pet connection

Having laid waste to the national economy with the magic of mortgage-backed securities and other dubious credit schemes, Wall Street cheerily turns to other ways to make money without any concern for the consequences.

Hence the happy cha-chinging of IEAH Stables’ Michael Iavarone, who even after 10 days of angry international criticism of breeding practices and more following the death of Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby, was clueless enough to crow to the Bloodhorse that the Derby winner Big Brown — you know, the one with bad feet? — would be retired to stud after his campaign as a 3-year-old:

Speaking at a post-post position draw press conference for the second jewel of the Triple Crown, IEAH Stables’ Michael Iavarone said the chances of Big Brown running as a 4-year-old were “none.”

Yeah, that’s right. Make your money and get him to the breeding shed before the horse can’t run anymore. Heaven forbid he get a chance to show what he can do as a mature horse, or even prove that he can last that long.

Anyone who doubted that money and nothing but money was the goal all along? Here’s more from Iavarone:

“I bought him as a ‘dirt’ horse’,” Iavarone said. “I knew he could run on the turf, but I knew I couldn’t make back the money running him on the turf.”

A horse with bad feet who has run in only four races but will be passing along God knows what to his offspring. A trainer with a shady past. And an ownership syndicate run by an investment banker who wants to build a horse hedge fund. (Read the profile on the IEAH’s own Web site and let me know if you get any sense at all that this man gives a rat’s ass about any horse. Not a mention of anything but return on investment.)

Suddenly, I feel dirty. I think I will take a shower now.

Don’t watch the Preakness this Saturday, and take the time to tell the network and the sponsors why you are not. Horse racing must reform, for the safety of the horses and the jockeys. It’s a business, but it doesn’t have to be a heartless one. There are plenty of people in racing who truly do care. Help them work the inside by working the outside.

Bah to the Big Brown team (and their UPS marketing deal, too, more cha-ching).

Related: The most dominant sire in recent times, Storm Cat (pictured above) has just been retired from stud duty. His record for money-making off the track is remarkable, but his racing stats aren’t: Six races as a 2-year-old and two races as a 3-year-old, with only one graded stakes win. I wrote about him, and his mother Terlingua, just before the Derby, here.

If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. The Left at the Gate blog on Storm Cat’s retirement:

Tired of being blamed for contributing to an ever-weakening breed, Storm Cat has called it quits. “For almost 20 years, I’ve faithfully cranked out foals which have earned you horsemen a fortune in the sales ring and on the breeding farm. Yet whenever something goes wrong, you point your fingers at me. Why would you spend millions for my kids if you think they all have bad knees? Perhaps you should look in the mirror. In any event, you won’t have Storm Cat to kick around anymore.” He added that he’s looking forward to settling into a monogamous relationship for his remaining years.

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