Thoroughbred Racing 2019

aftershocks

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So wait, is a lawsuit still being contemplated? I thought I read that it will not be allowed to be heard.

I think they mean the stewards will not open a hearing. They said their judgement is final. Apparently, that doesn't mean the Wests can't sue in a court of law. In the article I linked previously, West indicated that this is about reputation at this point.

I also think this is about human nature. People who have never ridden in a horse race, but may know a little about racing or who own horses, or who are sports broadcasters were all weighing in without actually having seen crucial footage. We were all making judgement calls and jumping to conclusions about the jockey Saez and about MS being a green horse and over-reacting to noise, when it looks like MS is actually an amazing horse, because he was putting up with interference from behind for awhile before he veered, and then he still was able to collect himself with the guidance of the jockey and go on to cross the finish line first. He never gave up running, which some horses might do after being hit that many times.

The question will probably be whether MS actually stayed in his lane and for how long before the interference from behind caused him to veer and switch leads (altho' obviously the stewards' decision stands -- money has already changed hands so they won't change the decision). MS may have started to begin veering after being hit twice and not five times as the lawyer video states. The bad thing is it looks bad on MS once he veered, but again I do think it's clear MS did not cause the stack-up behind him. It was War of Will who was giving his jockey a rough ride from the opening gate. And then the jockey was also attempting to prematurely force an opening.

It goes to show that slo-mo and frame-by-frame visuals are extremely important, especially prior to looking at the point where interference is claimed. I think the video evidence (which they specifically point out is chronological and not altered, only slowed or moved forward and backward to gain a better picture of the details) calls into question the stewards' ruling.
 
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aftershocks

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Another thing is that the problems that occurred did not take place close to the finish line. Without that early interference, MS may have been even farther ahead at the finish line. And it does look as if War of Will and his jockey were the cause of contact from the jockey trying to make an opening where it didn't exist instead of being patient and finding that opening on the inside rail.

Added to that is the issue of WoW appearing difficult to handle throughout the early part of the race. Even the fact that the announcers of the race discuss Gafflione fighting with WoW, and also state that WoW came up 'on Maximum Security's heels.' That occurred when MS was still in his lane, after which from the video it appears as if Gafflione is trying to force an opening around MS and in the process interfering with Long Range Toddy, and then County House begins moving in on those horses which further led to the so-called 'domino effect' at which point WoW began hitting MS from behind. At least that's how it looks from this frame-by-frame footage. And that's the case MS's owners and jockey are making.

I feel sorry for Luis Saez because this DQ ruling could hurt his career, when it looks like he did well to get MS back under control after MS reacted to being hit from behind. It goes to show that there may always be things going on that can't be fully seen, especially in a horse race. And I guess that would be why (with such a huge field too), the stewards tend not to do anything about a bit of slight contact here and there. But what about contact that can't be easily seen, that then leads to the horse who was hit first, veering?

Unfortunately, it looks like MS veering caused the problem when according to the case West's lawyers are trying to make, MS was only reacting to having been hit more than once from behind. It will definitely be interesting if this is heard in a court of law or whether it's arbitrated and settled out of court?
 
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aftershocks

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Oh well, holding one's horsies is a thing. :lol:

I looked at the lawyer video a few times, and then again at the race itself in real time which doesn't give the best views of what was happening. I think what's clear is that War of Will was having a tough ride and looking for an opening and trying to force an opening. The question is whether or not WoW hit MS before MS began veering. The lawyer video does show that there was jockeying for position and WoW tried to force an opening, while Country House pressed into the left on Long Range Toddy trying to get position for the stretch run, which may have caused trouble between WoW and LRT while MS was ahead of those horses and in his own lane.

What's not exactly clear from what the lawyer video is trying to show, is whether or not WoW hit MS before MS began veering. So it may have been a wall of sound, or some slight contact that distracted MS. It's not really clear that WoW hit MS 3 or 4 times before MS veered out. Maybe noise affected MS or something in the left of his vision affected MS and he veered out to the right. Or another option is that Saez noticed WoW having clearance to the right and pushed MS over slightly and MS reacted by veering too far, which led to WoW having to pull up. Then MS had trouble switching leads. The way the West lawyer video is slowed, backed up and stopped at certain points might be done in a way that is an attempt by West's lawyers to make their case. I'm not sure it's clear that contact was made by WoW on MS before MS veered to the right impeding WoW. The worst contact appears to be when MS veered, not before. But then it depends on the camera angles.

