Horses do talk to me. They talk very clearly through anecdotal experience. I can't count the number of horses that have won Grade I stakes and then retired due to incurring an injury in that last winning race. Add those that retired after finishing a game second or third and the evidence becomes overwhelming.

That said, horses talk very subtly about latent injuries pre race. They barely speak at all. I'm not sure the hairline fracture was present during Rags to Riches delay in returning to the races post Belmont Stakes. I can't factor that. Street Sense says the underlying injury was already there. It may have been, if it was that doesn't change my view that top class, game, horses run through these injuries. If it was there then all the Kings horses and all the Kings men had less of an ability to discern it than one little 115 pound, horse loving, female exercise rider. She tried to tell them. Tim Richey was astute enough to discern Afleet Alex's issue. It wouldn't surprise me if it was there because I know Plech is not a real horseman and most vets aren't either. Plech is an organizer. He wouldn't know a horse was trying to signal him if it sent up smoke signals.

Street Sense Wrote:
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> Flighted Iron, sometimes you need to read between
> the lines and use a little common sense. In
> addition, if you keep your ear to the ground, you
> can find out things about the horses that aren't
> reported in the press.
>
> I was out at Fasig looking at horses in July when
> I got a call from a friend (my vet) who witnessed
> Rags to Riches come off the track lame. A number
> of other people got similar phone calls, because
> the news didn't take long to spread among the
> salesgrounds. The next day, the press reported
> Pletcher saying the filly came down with a fever
> and would therefore not be going out to the track.
> The conversation around the salesgrounds that day
> went something like this: "Did you see how
> Pletcher reported it as a fever?" "Yeah, right
> ".
>
> After that, she was then reported pulled up by her
> exercise rider. You read about that one. After
> that, she was then reported to have gotten yet
> another fever and missed work. Do the math.
>
> It's clearly obvious something was up with the
> filly but they couldn't find what it was. After
> multiple vet opinions, they decided to go forward
> with caution until such time as the problem
> presents itself in such fashion that it can be
> diagnosed. The race pushed the problem to the
> forefront - they now see the fracture that was
> brewing.
>
> This isn't uncommon, to not be able to find
> exactly what is ailing a horse, or to move forward
> cautiously with a horse despite knowing that
> *something* is there. I know, I've done it. Know
> others who've done it. I wouldn't do it again
> though, not race, because my experience hasn't
> been positive as it's pushing your luck.