How about just own up to the wrong doings. maybe when we own up to the wrongs, we will start makes rights.
14 hits with a whip is excessive. end of story.
North American racing needs to get on board with whip rules and start seriously enforcing them. $100 fines is like asking for pennies. There is no incentive to change. its sickening
I am really disappointed in Big Money Mike. I really thought he was a better horseman than that interview indicates him to be.
Iāve been biting my tongue, but I must say that I couldnāt care less about what the Saudis think about anything and certainly am not at all concerned about āinsultingā them, considering the barbaric behavior (unrelated to horse racing) they have sanctioned.
I am disappointed that any U.S. horses were entered in the race at all.
End of derail.:o
They knew the rules, they knew the penalties, they failed to comply, so I hope the suspension is applied in full. Arguing that their poor behaviour would be ignored in the USA is not a valid defence. Racing is an international game and American racing already has a poor image around the world and declining support at home.
I thought that the saddling arrangement was cute, and reflective of the Saudi view of femalesā¦ the fillies had their own change room, separate from the colts LOL. We canāt have those fillies distracting the coltās concentration.
From the view of the telecast, I only saw Mike Smith flag the mare with his stick, didnāt see him hit her at all. I remarked on it at the time. I presume that that was only due to the angle of view that I saw, but I wonder if the mare had a whip mark or marks (welts or cuts) on her afterwards? Perhaps not? With racehorses of this quality, itās not usually the whipping that MAKES them win, or MAKES them try, IMO. And sticks can be waved around a lot, but only give a glancing tap when they make contact. But if someone is ācountingā, that could well be an issue.
Iām surprised at Mike Smithās reaction. He should know the rules. But gee, gotta feel sorry for him, losing a whole $100,000 when he was paid only $250,000 to race over there!
[edit]
So is the brutal murder and dismemberment of a journalist in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Sorry. End of derail.
Thank you. Although I was happy MS got some benefit out of it. Was frankly worried about their care over there. They most definitely think differently than the guys in Dubai.
And I also thought, ironic they were suspending and fining jocks for the whip, when flogging is done in The Kingdom for holding hands, being with someone of the other sex, being gay, and having alcohol. Still. Today.
And yes, to those other small atrocities ignored.
The coverage made it seem like such a fun place. How many women did anyone count watching the races?
The U.S. owners, trainers and jockeys that participated, legitimized the Saudi racing scene.
It seems that any country with a dictator or āKingā no matter how terrible their human rights record, can wave enough money and people come running, with no regard for principle.
People have the right to race where they choose. I just find it very disappointing. I hope all the photo ops that were had, and will be used by the Saudis, were worth the money. Iād rather be shot than have my photo taken with TPTB in Saudi Arabia.
A question for those of you who are berating racehorse owners and trainers for taking part in the Saudi Cup: will you feel the same way about the athletes who compete in the 2022 Olympic games in China?
No. And I do not take issue with anyone racing their horses where they can.
Personally, my issue is that we do not adequately police ourselves in this country, IMHO, and we also need to understand the rules when we compete elsewhere.
If Xi Jinping was waving millions at the best of them to come, yes I would. However that is not the case and I could write pages about why the Olympics are not an apt comparison but Iām sure you can think that through for yourself. Olympic athletes know that they have signed up to go where the Olympics are being held and they have no way of knowing in advance. Would I go to China? No. Iād avoid going to any country where anyone can be arrested and imprisoned and executed without trial, but thatās my choice.
Owners and trainers have a right to do as they please. I am not āberatingā them. I disagree with their decision and understand that it is a purely financial decision. If I was in their shoes I would not participate. Just as I would not accept if Vladamir Putin, Kim Jong-un or any other dictator were putting on the show. It does seem to be more acceptable to cozy up to dictators than it used to be, especially if they have very deep pockets. Different strokes.
I have a silly question. What is the whip rule here in the states? Does it vary from state to state? Is it just āexcessiveā or something like that that will get a jock in trouble, or is there a specific threshold?
I think its state by state - Maryland just passed a new one that went into effect this year.
Does anyone know what happened on the appeal by Smith and Ortiz? It was supposed to happen yesterday.
So, hereās what happened with the appeal- Smith and Ortiz lost, and while the relevance in this Covid-19 world is probably not as significant, they are going to serve suspensionsā¦
So guess what? The Westās canāt have their money. At least, not yetā¦
That is excellent.
I feel so stupid for feeling that Maximum Security was vindicatedā¦he was just hopped up Ć°ÅøĖĀ§
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