Hubby and I used to frequently drive two hours to Santa Anita race track to see the races a few years ago. We both took our camera with us. We often woke up at 4:00 and got to the track in the early morning, in time for the morning workouts at Clocker's Corner. I love to watch the exercise riders. But, I especially loved seeing the thoroughbreds. They are so magnificent! I am fortunate to have two throughbreds myself that I've rescued. One, Quad, is an off-the-track throughbred who actually ran in 7 races, but never won, so he was retired to a horse rescue here in California. My other thoroughbred, Gigondas, was rescued from a slaughter-bound feedlot in WA state. She never raced and I believe she was used as a broodmare. My great-uncle used to train throughbreds and we often visited our local race tracks so see his string of horses run. That was in the days when trainers actually walked the throughbreds down to the ocean at Del Mar and let them play in the water! That is no longer done. Anyway, here are some pics of the beautiful thoroughbreds exercising in the morning at Santa Anita Race Track. Sunday Stills Challenge for November 22, 2009.
3 comments:
Those are beautiful photos! I love racehorses! I wish I were near a track so I could take some photos. Maybe this summer!
I'm very lucky to be 2 hours away from Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar!~UNFORTUNATELY, many of these beautiful, sleek throughbreds end up on slaughter feedlots and many, many, many of them go to slaughter when their racing careers are over. I have one off-the-track throughbred who didn't make it on the track and I'd love to have another one, but I already have 5 rescued horses! ACK! Maybe I'll win the lottery! These beautiful horses end up sad, depressed, skinny, and without hope on feedlots. Please, if you can, donate to a trustworthy horse rescue like SAFER, in Sonoma County, TB Friends, in Sacramento, or Shiloh Horse Rescue, in Sandy Hills, CA, run by Jill Curtis. I thank you and the horses will too! NO horse deserves to go to slaughter. For more info, please visit my horse blog: http://deserthorses.blogspot.com/ if you want more info about my horses OR the rescues that I can recommend from first-hand knowledge.
Like the behind-the-scenes photos.
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