I never realized how often this occurs, isnt this the third incident in a week?

My frame of reference isn't that broad because I only watch morning training during Derby Week. But the track sure seems crowded to me. I'm surprised things like this don't happen every day.

I had no idea either of the traffic dangers of the training track . I'm just shocked at these incidents . Unfortunately it took Tin Cup Chalice to bring this to public attention .

Similar to the accident that claimed Tin Cup Chalice at Finger Lakes last week. Sad indeed, for all involved.

Raspberry Kiss...

Rest in peace.

Hope Dr. Rap is okay.

The article on DRF states that Raspberry Kiss was taken to a clinic and then put down. But I can assure you she was put down on the track.

That's a shame, condolences.

The track may have been somewhat dull during training hours but, if you spent a few moments and looked at the final times of the races from the weekend, I don't think you would use the same adjective to describe the racing surface.

Rasberry Kiss: 125k FT JULY07 Yearling Purchase by Champali.
Alot of money for a filly with no pedigree at all.

Not the final times Saturday- just the early fractions were very fast. They were actually on the slow side by approximately a second at 6F (other than the smokin fast Cash Refund.) Sunday they were very near "normal".

Who's talking about the afternoon? The conversation was refering to the morning.. And as Phil points out, the afternoon wasn't outlandish by any means. There was some wind that maybe factored in to those fast backstretch splits.

Defensive anyone?

Having been at Churchill the past weekend, I realize that there was a strong wind pushing the horses down the backside on Sunday. However, when a very modest maiden claiming horse like Aquinas cuts out a 44.4 half and a NW2L claimer like Whywhy Cat run a mile in 1:36 and change, as just two examples, there's no way that I would refer to the track as lifeless.

Your post said that the track was "torpid for days." I missed the part where the reader had to differentiate between the lifeless track in the morning and the "not outlandish" one in the afternoon.

I would certainly prefer to see the track playing lightening fast come Derby day.

It's not even close to that yet.

Given the toll the souped up tracks take on the horse population, why would you want that?

I'd much rather see a track producing par or close to par times on Saturday.

Saturday-
R1 $7.5K Starter 9F par time 1:51.4 actual time 1:54.60
R2 F&M $16K Claiming 6F par time 1:11.3 actual time 1:12.05
R3 F&M $30K Claiming 8F par time 1:37.1 actual time 1:37.79
R4 F&M $50K Claiming (3YO's) NW 6F par time 1:11.1 actual time 1:12.23
R5 F&M MSW 3U 6.5F par time 1:17.8 actual time 1:18.31
R6 $15K Claiming NW 6F par time 1:11.1 actual time 1:11.85
R8 ALW 3U 6F par time 1:09.5 actual time 1:09.18
R9 F&M AOC 3U 7F par time 1:23.5 actual time 1:23.83
R10 G3 3YO's 7.5F par time 1:29 actual time 1:30.21
R11 MCL 30K 6F par time 1:10.9 actual time 1:12.16

Sunday-
R1 $25K Claiming 7F par time 1:23.9 actual time 1:23.89
R2 F&M $40K Claiming 8F par time 1:37.1 actual time 1:37.83
R3 F&M $5K Claiming 8F par time 1:38.1 actual time 1:38.75
R4 F&M $15K Claiming 6F par time 1:11.5 actual time 1:11.82
R5 MCL 30K 6F par time 1:10.9 actual time 1:11.07
R6 AOC NW$ 7F par time 1:22.4 actual time 1:22.85
R8 $30K Claiming NW 8F par time 1:36.9 actual time 1:36.40
R10 MSW 3U 6.5F par time 1:17.2 actual time 1:17.66


The final times were not fast this weekend.

I don't disagree, but neither were they abnormally slow.

I think that's pretty much nonsense.

I'd love to see the track like it has been in most Derby's past. I think it makes for the most fairly run and exciting races.

Go talk to a trainer about the impact that racing over hard tracks have on the horses (splints, etc.), and maybe you'll change your opinion.