A 20 % win rate is fantastic for an owner which means that someone at the top of the game can still lose 4 out of 5 races. One thing racing is supposed to do is to teach owners how to lose with grace because we do so much of it. It’s often disapointing to see the curtain pulled back on these big outfits that get so much press when things don’t go their way. Some people just aren’t good losers or good sports.
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Question, though, with all of the non-sensical moves a TB can make in reaction to something, you sure would think he’d not duck out. But if caught just right, who’s to predict what the outcome will always be - to the right or to the left.
At 3:27 in this new video, it does look like WOW began clippng heels, and perhaps the immediate duck to the right was the result.
And could they really run faster forward than they already were at this point running in the Kentucky Derby?
Not arguing, just asking.
I almost see this as a perfect storm (except, TG, it could have been worse) of issues with the 5 front runners on the turn. Noted Country House’s bearing in as soon as they began doing replays.
There just wasn’t room enough for 3 to squeeze through as the gap narrowed on that wet track.
And I think my biggest issue with the reversal was that he really had not (alone) impeded with Long Range Toddy or Bodexpress.
And that the stewards didn’t lodge an objection of their own immediately after the race. They took him down, but didn’t see enough to do that in the first place?
Don’t know if I remember a horse taken down when the stewards hadn’t themselves objected. Assume must have happened somewhere, but I don’t recall any.
Was there for the Affirmed/Alydar Travers - and do get how upsetting it can be.
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What I am mildly curious about and not just the KD (but more likely to happen in the KD vs a $5k claimer) is if stewards, either as part of determining if the objection/inquiry is upheld and a horse to be set down or post Official with an official review of an incident and the ruling body is making a decision to set a jock down… can they/do they use only official track footage of the race or in either case would they also consider alternative views video’ed by TV or other media or JQ Public?
Saez, maybe a few days but I know my personal opinion after watching the many replays and forming my own opinion thought the DQ was the appropriate call and Saez did nothing wrong as it appear to me that he tried to correct MS and was unable to in time.
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At the conclusion of the race, they first decided which horses needed to be drug tested. That information needs to get relayed down to the groom so the groom takes the horse to the test barn rather than the home barn. The stewards have several tasks to accomplish at the conclusion of the race before making the race official. They can review video quickly while lighting neither the Inquiry sign nor the Official sign. In this specific situation, the riders lodged objections via the outriders before the stewards looked at the video. Whether or not the stewards would have lit up the Inquiry if no jocks objected is a moot point.
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What I found mildly entertaining this morning was this article from BH.
12 horses are expected to contest the Preakness on Saturday. This will be the largest field since 2011. Maybe early hope of a TC winner opens this race up to a wider “audience” of horses who might like the 1 1/8 distance and a good G1 race.
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/233627/market-king-confirmed-for-preakness-stakes
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I have seen it happen but don’t remember the year. It has happened at least once, possibly more, during my annual trips over the years to Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby. I remember one time in one of those years that there was an objection (no inquiry) and a fairly lengthy delay for steward review, and the man in the row in front of me had bet on the winner who was objected to. His “advice” to the stewards grew more vehement the longer the delay lasted, and when the winner was taken down, he really blew a gasket and was insisting he (not the horse, but he the bettor personally) had been robbed. This was in a minor undercard race, not even a stakes. I remember thinking, good grief, if you put enough money on to get that upset about it, maybe you need to review your financial decisions.
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Saez has been suspended 15 days.
look I can agree with the DQ at this point with all the video evidence out there. Maximum Security DEFINITELY impeded horses behind him and I’m looking onto the Preakness.
but I really don’t think he deserves days for this, I don’t think it was intentional and the video seems to show he responded as quickly as he could to pull MS back in line. Just doesn’t seem fair.
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Exactly my thoughts. It ignores the fact that all of the “interference” happens AFTER MS changes to his right lead, which is the start of the major drift out. So every interference from that point onward is because MS drifted out in front of WoW, not vice versa.
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It looks as though the Maximum Security camp is trying to win over public opinion by creating a video that makes their horse look good. They’re clearly hoping that non-racing people won’t realize that it barely touches on MS’s actual infraction.
And now the KHRC is firing back by suspending Saez.
I guess a little civility from both sides was too much to hope for. :rolleyes:
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I’m with you. I don’t think the jockey can be blamed for his horse spooking unexpectedly. I really don’t see how Saez could have ridden it any better. I agree with the DQ, but punishing Saez seems political, a weak justification for taking down MS.
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Somewhere I posted that it would be crazy to suspend Saez. Drat, foiled again.
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Unfair suspension for Saez. Power play to punish him for talking/complaining about the DQ. Cheap shot.
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15 days? Ouch…
A jockey whos actions in California that ultimately caused the death of another horse had fewer days suspension than what Saez just got. this is ABSURD. there was nothing malicious about what happened and he immediately tried to correct it. this is just sad
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IMO, there’s ALWAYS more to these things than is made public.
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yea like taking out the connections at the knees for making public comments on the DQ that were against the stewards
Perhaps everyone needs to put themselves in the connections shoes. How one would feel after crossing the finish line first, getting 10 minutes of the biggest thrill and accomplishment of your life, and then having it yanked away. Legitimate DQ or not; that will tear any person apart emotionally. Jason Servis’s first potential Derby win on the worlds biggest stage. Gary West has dedicated his life and fortunes to breeding and raising his own and racing them to have it all torn away. I cant blame them for being upset and being public about it. the pressure is immense and combine that with the media being in your face 24/7 after something like that. I feel for them. I feel for Luis. and I think the Stewards are using their big stick to take them all out at the knees because they can. the whole thing is just sad.
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I felt so badly for Luis having the camera zooming in on him during almost all of the 23 minute decision time. I know if that had been me I would have liked a bit of privacy, but that does not seem to exist anymore.
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I would never blame them for being upset. I will blame them for being upset publicly in the manner that they are. It’s horses, it’s life.
I do not agree with Seaz’ suspension though. He is getting a raw deal.
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^^This.
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There was a big water main break at Pimlico right outside the grandstand yesterday.
