A Tale Of Two Horses
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Cosmic Crown, second in her first start in a $25,000 maiden claimer three weeks earlier, moved up to a maiden $40,000 race on October 3rd. First out of the gate, she led the field down the backstretch under a good hold from apprentice jockey Mario Argueta, fended off the surprisingly large favorite, Exclusive Sarah, coming out of the stretch and pulled away to win by three lengths in 1:07:3. Obviously on the improve, Cosmic Crown next goes to the gate for an allowance test on October 21. So far, so good.
One morning earlier, our spirited little filly, Ice Elf, just out for a morning gallop, took a bad step and pulled up lame. The exercise rider dismounted and led her back to the barn. Larry Pilotti, our trainer, called and told us it looked like a stifle problem but could be as bad as a hip fracture. We had a half-sister to our best filly ever, Vaunted Vamp, come up with a hip fracture in her second start at Gulfstream Park several years ago. As with many horses unfortunate enough to fracture a hip, she had to be euthanized. The biggest problem with horses sustaining this injury is they are down a lot and when they try to get up they reinjure themselves. Elf was still bad the next morning, but a day later the blacksmith pulled off the shoe on the injured leg and she was a little better. Larry said she would not allow anyone to touch her stifle.
Occasionally, a horse will twist a shoe—even galloping—and drive one of the horseshoe nails into the quick of the foot, after which a variety of things can occur. The horse can take a bad step, injuring the same or another leg, an ankle, hock, stifle or whatever. By the fourth day, it was obvious there was no hip fracture—Elf could walk out of her stall to graze. She is better now, but still dragging a leg when not medicated. She comes home Sunday and we’ll try to make a definite diagnosis when she gets here. We’re cautiously optimistic that her career can continue, maybe as early as the Tampa Bay Downs meet starting in mid-December. Whatever happens, it’s better than dead.
Next On The Agenda
Super Chief, aka Wilson, is making his first start Saturday in a maiden $25,000 claimer at Calder, the first race on the card that day. We are going down Friday night because it’s not reasonable to expect Irana to keep winning these races all by herself. Wilson has conformation issues and has been a little slow breaking from the gate but he’s probably the best horse in the race and should be right there at the finish. It’s expecting a lot to win two in a row but you never know. We actually won five out of six once. And then the Cosmic Arbiter noticed and said enough of that stuff. After which all sorts of bad rained down on us—injuries, bad luck, you name it. So it’s not wise to get greedy. Which reminds us:
Wall Street Protests Explode
What started out as a small, rag-tag band of protestors camping out in Manhattan’s Financial District a couple of weeks ago has grown into a full-scale Major Event. The crowds have grown daily, now numbering a few thousand and drawing in sympathetic allies from the labor unions, nearby colleges, etc. More than 700 people were arrested last Saturday when thousands tried to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. On Monday, hundreds of protestors dressed as corporate zombies in white face paint and lurched past the New York Stock Exchange clutching fistfuls of fake money.
Sympathizers in Chicago pounded drums in that city’s financial district and others pitched tents or waved protest signs at passing cars in Boston, St. Louis and Kansas City. This is a fast-growing movement that could play a large part in upcoming elections. The protestors have decided the nation’s recent recession and jobs problems originated with the giant corporation hippos and they’re not going to take it any more.
“I’ve felt this way for a long time. I’ve really just kind of been waiting for a movement to come along that I thought would last and have some resonance within the community,” said Steven Harris, a laid-off truck driver in Kansas City.
The protestors have their own press corp and are printing their own newspaper, The Occupied Wall Street Journal. They now have medical facilities and free food, donated by locals. There have been several arrests in addition to the Bridge group but there are no signs of backing down.
“We’re down here with these protestors,” said Transport Workers Union President John Samuelson, after police tried to commandeer city buses to pick up the Bridge protestors. “We support the notion that rich folks are not paying their fair share.”
Recently, we’ve seen middle-aged and older people mount hateful displays in Town Hall meetings and Tea Party affairs. Their confrontational tactics are threatening and vulgar, not to mention wrongheaded. It’s good to see some young people—and others—place the blame where it belongs and show a little passion in the process. We don’t expect to revive the sixties but every little bit helps.
