You know how sometimes when you fall off or otherwise do something stupid that leads to injuring yourself and it hurts more the second day than it did right after it happened/the following day?
I would be willing to bet you at least a delivered pizza that’s probably what happened. Why? Because horses.
I believe this outlet aims to share ideas respectfully, so I will not engage in the nonsense you wish.
Rather I would suggest that you take the time to review the NY Times post from May 6, 2023, which appears to indicate the intents of the horse owner and trainer at the time. From the May 6, 2023, NY Times. “Mike Repole, Forte’s co-owner, said that the colt suffered the bruise on Wednesday. Repole said he and Pletcher called in their veterinarians and the state vets tasked with monitoring the health of the horses and clearing them for competition.”
"The state veterinarians monitored Forte daily. Forte galloped at about 7:45 a.m. on Saturday. He was examined again by the state vets, who told Repole the colt was still a “tick” off and was going to be scratched.”
I saw the videotape from May 6, 2023, and the horse was clearly unsound. Go look at it is all over the Internet. Granted, the horse’s condition may have worsened overnight, but based on Repole’s statement, the game plan was to race Forte
. Below is the p[os from teh NY TIMES Go read the NY Times article at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/06/sports/horse-racing/kentucky-derby-forte-scratched-horses. Suggest you read NY Times before you attack.
If you, in all your knowledge and wisdom, feel that teh information of the NY Times is mistaken, please let them know, and please ask them to post a correction based upon whatever information you may have. Take care.
To me, it looks like this is the timeline you described in your post:
1.) Horse looks off Thursday, agree to monitor him.
2.) Check horse on Saturday to see whether he has improved. Agree horse is off. Scratch horse.
Where is the conspiracy?
It’s “opinions” like this one that have me wondering about your credibility:
Sounds like tinfoil hat quality material, that.
Ok let’s assume Pletcher has some super secret untestable drug that makes lame horses sound. He doesn’t but for sake of argument say he did. What would be the point of not giving it to him before he galloped and got examined by the vet? It’s not like they didn’t know he was going to be checked over. Now can you see the flaw in your logic?
Your words, not mine.
And what is your opinion based upon, other the your great wisdom? I based mine upon what media shared, which I acknowledge may be flawed. What NY Times and NY Post shared are very different from Blood.com. Where are you getting your information as we all know that you do not work for Forte’s team?
Umm, over 50 years working with horses, including TB racehorses, and 36 of those as a DVM? One does tend to acquire a bit of “wisdom” along the way.
No, I considered that… not a flaw. Perhaps you did and it was short acting drug. Did not want a residue in any random testing. Would it be a topical drug? Would not be an injectable? Would you use a very short-acting nerve block? Let’s not get crazy here. What are drug bases? Let’s not get crazy here. There are just to many variables to consider.
All I said is t that it should not take the state vet to keep an unsound horse out of a race. That is the job of the trainer. Just curious have you even looked at the tape? Take a look at it. A better argument is that Forte’s condition worsened overnight or over the hour, or the morning gallop made his hoof more sensitive.
Finally, the best argument of all is what you consider sound and I consider unsound. The ultimate is NOBODY here knows more than the other as to the situation.
The difference is that I am just laughing at the need for some people to attack someone they do not know about, something they are just as ignorant of. It is a hoot!
Ok but what you are missing here is that it is the veterinarian’s job; same as there is a vet for check ins in Endurance racing, or an attending vet for jog strips for eventing, etc. They are employed because they have a better understanding of soundness and horse physiology than owners, trainers, and bystanders.
If owners and trainers all had a veterinarian’s eye for soundness we’d all be vets.
Yet you attack the horses connections, whom you do not know, based on newspaper articles from the notoriously tabloid style NYPost, of all places. Even the Times has been known to miss the mark and print information (later proved inaccurate) in editorial style “articles”.
Plus blowing off the well thought out opinions of posters who work at the tracks or have decades of experience as a DVM.
—“Not knowing what we don’t know”.—
Note to self: you can lead someone to knowledge but you can’t make them think. I give up, don’t feed the trolls
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I agree with all you say.
I looked like the Fortye videotapes, and I could pick out the lameness, as could a bunch of other site viewers. However, it seems that the majority have not looked at the videos, even those that have taken stupid and unwarranted attacks upon themselves.
I have a friend that is an old-time 3-day eventer at the FEI levels, and he has shared with me how the vet sound trots/checks by vets have changed over the last ten years, and a head bob could pull you from the competition…
Of course, I am speculating that it may comedown to what is “a tad off”: to me. to you just is not for you. I have seen it many times. I will untack a horse for a tiny head bod/favoring of a limb and graze. I have others at my show barn say that they work the horse out of the lameness. I am not sure to what degree you have that latitude when racing is already a risky sport,
I would defer to those to respond that really know what they are talking about. I would have to agree that that is where teh expertise of our vets comes in. Thanks.
You have no idea what happened at that barn Derby week. If you do, please enlighten us all.
Nor do you.
Yet you speculate on the potential administration of top-secret unapproved drugs to mask a significant lameness, and in doing so impugn the ethics of people you’ve likely never even set eyes upon.
Because this cannot be said enough… thank you. I saw Verifying starting to tire and drop back as the jock stood up a bit and stoped pushing and knew he had just run out of gas…
I am amazed at all this uproar and condemnation for Repole doing the right thing. Forte was correctly jogged as a final exam/scrutiny and correctly scratched… but noooo - now it is another OMG!! OMG!! OMG!! scandal…
AMEN.
penelope - have you ever worked on the backside or been affiliated with racing in any way? Even Standardbred or QH racing?
Succinctly put.
Can I talk to the cats instead?
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
