seems like suspicious timing for a guy who is doing so well on the track?

His runners were jumping out of their skin down at Delaware.

Barry Irwin: Typically sick response from a horseplayer.

There is a much better chance he quit because of all of the b. s. that fills the Internet and airways on message boards and talk radio.

The worst invention of our era is sports talk radio. All it does is ratchet up the pressure.

marcus: My guess is there\'s a lot on his chest , the past year has been overly stressful for a number of reasons and he\'ll come back after a breather . Sure there\'s garbage on the airwaves and internet etc but in time , those that talk trash will invariably be remembered as such .

jma11473: Michael Gill was through with the sport too and now is claiming everything in sight...not comparing Jones and Gill in methodology, just saying that retirements in any sport are often short-lived.

HP: I agree with you Barry that this is not the most diplomatic thing to post on a message board.  I personally find it hard to believe that Larry Jones is retiring because of new drug rules.  

However, you refer to \"bs and pressure\" from sports radio and the Internet?  Most of us face plenty of bs and pressure in our jobs and make a lot less money than Larry Jones.  I\'m sure LJones has been raked over the coals, but it was at least a debatable decision to run the filly in the Derby, and given the results, you can\'t really call the ensuing discussion \"bs and pressure.\"  

It\'s part of the deal.  Big risk, big reward.  If Eight Belles won there would be plenty of what I would call \"bs\" about what a genius he was...  

HP

richiebee: Mr. Irwin:

1) I take it your point is that Racing has been conducted so
honestly over the years, from Racing officials and vets on down to trainers and
jockeys, that horseplayers and fans really have no call to be suspicious and
skeptical.

2) Your well being is at least partially supported by the well being of Racing.
As`such I would think that you would be happy that Racing is being discussed on
the internet and on message boards, especially since Racing is so rarely
discussed in the print media and on TV.

Halo Fire: Barry,

You say that \"typically sick response from a horseplayer\" remark with a condescending tone and I take offense to that. Let me let you in on a little secret Barry: some of us are a bit more sophisticated than you may think.

Another thing. What sports talk radio station is talking about Larry Jones? What \"ratchet up the pressure\" are you talking about? I live in Manhattan and we haven\'t heard a word about Larry Jones, Eight Belles, or even racehorses on sports talk radio. What pressure?

jbelfior: Halo:


I agree with your response. I worked for a major financial institution (has now been swallowed up) for 27 years and I can tell you for a fact that there are horseplayers out there with more integrity, class, and savvy than most Wall Street executives. I see no difference between a successful player and a Wall Street trader except for the fact that one wins more than he losses and the other one lies.

I\'m tired of the Barry Irwins of the world using that \"typical horseplayer\" bullcrap.


Larry Jones won\'t be the only trainer to hang\'em up in the next year or two. Most of them won\'t announce it; they\'ll just fade away.



Good Luck,
Joe B.

miff: Guys,

What new drugs rules? Are you referring to the new Steroid policy.Why would it surprise you that Larry Jones probably does what many trainers do i.e. train horses very close to the line of whats legal,a few intentionally crossing it.Many trainers use all kinds of maintenance stuff in between starts which is not permissable on race day.

Most outfits used steroids all along when felt it was necessary/helpful.Even the trainers some of you think have halo\'s around their heads probably used steroids to help a horse when they felt it was necessary.Some trainers were abusing steroids to maybe gain an edge but that was not prohibited until now.Lets see what the new steroid policy does to the winning percentage of the \"usual suspects\"

The new steroid rules may generally HURT racing on the day to day level. The trainers that were abusing steroids may no doubt be adversely affected but so will the non abusers.I think shorter fields are in the offing and smaller outfits will have less starters, more bills,and may be forced out  of the business.Stay tuned and do not lose sight of the fact that this steroid thing is mainly a PR exercise by the empty suits that run racing from their various fiefdoms.

Have not yet seen the recently concerned disingenuous racetrack execs allocate desperately needed additional funding for super testing, though admittedly very expensive.


Mike

sighthound: >> What \"ratchet up the pressure\" are you talking about? I live in Manhattan and we haven\'t heard a word about Larry Jones, Eight Belles, or even racehorses on sports talk radio. What pressure?

How about the many sicko whackjob AR pieces of shit that send letters, cards, calls, write on the internet in public forums and tell him repeatedly how he killed his horse and he should die the same slow death, only worse? (and that\'s the nicer type of stuff these people do and say)

Silly handicapper assumptions are nothing compared to that.

Someday the lowest and most foolish will notice that the best and brightest are growing more readily weary of dealing with idiots and crap, and that they no longer have much hesitancy at all about simply walking away and leaving the users and abusers hanging out in the breeze by themselves.

shanahan: Sight - what exactly does the AR below stand for?  If it refers to Arkansas horse owners,trainers, jockeys, or handicappers you are WAY off base.  Larry is a local hero and if I had a nickel for everyone slamming those slamming him, I\'d be a millionaire! (as if it mattered these days)...



How about the many sicko whackjob AR pieces of @#$%& that send letters, cards, calls, write on the internet in public forums and tell him repeatedly how he killed his horse and he should die the same slow death, only worse? (and that\'s the nicer type of stuff these people do and say)

richiebee: Shanno:

AR = Animal Rights?

I just read Hegarty\'s DRF article and Mr Jones seems to be physically and
mentally exhausted, and with 100 horses under his care has every reason to be.

I am sure we have not seen the last of him.

\"A man stares into the Abyss and sees nothing but darkness. This is the time he
finds his character, and it is his character that keeps him from falling into
the Abyss\"

Shan I know you are a big ND fan--do you think it is time that we can stop
calling the two Parcells/Belichik disciples --Charlie Weis and Eric Mangini--
the second coming of Lombardi and Landry?

shanahan: ha ha!  Richie if Charlie can\'t get to 8-3 or so with this schedule, even I will jump off the badwagon.  My horse analogy to it is youth.  If the greatest development is 3 yr old to 4 yr old, then sophomores becoming juniors next year will be the true test...

you going to KNLD?  The wife and I are heading up next wkend, looking for clubhouse passes for saturday - my usual connection is out of town.  I think NC Tony is going if his back is better.

Larry and his wife are truly class act & I hope he wins Saturday with Honest Man.  What a day Saturday is for racing!  Let\'s hope everyone posts some good handicapping insights.

sighthound: Shanahan, yes, I meant AR as animal rights (sorry, should have clarified)

And btw, do I think Larry Jones\' retirement has anything to do with the new drug rules?   Of course not. That\'s absurd to the extreme.

Second edit, because I\'m not through blowing off steam yet:

I know that alot of the handicappers on this board love the sport, but don\'t necessarily love horses.  That\'s fine.  

I don\'t know how to make people who don\'t love animals understand the emotions and feelings of those that work in this business simply because they love the horses.  That emotion, the love of the horse, as motive is always held to suspicion by those that don\'t share it, and put money or ego before it.

The Jones\', like most in this sport, have spent every waking second of their lives putting the well-being and lives of their horses first.  As people do their children. They love their horses.

Since Eight Belles they have been publically and privately eviscerated by know-nothing assholes.

How do you feel when you have worked and lived your life by the purest and most honest of motives, and the overhwelming public outcry is that you are a lying, murderous sack of shit?

shanahan: right on, Sight...let\'s win some money this weekend!  I\'m just getting into Santa Anita & Hawthorne...going to hold off on Belmont till I see the weather.  Will post all stakes piks.