Big Brown, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, at the 2008 Belmont Stakes, where he was pulled up. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Visual Description: Before Wilbur bought him.
LIVAT = VITAL, POMOH = OOMPH, TAWULN = WALNUT, KASTBE = BASKET — Giving us: IONTBE
Clue/Question: The horse didn’t like wearing a mouthpiece. He didn’t like it – – –
Shackleford and Animal Kingdom (right) fighting for the win at the 2011 Preakness Stakes run on May 21, 2011. Shackleford was fourth in the Kentucky Derby to the winner Animal Kingdom. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Answer: ONE BIT
(Very cute! All of today’s clue words were old favorites, however three of the jumbles came up as new. We have definitely seen “pomoh” before. I thought they were all pretty easy solves. The answer letter layout was great, for such a short, fairly obvious answer. Great horsey cartoon! Maybe Jeff is getting in the mood for this week’s Preakness! Nyquist seems to have the chops to repeat as a Triple Crown winner, if all goes right. Surprisingly, to me, the Kentucky Derby finished 1, 2, and 3, odds-wise! I don’t keep track of these kind of things, but I can’t remember when that last happened. Especially, when you consider the ridiculously crowded field they allow for the Kentucky Derby. Anything can happen when you allow 20 horses to run, and very often the favorite does not even factor in the win, place, or show. So, for the top three favorite horses to finish 1, 2 and 3 was a rarity, in this day and age, at the Derby. At least the Preakness sets a saner limit of 14 horses. I’m not sure if there’s a limit on the number of horses at the Belmont, but I know very often it’s between 8 and 14 horses. I never understand why they allow 20 horses to run at the Derby. Except in very rare cases, I think it cuts down on the possibility of a Triple Crown champion, because very often the better horse does not win it. Maybe, I’ll put in a call to Mike Francesa, at The Fan. He’s one of the few sports analysts that really knows about horse racing. Be well and do good, friends.) — YUR
Unclerave's Wordy Weblog 
The answer was short, all right, but not ‘fairly obvious’, to this reader at least!!! I got the four words instantly but it took me around 25 seconds to figure out the final answer. It should have been obvious, but it wasn’t. I initially thought one of the words was BET. However, neither ION BET or BET ION made any sense. I was stuck, until the answer just struck me.
Are you a Mi go?
Are you a Mongo?
Not quite sure what you’re talking about, or who you’re talking to, Smitty. Please clarify, and please be civil. — YUR
In other news, I went to Belmont during that string of Derby-Preakness winners who, unfortunately, did not win the Triple Crown, between the late 1990s and early 2000s. A great experience. Saw Big Brown, and also the now legendary Cigar, way older than his peers and always classy. Won every race way past his ‘prime,’ or rather at that particular stage that every old fart wishes to achieve, that of a late bloomer. A friend summarizes the aficionados as a combo of the most miserable, betting welfare checks, and the very disgusting rich, with their hats and spoiled brat kids. And then, everybody else, there for the kicks and fun. I try to put it all aside, especially what goes on behind the scenes, the animal abuse, the underpaid and drug addicted fallen, and their epic search for that elusive win, mainly because I’m not bitten by the betting bug (thank goodness, one less thing to get hooked into). As for the horses themselves, there’s nothing as comparable. At once, majestic and mercurial creatures, as affected by the competition as humans, no one can really predict their speed, because it’s so unsteady, unlike cars or other kinds of racing. The balance of brute force and lightness, that imposing mass of muscle sitting on such skinny and fragile legs. And the high-octane emotion, the roaring crowds, the realization that these living, breathing beings are impossible to anticipate whether they’ll stay ahead til the wire, even if they are the first ones to hit the homestretch. Everything moves me at that particular moment, regardless that I never bet more a couple of $$ per race, nor won big a single time; I was always happy to be there just the same.
I had a lot of trouble with OOMPH. Other than that one word, it was pretty simple.
Yes, Wes! Going to the track is quite an experience. You do see the range of people that you described. Like you, I fall somewhere in the middle. Just $2 bets, often times just to show. Being there live, and going down to the rail for the post parade, to see who you really like. The smells, the sounds, and the excitement! It makes for a great afternoon. I haven’t been in years. I had a sister-in-law who knew how to handicap. It didn’t really help all that much, but it helped explain the odds. The horses are truly beautiful and magnificent animals, and the jockeys are – truly – the strongest pound-for-pound athletes in the world. So many people really do not know what they are missing.
— YUR
Truly. Would love to go back.
Mongos are the Mike Francessa fans. Google it! I’m always civil! Lol.
Sounds familiar. But, isn’t that more an online thing? I don’t hear the term on his show on the radio. Not sure if I’d call myself a “fan” though. I got kind of a love/hate thing with him. I respect his deep knowledge of sports, but I hate some of his biases, and the way he treats a lot of his callers when he gets in one of his moods. He has always treated me well when I’ve gotten through though. Probably because I don’t call when he’s in . . . those moods.
I had to ask though. I didn’t know if you were talking to me, or to Vijay, or what you meant. Or, even who you were. It’s cool, now.
— YUR