Still, the stewards should have spoken to all the jockeys and been more transparent about how they made their decision. Did they look at what was happening in the early part of the race before MS veered?
 

Lacey

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12,362
So, @skipaway and/or @aftershocks, first of all, I agree the stewards should have interrogated all of the jockeys. Perhaps there should be a new investigation format, with a set time, say an hour (was that twice what they used, which everyone thought was intolerable), for that. They will just once in a while have to sit and get it right before any money changes hands. This happens rarely.

There will be no Triple Crown winner this year as I understand Country House is not strong enough to go for three or to go for the Belmont's distance?

So it seems the owners of Maximum Security, the Wests, will be ermitted to sue in real (not horse) court for lost income from the KD or potential income from the Preakness and Belmont and any other races if they choose to not run MS again this year. He was undefeated, prior to (and actually including) the KD, and that should mean lots of $$$ is potentially involved.

Is it a dumb question to ask if they can start over next year or are these races only for, say, three year olds and he will be too old?

If MS stands at stud, will his fee be affected? So he can sue for not high enough stud fees.

And I do agree, if it is ruled other horses interfered first, that the jockey Luis Saez probably somehow needs to have his reputation restored because my ignorant reaction was already to get MS a different mount if he goes again. But in one of his interviews even while still going back at the end of the race when we thought he had won, maybe the one with Donna Brothers, the jockey said something like this is a young baby horse who doesn't know everything yet. Perhaps the jock already knew at that point that the race was a mess. But the fault should be re-established.
 
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sk8pics

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@Lacey The Triple Crown races are only for 3-year-olds. This is one of the things that makes the Triple Crown so hard, you get exactly one chance to win it.

@aftershocks The interference in question did not happen early in the race, it happened at the final turn going into the home stretch. This is probably one factor that led to the DQ. If it had happened earlier, say in the first furlong, they may not have disqualified Max. The argument goes, some of the other horses had to stop their momentum, and it takes a bit for them to get going again, and at that point is exactly when the horses will try to start their move. Oh, and @Lacey the jockey knew for sure Max had veered out, and he knew right away that that could be a problem, but he probably did not expect to be disqualified. It actually looked to me at first like Max totally blew the turn, and so he lost momentum too.

That said, I disagree with the disqualification and the suspension of the jockey for a ridiculous 15 days. The extra video footage shows it's not perfectly clear who caused the trouble, and how much of an effect it had on the order of finish. If it's not obvious, the results should stand, and I think that is in international rules but perhaps not in Kentucky rules. National standards would help.

I don't know what the rule is in terms of interference from behind, but unless the horse in front goes down, they may not consider it much interference. I think the video has to be looked at to see if Max had already started veering out before the contact with WoW started, as I've heard some people say.

Country House came out of the race coughing, so it's not that he's "not strong enough" to run, it's that he's sick.

I really think the stewards disqualified Max because of the increased public attention on racing as a result of the fatalities at Santa Anita in December - March. I think that they took way too long looking at the replays, and their story changed as to what was claimed by whom and whether they intended to initiate an inquiry. I think if it's obvious what the problem was and the effect, it shouldn't take 20 minutes to make the decision. It's a shame. But at least no one was injured.
 

aftershocks

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Four-year-olds do not run in Kentucky Derby @Lacey.

Having gone back to look again and considering everything, I feel that War of Will and his jockey were the main cause of the problems in the middle of the race. And I think it's possible that WoW slightly clipped MS from behind before MS veered, and then Saez had a bit of trouble getting MS back on the correct lead. Thinking about it, I don't believe Saez tried to move MS to impede WoW, because jockeys are trained to move forward and MS was already ahead. I think Saez was reacting to MS's reaction to being slightly clipped from behind by WoW. But then what is most visible is MS veering. But WoW had already been on MS's heels and trying to maneuver behind MS (as even the track announcer mentions). All of that happened before MS veered.

