Kentucky Derby 2017

[DisneyHardin]

My husband got his assignment and is guarding Girvin for the next 4 days, so that will be my pick.

 

[7165red]

I love the Derby and I always say a prayer asking that they all come back safe and sound

 

[crazymomof4]

So this week Haagen Daz was on sale plus I had a coupon. Spotted "Bourbon Praliine"! You just KNOW I had to get that for Saturday, for on top of my Pecan Pie!

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

Well.....horses have more than one teat, you know. They can nurse more than one. Additionally, you can wean one baby a bit early and the mare will continue to nurse for some time.

Horse breeders are not known for just killing foals needlessly. There's always a need for good non-racing stock around barns. They become teasers, lead ponies, trainer mares, working stock....

In all honesty, it blows my mind that anyone would think they just blindly kill a nurse-mare's foal. I'm sure in the great vast majority of cases attempts are made to re-home the individual. I'm not going to say that horse racing is the most humane sport in all the world, but I wouldn't say it's practitioners were any worse than the members of any equine sport. Sure, we contribute to horse over-population, but the great vast majority of owners and trainers and sportsmen really love and care about horses. In general. Not just the ones that win roses. I mean, the reason we have the majority of protections for horses in America (and restrictions on overseas meat sales) is because of the diligent lobbying of horse racing fans.

It might "blow your mind", but it absolutely happens. Nurse mare foals are an unwanted side product of the horse industry and of the pharmaceutical industry - Premarin is made from pregnant mare urine. What do you think happens to the thousands of foals born to those mares every year? Sure - they may try to find home for unwanted foals, but there simply aren't qualified homes available to take them in year after year. Yes, horses have more than one teat, but no breeder is going to willingly risk the health and safety of a million dollar foal to "save" a random grade foal. I'm sure it might happen sometimes, but rarely.

A nurse mare foal is a foal who was born so that its mother might come into milk. The milk that its mother is producing is used to nourish the foal of another mare, a more expensive foal. Primarily these are thoroughbred foals, though certainly are not limited to the thoroughbred industry.

A thoroughbred broodmare's purpose is to produce more racehorses.

A mare can give birth to one foal each year provided she is re-bred immediately after delivering a foal.

Because the Jockey Club requires that mares be bred only by live cover, and not artificially inseminated, the mare must travel to the stallion for breeding and may be shipped as soon as 7 days after giving birth to a foal, but a period of 3-4 weeks is generally allowed.

In general there are a number of reasons why a nurse mare may be called upon. Traveling is very risky for these newborn racing foals, and insurance costs are prohibitive for the foal to accompany the mother to the stallion farm. Many farms do not want their high dollar foals at a strange farm, and many stud owners do not welcome a foal to come along with the mare. Separating the TB mother and foal is necessary to get her rebred as soon as possible.

At this point a nurse mare is hired to raise the Thoroughbred foal while the mother goes and gets re-bred. In order to have milk, the nurse mare had to give birth to her own baby. When she is sent to the thoroughbred breeding farm, her own foal is left behind. Historically, these nurse mare foals were simply killed. Orphaned foals are difficult to rise and no one had tried to raise large numbers of them. These foals do have "value", however, their hides can be used as "pony skin" in the fashion and textile industries, and the meat is considered a delicacy in some foreign markets. Unless rescued, the vast majority end up starving to death or they "bump their heads" with a hammer.

 

[guinea pig]

I am still kicking my self for not betting on Animal Kingdom years ago!!! I said all day I was but I think I had one too many Mint Juleps and never went to the windows to place my bet!!!!
We are going to Oaks this year as Derby tickets have gotten too pricey! I haven't looked at any of the horses though! And not happy about the cold and rainy weather predicted either!

 

[KingLlama]

Pulling for Patch, because the guy's missing an eye, and is from Calumet Farm, which I pass every day on my way to work. He's my sentimental pick.

Also pulling for Classic Empire and Girvin, because they're both from the area where I live.

Those are my "heart" picks....but my "head" pick is Always Dreaming.

 

[*Cinderelly*]

I will be rooting for Irish War Cry.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

DW and I were in Louisville in 2012 for our Kentucky Derby Half Marathon. Best memory of the entire trip was the DERBY-PIE at the pre-race dinner. After having numerous helpings of the pasta and salad dinner, I figured one slice of pie. First bite I almost died, had 3 more slices and brought a couple back to our room.

http://www.derbypie.com/

If you haven't done it before, then make it from scratch. I think the boxed one from Kerns is blah (personal preference) I've been making my own for years from a recipe passed down through the years. If you need a good recipe, let me know!

 

[dhardawa]

We had derby pie at work earlier this week. We're in Louisville so this is a big week. Tomorrow is an unofficial holiday for Oaks.

 

[crazymomof4]

Watching the Oaks day coverage.. They showed the 2007 Ky Derby. Oh how I wanted Hard Spun to win!!

 

[pooh'smate]

If you haven't done it before, then make it from scratch. I think the boxed one from Kerns is blah (personal preference) I've been making my own for years from a recipe passed down through the years. If you need a good recipe, let me know!

Could I please have the recipe?

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I find it hard to get into these races anymore now that I saw my Triple Crown Winner a few years ago.

 

[belle032]

Love Derby time, I miss living in KY for it! Gonna be a toss up race, muddy track will throw a wrench into the mix. Oaks was an amazing race to see!

My picks are Irish War Cry, Gunnevera, and Always Dreaming. Patch and Girvin for "longshot" bets!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

In all honesty, it blows my mind that anyone would think they just blindly kill a nurse-mare's foal. .

It blows my mind to think that anyone could deliberately injure a horse such as Alydar to the point of having to be put down for the insurance money. Yet that is very likely the case.

It blows my mind to think of anyone soring a horse just to make them walk weird for a show. Yet it was rampant in certain circles.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

It blows my mind to think that anyone could deliberately injure a horse such as Alydar to the point of having to be put down for the insurance money. Yet that is very likely the case.

It blows my mind to think of anyone soring a horse just to make them walk weird for a show. Yet it was rampant in certain circles.

Agreed - poor Alydar. That was just horrific...and sadly killing horses for insurance money is something that happens over and over again - not just in racing, but other disciplines as well. Humans are victims as well - look up the story of Helen Brach of the Brach candy fortune. She's never been found.

Poor Ferdinand was used as a stallion and then killed for his meat when he could no longer breed. It happened in Japan, but thousands of thoroughbreds here in the US are killed every year because they don't win and they are unable to find homes. Horse meat is still eaten in Japan and many parts of Europe and they get a lot of it from US horses that ship through Canada. It's a dirty little secret.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Wow, can I ever pick them! LOL My long-shot pick was Thunder Snow, who decided he did NT fancy running in mud! **facepalm**

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

Wow, can I ever pick them! LOL My long-shot pick was Thunder Snow, who decided he did NT fancy running in mud! **facepalm**

LOL - That was awesome! Looks like something my horse would have done - if only just to embarrass me.