his jockey looking back to see if Afleet Alex was going to fall.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by poltroon:
I bet he switched his whip over in prep for the stretch drive so that he wouldn’t be in danger of hitting Alex with it - who he knew was coming up on the outside, and fast. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks Poltroon for this observation. I had not considered this but rewatching the run I think you are right. Other jocks do hit left on the turns, so in itself that is not unusual.
Scrappy T was definitely startled by the whip. Perhaps being in the lead he lost some drive and concentration…they are still babies…
Thank God all are alright! 
Phenomenal finish by Afleet Alex. No doubt who was the best horse today!
I don’t think that the jock’s move was intentional at all. I understand that racing is a crap-shoot and there are never guarantees. Trust me…I know that!
I was rooting for Scrappy because of the COTH connection. I thought he had a good shot and our major owner (who happens to be a big-time handicapper and bettor) used Scrappy every which-way. He called us before the race and told us that, if Scrappy won, book plane tickets and we’d party! Get my point???
I’m sure his connections are agonizing over the events of the day: he’s a legitimate contender and they should be ecstatic about the race he ran today. Nothing…nothing…that happened takes away from the strength of the horse. Yeah…#@%^ happens. It’s unfortunate that Scrappy reacted so badly to the whip. I still think that it was a bad move in Dominguez’ part.
We could spar for a while about this but my overwhelming feeling is that AA is a really, really special horse. A thoroughbred can have breeding and ability up the whazoo, but if they don’t have heart…game’s over. AA has the heart of a giant.
Well said, Halligator. Now, let me through in my own two cents 
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There’s plenty of strategy in race riding. I swear the best jockeys have eyes in the back of their heads.
It’s common practice to “use” your horse to intimidate another. This is why you see 2 horses engaged in a stretch duel appear to be running in the same path. They are close to each other because each jockey hopes his horse will intimidate the other, and that it will spark his own horse to dig in.
It’s also practice to close off holes that an advancing horse could come through, and to carry a horse wide on the turn.
I believe that Ramon knew Afleet Alex was coming up on the outside, and he hit Scrappy T left handed to carry him slightly into Alex’s path. He certainly had no idea that Scrappy was going to react as strongly as he did. Keep in mind that Ramon had never ridden Scrappy before the Preakness (he might have worked him, but never rode him in a race), and even though the horse had a history of running greenly, he had never responded to the whip like that before. Of course the trainer knew Scrappy had a tendency to weave a little, that’s why the horse has run in blinkers in every single start.
Ramon also knew that even if he set Scrappy down in a stretch duel and prevailed, he’d be taken down. So, from that point on, he was running for second. You’ll notice in the replay that he pretty much wrapped up on Scrappy after the incident.
Ramon and Jeremy Rose ride in the same Delaware/Maryland colony. I don’t know if they’re friends, but they’re certainly daily colleagues.
Scrappy did run a hell of a race, and Emily should be very proud of him. For me, Alex occupies another sphere now. That was bloody amazing.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by Sonesta:
Let me clarify what I meant. IF Scrappy T’s jockey had not looked back WHEN Afleet Alex almost fell, he MIGHT have been able to maintain enough pace to win. Of course, if that had happened, he MIGHT have gotten set back for interference.
I completely agree that if Afleet Alex had not tripped, he’d have blown past Scrappy T. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ok no offense, but this is just plain silly. How does a jock turning his head to look slow a horse down? Its not like he pulled him up, got off and looked around a bit. And besides, at that point it didn’t matter what he did because if they had held on to win, they would have been taken down. There is absolutely no MIGHT about it, he was coming down.
Here are some of my pics from Sat.
Glimmerglass – Doesn’t the one of Man O’War have a moat (or flowers or something) around it? I took the picture in…gosh, I think it was 1995. I always thought it was Secretariat but I guess I’m wrong! (Won’t be the first or last time…dammit!) Right now I am looking on-line and trying to find out who I sat on!!! L
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by xegeba:
Racing dumbASP here… can someone tell me how fast AA was going when that stumble occured? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Around 35mph or so.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”> she said to me if Scrappy T finished last, she would be ok with it as long as he came home sound and anything better was icing on the cake.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Very, VERY cool 
Kudos to Scrappy and his awesome team!
