Three hours before the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks on May 1, Terry Finley faced an agonizing decision. His 3-year-old filly, Justwhistledixie, was scheduled to go off as second choice to favored Rachel Alexandra.
But the filly had a problem. Not a soundness problem, but a tender foot, the result of new shoes. Feeling he had no choice, Finley decided to scratch. The president of West Point Thoroughbreds in Mount Laurel, N.J., wasn't going to risk the filly's future on one race, no matter how big.
"It was a long road to get to the Kentucky Oaks," he said last week. "To not get there three hours before the race was a tough pill to swallow. [But] she was already back to the track six days after that.
"We've always paid attention to our horses and what we're doing."
The health of high-profile racehorses has been front and center in the sporting consciousness since Barbaro and Eight Belles broke down in Triple Crown races during the past three years. Both horses were euthanized, although Barbaro survived eight months after his misstep in the Preakness in 2006 before being put down.
Eight Belles' catastrophic injury after finishing second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby sparked reform throughout the industry, including creation of a Safety and Integrity Alliance that sets minimum accreditation standards. Even before Eight Belles' injury, some racetracks had replaced dirt with synthetic surfaces, including all of California's tracks.
With the 134th Preakness on Saturday, the buildup to this year's major races for 3-year-olds perhaps offered a disquieting glimpse into the future. Justwhistledixie wasn't the only promising young horse to miss a big race.
At least three colts that were or might have been Derby favorites were scratched before the Run for the Roses.
A slab fracture in his knee forced Old Fashioned into retirement with $583,280 in earnings. Five days before the Derby, Quality Road went out with a quarter crack. And on the morning of the race, I Want Revenge was pulled with a serious ligament issue in his front left ankle.
But there were others, too. Square Eddie and Win Willy were scratched on consecutive days after Quality Road went out. They joined a lengthy - and impressive - group of defections that included Charitable Man, The Pamplemousse and Midshipman, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner in 2008.
The list of Derby contenders was constantly being revised.
