I haven’t even watched the race yet, but I used to pony horses at The Fairgrounds in New Orleans. The outrider’s JOB is to HOLD ON TO THE HORSE. He would have been fired if he’d let go.
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I went to Colonial Downs and put $5 on him to win just because he was 83-1 at the time. My husband was like why did you do that? I was like he is the long shot what’s $5. With that being said I might have made more money as I would have had the trifecta if he hadn’t hit the board.
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As far as the Derby, I am late to respond but I have one simple response:
After the last two years with the COVID restrictions and the Bob Baffert disaster, the Kentucky Derby needed this, horse racing needed this, we needed this.
After Rich Strike crossed the finish line; I was quite emotional sitting on my couch in my lonesome. The horse that got into the derby at scratch deadline Friday morning. A Claimer, who is prolific breeder passed off. The jockey who had never won a graded stakes, never mind piloted a horse in the Derby, and living in obscurity in the nations claiming ranks. The worst gate-position known to man on the world’s biggest stage. The owner who threw in the towel on the sport a few years back but after learning of Eric Reed decided to try again with a few horses. And lastly, the trainer and his close knit stable crew; lost an entire barn of horses and all of his supplies a few years ago and debated if it was worth this. Who has been a long-term Kentucky trainer and his only other notoriety is a G2 winner.
I think a lot of life lessons for all of human-kind were displayed on Saturday. You don’t need to be the biggest, the most blue-blooded, or the most high revered to be a success. Here is the Tom Brady of the horse world. He’s a sixth round draft pick. Too Old. Too Slow. Not enough on paper; just write him off. Everyone was too busy hyping up the biggest names in the business while the redhead was in the back alley training under everyone’s noses.
It’s my hope that he is not a one hit wonder and we continue to see him improve as time goes on and he gets more experience. His race record really isn’t all that bad. Judging by his temperament; maybe he needed this time to get this screwed on straight and find his rhythm.
I will say that the overhead view from the final turn down to the wire is almost tear inducing. to watch his body language change the minute he hit the stretch, his stride open up and that incredible burst of speed. the Mine that Bird derby is eerily similar.
I hope many more great things are in store for this colt, his sire, his jockey, and his entire connections who work so tirelessly everyday only hoping to have an opportunity like this one.
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Why though. it still is the same farm, just different owners and generations of horses later. The farm has never not been Calumet Farm.
Say Winstar changed ownership in any which direction; does that not make them Winstar any longer.
It is rare to have a farm like Calumet last, in its entirety, for as long as it has. Most are sold off, get new names, are subdivided and even developed. Is it the same farm that it was in the 1940s? Absolutely not. But neither would any other farm as that generation of horseman and owners have long since passed on.
The current owner purchased the farm to continue the legacy and they are doing as best as they can. Had he not; the place would most definitively no longer be Calumet.
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Eric Reed - the anti-Baffert?!
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Yes, making it even more poignant. They are both wonderful writers, and Garnet is a fabulous musician!
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Agreed. I actually was yelling at my TV (when he grabbed the reins a second time) “Just let him go!!” . Or at least give him more slack in the lead and let him walk 3 feet away from the pony and the jockey steering. The jockey couldn’t even pull the horses head to the right to get him away because the outrider had him just about by the bit.
The situation was getting extremely dangerous and when they took back off at a trot to see if that worked I almost got sick to my stomach expecting him to now get even more aggressive.
But I thought the Outrider did everything right including trying to assert some dominance. I just wish they had let him go when the situation was clearly getting worse.
If the horse wins the Preakness, I personally think no pony horse and if there is one, he is several feet away until the horse has a few minutes to come off the high.
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What was that about? It sounded like there was some backstory there, but the owner declined to talk about it in the press conference.
Whatever happened, I would think he must be glad he came back to it at this point!
Its a little early to pronounce him not at all breeding worthy on outcross mares. Its still just one race either way. Long way to go either way. Some are born with Stallion pedigrees…and are million dollar flops. Some write their own and the modern TB gene pool isn’t that deep. Crap shoot either way.
