Missing: Black Jack Attack

[Blueshadow]

Dear All,

I am posting this here as well as in Off Course. If the mods want to close one of the threads please go ahead. I just thought people here might be helpful and not notice the Off Course thread.

The former owners and breeders of the horse described in the email below are desperate to find him. Here is the email I received this morning from Priscilla Clark of Tranquility Farm. I have edited out names of trainer and dealer - if that information (trainer name) would be helpful in locating the horse I am happy to supply it privately.

"Hi Caroline, when you check the lots this weekend there is a horse missing that the owners are desperate to locate.

Black Jack Attack, 7 year old , 15,2 H chestnut gelding, narrow white blaze, no white feet. He was last known at Bay Meadows in March. He was in the barn of "trainer xxxx" and he gave the horse to the groom. The groom said the horse went to a "ranch in Mexico" so we know what we are dealing with.

The breeders of this horse live in VA and they will pay all expenses of rescue and transport home if we can find him. I have a photo coming and I'll forward that to you as well. Someone needs to check (dealer name) lot. I have sent this to Joe in hopes he can find him among the killer lots up north where he probably is, but I want to cover the bases down here as well. Thanks a million, P"

The Jockey Club will not release the horse's tattoo number, however, a friend of Priscilla will be going to Bay Meadows tomorrow to try to look at the horse's registration papers in the racing office. The former owners are new to racing. The horse was recently claimed from them and they had not realized how quickly things can change when a horse can no longer race...They are desperate to find him.

Thanks in advance for any and all help you can provide...

[ArtilleryHill]

Sorry if you've already done this, but just in case ... have you all also contacted the rescues on the Alex Brown Racing site? So many contacts from rescues around the country congregate there, it seems worth a shot, especially once photos come in. GOOD LUCK!

[Blueshadow]

Sorry if you've already done this, but just in case ... have you all also contacted the rescues on the Alex Brown Racing site? So many contacts from rescues around the country congregate there, it seems worth a shot, especially once photos come in. GOOD LUCK!

Thanks! Yes, I've posted there and on a few other rescue forums. I am also hoping that people living in the BM/Santa Rosa area might just have seen the horse at someone's property in that area after he left the racetrack. I still don't have the exact date of that (him leaving the racetrack). Groom is now reporting the horse is with his sister on a ranch in Mexico...

[Pronzini]

OK flame suit on. When I first read this, I thought the horse was taken out of Bay Meadows without the owners knowledge ie stolen.

But then I read it again--the former owners entered the horse for a tag, the horse got claimed, the money was presumably put in their account and the transaction was consummated. Then the former owners found out that the horse was apparently given to a groom and taken to Mexico so now they think the horse is "missing".

Maybe its just semantics, but a horse lawfully sold is not missing. I understand sentimentality but are good manners so dead that the former owners can't just offer the money to take the horse back instead darkly muttering about Mexico and grooms and "you know what that means". Believe me, their money is as green as anyone's and if they offered the groom the $6000 plus they got from the claim for him, they'd get back their horse if its possible. Why sell to the meat guy when you can sell him for racehorse price?

[Blueshadow]

OK flame suit on. When I first read this, I thought the horse was taken out of Bay Meadows without the owners knowledge ie stolen.

But then I read it again--the former owners entered the horse for a tag, the horse got claimed, the money was presumably put in their account and the transaction was consummated. Then the former owners found out that the horse was apparently given to a groom and taken to Mexico so now they think the horse is "missing".

Maybe its just semantics, but a horse lawfully sold is not missing. I understand sentimentality but are good manners so dead that the former owners can't just offer the money to take the horse back instead darkly muttering about Mexico and grooms and "you know what that means". Believe me, their money is as green as anyone's and if they offered the groom the $6000 plus they got from the claim for him, they'd get back their horse if its possible. Why sell to the meat guy when you can sell him for racehorse price?

Actually I think the term "missing" is about as good as it gets for this situation. Nobody ever suggested the horse had been unlawfully taken. If - as has happened to me - you have a horse that you are seeking that has not been taken from you unlawfully, you list it as "missing/searching for" on any appropriate forum eg. dreamhorse, etc.

It is sad that this horse, whose breeders and former owners are actually willing to retire it, looks unlikely to get the chance. There is a slim one that the horse is still in this country - and so they put out a call for help. And yes - it's urgent.

