H-L photo/David Stephenson
Update: Alicia Wincze has more on her blog.
Was driving from the hotel to the media parking lot when heard the news on the radio this morning that I Want Revenge, the Kentucky Derby program favorite, had scratched from the race.
Got up to the press box where they piped in sound from the press conference at the horse’s barn on the backside.
An examination of I Want Revenge this morning revealed some filling in the horse’s left ankle, and a little heat. Digital x-rays did not show any lesions, said the veterinarians, but there was enough concern to sractch the horse.
“When the words came out that running could hurt the horse, I looked at both doctors and said this is no debate,” said David Lanzman, I Want Revenge’s co-owner.
“I’m at a loss for words,” said jockey Joe Talamo. “I’m just glad the horse is ok. It could have been a lot worse.”
Trainer Jeff Mullins said there had been nothing in the horse’s training to lead the connections to think that something might be wrong.
“Most of the things I learned in this business I learned by hard knocks,” Mullins said. “Your biggest dream is to get here, but the biggest nightmare is to get to race day and have to scratch.”
“I want to commend the owners and trainer for doing right by the horse until we figure out what’s going on,” said Dr. Larry Bramlage.
“I’ve never handled a horse of this caliber before,” Mullins said. “I’m just not going to take a chance on hurting him.”
