'Rags' with hairline fracture; '08 possible
 

Another one bites the dust with a 7 race career.

GRENIG (DRF): Rags to Riches injured; out for the year
http://www.drf.com/news/article/88602.html

They do say non career ending injury but I'm not holding my breath:

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=40817

hairline fracture to her front right pastern. They are claiming she may run in 2008.

I hope this is not career ending. They are sending her to Ashford Stud for recovery but she wil probably end up staying there and be bred next season. It would be great to see her race again.

my impression watching her race was that she looked like a broken down claimer compared to when i saw any of her previous races.

that she struggled to lose to a horse that struggled against octave, that said a lot to me as well. layoff or not, that race sucked.

let's start a pool as to which stallion she sees.

i'll go with giants causeway.

Wow. A broken down claimer? I suppose the 1:47 and 4/5, fast final three furlongs (even with the wind) and good effort from the winner made the Gazelle a pretty good race.

To simply use the generalization that Lear's Princess trading decisions with Octave makes her a below average horse is foolish. Perhaps Lear's Princess liked the return to a one-turn race. Perhaps she is still improving, as she has only a half-dozen career starts.

Rags to Riches looked like a horse coming off a layoff who needed a race. She ran well and was beaten by a horse who was just a bit better on that particular afternoon. But to say she looked like a beaten down claimer even in comparison to her prior starts is quite a stretch in my opinion.

NT

yeah IC...sure you were not watching the GM race by mistake? :D

Now now I'm not sure how fair that is...clearly Rags has to come back and prove herself whilst The Green Monkey's done enough. ;)

Nobody will say it but the Belmont Stakes has claimed another. First, Curlin comes back to run like crap. The Rags had all of her training issues before this. Yet another Belmont winner that won't finish out their 3yo season: Risen Star, Hansel, Thunder Gulch, Charismatic, Point Given, Empire Maker, Afleet Alex, Jazil, Rags to Riches. That's nine in 20 years, 45%.

I mean didn't complete the year. Some ran in a few more races and had some success, especially Thunder Gulch and Point Given. But those on the list didn't finish their seasons.

Interesting observation KG. We'll ponder as to why those horses could not continue.

I can't wait to see her get busy in the shed.

I want some pictures of that

Hard Spun was second in the Haskell and won the King's Bishop, CP West was second to Street Sense in the Jim Dandy and Tiago won the Swaps.

Yeah, that Belmont is sure a killer race.

I wish Charismatic had won the Belmont. :( The one who did that year had a pretty good four-year-old season, yes? :)

I just can't get over how flawed your so-called " analysis " of this situation is. First of all, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but Charismatic didn't win the Belmont....Lemon Drop Kid did. Care to give us the details of the rest of his career. But aside from that, singling out the winner of the race, while ignoring the accomplishments of those that finished behind him ( or her ) is beyond preposterous. But hey, let's throw a few out there....You mention Risen Star, well feel free to discuss Winning Colors's performances against Personal Ensign that Fall. Hansel? Strike the Gold, who finished a neck behind him, was a Grade 1 winner at 4. Thunder Gulch won the Swaps and Travers before breaking his leg in the Woodward. I suppose that break was waiting in the wings after the Belmont but failed to stop him in the two prior efforts? Point Given won the Haskell and Travers. What exactly did the Belmont have to do with his subsequent injury? Bluegrass Cat, who finished behind Jazil, won the Haskell and was second in the Travers. Sunriver, who finished third, has been extremely good on the turf at 4.

While we're on it, what were the negative effects of the Belmont on Easy Goer? He won four more Grade 1s that year. Sunday Silence, who finished second, beat him in the BC Classic. AP Indy won the Belmont....and the BC Classic. Skip Away finished second in the Belmont.....he beat Cigar in the Woodward the following September. I am a little unclear about the rest of his career. Perhaps you can remind me. Unshaded was third in the 2000 Belmont.....he won the Travers. Ten Most Wanted was second......he won the Travers.

Sounds to me like trainers should be falling all over themselves to compete in the Belmont if they want to have a successful future with their charges. At the very least there is a stronger argument for that point than suggesting that running in the Belmont is some sort of mistake.

To assume that racing in the Belmont is to blame for any of their careers ending is ridiculous!