Please No Comeback Kid

Word has come that Lava Man, the eight year old gelding, who retired last summer, is back in training. For all the reasons that this is not a good decision, I refer you to Jeremy Plonk's wonderful article on ESPN.com and will try to para-phase his very valid points.

For starters, a comeback would be a good story but highly unlikely. Plonk gives the example of George Washington, the horse that the Jacksons bred, who was un-retired from the breeding shed and subsequently broke down and was euthanized on the track during the 2007 Breeder's Cup classic.

While a tragic ending is only conjecture, it is not too far from reality since Lava Man has a history of "bad" feet, as Plonk points out. It is difficult to believe that this decision was based on money since racing is such a precarious source of income. Plonk bases the decision on emotion on the part of the owners and it is sad if this is the case. Because, as Plonk so eloquently puts it: "this is about the horses."

Bravo Jeremy Plonk! You've said it all and I can't say it any better. The spirits of Barbaro, Eight Belles, Pine Island, George Washington and Ruffian, whom he invokes in the article, are smiling.