"Practice what you preach"

Hard as it is to believe, but someone is calling Gary Player out for not practing what he preaches. Shocking, I know. From Grahame Jones in the LA Times, writing about Gary Player hanging at Santa Anita's Clocker's Corner after receiving some sort of Breeder's Cup award.

"I'm a horse nut, so I come and see this every year," Player, who turned 74 on Sunday, said of the Breeders' Cup, whose 14 races take place today and Saturday in Arcadia. "All the best horses are here."

Player knows a thing or two about thoroughbreds.

"I just bred the best filly in our country, Lady Windermere," he said. "That happens once in a lifetime. She's won two Grade 1 races already. So it's big thrill."

Player, winner of nine major golf championships, not to mention owner of a 20,000-acre spread, including a stud farm, in South Africa, was presented with a bit of crystal by the Breeders' Cup folk in honor of his sporting achievements.

He also was presented with a blunt reality check.

After Player told onlookers the owners of top horses have an obligation not to duck the Breeders' Cup, he ran into Chip Woolley, the trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

"Practice what you preach," Woolley tersely told Player, noting Lady Windermere's absence from Arcadia.

 

Comments

[Tom Naccarato]

This makes me like Chip Woolley that much more!

No B.S. from Chip what-so-ever; we didn't even get a obligatory, "I'm not going to race my horses on synthetic" statement from the Little One!. (like D. Wayne Lucas) (But he is correct, the stuff is not good)

Its going to be a great Breeder's Cup!

[court]

Has Player answered the question ? Why isn't his horse in The Breeders Cup ? Transportation problems ? Age restrictions ?

[Wisconsin Reader]

Player's "Lady" suffers from jet lag when flying long distances. . . Gary has tried to get her to do 100 sit-ups and 100 pushups every hour during the flight - but thus far "Lady" has resisted.

[Sir Shanksalot]

I wonder i Player played the SA golf course across the street.

[Geoff]

Sir Shanks,
I'm sure if he did that he'd love the new bunkering. It resembles a lot of his own work...

Wisconsin,
I think Gary's diong 500 of each and all in the aisles of coach because he's a man of the people. The Lady could never pull that off!

[Ronald Montesano]

Oh, snap!

I had the pushup quip ready but Cheesehead beat me to it.

[Zenyatta]

It's just as well, he didn't bring his horse--just would have been one of the boys that Zenyatta left in the dust!!...or "pro ride" as it were!! Awesome ride, Mike Smith!

[Tom Naccarato]

Yesterday I was fortuanate to witness one of the greatest days in thoroughbred racing history; sitting in the owners box area of Mine That Bird. I can only say this: ZENYATTA! Even MTB owner Dr. Leonard Blach was clapping at the performance.

What an incredible race and incredible horses. None of them can be denied! But this race, yesterday belonged to the girl. She really kicked some ass!

[Carl Spackler's Ghost]

"I just bred the best filly in our country, Lady Windermere," he said. "That happens once in a lifetime. She's won two Grade 1 races already. So it's big thrill."

I know my mind is in the gutter - but am I the only one who thought this was funny???