{"id":295834,"date":"2023-11-08T10:24:32","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T10:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=295834"},"modified":"2023-11-08T10:24:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T10:24:32","slug":"harrington-and-obrien-were-right-to-be-miffed-by-us-withdrawals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/horse-racing\/harrington-and-obrien-were-right-to-be-miffed-by-us-withdrawals\/","title":{"rendered":"Harrington and O&apos;Brien were right to be miffed by US withdrawals"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>HORSE POWER: Jessica Harrington and Aidan O&#8217;Brien were right to be miffed by late-in-the-day medical withdrawals at Santa Anita&#8230; PLUS impressive Iroko could be top class<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Both trainers had horses deemed unfit to run by vets just before their races<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Harrington and O&#8217;Brien are both deeply committed to equine welfare\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>PLUS: A Mail Sport reader responds to the tragedy of Warren Place&#8217;s disrepair\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Emotions\u00a0ran high around the barns at Santa Anita early last Friday morning. River Tiber, Aidan O\u2019Brien\u2019s favourite for the Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Turf, was prevented from running by a vet, who had watched him walking on an uneven surface.<\/p>\n<p>Vets were stationed across the course every day last week, with each Breeders\u2019 Cup runner subjected to stringent checks, and River Tiber had given no indication there was anything wrong with him. He may have moved a little gingerly initially, like any athlete while in training, but minds were made up.<\/p>\n<p>Something similar happened with Givemethebeatboys. Trained by Jessica Harrington, the strapping colt looked absolutely magnificent when you stood beside him, his coat shining, his well-being visible to all. Connections expected a bold show in the Turf Sprint; the vets deemed he couldn\u2019t run.<\/p>\n<p>Harrington was incensed by it all and you could only have sympathy. There is a huge financial commitment to travel a horse from Ireland to America\u2019s West Coast, not to mention the dreams that were invested in potentially winning at one of the greatest meetings of all.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Brien and Harrington are vastly experienced. They have enjoyed magnificent success in their careers but, more than anything, the love they have for their horses and the commitment to ensure equine welfare remains paramount is something they share. These are not people who would ever take a chance.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/09\/77547273-12724279-image-a-36_1699435827031.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Aidan O&#8217;Brien-trained River Tiber was a late withdrawal after vets assessed him ahead of the Breeders&#8217; Cup Juvenile Turf<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/09\/77547275-12724279-image-a-37_1699435829237.jpg\" height=\"506\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The trainer had taken considerable precaution and invested significantly in a bid to let him run<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/09\/77547277-12724279-image-a-38_1699435831827.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Jessica Harrington&#8217;s cold Givemethebeatboys suffered a similar fate after vets deemed him unfit to race<\/p>\n<p>That both would have had no issue in running River Tiber and Givemethebeatboys that day tells you something, somewhere had gone wrong in communication. Yet the sensitivity around American horseracing at present is huge and the last thing the authorities needed was something to go wrong.<\/p>\n<p>The week, after all, had started in grim fashion. This observer was on course when Practical Move, a leading hope for the Dirt Mile, collapsed on track after morning exercise on Tuesday. His trainer, Tim Yakteen, was inconsolable as he raced to be alongside his stricken star.<\/p>\n<p>These things can happen with horses, unfortunately, but they have happened a bit too often Stateside of late. It must be stressed, to be clear, this is no inference Yakteen had done anything wrong in his handling of Practical Move and sympathy goes to him and the horse\u2019s connections.<\/p>\n<p>But there are trainers in America about whom you could not say the same. And this brings us to the Breeders\u2019 Cup Classic \u2014 the most prestigious race of the two-day meeting, with a $6million (\u00a34.8m) prize fund \u2014 that was won by White Abarrio.<\/p>\n<p>White Abarrio was gallant in victory. The nature of dirt racing, with its attritional surface, means a horse is never going to fly past you at the finish or make you go \u2018wow\u2019, as O\u2019Brien\u2019s Auguste Rodin did in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Turf. Still, White Abarrio kept up his gallop and secured a place in history.<\/p>\n<p>The most interesting thing about White Abarrio, though, is his back story and in Sunday\u2019s Los Angeles Times an indication was given to how the landscape of American racing can look when the words \u2018tumultuous year\u2019 appeared in a headline.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the facts: White Abarrio was once trained by gentleman called Saffie Joseph Jr; the grey won the Florida Derby in April 2022 and was prepared for the follow month\u2019s Kentucky Derby, in which he finished 16th \u2014 this would be the start of a six-race losing sequence.