The Harsh Side of Racing

When I go to the racetrack, I say a little prayer for myself that all of the horses and jockeys return safe and sound. Most of the time it does work, but sometimes it doesn't.

Just this weekend, Jacky Martin who was supposed to ride the favorite Ochoa in the All American Futurity (the biggest Quarter Horse race in the World) tomorrow was injured and is in serious condition and paralyzed (although the paralysis could go away when the swelling goes down). There where rumors that he had passed away, but they had turned out to be false. Today at Del Mar, Burns who had upset Midnight Interlude in their previous race was fatally injured in the Del Mar Derby. His jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has come back from the lowest of lows was also injured.

People where concerned about Havre de Grace running in the Woodward for what happend three years before in the Kentucky Derby. That's when her connections sent out Eight Belles who had finished second in the race, only to break down after the wire and was euthanized. Thankfully, all the horses in the Woodward, including Grace game back safe and sound.

Hopefully tomorrow's races go off without a hitch, with all the riders and horses comeing back in one piece.

Stars' friend retires

Mick Kinane retired today from race riding. One of Ireland's best jockeys, it doesn't look like that he's planning on starting a training career. However, for today lets look back at his career which included three Arc wins, three Breeders' Cup wins and an American Triple Crown win (along with British as well).

Here are some of his greatest races

1990 Belmont Stakes (Go and Go)


2001 Epsom Derby with Galieo


2002 and 2003 Breeders' Cup Turf wins with High Chaperral (the 03 edition being a dead heat with Johar)




2001 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Johannesburg


While they where all nice horses, Mick will be remembered by one horse alone. That's Sea the Stars, here is some of their wins.

2009 2000 Guineas (Embedding was disabled)
2009 Epsom Derby (Embedding was disabled)

And the biggest win of the son of Cape Cross' career along with his final start the Prix L' Arc de Triomphe



Congrats on your retirement Mick from a fan (And fellow June 22 baby) in America.

If you remember back in April I did an interview with Maria Michalak who wrote a book on Eight Belles. Last week she was featured in Bloodhorse, to see the article you can click here.

Two of the Good Ones Retiring: Larry Jones and Hal Wiggins

Two of the good trainers in racing are retiring this month. Larry Jones who retired on Breeders' Cup Saturday and Hal Wiggins who will be retiring at the end of the Churchill Downs meet. However, you know these two for their popular horses: Hard Spun and Eight Belles for Larry, while Hal was the orginal trainer of Rachel Alexandra.

Hard Spun started it off in 2007 with his runner up finish in the Derby behind Street Sense, 3rd in the Preakness and 4th in the Belmont. He also was runner up in the Breeders' Cup Classic and Haskell, and won the King's Bishop. Here is a video of his Lane's End win at Turfway,



The ill fated runner up of the 2008 Derby, Eight Belles showed that she had the heart to stay with boys. Before the First Saturday in May, she won the Fantasy at Oaklawn Park, here is a video of that race.




We all know that Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness, Haskell and Woodward, but all of those races where for Jess Jackson and Steve Asmussen. Before that Rachel was a member of Hal Wiggins barn where she had her smashing 20 length win in the Oaks. Here is her Martha Washington win and keep in mind this was only the second race that she had Calvin Borel on her back, before that she was ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.



I just wanted to share some thoughts on their retirements, and that I'll miss them. Larry Jones may come back to train a few Hard Spun foals, but we'll have to wait and see, while Hal Wiggins seems content of retiring all together. Either way horse racing will be missing them and hopefully we see their former assisitants make names for themselves in a few years.