The Bluegrass and Today at Keeneland

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Just thought I’d share some pictures I took at Keeneland today… Anyone else there? It was absolutely gorgeous! Good racing, too.

The Commonwealth Breeders Stakes 7 furlongs on Dirt 3+ y/o GII $400,000

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Commonwealth Post Parade


#1 Vicarage and #2 Sun King (both 2005 Derby Contenders)


Eventual winner Sun King in the Commonwealth Post Parade


Spanish Chesnut, 2005 Derby Contender and 3rd place finisher in the Commonwealth


The Charismatic colt, Sun King, winning the Commonwealth

The Toyota Bluegrass Stakes 1 1/8 miles on Dirt 3 y/o GI $750,000


Parade to the post in the 82nd running of the Bluegrass Stakes


#2 Bluegrass Cat, #4 Strong Contender (3rd place finisher), and #3 Storm Treasuer, the suprise 2nd place finisher at 65-1


#5 First Samurai


Sinister Minister, eventual winner of the Bluegrass


Sinister Minister leading the field down the stretch to win, wire-to-wire, by 8 lengths


A victorious Sinister Minister returns to the barn

Race 10 at Keeneland 1 1/16 miles Dirt NW3 Allowance for 4+ y/o

Remarkable News, eventual winner


Rush Bay, I believe was a 2005 Derby contender, finished 4th today but was just absolutely gorgeous!

Anyone else going to the Derby in three weeks? I love living in Kentucky!

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PS. Anyone who wanted Bluegrass Cat or First Samurai to win can blame me because I bet on them (and the horses I bet always lose!) :?

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great photos just a question do most horses over there run with bandages on cause in the photos the majority do or was that just a coincidence that you got photos of horses with bandages?

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I always thought that most did, for safety reasons, but I don’t know. I’m so happy to see a Charismatic baby doing so well! :smiley:

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Alot of them, if not the majority, do wear bandages, at least on the hind legs. When they race, they tend to get a lot of fatigue in their deep and superficial digital flexor tendons and the suspensory ligament which leads to fetlock drop. This can happen in all 4 limbs and is when the ligaments/tendons basically get tired, loosen, and dont support the fetlock as much as they do normally. The fetlocks then essentially drop and start grinding in the surface of the track which can cause sores and lamenesses. (You can see a mild example of fetlock drop in Spanish Chesnut’s left hind.) The bandages often times will have significant wear, and even holes in them, at the back of the fetlock after a race. It is worse on the dirt than the tuft because the surface is less forgiving so fatigue happens sooner, they sink more in it so there is more contact between fetlock and racing surface, and the dirt is much more abrasive than the turf.

The bandages act two-fold- they support the tendons and ligaments so the fetlock is less likely to drop or drops less, and they act as a barrier so the bandages are getting damaged and not the horse’s skin. They are common and standard enough that bandages are not listed as equipment when you go to the track like they are here. I think the horses I caught on camera are fairly representative of the number of horses wearing bandages, at least at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, and other tracks I’ve been to.

Sorry if I repeated information you already know…

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no you didnt thanks for that it just over here in australia running on turf you hardly see race horses with bangages on and if so they are usually half the size of the ones in the pic. thanks for the info!

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Nice pics, cool to see current TB stars so close like that! Also, didn’t know about why bandages were so common, good to know!

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Great Photos and I learned something as well.

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ok then I Blame You! I had money on First Samurai ;-; lol Me and my ‘Little Buddy’ were watching the Bluegrass Stakes on ABC and she had Sinister Minister, and i had First Samurai… ;-; She took $20 from me.

We also Watched the Arkansas Derby. My Little Buddy put money on High Cotton, and I had Steppenwolfer. We both lost to my dad who said Lawyer Ron. :roll: