The end of the track for a great horse:
John Henry, a true superstar of the racing world, has died at the age of 32. The venerable gelding, winner of 39 of his 83 races and twice North American Horse of the Year, was put down at the Kentucky Horse Park, his retirement home since 1985.
Thirty-two is a tremendous age for a horse, the equivalent of something like 110 in human years. Those closest to him knew the end was near; he had been suffering intermittently from kidney failure and his typical uncertain temper had been mellowing. “John had always been known for his biting and kicking,” said Cathy Roby, barn manager at the establishment’s Hall of Champions. “But he had gotten to the point where he wasn’t really trying, He wasn’t John any more. He was ready to go.”
There is something about the name John Henry that I have always loved, and should I ever get a dog, I will name him John Henry.
Peter Johnson
He was one of the greats. I saw him at Saratoga more than once.
And is is just me or is John Henry a great name for a horse?
vg
John Henry was a steel drivin’ man, lord, lord —
He drove steel all across this land
An’ ev’ry time a freight train go rollin’ on by,
They say yonder lies a steel drivin’ man, Lord, Lord,
Yonder lies a steel drivin’ man.
laneman
John Henry Cole
Sounds like a god name for a dog, and a better name for a big fat tom-cat. Who is orange.
Dennis-SGMM
Where I come from we have a name for horses that bite and kick: dog food.
kid bitzer
john, i hope you get that dog.
you’re a man who deserves a dog,
and john henry is a damn good name for one.
laneman
I dunno know, a good war horse will do that…
matt
For a second, I thought you meant Ed Henry. Although come to think of it, having John Henry report on CNN wouldn’t be too different.
rachel
There’s a They Might Be Giants album by that name.My favorite song on it is I Should Be Allowed To Think.
douglasfactors
Did he die with his hammer in his hand?
Ninerdave
Wow, John…NWA and horse racing (gambling)
Explain to me how you ever considered your self conservative?
Joking aside. Amazing horse and record, never got to see him race.
On the political tip, do you think we’ll ever see the repeal of the internet gambling law?
Jimmmmm
Horses = NOT athletes. They’re horses. A famous one died. So fucking what.
Sorry to break it to you that way.
cleek
hmmm. you’re the only person on this thread to use the “a” word. who are you arguing with ?
Raenelle
I’ve got the names Randy and Joan lined up for my next pair of pets.
Hugh
John I love your site and am a huge fan. But am I the only one here uncomfortable with the idea of naming a horse or a dog after an American icon who was black? Just grates on me. Pushes into historically ver hurtful territory.
Dennis-SGMM
My destrier is my companion in battle and therefore, not a mere horse.
Bob In Pacifica
We have a very old dog. Big ol’ dog. He’s got cataracts, has problems sitting for a treat. When it rains he gets goofy and just stands there. The other day workmen left the side gate open and he wandered into the street and up the hill and then peed on the neighbors’ lawns. He likes riding in cars, but mostly he sleeps.
Zifnab
Totally off topic, but I’m surprised neither John nor Tim has commented on the whole FISA bill hold that Dodd set up. I was hoping to see a thread start on that since yesterday.
Jon H
“Horses = NOT athletes”
Yeah, horses don’t roid themselves up.
capelza
Horses and dogs…(and elephants if they are drunk enough..and only till they’ve had enough and you don’t want to be in the way of their retreat) are the only animals that will go to war with us. Or did anyway.
Secretariat…anyone who can’t call that magnificent animal an athlete never saw him win the Triple crown..and the Belmont by 31 lengths. I still get goosebumps thinking about it..and a strange fierce though vicarious pride.
Full disclosure: love horses, my family raises them…they KNOW what it means to win. As do dogs. Cats could give a tinker’s damn.
John Henry is a great name for a horse.
Davebo
Seriously John, John Henry is IMO a lousy name for a dog.
Then again, I named mine Beaux and it turns out that sounds too much like “no!” so perhaps you should ignore my advice.
Bombadil
If you want to name your dog after a team owner, why not Steinbrenner?
The Stranger
God Bless Rush and Limbaugh and Betty Casey for the more than $4.2 million to the Marine/Police Children’s Scholarship Fund.
That’s more than 4x what Air American stole from the poor kids and sick old folks.
Bombadil
Have you driven past the Marine/Police children’s house and talked to their neighbors, to make sure they deserve all that largesse?
Mary
He’s undergone mitosis?
Mike W
They have their owners/trainers do it for them!
CaseyL
Horses are athletes. You ever compare a thoroughbred racer to a non-racer, even another (non-racing) thoroughbred, you can tell they’re the runners of horsedom: very lean and muscular.
And they train. Every day, more or less. The training is particular to each horse’s personality and talents. The people who actually work with these animals – the ones who know them best – are not at all shy about saying horses are athletes.
Dennis-SGMM
Yes, they should be very proud of stealing more than four times what Air American (sic) stole!
Rush and Limbaugh…
Did he reproduce by binary fission? I only ask because he seems, despite copious Viagra consumption, unable to maintain a marriage.
Thanks for playing!
Bombadil
WTF is this about, anyway?
Zifnab
Who is Betty Casey?
cleek
Limbaugh auctioned-off a letter from some Senate Dems condemning his “phony soldiers” remarks. some wealthy nutbag bought it for $2M. so Rush matched the amount and donated the money to a charity.
no word if the cash only goes to people who promise fealty to Bush.
Bombadil
Cool.
Now, wtf does this have to do with “Air American”?
cleek
that would be this
Bombadil
Thanks, cleek.
From cleek’s link:
Sorry, Stranger, I’m underwhelmed.