Far as bad behavior in 1000lbs of young adrenaline fueled testosterone bred to win or die trying fresh off the battlefield? A) thats why Ponies are special and outriders Professional and B) doubt you will see that level of unacceptable bad behavior out of him again. It will be dealt with. That win and residual serious aggressiveness kind of came out of nowhere. Who knew. They do now and will be prepared to both race and contain him in the future.
Hey, does anybody remember a really exciting stretch dual recently where one colt was not only hooking up and refusing to yield to his rival but trying to savage him, clearly had the other horses rein in his teeth in the head in shot? Maybe last fall? They are not bred to be pets.
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they either get new management or become a footnote in history.
The farms have to become either business that carries on or trusts that are carried to continue their legacy.
And sometimes the leadership changes course, even if a farm is kept within the family.
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Whenever people are going on about how we need more mainstream media exposure in order to save horse sports, it makes me think of moments like what happened with the outrider … and the fact that the average American is so far removed from having experience with horses and large farm animals that they’re unable to comprehend that real life isn’t The Black Stallion where the best approach handling an aggressive and potentially dangerous horse is to just have a small child (or middle aged suburban lady) love it and be its friend. People without experience handling young stud colts on the racetrack seem to be unable to comprehend that “reassuring him” or “letting go” are not viable options. Even some horse people seem to be unable to differentiate between a fit 3yo stud colt biting repeatedly when his blood is up and a teenaged gelding getting nippy after he’s been hand fed too many carrots.
It’s concerning for horse sports in general (as well as dog sports, cattle farming, etc) that society seems to be getting to the point where all animals must be either coddled family pets or wild animals.
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You know, this horse just is not badly bred. Keen Ice is a helluva a horse, having won almost 3.5 million over several years- he even won as a five year old. The colt is out of a well bred mare, who was herself a useful race horse. I’m surprised that people are so quick to act as though he’s not much on paper. I have no idea if he will make a breeding stallion or not. Time will tell.
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Judging by his comments I think he was taken for a ride by a few trainers he worked with and/or maybe had some horse care issues with some trainers which made him lose his taste for the sport. judging by his comments made about how he was introduced to Eric Reed and it made him change his perspective and try again; maybe he found the breath of fresh air that he needed. He was involved with three partnerships in recent years; two where trained by the Mcpeeks who were the buyers/trainers/co-owners of the two horses in question. So if I were to point a finger, maybe the issue was with Mcpeek? No idea; just speculation.
The McPeak partnership was a mare who raced once in an Opt Claiming at Churchill and never hit the track again. She was trained by Ken McPeek. She was consigned to a Keeneland Mixed Nov Sale and was an RNA at 2500.
The other horse was a gelding trained by Michael Biehler when they owned him (it looks like Red TR bought into this horse early in his career) He is still racing in Oklahoma.
The third horse was also a partnership. One of the partners was also a partner on the 2nd horse i listed. She is still in training under an owner/trainer at Oaklawn. She was bought by Ken McPeek as a yearling. She was also trained by Mcpeek for this ownership group when they owned her.
Maybe this guy was taken for a ride by these owners/trainers
I do not know a whole lot about Eric Reed but I do know he always has stabled at beautiful facilities, usually off track in Kentucky (?), he runs a small stable, and genuinely cares about the horses and people in his barns.
I am sure there are others here who know more than I and can add to this.
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Thanks. I was just curious based on his answer at the press conference. But it sounds like he has decided to look forward, not back. Good for him.
I will actually be in Kentucky for the horse show this week, so when I heard the trainer say that his farm is in Lexington, my ears perked up a bit. I might just drive by it to get a look. Lol.
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Yikes. Bad dog!
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but far from the only one!
I have to say the whole fuss about the outrider’s treatment of the horse reminds me a little bit of the furor over the pentathlon coach “punching” the horse at the Olympics last year.
Should the Olympic coach have done that? No. Was it the worst thing that happened to that horse that day? Definitely not. But it was the thing that people got excited about in the press and the media, for whatever reason.
I wonder how many of the outraged people on social media this weekend have ever actually touched a horse?
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Count Fleet’s sire, Reigh Count was also known for this. Some horses just do not like to be passed.
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As always, Steve Haskin gives us an awe-inspiring recap. He tells us a little about Rich Strike’s early training, which you might find interesting.
Rich Strike Hits the Mother Lode with Improbable Derby Victory | Secretariat.com
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