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph took a string of horses to Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby is staged early this year, but two of them \u2014 Parents Pride and Chasing Artie \u2014 died suddenly. The cause of their deaths was unknown. \u2018We have reasonable concerns about the conditions of his horses,\u2019 Churchill Downs Inc said in statement on May 5 \u2014 and they suspended Joseph Jr immediately. What a remarkable and worrying conclusion that was to draw yet Joseph Jr\u2019s ban was lifted on June 30.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/09\/77547287-12724279-image-a-39_1699435839671.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The Breeders&#8217; Cup was won by White Abarrio, who was transferred to the yard of Rick Dutrow<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/09\/77547283-12724279-image-a-41_1699436438544.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The trainer (right) was previously suspended for 10 years until 2021 after being charged with a number of medication and administrative violations<\/p>\n<p>By that time, White Abarrio had been transferred to Rick Dutrow. The 64-year-old regularly won major prizes around the turn of the millennium but his career was put on hold by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board in 2011 \u2014 for 10 years.<\/p>\n<p>Why? The suspension was imposed after he had been charged with numerous medication and administrative violations that included the finding of syringes with unauthorised medication in his barn.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Right now, I just feel lucky I am around him,\u2019 Dutrow said after White Abarrio returned to the winner\u2019s enclosure.<\/p>\n<p>Too right he should feel lucky. To be quite clear again: no accusations are being made here of any wrong doing in the handling of White Abarrio. The horse has talent and Dutrow had brought his confidence back in the two runs he had prior to taking him to Santa Anita.<\/p>\n<p>But the point to make here is that a trainer in Europe would not get the chance to compete at the highest level again if he was hit with such a swingeing punishment; there would certainly be no romance around the comeback or glee to be had in any subsequent victories.<\/p>\n<p>Racing is not perfect in this part of the world but one thing can be said with certainty: the care and attention invested here \u2014 and the abhorrence towards any kind of drug use \u2014 leads the way. O\u2019Brien and Harrington are two of the finest examples.<\/p>\n<p><span>Iroko quickens the pulse\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>It takes a lot to enliven a quiet Tuesday afternoon, as winter starts to take a grip, but the 155 Novices Chase at Warwick certainly quickened the pulse.<\/p>\n<p>Iroko, winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Hurdle at last season\u2019s Cheltenham Festival, was foot perfect on his first try over bigger obstacles for joint trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero and beat a good horse from Paul Nicholls\u2019 stable \u2014 Golden Sun \u2014without coming off the bridle.<\/p>\n<p>Carrying the silks of JP McManus, there can be no understating how important Iroko could be for Greenall and Guerriero. It should also be noted that when knowledgeable and skilful professionals get the right artillery, they can compete with anyone. This journey will be thrilling to watch.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/08\/09\/77547307-12724279-image-a-42_1699436493658.jpg\" height=\"443\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Iroko won last season&#8217;s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys&#8217; Handicap Hurdle and was foot-perfect at Warwick\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>Memories of Warren Place\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Last word goes to Jim Hicken, an enthusiastic reader who reached out last week after learning about the shameful way Warren Place, the home to so many champions, has been left unoccupied.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It bought back lovely memories for myself and my wife,\u2019 Jim writes.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Many years ago we were members of a racing club and lucky enough to visit Henry Cecil for a stable tour. What a lovely man, a true gentleman and a genius.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I mentioned to him how much I liked a particular rose in the garden, he proceeded to give me a horticultural lesson on it. Truly magical.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Words befitting the stable \u2014 and the training genius who brought it to life.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/racing\/article-12724279\/HORSE-POWER-Harrington-OBrien-Santa-Anita-Breeders-Cup.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HORSE POWER: Jessica Harrington and Aidan O&#8217;Brien were right to be miffed by late-in-the-day medical withdrawals at Santa Anita&#8230; PLUS impressive Iroko could be top class Both trainers had horses deemed unfit to run by vets just before their races Harrington and O&#8217;Brien are both deeply committed to equine welfare\u00a0 PLUS: A Mail Sport reader [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Harrington and O&amp;apos;Brien were right to be miffed by US withdrawals - Sports Life Tale<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/horse-racing\/harrington-and-obrien-were-right-to-be-miffed-by-us-withdrawals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harrington and O&amp;apos;Brien were right to be miffed by US withdrawals - Sports Life Tale\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"HORSE POWER: Jessica Harrington and Aidan O&#8217;Brien were right to be miffed by late-in-the-day medical withdrawals at Santa Anita&#8230; 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