Zifnab
Wow. Conservatives really hate Air America with a passion, don’t they?
blogenfreude
Sad. I had a horse called Target – made it to 34 or so. Although a gelding, when the mares came into season he’d bust through the fence, run down the road, then forget why he was there.
Chris Johnson
I keep wanting to make an off-color joke but can’t think of a single thing that’s not so off-color it’s ridiculous… it’s like wanting to make a joke about Bush’s character.
Ted
They hate all dissent, and/or disagreement.
The Stranger
Hate Air America? Heck no. It’s the Mother Lode of comedy material.
You’d have to be drunker than Randi Rhodes on a Sunday afternoon to actually take those clowns seriously.
It’s hilarious. The moron got stone drunk, and did a face plant. To cover up her alcoholic black out, she lied and said she was mugged.
There were eyewitnesses saying she had 14 Bloody Mary’s.
She must have them for breakfast and lunch on a daily basis. That has to be the explanation for the idiotic crap she spews on her show. That….and stupidity.
ATS
I confess I had quite forgotten John Henry. I’d thought all the geldings had long since been confined to the National Defence Council.
Bombadil
Odd — I heard that others said that she was mugged (and later retracted), but never saw where she herself said that. You got a link to that?
The Stranger
Yup. Sure do.
Be sure to take note to the part where she said she wrote an email to boss at Air America saying she was mugged.
I think she probably has missed work on previous occasions because of alcoholic black outs so she felt the need to lie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGdR3iEGSMQ
Bombadil
Thanks. Hadn’t heard that (I don’t listen to political talk radio of either stripe).
I’m glad to see you’re willing to take a commentators’ words and lock them in stone like that, without the possibility of any further clarification. I assume then that you’ll be all over Limbaugh for the “phony soldier” remarks as well, regardless of how he wants to “clarify”.
The Stranger
”.
I’m confused. Are you trying to say that we should believe Randi Rhodes’ own words?
No clarification needed. Media Matters, Harry Reid, and the lying corrupt MSM flat out lied what Limbaugh said.
I have read the transcript and have listened to the audio of his remarks. You’d have to be drunker than Randi Rhodes on a Sunday afternoon to believe the misrepresentations of Limbaugh’s remarks.
Dennis-SGMM
John, I hope that everything’s all right with you and yours.
capelza
Ditto…
The Stranger
Limbaugh fan, are ya?
capelza
Fuck off Stranger…really.
You are a petulant troll. I don’t respond to you because you are a complete ass. And even as I type this I know I shouldn’t this one time.
Anyway, John Cole, I hope everything is okay…
Psycheout
What’s wrong with John Cole? Nobody told me about this.
I’m getting worried now.
Ted
Hmm. I wonder what mind-altering substance is the explanation for all the idiotic crap that bloated fat ass Limbaugh spews every day. Got any ideas?
So did Limbaugh, to the Florida state police, when explaining why his maid was buying hundreds of pills for him in Wal-Mart parking lots. He should have just come right out and explained that he was too much of a coward to buy them himself.
Good thing he was more than rich enough to have his inner ears replaced!
capelza
I don’t know that anything’s wrong. He’s been completely AWOL since this post two days ago.
Maybe he’s out having a great time somewhere… I just noticed his absence. As did the person above me.
Ted
Anyway, Stranger, when it comes to people’s addiction problems, pulled out of your ass, or actually true, maybe you’re just plain stupid for even going there for partisan gain. Because there’s more than enough of it going on on your fetid side of politics.
The Stranger
First Ted says this:
Then Ted says this:
You just can’t make this stuff up. Hilarious.
Ted
You’re an idiot. If you can’t tell when a point is being made by example, well, that’s just sad.
Anyway, I doubt you’re actually that stupid, political affiliation notwithstanding.
The Stranger
Didn’t I, too, make a point by example?
What a weasel. Hilarious.
Ted
I think Stranger might like some Pie. Might just have to update that and make it available to the regulars here.
Ted
Regarding the worries over John, it is strange that neither he nor Tim would show up for a day and a half. Haven’t seen that before, anyway.
Probably just recreation, or unexpected events.
The Stranger
If I didn’t know any better, I would take this as some sort of thinly veiled threat. Hilarious…and wierd.
This just goes to prove the conventional wisdom; scratch a liberal, find a fascist.
ThymeZone
John Henry can’t wipe the hooves of Mister Ed.
As long as we are going to project humanness onto animals, let’s at least pick one that can carry on a conversation.
Psycheout
The Stranger’s scared of pie? No wonder he’s obsessed with a nobody like Ranty Roads.
Dennis-SGMM
Scratch a conservative, find a fear-monger.
From today’s Washington Post:
“IEDs Seen As Rising Threat in The U.S.”
The wonderful folks at DHS have discovered yet another potential threat. That it coincides with Bush’s popularity dropping to Nixonian levels is pure chance of course.
ThymeZone
So after all this time, we are going to be afraid of another Timothy McVeigh, the crazy-ass rightwing American terrorist?
Wow, only twelve and a half years later, a reaction.
Ted
I just have to say what a wonderful labor of love your site has been. This stuff is great:
I know you’ll never drop out of character, but it’s all truly a work of art.
scarshapedstar
John Henry is a bitchin’ name for a porn star.
Tax Analyst
Well, I’m late (again) and this thread seems about as dead as wonderful John Henry is, but I was a pretty big horse-racing junkie during this gelding’s career and he was a fantastic horse. Since horse’s don’t talk (except for Mr. Ed, of course) there’s no way to know what J.Henry was “thinking”, but he sure didn’t like to get beat and until he started to slow down a bit with age he almost always seemed to find a way to get his nose to the wire first. Had an excellent trainer, too (Ronald McAnally).
Thirty-four? Pretty ripe-old age for a horse.