A Race Horse Named Christine Daae

http://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Christine_Daae

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/triplecrowntalk/archive/2010/01/20/could-christine-be-the-next-rachel.aspx

If she runs in the Derby, I may need to send some money to my Kentucky in-laws to bet on her.

~LCD

I don't follow horse racing closely at all (not my cup of tea), but I don't remember hearing anything about her, and this season's over, so she must not have lived up to that second link's expectations. Horses only have a few years in which they can race--is she young enough to try again next year?

Whoops, didn't see the date--yes, Swanky, Triple Crown races are for horses three years old only. So it looks like that didn't pan out. Ah well.

~LCD

You know, a lesser man would try to shoehorn words "Christine Daae" and "ridden hard and put away wet" into this thread.

Fortunately for all of you, I am not a lesser man.

R.

Did anyone of you watch the accompaning video to 1 of the 2 links??!!! ((I don't recall which link)). I absolutely never got into horse racing ((as much as I love horses)). Still, Chrisine Daae wins the race, as well as she should have!

The ONLY reason that I never got into horse racing, is due to the fact that I know how they're both trianed and raced: the race horses still races if they are hurt within any way, shape and/or form... which in a sense bothers me. I'm not PETA, just an animal rights advocast. ((However not extreme on my beliefs... I just care for our fellow furry creature... still, I do have my "phobias," as it were: teh a-typical rats and mice phobia... remember, lady here??!!!! You show me 1 lady who isn't deathly afriad of mice and rats, and I'll show you the day in which I stop my passionate love for POTO! However stupid this analogy might sound... it's just an analogy, and I am ONLY joking))! What I absolutely do NOT like to see is animals ((e.g., race horses... and greyhounds all too unfortunately fall into this category, sadly enough)) being so pumped full of either steroids/cortizone that they race them when they should be racing!

However, all this could have changed, ((well, besides the greyhound racing... I was talking to a rescuer of greyhounds, and he said that the neglect/abuse to the greyhound before and after the race [if the dog didn't win] is so thickly there, one cannot even cut it with a butcher knife))! So, please... anyone out there on the form boards ((whom presumably knows more about this stuff than I do... for it's been absolute years since I've both been around a horse/ridden one)) please correct me if I'm absolutely dead inaccurate on this!

Also ladygodiva, I am absolutley not attempting to "bash" your post within the slightest! Great post, by the way... just thought I'd share my "viewpoints" about racing horses ((no matter how dead inaccurate I persoanlly might be... and that is where any 1 of you can correct me))... it's only what I've heard from others... merely all "hearsay," as the case very well stands!

I couldn't resist. I used to have two pet mice. I also think rats are adorable. heh heh

MasqPhan wrote:I couldn't resist. I used to have two pet mice. I also think rats are adorable. heh heh

You're quite sick, MasqPhan... extremely sick, for that matter for even making passing, irresitable mention of that...! But aren't we ALL within our own rights??!!!!

To quote the Cheshire Cat ((another 1 of my all-time favorite fictional characters)):

"We're ALL MAD here... esle why have you come??!!!!"

Anyhoo...

I am absolutely not apposed to pet rats ((or mice))... it's the wild that drive me absolutely to the "brink" whenever I see them... the ones who carry the infectious diseases ((like the plague, back in the day))! Those are the rodents that I absolutely abhor!

However, rats ((I hear)) are extremely smart... in their very own right! Especially pet ones! I hear that they can be trained to do merely anything! ((But that's just me, and what I've only heard through hearsay))!

I just found a tiny little blurb about another race horse. by the name of Meg Giry, mid 1990's, these owners have taste in nameing their horses don't they.

I won't lie, ChristineDaae1982, I thought your post was nearly impossible to read with all the parentheses.

That being said though, you have some points and some misconceptions in there too. A little background: I'm a former professional horseman, have been riding and working with horses for about 18 years, and have had some experience in the racing (steeple chasing, not flat racing like you see on tv) industry. Not much, though, as my focus has been on competition horses and fox hunters. Very different scene. But yes, conventional horse racing does have its shortcomings, and I am also not a huge fan of it.

Some trainers are likely to run some horses into the ground, absolutely. But that is more typical at the lower levels of racing, where the purses are smaller and the horses cost less. Horses lose value extremely quickly in the racing industry, I've noticed. So yes, I shudder to think of the fair level horse racing meets and the cheaper tracks, because I know that some (certainly not all!) trainers don't always have the horse's best interests in mind.

However, this is not the case across the board and it must be noted that sweeping accusations and stereotypes are not appropriate. The race trainer I worked briefly for did some wonderful things for her horses. She knew if they weren't right that day, if they needed time off or to be pushed a little harder. She knew if they needed a change of routine, or to be retired from racing all together. Saying that all racing is evil is a bit unfair, in my opinion, even though it's far from my favorite equine sport. A lot of good people make their honest living and actually take care of their animals.

It's not just trainers, either. I received an award from a prominent Thoroughbred breeding association several years ago, and was invited to their annual meeting at a prestigious race track to accept the award and to spend the day hob-nobbing with the owners/breeders. I was a bit shocked at the ignorance of some of the breeders when it came to non-racing pursuits for their horses. Again, I come from a show hunter/jumper background, with experience in other disciplines such as dressage, eventing, and foxhunting. So naturally I speak mainly on a horse's potential in one of those disciplines, and as I did so, I received a lot of blank stares from some of the breeders. They didn't seem to comprehend that there was life after racing for these animals. THAT is one of the foundation issues in the American Thoroughbred industry, in my opinion. There is a vast disconnect between producing horses for racing only (breeding for speed, specifically, which has weakened the Thoroughbred over the past two decades) and any sort of post-racing career or purpose. My best horse was a Thoroughbred and she was considered a crap racehorse.

But there's my rant. Racing isn't going anywhere due to its size, scope, and sheer ability to bring cash in. Unfortunately, it is in need of much more regulation and a complete overhaul in how we breed in this country.

Also, be careful how much you throw around the term "animal rights activist." To me that means "raging psychopath with no conception of reality." Honestly. If you're for helping animals and are the type to work in a shelter or something of the like, you are probably an animal welfare advocate. The principles of the animals rights revolve around complete elimination of human/animal interaction. PETA is crafty and gets a lot of well meaning, but ignorant people on its bandwagon without fully understanding the group's mission and ultimate goals. I could write an actual novel on this, so I should probably stop right there. Go volunteer at a shelter and do some REAL good for animals.

That being said, Christine Daae has some nice bloodlines. It would have been interesting to see her race.

Not sure if you are still following this thread. Just wanted to say thanks for saving me some time. I was going to post a long reply but after reading your post, I don't have to. You said exactly what I was going to post. I am a racing fan who has been esp fond of Christine Daae bc of her name. You are spot-on, in my opinion, with everything you said in your post. Too many people make sweeping generalizations about horse racing bc they don't follow the sport, just read the sensationalized media reports or believe hear-say they get around the water cooler. It's ridiculous to hate all of horse racing bc of a few bad eggs. Abuse occurs in all facets of life in this imperfect world. Should we ban all day care centers bc there have been a few cases of neglect or abuse? I dare say the majority of these race horses get treated better than many household pets do! I personally know grooms who sleep in the stable next to the horse they are in charge of, owners who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars vetting a horse that may never earn them another cent (on the track or in the breeding shed) when they could have easily euthanized them and collected the insurance $ and trainers who grieve the loss of horse as if they'd lost a family member .........that's how loved many are! Most non-racing fans never read the articles telling these facts. That's why they have such a bad impression of the sport.