Care Beyond Convenience

If you’ve wondered why I uncompromisingly advocate for Thoroughbreds and hold individuals accountable for their actions (and not just words), I hope this will shed some additional light on my “why”.

Below is the post I made 5 years ago, when Denman’s Call officially came home and became mine.

Can’t quite believe this actually happened. Welcome home Mr. Magoo I have struggled with the words since he became mine, so forgive the long post.

Long before he was Denman’s Call, he was little Maggie McGowan ‘13. But that’s a terrible name for a colt, so he became Mr. Magoo.

I taught him to lead, to be groomed, to stand for the farrier. I helped carry him in from the field when I thought he broke his leg (turned out he just really didn’t like walking in deep mud). I listened to him nicker back to Northern Afleet when he would hang out at the back of his paddock. I walked him for monthly evaluations and watched him grow and develop. And then watched him go out into the world to be a racehorse.

I was so proud when he broke his maiden at first asking, and then he immediately came back to finish third in a Grade 2 (losing to Nyquist and Exaggerator). And the next year he did, he won the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita. He achieved everything his owners could have dreamed.

And now that his time as a racehorse is done, he has come back home to central Kentucky. And once again get to help him navigate life. He’s a little bigger now, but he’s still my little Magoober. I’m not sure what direction we’ll go, he gets to decide. Maybe he’ll be a jumper, or a barrel racer, or a trail horse. Or maybe he’ll just babysit weanlings. It doesn’t matter. He’s home

To all those that disparage racing, that say we are in it for the money, please remember this story. Know that my name was never associated with this horse. I was just the barn foreman at Bona Terra A barn at Taylor Made Farm. I never owned him, never made a cent on him. But he was always one of “my” kids. I tracked him, spoke to his trainers and owners, cheered him on, and loved him. And every racehorse out there has people like me behind them. The foaling team that brought them into the world, the grooms that guided them, the sales team that connected them to their racing teams, hot walkers, grooms, and exercise riders. So many people who do what they do because they love these horses.

Denman’s Call on arrival from California

How I felt bringing him home exemplifies the reasons I am deeply committed to this industry. Seeing him out in my field every day still brings a smile to my face. From teaching me how to work with difficult foals, to cheering him on to his grade 1 victory, to being my partner at the Thoroughbred Makeover, he has made so many of my dreams come true.

However there is another side of his story. A side I didn’t know that day 5 years ago, a side I didn’t want to share at the time. But this industry needs more people who are willing to share the truth, good or bad, and stand up and advocate for the Thoroughbreds at the heart of it all.

2019 was a difficult year for racing, particularly at Santa Anita. As I watched Denman’s Call, just two years after winning a Grade 1, running in mid to low level claiming races in California, I was terrified. I knew since the level he was competitive at had dropped dramatically, he had some level of soundness concerns. There were clear indications on paper that he was potentially at risk, and was racing and training on a track that was dealing with unknown issues. Every time he was entered in a race, I was happy to see he was still sound and hoped he would stay that way. No longer cheering him to cross the wire first, I was watching to make sure he crossed the wire at all. I was not in a position financially to claim him myself, so I tried reaching out to the current connections to offer a safe landing for him, regardless of the condition he was in. Though I never owned him or made a cent off him, I felt a duty to keep him safe.

Heading into the Breeder’s Cup that year, he hadn’t recorded a work in a month and I feared the worst. Thanks to an introduction from another trainer, I was able to speak with his last reported trainer, who told me he’d been retired. Unfortunately they wouldn’t share any information beyond that. Thanks to the wonders of social media, I was able to connect with one of his breeders, who had stepped in to retire him and had subsequently connected me with the aftercare organization he’d been retired too. A few more messages, and Magoo was Kentucky bound. I didn’t ask for pictures, or height until he was already on his way to me. I was told he’d retired sound, but I didn’t do a pre-purchase exam or ask any other questions. I didn't care.

Those were the things I knew when I made the post welcoming Magoo to Kentucky. What I didn’t know is that he had a knee chip that caused unsoundness and required two knee surgeries. He also had significant wear and damage inside that knee which would significantly inhibit his athletic prospects. In addition, his hoof angles would require extensive farrier work and various types of glue on shoes to correct. He was so deeply body sore we couldn’t even address his chiropractic needs until he’d had months of therapies including laser work to address the muscle tension. Thanks to an incredible veterinary team, the healing power of time, and support from his breeder, Magoo is sound and happy today. He’ll never jump, or be competitive in any second career. But he’s happy hanging out and going for the occasional trail ride, and learning to pony yearlings, and that’s enough for us.

So many people should have stepped up for Magoo. Quite simply, the people tasked with advocating for him failed. It took people from his past, like myself and his breeder, stepping in and utilizing aftercare safety nets to secure his safety. This should not be the case. While people cheer for breeders and past connections stepping up for horses, EVERYONE in this industry should have the horses' best interests at heart. There shouldn’t be regular circumstances which cause spectators and past connections to fear for a horse’s safety and well being.

Denman’s Call competing in Competitive Trail at the Thoroughbred Makeover

Systemic change needs to occur. Due to the hodge podge collection of governing entities, it takes time to coordinate efforts to change rules in a way that is genuinely enforceable. Then, inevitably we have to ride out the reactionary lawsuits of this excessively litigious industry. Regardless of what anyone else is doing, if there is a change that needs to occur, EVERYONE can function as though it’s already a rule. If there is a change you would advocate for, but won’t act on until everyone is forced to, you are the problem. Finger pointing at someone who needs to change more than you is worse than useless.

It is the duty of every participant in this industry, large or small, to put the welfare of the horses first in all decisions. There is no bureaucracy or red tape stopping anyone from being the best steward of the breed and sport possible.