Palin, Christie Opt Out
Sarah Palin may not be the brightest bulb on Earth, but she’s smart enough to take the money and not run. Every time Palin’s light has begun to dim, she has jumped back into the limelight with bus tours and the like, raising the question. Now down to 7% in the polls, it seems nobody really cares anymore what Sarah does so she scrapes up a last gasp of publicity by telling everybody what they already knew. Get lost, Sarah. Jump in the giant pile with all the other Republican has-beens.
We actually like Chris Christie a little bit. We don’t think he has any business running for President (neither does he, apparently), but he’s an interesting governor who doesn’t automatically subscribe to all the Republican right-wing requirements. Anyway, he won’t be back until 2016 when he can fight it out with Jeb Bush and a raft of other wonderful human beings.
Medical Report
The Flying Pie will be flying late today since Thursday was Dermatology Day for Bill. I had to go back to the clinic to find out whether or not we had to cut deeper on the neck melanoma or stitch up the remnants. Fortunately, it was the latter. I now have a bandage on my neck—and ear, even—which is larger than Rush Limbaugh. I am not to lift much, nor am I to bend over. I’m supposed to sleep with two pillows under my head. All this to preclude bleeding. And I have to take three Keflex daily for ten days so I won’t get a staph infection. Sheesh. Anyway, if you see me in the winner’s circle wearing an ascot, I hope you won’t think I’m one of those phony-baloney neuvo-riche pretenders to grandeur. Although, generally when I’m in the winner’s circle I don’t really care what anybody thinks about anything.
Medical Report II
Who knew so many people had back problems? Ever since mentioning my woes, I have been inundated with mail from like-beset sufferers. Even my sister, Kathy, who is considering moving down here so “we can go to rehab together.” Thanks for all the advice. And sympathy.
Actually, I’m doing great. The very smart Kinetix people in Gainesville have placed me on the road to recovery with their helpful treatments and their painful exercises. Waitaminute, that’s not right. Let’s call them “challenging” exercises. They started me out with 4 little stretching exercises, a breeze for an experienced exerciser such as myself. Now, as a reward for my diligence, they’re up to TEN, f’gawdsakes. I have to admit, though, I’m pretty much back to normal. The Kinetix people tell me I'll probably have to keep on doing these exercises on a permanent basis, although on a more relaxed schedule. Gee. There’s a lot of other things I’d rather be spending my time on than dreary old body maintenance. This reminds me of all those health advisers who tell you how much longer you could live if you reduced your calorie intake to, oh, I don’t know, the equivalent of a worm-and-mudpie dinner every day. Is it worth living on such reduced fare? Not for me. But I guess I’ll go along with them for awhile and see what happens. You never know. Tomorrow could be the day Captain Charlie’s Instant Back Rectifier goes on the market.
The Queen Of EPM
It’s getting hard to live with Siobhan these days. Even though her new drug, Oroquin-10 has plummeted from a 94% success rate all the way down to 93% after 183 horses have been treated, she is getting a little high on herself.
“I have created something from NOTHING!,” she bellows to nobody in general.
I am the QUEEN of EPM!!”
Really, it’s getting a little disconcerting. I have to admit, however, that it’s nice to see someone succeed in spite of so many obstacles placed before them. For one thing, it’s almost impossible for Siobhan to get her work published in the major journals since they are peer-reviewed and the peers who do the reviewing are largely her competitors. Nothing’s getting past them. And grants are usually given to researchers affiliated with a university, which Siobhan is not. She WAS affiliated with the University of Florida but when she presented her suggestions to them, they scoffed. Sorta like they did when Dr. Cade broached the subject of Gatorade (how’d that one work out for ya, UF?). So I guess it’s okay if she gets a little rambunctious every now and then. Meanwhile, the boxes keep coming, the blood gets tested, the drug goes out and the horses get better. As they inquire in the song, who could ask for anything more?
That’s all, folks….
