- The New York Times reports Edgar Prado's response to the "conspiracy theories" inspired by the shot of him appearing to look back at Barbaro's hind legs shortly before the race.
"I do it with all my horses," Prado said. "I check that the girth is on right and then to see if their shoes are on firmly. I felt him move, and I looked back and there were flies on him. It happens a lot, especially when the infield is crowded and there's beer and food all around."Dr. Richardson added that he "could see no damage of any preexisting injury." [NY Daily News]
Prado also reiterated that Barbaro barely touched the gate when it popped open and he broke through it before the race. He said Barbaro barely broke out of a casual gait.
"He's a professional, and when he saw nobody else was running he just went back to the gate," Prado said.
"He warmed up nice and loose. Everything was perfect. If there was something wrong with that horse, I'd have been the first to put a finger on it."
3 Comments:
i think Prado should get a lot of credit for learning from his mistakes. He was aboard Funfair in the BC mile, and when the horse broke down Prado ran away and the horse did further damage to himself. this time prado stayed on board, it's moves like that that make him a hall of famer.
I see no reason for any conspiracy theories. Jocks look back at their mounts pre race all the time. Horse break through the gates without being scratched every day without tragic results.
I think that the conspiracy theories are bunk. Jockeys will prefer to ask the vet at the gate if they think there is a problem to scratch them or send them back to the paddock. I have also seen jocks return to the paddock with a refusal to ride a horse they felt was off but that the vet insisted was sound or if the horse was acting differently than it normally does. Prado did an exceptional job. It is hard for a jock to stay on an injured horse ( having stayed on injured horses in a regular english saddle going cross country or in the hunt field..wjho are not at speed and better trained and more support in terms of saddle etc) He got the horse pulled up and he kept the horse under control until someone else could take over. Jockeys are tiny. Most have trouble handling a horse on the ground when they begin to act up or thrash, they get tossed. On the backside I have seen jocks attempt to keep a horse on the ground and get tossed about like a fly.. I hope that people get over the conspiracy theories, there was no smoke on the grassy knoll this time. It was bad racing luck. I can assure you the horse would not have raced had he been injured. My grandfather was a state vet who worked two tracks for over 40 years as well as had a private practice. He was a practicing vet for almost 60 years and he scratched many a horse at the gate. THey do not have to necessarily touch a horse to see what is wrong. They are experienced enough to see the problems. Even in semi retirement vets around the area would request his help when a horse was not right but x-rays were clear ( he died in 1992- so some of the current technology was not available) Anyway, one such case a former racehorse, now a 3 day horse ( went on to be a nationally titled horse) was just not right, flex test, x-rays, you name it over a week.. my grandfather had them haul the horse to a training track.,. so he could watch it on a consistent surface, watched him walk both ways, trot both ways in hand on concrete, then on the track surface, then canter both ways, then gallop both ways.. and finally the problem was locted, the right area x-rayed.. btw the horse had been seen by two different speciality clinics and four diff vets.. but the eye of someone who had watched thousands of horses going to post and making a life or death call for jockeys and horses spotted what really was.. and that is what i am getting at. the vet at the track behind the gate that day was an experienbced state vet who had seen thousands of horses going to post.. and he did the right thing.. the horse was ok .. he did what every owner, trainer, groom, jockey, exercise rider and vet fears.. he took a very horrible step that did not land correctly, the torgue caused damage and teh next step and next step and so own, compounded that damage
nicole
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