As the Aintree Grand National kicks off there will be one contender missing from the cards, Black Jack Ketchum. Unlike his outlaw cowboy namesake, Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum, he does not meet his untimely demise by way of execution but through retirement from a career as a hurdler. The decision to retire this magnificent horse was made this week, as both trainer and owners feel that Black Jack Ketchum has tried to tell them that his heart is not in racing anymore.
Tension and heated debates have started up again in the horse racing industry, in regard to the use of whips. Some see whips as an essential racing tool if used correctly, while others view the use of whips as a form of cruelty. The controversy surrounding the use of whips has flared up dramatically following the suspension of no less than nine jockeys during the Cheltenham festival, the looming Eddie Ahern case and the spotlight that will now fall on the Aintree Grand National that starts this week.
While the ladies who attended the Dubai World Cup at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse were showing off their fashionable designs, in hopes of winning first place, the tension and anticipation for the main event was increasing. Thousands of spectators swamped the racetrack to be witness to one of the biggest social events and richest racing events of the horse racing calendar. Most of the people in attendance, and those who were watching from the comfort of their own homes, were waiting to see how the US Horse of the Year, Curlin, would perform.
No matter how many times spectators are warned that anything can happen during a racing event, they never seem to believe that a huge upset is possible until it unfolds right before their eyes. With a 33-1 chance of winning the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National, run at Fairyhouse, most spectators probably didn’t even notice the name Hear the Echo on the card. But as this amazing horse started to fight his way into the lead, nothing was going to stop this underdog from stunning everyone in attendance.
The Ingham family name is synonymous with horse racing in Australia. It is an empire that was built over forty years in the business, and grew to be one of the leading bloodstock and breeding organizations in Australia. What started out as a dream for the Ingham brothers, Bob and the late Jack Ingham, has become a corner stone of Australian horse racing. And it rocked the public and the racing fraternity when Bob Ingham announced that he was selling his business.
The OBS sale, or Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co, had one of its most successful sales recently when comparing the figures from this year with those from last year. Two year old horses that are in training sold for record prices, and even though the number of horses sold was less than in 2007, the gross revenue made it into the record books. Everyone who attended commented on the electrifying atmosphere that surrounded the March sale, as breeders showed off their best horses and buyers scrambled to enter the highest bids.
As racing states come under threat of neighboring states using slot machines to increase their income and purses, special stakes races, such as the Pimlico Special, fall onto the chopping block. Last year, the Maryland thoroughbred racing commission cancelled the running of the 2007 Pimlico Special to keep the other big live horse racing events stable. However, because of the history of the race, reshuffling of races has been done to ensure the return of the Pimlico Special to the Preakness program.
On the 18th of March 1999, a future Cheltenham Festival winner was born. He was set to make history, to bring pride and joy into the lives of many, and to become an inspiration to those in need. Inglis Drever began his racing career in flat horse racing. Named after John Inglis Drever Pottinger, a famous painter from Scotland who passed away in 1986, this magnificent horse only realized his true potential and forte under the watchful eyes of owner, Graham Wylie.
The first Welfare and Safety of Racehorse Summit was held in October 2006 and was coordinated by the Grayston-Jockey Research Foundation and The Jockey Club. This year the second summit is taking place on the 17th and the 18th of March 2008, and is hosted by the Keeneland Sales Pavilion. Issues and improvements raised at the first summit will be discussed and analyzed. The main goal of the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit is to make racing safer for horses and to address issues in regard to their health and wellbeing.
When it comes to the use of steroids in horse racing there has always been an ongoing battle. Keeping races fair and ensuring the health and safety of horses is the primary concern, which has led to an in-depth probe into the use of steroids in the horse racing industry. The new probe has led to a flood of emotions and resistance against the looming decision to ban steroids from the racing industry.
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