious?
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I suspect that many of us might be curious but I don’t know that not saying anything is a bad idea. Given the ‘know it all public’ it might just be easier to say nothing and not have to ‘justify’ (no pun intended ) every single thing they do and have to listen to all the social media ‘experts’ who know more than the connections… :rolleyes:
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Good point,WMW, especially when I think of the Barbaro/Chrome/Zenyatta train wrecks.
However, I am beginning to think that they are just going to do the “holding pattern” until it is too late to run him again. I think he has effectively already missed too much training for just about anything but the Breeders Cup Classic. So delay, delay, delay, and oops, folks, we are out of time/out of races, so we will have to retire him…
my dear, I think you are taking things too personally. It’s spirited discussion! Chin up! (heels down!)
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I was exactly thinking of the Barbaro/Chrome/et al train wrecks caused by the ‘know it all’ mavens who also participate in social media :eek:
I keep thinking if retirement was the end game plan, why wouldn’t they have sent him to a farm for “freshening” and “recuperation” rather than drag him from Santa Anita to Del Mar (and no, I doubt it was the restorative effects of the sea air and walking in the ocean 
).
I would guess they’d been hoping for a summer campaign which has now been derailed but maybe hoping for the Classic. If so, will be see the “old” Justify that kicks everyone else’s behinds or a new “Justify” a la Arrogate.
Just glad that I can sit here and speculate along with you guys and wait until the powers that be choose to enlighten on Justify’s next steps in his career. :lol:
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I’m right there with you on this one. They’re stalling; maybe for PR purposes, or maybe because not everyone involved in decision making is on the same page about how to proceed from here.
Regardless, I’m imagining it’s no fun for his team in Baffert’s barn to be in this “holding pattern.” Or maybe they’re just grateful for the extra time with him.
You bet. They used to have the Fair and a big AHSA multi discipline and breed show there every summer around this time, think tne racers were at a Hollywood Park those weeks. Had a western Ammy Pleasure and Trail horse, had friends in HJ and Arabs, ASBs and Morgans and we all rode together on the beach. Memories…
Was told horses no longer allowed on the beach last time I was out there but would never question anybody on why they make decisions involving their own horses or ask them to explain their choices based on their vets findings and owners wishes. I dunno if standing in the surf on a public beach with random people, dogs, cars and can’t remember if the trains are right along the beach there or or the other side of the race track. Wouldn’t be my choice with a young stallion known to be…energetic…and worth multi millions whether he races again or not.
In view of past debacles over other people’s horses online, don’t think shutting up is a bad idea, they owe nobody anything information wise until he goes back into training. I think it’s kind of them to allow so much of the public to see him. Strikes me if he was done, he would be settling into lush surroundings at a breeding farm, not at a race track.
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An ice tub would be more appropriate.
Cleaner too.
Thank you! (smile) I have been too ‘down in the dumps’ lately.
https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne…ed_from_racing
Disappointing but I understand why they retired him.
What is the difference between a ‘swelling’ and a ‘filling’?
I thought the former was any kind of soft-tissue edema. But a “filling” involved tendons/ligaments/joints?
I can’t rightly recall, please one of you more experienced in these terms explain? Thanks!