The groom has (I would think obviously) been approached already by the former owners/breeders - which is where the Mexico reference came from at all. He claims the horse is in Mexico with his sister. I'd like to try to establish that as a fact, but we'll probably never be able to. And that is "what we are dealing with". A horse that last worked at HP on February 27, last known whereabouts BM in March, whose groom says it is now in Mexico - and we are trying to locate the horse in order that its former owners, also its breeders, can give it the retirement they wanted to.

I sure hope you are never in their situation.

If anyone is able and willing to post it for me (has a premium membership) I have a photograph of the horse which I'd like to post just on the offchance that someone here sees him...

[Pronzini]

Actually I think the term "missing" is about as good as it gets for this situation. Nobody ever suggested the horse had been unlawfully taken. If - as has happened to me - you have a horse that you are seeking that has not been taken from you unlawfully, you list it as "missing/searching for" on any appropriate forum eg. dreamhorse, etc.



"Missing" is misleading IMO. If I understand what happened to you, someone made a promise of a "forever" home. There were no promises here. This was just the last in a series of transactions. The breeders sold the horse as a yearling for $33,000 and the second to last owners sold the horse for something north of $6250 as a claimer. (Probably $10,000 or $12,500 but I couldn't bring it up on Google.)

Honestly I hope that horse is happy. But maybe he is with that groom. There is no facts in your post to say he isn't or that he's really at risk other than the buzzwords "Mexico" and "groom". Its like selling a horse on Dreamhorse that you thought was going to be a kids pony and then you found that his nephew actually took him to go rodeo on. As a seller, you lost your veto power.

If you sell a horse, there is no guarantee that you can ever get him back. I actually hope that the person happiest with him gets to keep him, but they may have to put up some serious money.

[Blueshadow]

Yes, you're right - there is a difference in the two cases. However, "missing" - well I just don't see it as a term that unambiguously implies anything than that the owner "lost touch" with the horse and is searching for it. Hard to post "Urgent - Horse Sold/Giveaway" and have it attract much attention:lol:

Anyway, your comment DID inspire me to check on the groom situation vis. money offered more carefully, and it's not clear that the previous owner actually did get to the point of offering money. (Read - previous owner very upset with groom.) Which is why someone else will approach said groom tomorrow.

Someone else suggested on another forum asking him for his sister's name and number in Mexico so that the former owner can make her an offer. And I've passed that along too.

If he did go through the auctions down here two weeks ago, another concern, he is long gone. That I verified today.

[lifesabreeze]

The breeders sold the horse as a yearling for $33,000 and the second to last owners sold the horse for something north of $6250 as a claimer. (Probably $10,000 or $12,500 but I couldn't bring it up on Google.)

Maybe I have the wrong name, but I'm looking at an equineline PP for BLACK JACK ATTACK 7yr old chestnut gelding by Carson City out of Moondust Mink, and it states that he was claimed from his breeders for $40,000 on 7/21/07 at DMR.

He ran 6 times for the new owners and was claimed for $50,000 on 12/13/07 at HOL.

He ran twice for those owners and was claimed for $20,000 at SA on 2/9/08. That was his last start on the PP.

[Acertainsmile]

It is also very possible the horse will live a nice life down in Mexico...there are actually farms down there, not just slaughter houses.

I hope you do find him...and my advice to anyone that owns a horse, and wants to ensure that they have the retirement they deserve, is to stop entering the horse in claiming races, and take them home yourselves.:)

[SleepyFox]

This horse was claimed at Santa Anita for $20k in Feb. On March 17, he was entered, but scratched, in a $6,250 claimer at Bay Meadows under a different trainer than the one who claimed him at SA.

He was claimed from his breeders for $40k back in July of '07 and then claimed for $50k by someone else in December. He was a nice class horse that earned a lot of money, but it would appear he had something going on as he finished badly his last two races although he dropped significantly in class.

Okay, now I will zip my flamesuit. Is it so inconceivable that the groom really did send the horse to Mexico to his sister's farm? Why does Mexico automatically mean the horse was going to slaughter? As I said above, this is an old class horse, if he can be laid up and brought back, he's worth a LOT more than meat prices. And, regardless of whether he can be brought back, most grooms I know (regardless of nationality) love horses just like most people on this board, why are people so certain this horse met a bad fate?

