Archives for December 2010

This is the fifth edition of Breeders’ Cup “what if” dream races, as researched and prepared by Patrick M. Premo. Patrick is an avid racing fan with a special interest in the history of the sport. In his former day job, Patrick spent 37 years as an accounting professor at St. Bonaventure University–a fine school academically, south of Buffalo, New York near the Pennsylvania border–before retiring three years ago.

Patrick has selected 20 horses per Breeders’ Cup race and has used the rule that no horse can be entered in more than one race (Secretariat, for instance, would be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic rather than the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, even though he was American Horse of the Year as both a 2-year-old and 3-year-0ld). Other than that, any racehorse in history could qualify and the objective is to seed the field with the best 20 horses that meet the conditions. Each entrant selected is listed by the year that he or she was foaled and in what nation he/she did most of its racing.

Today’s races are the Ladies’ Classic and the Filly & Mare Turf

Ladies’ Classic (formerly the Distaff), dirt or synthetic

1880 Miss Woodford USA
1894 Imp USA
1901 Beldame USA
1912 Regret USA
1921 Princess Doreen USA
1941 Twilight Tear USA
1942 Busher USA
1942 Gallorette USA
1949 Real Delight USA
1965 Dark Mirage USA
1972 Ruffian USA
1977 Genuine Risk USA
1980 Princess Rooney USA
1982 Lady’s Secret USA
1984 Bayakoa USA
1984 Personal Ensign USA
1987 Go for Wand USA
1991 Inside Information USA
1998 Azeri USA
2004 Zenyatta USA

Filly & Mare, Turf

1851 Virago ENG
1865 Formosa ENG
1874 Kincsem HUN
1881 Andreina ITA
1889 LaFleche ENG
1898 Wakeful AUS
1899 Sceptre ENG
1901 Pretty Polly ENG
1912 Desert Gold NZL
1970 Allez France FRA
1970 Dahlia FRA
1978 April Run USA
1979 All Along FRA
1981 Pebbles ENG
1983 Horlicks AUS
1998 Ipi Tombe SAF
2001 Ouija Board ENG
2002 Cesario JPN
2005 Zarkava FRA

Next week’s races will be heat races, the Steeplechase, and the Marathon

Copyright © 2010 Horse Racing Business

Olympia is the faithful companion of my daughter Courtney and her family–husband Brian and two young boys. Ollie, as she is affectionately known, is a 9-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever.

Ollie had several litters of puppies when she was young. The breeder then sold her to Brian and Courtney (who had her spayed) as a companion to Lager, another yellow Lab. The two are fast friends and romp around the house and yard together and share a huge dog bed in front of the fireplace. As watchdogs, they are pretty close to worthless, as they like everyone.

Brian recently took Ollie for a routine checkup at her veterinarian, who discovered a problem and confirmed via a biopsy the equivalent of breast cancer. The vet suggested a consultation with an oncologist veterinarian, who found that the cancer had matastasized. He gave Brian and Courtney the option of chemotherapy that might extend Ollie’s life by nine months to a year. They quickly agreed and Ollie underwent an expensive treatment.

Later, back at home, Ollie experienced severe nausea from the chemo and Brian and Courtney immediately took her back to the oncology clinic, where she spent a few nights. When they visited Ollie, she was so happy to see them and their sons. The family brought her chicken and rice because she refused to eat at the clinic. She was home in time for Thanksgiving.

Brian and Courtney have decided that Ollie will not be subjected to further chemo treatments, but rather, will live out what time she has left at home. They will make her as comfortable as possible and will not let her suffer.

Outwardly, Ollie shows no signs of cancer. But the vet says she will soon. The family will miss her sorely and Lager will search the house for her, as he did when she was spending a couple of nights at the animal oncology clinic. Brian and Courtney are grateful that their family has this Christmas with her.

This personal vignette prompted me to think about the fate of racehorses that are reaching the end of life. Some horses, as with the canine Ollie, will live out their lives in dignity. Others will not be so fortunate and will expire under horrible human-made circumstances.

To adapt what the  inimitable Ernest Hemmingway said about humans: “Every horse’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one horse from another.” A classic winner lives with fanfare while a bottom-level claimer labors in relative obscurity. Unfortunately and reprehensibly, the details of how they die are usually different as well.

All racehorses, indeed all domesticated animals, should be shown the ultimate appreciation from their human owners–a peaceful segue to the last rest. This may be a utopian vision, but working toward such an unreachable ideal–with generosity and unrelenting action–is as practical as it gets. That’s a celestial gift one can give, not just at Christmas, but all year round.

Copyright © 2010 Horse Racing Business

This is the fourth edition of Breeders’ Cup “what if” dream races, as researched and prepared by Patrick M. Premo. Patrick is an avid racing fan with a special interest in the history of the sport. In his former day job, Patrick spent 37 years as an accounting professor at St. Bonaventure University–a fine school academically, south of Buffalo, New York near the Pennsylvania border–before retiring three years ago.

Patrick has selected 20 horses per Breeders’ Cup race and has used the rule that no horse can be entered in more than one race (Secretariat, for instance, would be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic rather than the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, even though he was American Horse of the Year as both a 2-year-old and 3-year-0ld). Other than that, any racehorse in history could qualify and the objective is to seed the field with the best 20 horses that meet the conditions. Each entrant selected is listed by the year that he or she was foaled and in what nation he/she did most of its racing.

Today’s races are the mile on dirt/synthetics and turf.

Mile, turf

1873 Springfield ENG
1920 Epinard FRA
1931 Colombo ENG
1934 Ajax AUS
1935 Nearco ITA
1944 Tudor Minstrel ENG
1956 Petite Etoile (filly) ENG
1968 Brigadier Gerard ENG
1971 Nonoalco FRA
1979 McGinty AUS
1980 Royal Heroine (filly) ENG
1983 Steinlen USA
1984 Miesque (filly) FRA
1985 Super Impose AUS
1989 Lure USA
1993 Mark Of Esteem ENG
1995 Sunline (filly) AUS
1998 Lonhro AUS
1999 Rock of Gibraltar ENG
2005 Goldikova (filly) FRA

 Mile, dirt

1884 Kingston USA
1886 Salvatore USA
1891 Domino USA
1916 Mad Hatter USA
1929 Equipoise USA
1939 Devil Diver USA
1941 Armed USA
1945 Coaltown USA
1949 Tom Fool USA
1952 Swaps USA
1954 Bold Ruler USA
1959 Native Diver USA
1964 Dr. Fager USA
1966 Ack Ack USA
1973 Bold Forbes USA
1981 Precisionist USA
1986 Black Tie Affair USA
1991 Holy Bull USA
2000 Ghostzapper USA
2003 Discreet Cat USA

Next week’s races will be the Filly & mare Turf and the Ladies’ Classic on dirt/synthetics.

Copyright © 2010 Horse Racing Business