"Nixon's The One" <n1x0ns@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:fvnund$f70$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "syvyn11" <robhorine711@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
> news:481f7a1b$0$11148$d94e5ade@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>> Every hear the saying about it's better to keep your mouth shut and
>> let people think you are a idiot rather than open your mouth and
>> remove all doubt?
>>
>> Jockeys care more for the horses than any member of PeTA!
>>
>> **** PETA!
>
> "He beats me because he loves me!"
>
> Please. Horse-torturers deserve no mercy, any more than dogfighters do.
> Jockeys should be given the Michael Vick treatment.
Someone who needs 'torture', it's you, buttboy.
>
> Horse racing is cruel and nobody who has actually interacted with horses
> can deny it. The only people sticking up for the practice are degenerate
> gamblers, fat, footless couch potatoes and horse-torturers themselves.
>
>
>
>>
>>
>> Eight Belles' trainer defends jockey
>>
>> By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer
>> 1 hour, 2 minutes ago
>>
>> The trainer of euthanized filly Eight Belles adamantly defended the
>> way jockey Gabriel Saez handled the Kentucky Derby runner-up. In an
>> interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Larry Jones said Saez
>> applied the whip only to prevent Eight Belles from cra****ng into the
>> rail.
>>
>> "This filly in every race has tried to drift toward the rail," Jones
>> said. "It's her comfort zone, and Gabriel knows this. This kid made
>> every move the right move, and I hate it that they're wanting to jump
>> down his throat. He did not try to abuse that horse to make her run
>> faster. He knew he was second best, that she wasn't going to catch Big
>> Brown."
>>
>> Jones spoke while traveling from Churchill Downs to Delaware with his
>> other prized filly, Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell. Jones is
>> scheduled to have a news conference Tuesday morning near the paddock
>> at Delaware Park.
>>
>> People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for Saez to be
>> suspended, contending he should have noticed an injury and pulled the
>> horse up rather than applied the whip. The organization also announced
>> plans to protest the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority on Tuesday,
>> arguing for major changes, including a ban on using the whip or racing
>> horses younger than 3.
>>
>> Calls Monday to the racing authority were not immediately returned.
>>
>> The Humane Society of the United States also weighed in Monday,
>> arguing that horses are becoming more fragile because they're being
>> bred for speed, not durability.
>>
>> "There are problems coming to light more than ever - problems related
>> to breeding," said Wayne Pacelle, Humane Society president. Breeding
>> too many horses, and waiting for someone else to clean up the problem.
>> And breeding them for body characteristics that make these animals
>> vulnerable to breakdowns, especially those spindly legs on top of
>> these stout torsos."
>>
>> Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian at Churchill Downs during
>> the Derby, was in surgery Monday and not immediately available to
>> respond.
>>
>> Eight Belles broke both front ankles while galloping out a
>> quarter-mile past the finish line and was euthanized on the track.
>>
>> Jones said he has watched the race from various angles and found that
>> not only did Saez do nothing wrong, but everything right.
>>
>> "We're putting him on multimillion-dollar horses, and I think this kid
>> represented our business as professionally as could be run," he said.
>> "If I were to run in the Derby tomorrow, I'd put him right back on my
>> horse."
>>
>> Jones acknowledged changes could made to make the s****t safer,
>> although he doubts any would have saved his filly from what he called
>> a freak injury.
>>
>> Stewards could, for example, mandate lighter whips or riding crops,
>> Jones said. However, he said his training program takes great care to
>> make sure no horse is abused, even in a rush for the finish.
>>
>> "My horses don't come back from races with welts on their body," Jones
>> said. "Very seldom do we find a mark on these horses. I don't think we
>> need to make (the whips) out of foam rubber, but you could get to a
>> happy medium where you know it's not going to hurt them and the horse
>> would still know what you want them to do."
>>
>> Jones said some of his horses don't respond to the whip at all. In
>> fact, this year Jones petitioned officials at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas
>> to let him send out a jockey without one. Jones' petition was accepted
>> despite initial concern the jockey wouldn't be able to control the
>> horse.
>>
>> As for the prospect of changing dirt tracks to synthetic ones, Jones
>> said he sup****ts continued research on how that will improve safety.
>> He insisted, however, the track at Churchill Downs was not to blame
>> for the loss of Eight Belles.
>>
>> "Churchill's track was as close to perfect on Saturday as it could
>> be," he said. "The moisture in it was wonderful."
>>
>> Jones said he hadn't yet decided where Proud Spell would run next but
>> acknowledged the loss of Eight Belles has taken a toll on his team.
>>
>> "I'm sure the way this affects us mentally, we'll probably bounce too
>> far to the conservative line for a little while, being probably too
>> safe on our horses," he said. "We're having a hard time getting this
>> in perspective and behind us. These horses are very dear to us. I
>> never got to say goodbye to her."
>>
>> Emotions were still running high at Churchill Downs on Monday, where
>> museum officials were considering putting up a card for visitors to
>> sign. A vase of flowers had been left at the track's museum, with a
>> card that read, "Eight Belles, you were courageous and beautiful and
>> we will miss you, but never forget you."
>>
>>
>
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