The Kentucky Struts are Speaking Up for Horses With Music

One of the best parts of hanging in my office every day handicapping and betting on the races is my ability to drown out TVG with music.

With online music services like Rhapsody, Pandora, and Spotify available online, finding new music is as easy as pushing a few buttons, instead of rummaging through record stores for hours like I used to do.

Are there even any record stores left?

On Monday Rhapsody suggested I listen to the new CD from The Kentucky Struts, and with a title like “Year of the Horse” and a racehorse on the cover, it seemed like a no brainer.

The Alt-country band out of Cold Spring, Kentucky instantly reminded me of several of my favorite bands including Wilco and Reckless Kelly.

Friends since grade school, front man Todd Lipscomb along with band mates Brian Teismann, Brian Mahan and Adam Pleiman roar through a dozen well written songs with an edgy country blue collar feel to the music.

At Home with the Kentucky Struts

What was interesting is the way they presented their music.

Each month in 2011 the band released one track from the album, and commissioned an artist to interpret the song into a work of art.

Among the dozen artists was work by Keith Neltner, who has done work for The Avett Brothers, Hank Williams III, and Guster.

Fans then visited the website each month to view the art and download the song, with half of every donation going to Speak Up for Horses, 25% going to support the artists who have engaged in the project and the other 25% going to the band to keep the site up and running.

Speak Up for Horses is a rescue group based in Kentucky that, “Speaks up for horses bound for slaughter and those neglected, abused, or discarded by rescuing and rehoming these horses. We also educate the public about horse slaughter, horse welfare laws, and what it means to be a responsible horse owner. Our work is driven by the belief that education seeds compassion, a life-long commitment to our horses and a respect for all life.”

Among the horses the group has rescued include Hapsirishpub, a gelding foaled in 2000 that won 5 of 24 starts racing mainly at Beulah Park.

The gelding was found starving in a pig barn in Harrison County, KY in March of 2008 without proper food, water, or veterinary care.

The group nursed the gelding back to health thanks to the generous work of volunteers that donated money and gave the gelding the medical attention he needed.

The pictures tell the story of “Hap” at http://www.speakupforhorses.org/haps.lasso.

Lipscomb explained to Metromix Cincinnati how he got involved with Speak Up for Horses:

“My wife is a horse lover. She doesn’t get to ride horses as much as she likes. She’s always drawing them. She told me about Speak Up for Horses and I got in contact with Shelly – she’s a representative there. I had some really long conversations about their beliefs and what they’re fighting for: to try and minimize and actually outlaw slaughter in the United States. It’s pretty intense. I’ve learned it’s not a pretty popular cause. It’s mostly because people just don’t know about it. And I think people who engage in it spend a lot of time diffusing the facts of it. So it’s there. We feel good to be a part of it, though. We feel it’s a sound charity and it matches our ethics and kind of how we want to contribute to the soul of Kentucky, officially.”

You can pick up “Year of the Horse” at ITunes or at http://www.thekentuckystruts.com.

Betting notes: Coming up Saturday at the Big A is the $75,000 Ruthless for three-year-old fillies going six furlongs on the inner track. Among those nominated include the undefeated Agave Kiss, who has won her two races by a combined 16 ¾ lengths...My Best Plays Report on Saturday will include the two stakes from Gulfstream Park, the Hal’s Hope (G3) and Ft. Lauderdale (G3)...Alabama totally dominated LSU in every facet of the game last night to win the National Championship. The AP poll came out this morning and one voter selected LSU at number one. Was that guy watching Mike & Molly last night?...Jockey Garrett Gomez will be out four to six weeks after suffering a fractured heel in a pre-race accident on Sunday…Rosie Napravnik was injured Sunday pre-race and suffered two sprained ankles and a deep bone bruise, but she hopes to be back riding on Wednesday…

Michael Dempsey provides his full card report for Aqueduct each racing day. Mike’s full card report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations. Mike’s Best Plays Report is available each weekend, with his strongest plays and selections including the top stakes races.