[The Indomitable DrugS]

This industry is loaded to the gills with people who view bettors as a total Pariah - bettors are the great stain on horse racing to them. At the same time, they view a Sheikh Mohammed as the sports truest hero.

I got into one of those fun Internet flame wars yesterday with horse doctor Steve Allday. Believe it or not - this was a fight I didn't pick. By the end of it I had gained a ton of respect for Allday's willingness to say what a lot of industry people believe - but are afraid to say.

There was a discussion yesterday about triple crown near-misses.

Me: Alydar would have been a shoe-in to sweep the triple crown in your typical crop. Besides Affirmed - I was surprised how solid a few other horses were in that crop.

Imagine if Alydar came around last year. Super Saver and Ice Box would have got crushed. Lookin At Lucky was all-out to wear down N1X sensation First Dude and Yawanna Twist. And Drosselmeyer wouldn't have had a prayer.

This take above sent Allday (someone I never had any interaction with before - or even knew posted) flying over the handle bars.

Allday: The real shame is that they didn't have very good testing back then! Because if they did Laz Barrera would probably get kicked out of the Hall Of Fame!

Allday: And one more thing.......Why do so many CLOWNS try and move horses around from different generations? Don't you think they have enough issues attempting to compete with their own contemporaries??? Do you have a TIME MACHINE??? (if you do, could I borrow it??)

Of course ... the gloves are now dropped.

Me: When I say Alydar would have won last years triple crown "if he came around in that crop" .... it is a type of statement that actual fans of horse racing and bettors will make --- these are arguments had at tracks, betting parlors, and in chat rooms everday - (by people you obviously disdain - and think yourself so much better than) - Anyone with a background from that aspect in the game would understand that.

However - it's a great thing that we have millionaire vets around like yourself to remind us all that we're all CLOWNS - and to remind us these hypothetical comparisons (which people base solely on basic handicapping factors such as form) are to be mocked because of how much the game and the way horses are campaigned - has changed in so many aspects. No fucl<ing sh!t Sherlock.

If you'll excuse me - I'm about to fire up that TIME MACHINE I have. I'm going to try and go back to around the time right before your conception and remind your father it would be best if he instead pulls out and shoots it all over your moms face.

Laz trained Affirmed - not Alydar - by the way. But hey, I'm guessing you knew that all along ... after all, the post where you slandered a dead man was actually your more rational and civil offering.

His response to that ....

Allday: Oh!! And I guess you've got a CRYSTAL BALL shoved up your ASS too!!! What a shame a great sport like horse racing is stained with HANDICAPPERS like YOU, that don't know a DAMN thing about what a horse is really about. You're what's wrong with this sport today. And when it finally fails and it's not part of the fabric of this country anymore, TAKE A BOW.

Doug: Next time you get the chance, ask Sheikh Mohammed when was the last time he bet on a race??

It was at this point right there where my admiration for Allday started. He said what we all know the vast majority in this industry truly believe - but simply doesn't have the balls enough to say.

The discussion started getting a lot more civil from there. It ends on a light note....

Allday: Doug, the first thing they have always asked me in every jurisdiction that I have been interrogated is: Dr. Allday, do you ever gamble on horse racing??

If you really think Alydar wouldn't have run down Super Saver ... for your sake, I hope not - my man.