Big Brown ready for his party

His coat was shiny, his physique buff. Dozens wanted nothing more than to snap his picture and be in his presence.

[Dave in Silver Spring]

"...the reigning Kentucky Derby champion and the only horse this year with a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years."

Imagine that, only one horse in the Preakness with a chance to win the Triple Crown! How unusual.

[Vox]

Slam dunk runaway Trimeet champion. I'll bet he goes off tomorrow @ 1-10.

Talk abouut chalk!

[Riverman Mare]

Watch out for Alex Solic on Yankee Bravo and in the Belmont Casino Dive
BB has sore feet, Kent not sure

[Steve]

Dave in Silver Spring wrote:

"...the reigning Kentucky Derby champion and the only horse this year with a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years."
Imagine that, only one horse in the Preakness with a chance to win the Triple Crown! How unusual.

I thought the exact same thing when I read that. Fantastic reporting by the Sun as per usual. Whoever wrote the article obviously has no clue how the triple crown of horse racing works.

[trailblazer]

Dr. David Nunamaker, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and the chairman of clinical studies at New Bolton Center, said fatal muscle and bone injuries occur 1.5 times per 1,000 starts. In the United States and Canada, this amounts to about 1.93 fatalities per day.

"Almost two a day? I think that’s an awful lot, don’t you?" says Nunamaker. "And that doesn’t count a whole group that break down in training."

Typically, the public becomes aware of the problem when horses break down and are destroyed on the track.

Horses are destroyed because of the following race-related injuries:

Broken legs from the shoulder to the coronet

Tendon and ligament injuries

Deep tissue damage, after being 'struck-into' by another horse

Damage caused by back hooves striking front legs ~ known as over-reach

Broken necks

Broken backs

Broken pelvis

Fatal spinalinjuries

Exhaustion

Heart attacks

Internal injuries - e.g. burst blood vessels in the lungs

California Study