IMO, if Ramon had wanted to force Alex to change path he’d have allowed his momentum to cause him to drift out. He made the turn with Scrappy’s nose turned IN. I think he was trying to shake him up for the uncoming challenge from Alex and got far more than he expected.
I hope we hear from Em. We all have our opinions on what happened, I’d like to hear hers. I’ve watched the replay about 10 times this morning and have not changed my mind about what I saw. I’d like to know what the connections were thinking as they watched the race and how they felt after speaking with Ramon.
OMG!!! that is great White horse!!! Ididn’t bet because I thought that I “jinxed” the derby outcome by doing so…lol. my picks were 1. Bellamy road, 2. afleet alex and 3 high limit in a box…lol…but I did pick Afleet Alex to win this one in my mind, and I did scream for Scrappy T while watching the race (because of Coth connections to his “family”) Well congrats that is so great for you!!
I stand corrected if indeed there was/is a 2nd Secretariat statue at the KHP The articles I read during the unveiling last winter suggested this was their first homage to the other Big Red.
My apologies to Windsor!
That was an unbelievable race. My heart is still in my throat thinking about it!
And speaking of heart…Afleet Alex has it in spades. I’ve loved that horse since he was a 2-year-old and my admiration and respect for him grows and grows. He’s the real deal, the perfect racehorse: talent, courage, athleticism and above all ”" as game as the day is long. He is the epitome of why I love Thoroughbreds.
Scrappy T ran a fantastic race (well, up until his “incident,” anyway) and I hope his connections are extremely proud of him. He showed up in a way that many of the big-name horses with glitzy connections did not.
That said, no way Scrappy was going to beat Alex as long as Alex stayed upright. Alex was on the move and Scrappy was running for second regardless.
I also have to eat some crow and say Giacomo really impressed me in the Preakness. I was one of the many who saw his Derby as a fluke, though I was very happy for his deserving trainer and jockey. He showed he is a legitimate Classics contender and then some. (and I was really impressed by the announcement on the telecast that Giacomo has actually GAINED weight since winning the Derby! Talk about an easy keeper.)
I won’t quibble over disqualifications, or anything of the sort. Alex ran a HECK of a race, is a superb athlete and has earned my respect in more ways than one. He is the epitome of what it is to be a TB, what a heart on that colt. Amazing!
On a side note, Alex was my pick to win (I did not bet, my family and I just name our 3 picks), my other two picks were Giacomo and Scrappy T (though I did not place those two in a certain order). I wanted Alex to win. What a horse… I loved him on Derby day, story or no story, and I love him now. Just… what a horse…
C’mon people. We can sit here all day and argue about who to blame, or we can just be glad that nobody was seriously injured (or worse). Nobody can deny it was an AWESOME race!
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by CuriosoJorge:
Scrappy T should have been set down below Giacomo, or diaqualified altogether. That was blatant interference. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Er no, the only horse he interfered with was AA, who finished in front of him at the line. There is no logic for disqualifying him… not in any racing jurusdiction in the world.
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Royal, I had Bellamy in the Derby, too, I really thought he was the next superhorse. But then I’m always expecting the third coming of Man 'o War/Secretariat, lol I’ve sat out many a bet for fear of jinxing things too
Interesting about the drain, I guess the only people who really know are the jockey or people that know Scrappy. It’d be great to hear their thoughts on that.
Also glad that Giacomo was somewhat vindicated, I think Mike Smith is just awesome, and lost money on Holy Bull back in the day lol.
Let me clarify what I meant. IF Scrappy T’s jockey had not looked back WHEN Afleet Alex almost fell, he MIGHT have been able to maintain enough pace to win. Of course, if that had happened, he MIGHT have gotten set back for interference.
I completely agree that if Afleet Alex had not tripped, he’d have blown past Scrappy T.
Maybe someday, Ya got to see a replay. Afleet almost went down and still won. What a horse.
his jockey looking back to see if Afleet Alex was going to fall.
I agree with you, CuriosoJorge. I was SHOCKED when the official results listed him as second.
I thought he really had a chance, but that jock made one hell of a mistake 
