Nyquist wins the Kentucky Derby

[iandhr]

Source: Washington Post

LOUISVILLE — Right until the end, they picked at Nyquist. Too slow. Not bred to run the 11/4-mile distance.

But those who believed in him — none more than trainer Doug O’Neill and owner Paul Reddam — felt all the doubters missed the point. Nyquist deserved to be the Kentucky Derby favorite because he had answered every question asked of him as a racehorse.

The undefeated colt answered the biggest one Saturday, winning the 142nd running of the Derby, the most coveted prize in American racing. He was the fourth straight favorite to win the race, generally thought of as difficult to pick because of the 20-horse field and the thin resumes of many contenders.

O’Neill joked that he and Reddam had dismissed as idiots all the writers who questioned Nyquist.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nyquist-provides-a-perfect-ending-to-142nd-kentucky-derby/2016/05/07/8a221c8e-13e9-11e6-8967-7ac733c56f12_story.html

[Uben]

1. Was a good race

Exaggerator got trapped or he would have won, but it didn't happen. My nephews dad is an owner, so I'm a bit prejudiced. Second place is a good showing, and we were all high-fivin'

[hamsterjill]

2. Kent Desormeaux is a great jockey

I think everyone wants to see him healthy and doing well. I know that I do.

[chernabog]

4. Does Kent enjoy beating the horsey

To make him go fast? Do you think he gets off on beating an animal?

[glinda]

5. If the horses can feel anything with the drugs in them....

I used to love races until....well you can guess.

[hamsterjill]

9. Kent is a recovering alcoholic

Does it make you feel special to take a post that was merely wishing good fortune to a man who has fought to come back from the brink of death, and try to twist that post into some kind of twisted, negative protest?

If you get off thinking people in racing are not compassionate, what in the hell does your post say about you?

Look in the mirror before you so boldly judge others.

[chernabog]

11. People in racing are not compassionate

If they were, they wouldn't abuse animals the way they do.

Who cares if he's a recovering alcoholic? Abusing animals for a living makes him a bad person.

[hamsterjill]

12. What a judgmental post.

Uh, memo to you, you don't rule the world.

[chernabog]

13. Yes, I am

Judgmental towards animal abusers

[hamsterjill]

14. "People in racing"

Is a pretty broad brush. Exactly what qualifies you to make that statement?

Surely you didn't watch the race, so how do you know what happened?

Victor Espinoza, the jockey who won the Triple Crown last year, donated 100% of his winnings to the City of Hope. Bob Baffert, the trainer, gave much of his winnings to charity, too, including supporting Old Friends in Kentucky where BOTH War Emblem and Silver Charm (both near 20) live out their days.

"All people" is just a little too much. Get rid of the idealism and seek a little reality. Is racing sometimes cruel? Most things in life are at one point or another. But as with all things, there is both bad and good.

I find it ugly and crude of you to wish hurtful things toward a human being. Watch out, karma has a way of taking care of that.

It is not a perfect world. We do the best we can and NONE of us are perfect...not even you.

[Kingofalldems]

15. Thank you.

Nobody gets to talk about The Kid like that.

He is beloved in Maryland as he came here as an apprentice and totally dominated racing.

[chernabog]

17. He totally dominated and abused those poor horses too

"The kid" can fuck off

[Kingofalldems]

18. I might say the same to you.

But I won't.

[hamsterjill]

24. Thank you.

For your post. Parts of this thread have gone from zero to ridiculous in a very short time frame.

[chernabog]

16. Uh where did I wish hurtful things towards someone?

There is literally no point in racing besides making money. Why don't you see the reality in animal racing?

[hamsterjill]

21. Uh "who cares if he's an alcoholic"

That's not exactly a love fest.

I understand the realities of racing. My point is that it's being changed for the better by people on the inside (i.e., Baffert, etc.) by providing better conditions for the horses. Things have improved over the last decade, and contrary to what a lot of idealists think about things in this country, change comes slowly.

Of course it's about money. Part of that is a good advantage for the horse, too. Who is going to abuse a horse worth $10 million in stud fees?