[Pronzini]

Maybe I have the wrong name, but I'm looking at an equineline PP for BLACK JACK ATTACK 7yr old chestnut gelding by Carson City out of Moondust Mink, and it states that he was claimed from his breeders for $40,000 on 7/21/07 at DMR.

He ran 6 times for the new owners and was claimed for $50,000 on 12/13/07 at HOL.

He ran twice for those owners and was claimed for $20,000 at SA on 2/9/08. That was his last start on the PP.

I bow to equineline :). I can't bring up what I found on Google. Maybe it was an RNA or maybe I just imagined it.

[Blueshadow]

Okay, so now there are three people, on different boards, that have suggested the possibility of the groom telling the truth...and I promise I am taking it seriously! Let's see what happens at Bay Meadows with the groom today, and I'll let you guys know.

If anyone wants the tattoo number on the horse, in case they run into one matching his description, I can provide it now.

This horse was one of my favourite old campaigners down here. Only those last two races suggest there was a problem. And yes - the equineline report is confusing. The trainer that last is on RECORD as claiming him is NOT the trainerin Bay Meadows that gave the horse to the groom. I just want to clarify that. It is easy to see how the breeders may have thought they had time to find and buy him - he was still working at HP at the end of February...

[FalseImpression]

I would love to believe the groom is telling the truth... but are grooms that well paid that they can afford to ship a horse to Mexico?
I always understood the money was not so great and they sent it back home. Just wondering!

[DickHertz]

When most grooms are given a horse they try to race it (and it would still run under the trainer's name). I find it pretty hard to believe that the groom would ship him to Mexico presumably for "lay-up".

[summerhorse]

While it isn't impossible I too find it hard to believe a groom would take a horse that apparently can't run right now for whatever reason and ship it to Mexico as a pet for his sister OR for layup. They have plenty of horses in Mexico without shipping a possible cripple down there. But hey you never know.

Picture:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/LarryTheLegend/blackjackattackMIA.jpg

[Huntersmom]

Flame suit on...If they didn't want to sell the horse in the first place, they shouldn't have put it in a claimer. :no:Whoever has the horse now Groom or not, what business is it of anyone's what he does with his horse he bought? I hope that there is no ill will towards the horse. Maybe the previous owners will have learned their lesson and not put a horse that they were willing to retire in a cheap claiming race. :)

[Blueshadow]

While it isn't impossible I too find it hard to believe a groom would take a horse that apparently can't run right now for whatever reason and ship it to Mexico as a pet for his sister OR for layup. They have plenty of horses in Mexico without shipping a possible cripple down there. But hey you never know.

Picture:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/LarryTheLegend/blackjackattackMIA.jpg

Thanks for doing this again Summerhorse! You are doing my job for me.

The former owners that are looking for the horse are also the breeders of the horse. They lost the horse in a claiming race some time ago. The horse has changed hands several times since. They figured (incorrectly, as it turned out) that they would have time to buy him back before he disappeared...
That belief was probably enforced very recently by the fact that the horse last worked at Hollywood Park February 27 - he was last seen at Bay Meadows March 10. Not a large window. And yes - I'm sure they have learned a lesson or two from this; not least that it takes an instant for a horse to disappear.

I am waiting for an update. A signficant sum of money was offered by the breeders of the horse today to those involved with him at his BM barn for his safe return. Let's hope it shakes out some information, and especially return of the horse to the breeders as they wanted.

This horse was one of my personal local favourites. I've seen him run often. I am just praying that he is okay.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

Flame suit on...If they didn't want to sell the horse in the first place, they shouldn't have put it in a claimer. :no:Whoever has the horse now Groom or not, what business is it of anyone's what he does with his horse he bought? I hope that there is no ill will towards the horse. Maybe the previous owners will have learned their lesson and not put a horse that they were willing to retire in a cheap claiming race. :)

Two things... 1) $40k is hardly a cheap claimer and 2) 80% of all races in the US are claiming races. Not many options.

[Blueshadow]

And I need to amend my previous post - I believe the race he was scratched from was March 17, 2008...

Okay, here is a link to his picture: I really hope it works, but my flickr account is a bit of a mess:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8988756@N06/2420000480/

Possibly the horse may have been sent to the Santa Rosa area. I have his tattoo number if anyone has seen the horse and can ID him.

A bit desperate, but just hoping someone out there sees this and recognizes the horse.

