shake you down

[mightyhijames]

shake you down, an eight-year old gelding, winner of $1.4M, is running for a $5K claiming tag at laurel tomorrow. unless this will somehow benefit the horse, i believe this is a disgusting display of greed and disregard for a horse that has more than earned a happy, healthy, safe retirement.

[galleria10]

If I had a extra 5k I would claim him and retire him. I hope he sound enough to finish the race. I agree, this in nothing short of greed. I have followed this horse for a long time. The owner of him has made a boat load of money from him."HE SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING"
May the racing gods be with this horse and bring him home safe...

[galleria10]

Thank the lord...they scratched him...I'm planning on calling the owner today to see if I can buy him to retire him....

[Savana Star Dubois]

God bless you...if he was my horse, with those earnings, he would have the best that money could buy..it's ashame he can't retire with dignity and it's real horse lovers that have to take care of wealthy owners horses after they have benefited financially

[geowarrior]

galleria please let us know if you are successful.

[galleria10]

I just spoke to my trainer in Md. and he will see the owner in the morning and try to work a deal out for him. With any luck I'll be posting a picture of him in a big pasture at my friends farm in Virgnia next week.

[StrawberryFelidos]

I think I love you

[geowarrior]

Crossing my fingers....

[Savana Star Dubois]

Just spoke to a friend and she said that had he run today..someone from another board was going to claim him for retirement..glad to see the interest

[Marli]

Shake You Down was scratched from his race today. This horses race career was being discussed on the Thoroughbred Champions forum commenting on the fact that he had slipped down to the 5k claiming rank. There has also been some discussion as to his condition, all heresay (nothing factual, just chatter on the backside) saying that he no longer has the heart or will to run.

Laurierace suggested claiming him (raising the funds) and although there were a few that wanted to donate towards the cause, there wasn't enough. At that time, an anonymous donor offered up the claim tag but just prior, had another contact person also approach the trainer and offered a flat out buy price on the gelding. But because there was already the chatter on a public forum (the idea to claim him), the connections to this horse caught wind of the news and said the gelding was going to be scratched out of the race anyway, that he was no longer present on the backside and he was going to be retired.

There is still a standing outright offer to this horses trainer to purchase him and place him in a retirement situation. We haven't heard any further news today and so at this point, we're unsure just where he is and what will happen to him. Unfortunately, I think due to the public announcement to claim him, the fact that it did get back to the connections, of course they were angry, it did not fare well. JMHO- don't think this situation was handled the right way.

[angelsprite]

I think, if I had the 5k, I would claim him, lay him off for a year, then bring him back, see if he had anything left, and if not, put him in a paddock and charge people admission to come see a millionaire horse in retirement and feed him peppermints.

[mightyhijames]

i hope you're right about a pending retirement for this guy. however, it seems to me that, if the owner's were concerned about the horse, they would never have entered him in the first place. did they think no one would notice or that such a move would not have such a negative reaction?

[Sysonby]

i hope you're right about a pending retirement for this guy. however, it seems to me that, if the owner's were concerned about the horse, they would never have entered him in the first place. did they think no one would notice or that such a move would not have such a negative reaction?

Maybe they wanted to see their horse run....

[mightyhijames]

i would find it hard to believe that the owner wants to see this horse race so badly he's willing to lose him for $5K. there comes a point when the best interest of the horse, at any level, should override the entertainment value to the owner.

[Savana Star Dubois]

I do not understand why the Owner was angry...he should be embarrassed. I hope the horse doesn't show up at another track