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[PirateLover]

Anyone like to play the ponies around here? My brother is a horse racing nut. This is his favorite time of the year, with the Kentucky Derby going off today, Preakness two weeks from now, and then the Belmont stakes shortly thereafter.

I first really got into horse racing with the Smarty Jones in 2004. Almost every year since then we've had a horse with a local connection, but this year there isn't one.

I don't pay attention to the odds so much as I go with gut instincts on numbers and names. I played the $5 trifecta boxed on Pyro, Big Brown, and Eight Belles. This is actually the first time I'm laying money down, usually I just pick for fun.

Anybody have a favorite?

[chick20679]

I'm betting on Big Brown.

[Scar]

I'll take Affirmed to win and Alydar to place.

[Jeff G]

Without looking at the odds I placed $10 on Pyro based on Def Leppards Pyromania being my favorite album of all time.

[Ian]

I'm betting on Big Brown.

Good move!

Without looking at the odds I placed $10 on Pyro based on Def Leppards Pyromania being my favorite album of all time.

Bad move!

[kakn7294]

Too bad I didn't bet - I would have picked Big Brown.

[Scar]

That was very weird watching the celebrations after what happened to 8 Belles.

I won $15.

I was at my parents for dinner with my Brother, SIL, and niece. I decided to be "The House", and took all $2 bets. Easy money.

[kakn7294]

I just found out about what happened to Eight Belles. How tragic! My DD's will be devastated when they find out - and I won't be able to keep it from them.

[PirateLover]

At first I was pretty happy with the results, despite the fact that Pyro didn't place.... my bro profited +1600 from the trifecta. I was only missing Dennis of Cork....
But yea I was a huge fan of 8 Belles. I ran to the lavatory right after the race and when I came back my fiancee told me she had to be put down after the race. I literally just starting hyperventilating and bawling, I felt so bad....

[PirateLover]

. I literally just starting hyperventilating and bawling, I felt so bad....

I also wanted to add that I am just a huge animal lover, horses in particular. They are majestic animals. I struggle all the time about whether I should be a racing fan or not. It's very exciting but when you see what happens sometimes, it makes you question

[ftwildernesskid]

Glad to see people outside of Louisville lovin' the Derby! It's a great time! I highly reccomend it to anyone at least once in their lives. My sister was in the box in front of Big Brown's owner and friends. They weren't planning on betting on him, but then felt like they should after meeting everyone. Good thing!

[kakn7294]

I also wanted to add that I am just a huge animal lover, horses in particular. They are majestic animals. I struggle all the time about whether I should be a racing fan or not. It's very exciting but when you see what happens sometimes, it makes you question

You know Maryanne, this is probably the one time in sports I can agree with you (you being from Philly and me being from the 'Burgh) - I'm not sure whether to be a fan or not. It's a glamorous industry but for all the animals in the spotlight that we see who are treated well, there are hundreds more that are not. The sport is hard on these animals - young and healthy animals who don't have what it takes are often euthanized, mares are used year after year as baby factories even long after they shouldn't be breeding anymore, living conditions and training methods are sometimes deplorable, and the accidents and injuries are sometimes devastating. I hear now that PETA wants Eight Belles jockey suspended pending an investigation - they feel that something happened to the mare early in the race and he kept running her anyway. I've heard conflicting stories and I'm not sure what really happened.

[Scar]

... they (PETA) feel that something happened to the mare early in the race and he kept running her anyway.

How would they know? Early in the race? She finished second.

[SBETigg]

My dad took me to races when I was young and I love watching. I was so sorry to see Eight Belles down. Heartbreaking. I liked Pyro, Court Vision, and Denis of Cork. My DH picked Big Brown. We never put money on it, though.

[kakn7294]

How would they know? Early in the race? She finished second.

I know, I'm confused by that too. I wouldn't think that she would have been able to finish the race much less come in second. I've heard conflicting complaints including that she injured herself at the beginning of the race but was whipped to keep going and that's how she ended up with both front ankles broken - they thought perhaps she would have had a much less severe injury (and thus could have been saved) if the jockey had pulled her up at the start. I also heard that it happened just after she finished while they are still running.

[Advnt05]

Prefacing my comments with that I'm a sideline fan, watch the triple crown and that is it for the year. I enjoy watching the races (dog races too for that matter but that's another thread). I am troubled by the number of horses that I see injured in the three races each year that I watch. I have trouble wrapping my mind around how a horse breaks both legs running on a dirt track. Don't they run naturally in the wild? My only guess would be that they run them too hard at a young age. Would the excitement be any less if they waited until the horses were 1 year older to run? Maybe they would be a little slower but they possibly wouldn't break legs either. I guess I don't understand it all.

[PirateLover]

I have trouble wrapping my mind around how a horse breaks both legs running on a dirt track. Don't they run naturally in the wild? My only guess would be that they run them too hard at a young age. Would the excitement be any less if they waited until the horses were 1 year older to run? Maybe they would be a little slower but they possibly wouldn't break legs either. I guess I don't understand it all.

I'm with you here. There was some rumor going around that 8 Belles had a sprained ankle ahead of time and they shot her up, not with steroids, but with another kind of pain reliever that is legal so she could still run on it. Never found out if that got substantiated though. I don't blame the jockey. If something was amiss, I'd blame the owner. Something just doesn't smell right about this whole situation.

[Scar]

Anyone watch the Preakness?

I think Big Brown has a great shot at winning The Triple Crown. He has just been so much better than any other horse he raced against. That burst he had coming out of the last turn was amazing.

[PirateLover]

I didn't get a chance to watch or bet, which is somewhat unfortunate because those were the 3 horses I picked. I did see the final few seconds on the news, Big Brown really pulled away. My brother says there are a few horses that were held off from the other races that could possible play the spoiler in the Belmont, but Big Brown does look pretty dominant.

[SBETigg]

Watched the Preakness. Big Brown was amazing. I liked Ichabad Crane. I've picked third place in both races. Let's see if I can do it at the Belmont, too. I want Big Brown to take the Triple Crown, though.