[minnie]

Flame suit on...If they didn't want to sell the horse in the first place, they shouldn't have put it in a claimer. :no:Whoever has the horse now Groom or not, what business is it of anyone's what he does with his horse he bought? I hope that there is no ill will towards the horse. Maybe the previous owners will have learned their lesson and not put a horse that they were willing to retire in a cheap claiming race. :)


How terribly self-righteous and unfair of you. If they had their wish, all breeders would want their horses to be allowance and stakes class horses. Unfortunately it doesn't work out that way. The horse determines its class and you have to put them where they can be competitive, which most frequently turns out to be claiming races. Most of us hold our breath and die a thousand deaths every time our horse runs in a claiming race. My guy won his race and I lost him to a claim. Longest 3 hour drive home I've ever had and can't tell you how many times I had to pull over because I couldn't see the road for the tears. I contacted the new owner and couldn't buy him back, but did get a promise that I could get him back when he was done racing. I watched to see if he would drop down to a level I could reclaim him, but within 6 months he was vanned off the track. He's in my barn and has been in his stall for over a year now with hopes he can start getting turned out soon. I've spent a small fortune on him with the hope to be able to make him pasture sound, but if that doesn't happen he'll be given a bucket full of his favorite carrots and treats and euthanized with me on the other end of his leadrope. I'd hardly call $40,000 a "cheap" claimer. Personally, I find your comments uncharitable and insulting.

[Pronzini]

I think Huntersmom was not being entirely realistic, but I also think she has a point. When someone sells a horse, they shouldn't necessarily expect to get the horse back and putting a horse in a claimer means you are willing to sell the horse. The breeders could have retired the horse at that point to their forever home but they opted to risk him for $40,000 instead and they lost him. Just as breeders aren't responsible for horses after they are sold, they don't automatically get them back either.

So now its the Glenneys that are looking for this horse? Well color me confused because this was the first post:

The former owners are new to racing. The horse was recently claimed from them and they had not realized how quickly things can change when a horse can no longer race...They are desperate to find him.The Glenneys are owners and breeders of a ton of horses all over the country (Kim Loves Bucky, Transduction Gold come to my mind) and John Glenney is the trainer. I think he's also a vet.

If I can make a suggestion Blueshadow, perhaps the Web doesn't need the blow by blow on this. Bay Meadows is already working on it and the Glenneys apparently are offering money. If the horse isn't missing but just hasn't been bought yet, all of this drama just might be making this harder for the Glenneys. The more people who approach this guy, the higher that price is going to go.

[Blueshadow]

Just repeating what was told to me, Pronzini, on that first morning.
I was also surprised to see that the people that are looking for him (presumably) are the Glenneys.

So there ya go...they shoulda known better shouldn't they? I should have. Anyone that lets go of a horse they care about should have.

I don't think that means we shouldn't try to help them find the horse that they bred, and wanted to take responsibility for by retiring do you? I mean, that wouldn't be sending a particularly positive message to owner/breeders who do want to take responsibility. So yes - a lot of people are trying to help.

[minnie]

"putting a horse in a claimer means you are willing to sell the horse." Not necessarily, it only means that that's the race the horse can be competitive in. If someone had offered me 3 times the amount of the "claim", I would have turned them down. But, unfortunately, in order to race him and have him be competitive that's where he needed to run. I would give anything if they offered races other than claiming where the horses could race at the level they're best suited. It doesn't exist. The only alternative is not to race. So, if you care, you wait and watch to try and get him/her back at some point, which they have obviously done. And then have someone on a bb say they shoulda known better. What a kick in the face.

[Blueshadow]

As has been mentioned, I lost a horse that I believed was going to a good home. Not an equivalent situation - but at the end of the day, I do have to take responsibility for my failure to take actions that would have protected the horse in the transfer. And I do. I live with it every single day. Am I angry at the two women that duped me? Yes. But at the end of the day, I am angry with myself. Ultimately, in my case, I could have simply kept the horse - the only way to ensure that she was absolutely safe and that I knew that she was safe at every waking moment. However, that is not a feasible or realistic plan for every owner of every horse.

Obviously, the racing industry - as it currently operates - is a terribly difficult one in which to protect a horse even if a breeder/owner has every intention of doing so. The claiming game renders that almost impossible. In this case, even the claiming records don't help trace the horse from its last work to its last entry.

