In order to be registered with the jockey club and thus a racehorse, yes, thoroughbreds must be live cover. In theory though, they could have collected to offer for sale IA for non-jockey club registration. I know several people who have thoroughbreds that were not raced or were not tatooed but were bred for the sole purpose of having a nice TB. But the owners announced that they did not collect any semen.

In 99, they were able to save Charismatic. He won the KY derby, the Preakness and broke his left front in two places in the Belmont. Jockey Chris Antley (who I had the hugest crush on when I watched him race at Monmouth) was credited with saving the horse's life pulling the horse up early, immediately jumping off and holding hte horse's leg up. You could see the poor guy crying. Sadley, Chris was found dead the following year from an overdose.

Though I may be in the minority, I'd like to think that they were trying to save him for the very same reasons we would try to save our own horses in a similar scenario if money were unlimited and the technology were there.

Though I hate the concept behind racing, and I think the babies are too young to break and run, I grew up around the track (Monmouth and Belmont). My dad snuck me in before the age limit from when I was 8 years old on. We went pretty often. I've also had friends who were trainers and track photographers. I just wish they would start these horses older and not run the claiming horses into the ground.

When I was a little kid, I watched the match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure, and I will never forget what it felt like to see her break down. I felt the same way with Barbaro and held out hope that he'd make it.