But it's not going to be changed for the better by someone whining on a message board or protesting at the front gate. It's also not going to go away.

So, get off your keyboard and go do something to proactively change that which you hate. I'm sure there are opportunities in your own area wherever you are located. Bitching at me and others isn't going to change anything.

[chernabog]

22. You know what would be awesome for the horses?

Not forcing them to race! I don't get why that's so hard to understand.

[hamsterjill]

23. It's not hard to understand.

It's hard to understand your unrealistic attitude. Racing isn't going to go away and stop just because you, me or anyone else doesn't like it.

What is the purpose of debating this on a message board? Do you really want the sport to come to a complete halt right now, today, this minute? So that "all people in racing" will stop having jobs, all of the horses will be euthanized, most likely, just to make you feel better? What is supposed to happen to all of those horses who are no longer useful to their owners? I see posts about lovely horses being sold at auction every single day and they are headed for slaughter houses in Mexico just across the border. I don't want more going there.

My point through this whole exchange has been that YOUR view is UNREALISTIC! Why is it so hard for YOU to grasp that concept?

I've repeatedly asked you - what are YOU doing to change things? Again, I explicitly ask what are you doing to change things? What one action are you going to take today to change something you despise? Want to adopt one of the horses going to slaughter? I'll be glad to point you in the right direction.

I'm all for changing the world, but I want YOU to tell me HOW you want this to change in a REALISTIC manner. Stop with the Disney movie attitude. This is real life we're talking about here.

[chernabog]

25. Many people care about this issue

Many many people have the same view as me, so it's not unrealistic.
The more people that learn what a terrible industry it is, the more people will want it to be stopped.
If you support racing, you are supporting horses being slaughtered and euthanized.

"So that "all people in racing" will stop having jobs" - this is like saying you do not want a cure for cancer because all the cancer doctors and nurses will be out of jobs. Maybe the people in racing can get jobs that don't involve hurting animals?

"What is supposed to happen to all of those horses who are no longer useful to their owners?" - this is already happening so why don't you answer your own question.

If you do not want horses going to slaughterhouses, you should want to end racing and the overbreeding that is happening on a daily basis because of this industry.

[hamsterjill]

26. Your view of the world is too naive for me.

Many people sharing a view does not change make. Action makes change.

I'm finished with this discussion.

[chernabog]

27. Your support of an abusive,

exploitive industry disgusts me, and I really hope you'll change your views on it.

[chernabog]

3. The exploitation of animals continues

Such a cruel way for these horses to live

[gwheezie]

6. I hope Nyquist has a long healthy life

I hope he never runs another race. I hope his owners do right by him even if he turns out to be a dud of a stud. RIP Ferdinand.

[bamademo]

7. I knew that there would be people who were Debbie Downers about this race.

Why not just celebrate a great race by a great horse. He wasn't beaten. They love to run. It was beautiful.

[chernabog]

8. It's cruel

And the definition of exploitation.
The horse is great, the race is not.

[gwheezie]

10. He's a great horse

And the jockey rode very well. He got him out of the gate well and trusted the horse when he took him inside to be able to get out if he was boxed in. This horse is very tractable and smart. It looked like a great partnership between the horse and jockey.
I watched the rerun online. I don't want to watch another 8belles so I watch after all horses get home alive. It's a brutal sport for most of the horses. It's not the only sport that is brutal to horses.
I think my favorite breed of horse is the thoroughbred, there is nothing more exciting to see a young sound tbred run full out across a field. And any horse can take a bad step just being by themselves. I had a wonderful mare who I found laying in the pasture with a fractured stifle. I suspect she got into a fight with a pasture mate since it looked like a kick. She was only 4 and any chance of her being sound to ride was over and although she had decent bloodlines, I wasn't going to breed her, so she was a pet for 20 years.
Horse racing when it comes down to it is a business. If the horse doesn't generate income few of them become pets. Many have a bad end. Again, I hope Nyquist has a long healthy life. It's up to his owners to do right by him.

[Throckmorton]

19. Does he meet the criteria?

Or is fewer than 8 wins meaningless?

[MrScorpio]

20. Red Wings Rule!