Yesterday, as I re-experienced all the anguish that I went through a year ago (which I do every time I hear of a case like this), I made a phonecall to a friend of mine that is a former owner/trainer of a horse that she very much wants to protect, and has been dropping through the claiming ranks. I told her to make an offer to the current trainer/owner of record NOW. Make the offer now, whether or not they are ready to sell, an offer that's consistent with the current claiming value of the horse. Let them know the horse has an option. Maybe that's naieve. Naieve to believe that any former owner should be on the case of every horse they want to protect at every point in time. But there has to be a better way. There are stories like this - of horses lost, and of horses found, and former owners and breeders aghast - every single week.

[Blueshadow]

Okay - I'm going to post this in the desperate hope that someone here, perhaps someone in the Santa Rosa/Bay area might be able to help. I realize some here may not want the blow by blow, but I'm going to do whatever I can to help these people find their horse. And in any case - the information set has now changed.

Black Jack Attack has been traced from the racetrack to the lot of a known dealer/kill buyer in Santa Rosa. I don't know any dates. I have the name of the dealer if anyone wants it and I'll supply it privately. We are trying to figure out where he might have gone next - he's not there now. People are working on trying to establish that. It is possible that she (dealer) sold him to a private party in the Santa Rosa area.

His tattoo number is E32851. You have his picture.

The owners are offering a substantial reward for his safe return. Please help if you can.

[Kenike]

I don't have anything to offer other than jingles that he's not already gone and can be brought safely home in quick time!!

[Laurierace]

I was afraid this is what happened to the horse but didn't want to say anything. I hope you can find him, but as I am sure you know, the odds are stacked against you. If he is out there I hope you can find him, if not, I hope his passing was quick and humane. I am so sorry, I know how much this must hurt.

[Blueshadow]

Thank you. I can't believe how much this hurts, actually...

[TBCollector]

Someone should contact Joe Shelton at Thoroughbred Friends. He has good relationships with a lot of these guys...he protects them and doesn't reveal their names or who the horses are that he rescues). The website is www.tbfriends.com.

[FalseImpression]

Joe knows and has been searching the feedlots in his area. He mentioned the horse in his blog.

Sigh... I knew the groom story was too good to be true! :(

[Blueshadow]

Yes, Joe has been apprised of everything to date and has also been looking for the horse on his local feedlots. I have spent the day on the phone with kill buyers and feedlot owners throughout the western half of the country. Nothing.

[cer227]

I live in Novato, not far from Santa Rosa and know a couple people who race and/or retrain ottbs. I can ask them if they've heard of this guy.

Also, have you tried posting on the Bay Area Equestrian Network message board?

This is a pretty popular sale site.

[Blueshadow]

Hi, thanks for posting. Chances are good that this poor boy is long gone, but we aren't going to stop trying to trace his trail. Yes, we have posted on the bay area equestrian network, and posters are going up all over CA and NV. There is a reward for any information that leads to his safe return, but since it hasn't elicited anything so far, we are pessimistic that it will do so.

Just in case, his tattoo number is E32851.

He is 15.2hh, chesnut, no leg markings, facial markings as you see in the photo.

[Peace of Cake]

I recently spoke with a woman on the phone who is involved in tb rescues. She said she had posted this guy on here but I do not see it, so if it is a double post I apologize. PM me for contact info and pic. This is the info she told me:

TB we are currently looking for is Black Jack Attack LT E32851. Last raced Bay Meadows, sold 4/1 in Santa Rosa area. 7 yrs, 15.2, chestnut gldg, white star, snip, NO white feet. 10k reward for safe return.

[Blueshadow]

Hi! Yes - thanks - I'm the OP on two threads on BJA, on here and one on Off Course. I just updated the story on your new Off Course thread. The mods will be going crazy over this (sorry Mods!) - four threads on BJA! I will do any additional updating on your Off course thread from now on! Thanks again!

[gubbyz]

Is there a pic posted somewhere? I was at a hunter/jumper show today at Santa Rosa fairgrounds and saw a cute chestnut fitting this discription. The show is all weekend.

[Blueshadow]

Yes there is one pic - I think I or someone else posted it on a former racing Forum thread. He has NO white on his legs, and a little white on his face as is shown in the pic. He did NOT have a bow or any other leg injury, but he DID have "bad ankles". I hope that helps. I think Summerhorse posted the link to his pic on an earlier thread for me...Let me try to find it. Here it is: I hope she didn't delete the link!

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/LarryTheLegend/blackjackattackMIA.jpg

His tattoo is E32851.

Thanks!