A Horse Named Autism Awareness
Yes, and a horse who beat the odds Saturday at the El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows in northern California, as reported in Bloodhorse. With jockey Luis Contreras, Autism Awareness won by 1 1/2 lenghths while covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.17. The horse won $90,000 for his El Camino victory and paid off at $126, beating 62-1 odds. Owner Johnny Toboada has an 8-year-old autistic son, Renzo, and Autism Awareness has a sister, Cure Autism, also owned by Toboada. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s already a deal in the works to add a puzzle piece to the jockey’s silks. And if the horse is entered in the Kentucky Derby, there’ll be some interesting headlines like “Autism Awareness runs for the roses”……….
Tags: asd, asperger, athletes, autism, horse racing, Parenting, pdd-nos, race, Sports, trackRelated Stories
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12 opinions for A Horse Named Autism Awareness
HopefulNebula
Mar 9, 2008 at 2:23 pm
…what.
When I saw this title, I was hoping it was a metaphor for something. But no…
…gah. Just… gah. There are no words.
erkolos
Mar 9, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Hilarious.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Mar 9, 2008 at 3:15 pm
If you read the article about the race without thinking that a racehorse is meant, it’s a pretty absurd read.
dkmnow
Mar 9, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Autism Awareness won? Oh no. This is terrible. I bet my entire year’s grocery budget on Fifteen Million Children With Untreated Mental Illnesses. I had planned to bet it all on Attain Total Social Awareness By Repeating The Name Of Your Cause Ten Thousand Times, but of course, he was a long-shot.
Oh, woe.
El Senor
Mar 9, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Damn, I was waiting for him to run again and I missed him.
Regan
Mar 9, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Bay Meadows. That brings back memories of that track…that horse made a great run up to the wire.
(I have to admit that it’s a grin-inspiring hearing the announcer say, “and it’s Autism Awareness by two lengths! “.)
I don’t know how tough that field was but it’ll be interesting to see if he is entered for the Triple Crown races. Expect some headlines then.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Mar 10, 2008 at 1:41 am
What about “a horse named Thimerosal”—sorry maybe not the best humor. “Mercury” (winged shoes, you know) makes a lot more sense!
Here’s Charlie at Monmouth Park in Jersey.
http://mysonhasautism.blogspot.com/2005/08/empathy-for-extremes-of-order-simon.html
Jerry Lupu
Mar 10, 2008 at 9:10 am
I am a longtime horseplayer with a great fondness for the beauty and excitement of the
game and the interesting challenges that come
with the puzzle of trying to handicap a race.
I also love a good story, and Autism Awareness’s victory in the El Camino Derby at 62-1 qualifies as one of those tales that could only happen in the movies. I have several family
members and friends whose have children with autism with varying degrees of severity.
The owner paid 1000$ for the horse, and he may earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby. Fantastic! I only hope that the owner and friends wagered a few $ on their horse.
Regan
Mar 10, 2008 at 10:42 am
Monmouth Park–I was within a couple of miles of that during a trip to NJ but only saw the roadsigns, not the track. ‘Hope Charlie enjoyed being there.
There was a followup story that they aren’t planning on entering Autism Awareness in the Derby because the race date is too soon and they figure the field will be too tough, but who knows? (I’m not a betting person, but I wish that I had had a few bucks on that race :-/ ).
With that original bargain price, the victory against long odds and the California connection, I thought maybe it would be a paraphrase of the Seabiscuit story.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Mar 10, 2008 at 3:07 pm
It is, potentially……. another personal connection for me is that the horse was bought in Pleasanton, and I grew up (for some years) in that part of northern California.
We haven’t been back to the track since that visit (it was the Haskell—that’s a Haskell hat Charlie is wearing in the photos). He had a hard time following the horses and was (as he often is) more into the food—–but maybe we’ll return this summer, we’re overdue for a visit!
Kristina Chew, PhD
Mar 11, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Autism Awareness has been sidelined with an injured left foreleg, reports Bloodhorse.com.
Autism Awareness Sidelined
Mar 13, 2008 at 7:31 pm
[…] $1000 yearling named Autism Awareness who won the El Camino Derby at 62-1 odds is out with a knee injury, according to the Thoroughbred […]
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