The other part of this is that Country House clearly moved from right to left squeezing Long Range Toddy, while WoW's jockey was trying to get around MS through an opening that didn't exist (instead of being patient and taking an opening on the rail at the head of the stretch). With Country House pushing n from left to right, and WoW pushing in from left to right trying to force an opening, that's when Long Range Toddy got squeezed. And all of that happened before MS veered in front of WoW. Therefore, LRT's jockey should have lodged the complaint against Country House and War of Will.

It also seems to me that the race this year was unfortunately saddled by a number of jockeys who lacked veteran experience, and that includes jockeys on Country House, Long Range Toddy, War of Will, and Maximum Security. But Luis Saez and MS should not take the full load of blame. In fact the worst offenders were Country House and War of Will.

WoW's jockey had to struggle to maintain control of him throughout the race, and they did not get a good start out of the gate. Add to that the aggressive riding on WoW that happened prior to the visible reaction by MS and Saez. All of this happened in split seconds. WoW faltered mostly through his own lack of good position and aggressive riding that impacted LRT and MS. So MS veering was only the reaction, not the instigation. Country House gained the advantage because of pinching Long Range Toddy from the right, while WoW was pinching LRT from the left. MS was in his own lane ahead of these horses and was not involved in the initial problems. Country House capitalized on his participation in hampering LRT, and Country House also took advantage of WoW clipping MS and the subsequent veering by MS.

The telling factor is that WoW's jockey did not lodge any complaints, because he had been the aggressor. In fact, the complaints should have been lodged by LRT against Country House and WoW, and Maximum Security also had reason to complain about WoW. But since MS recovered and went on to win, there was no reason for MS's jockey to complain about the behavior that was going on behind him -- he thought he'd recovered and escaped it.

Sadly, the stewards are like the teacher who only notices the reaction of the student who was affected and visibly caught acting out, but had been provoked by another group of sly bullies who started the fracas. WoW and Country House were the cause of what was after the fact claimed as endangerment by MS. But any endangerment by MS had been precipitated by the actions of Country House and especially War of Will. So no! MS did not prevent WoW from winning, and Country House was not impacted at all by MS. Country House impeded LRT to try and gain position, or else Country House may have come in 4th or 5th. WoW jockey should not have tried to force an opening, which is also what impeded Long Range Toddy. Had WoW remained patient, he might have gained a position on the rail. Had Country House not moved in on LRT, then LRT might not have gotten pinched on both sides.

I hope the West owners will at least be able to win monetary damages, and at the least get the acknowledgement that it was WoW and Country House who caused the endangerment, and that MS's reaction was caused by WoW's behavior. They can let the KD results stand because I don't think that's going to change, except I hope that it will be acknowledged that MS should not have been placed behind LRT because MS did not hamper LRT. It was the behavior of Country House and WoW that hampered LRT.
 

Vagabond

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I don't know what the rule is in terms of interference from behind, but unless the horse in front goes down, they may not consider it much interference.
Again, a horse is disqualified only if it caused another horse to finish worse than it would have done if the interference had not happened (and in many other countries, only if the horse that suffered the interference would have finished ahead of the one causing interference. Maximum Security finished first, so no other horse could have been disqualified for interfering with him.
 

aftershocks

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^^ Obviously @Vagabond. That's why Saez thought he'd survived. He knew something had happened with his horse, but that he'd gotten him under control and crossed the finish line. The problem is the clipping prior to the veering is not definitively detectable. There's plenty detectable in the video though to recognize that Saez should not be fined or suspended. If anything, WoW jockey and Country House jockey should be fined or suspended for impeding Long Range Toddy!
___________________________

I only read your post after I had previously posted @sk8pics. So yes, I agree with you. I was the one who said that it's not beyond a doubt clear about the contact from WoW on MS from behind. But taking it all into consideration, I do think WoW was obviously on MS's heels and trying to push for an opening that wasn't there. That's clear. It's also clear that Country House pinched LRT from the right while WoW was pinching in from the left. LRT's jockey should have lodged the complaint against Country House and WoW, not Maximum Security.

WoW seemingly gained position to the right of MS, instead of waiting patiently to get a position on the rail. I get that it looks to the stewards like Saez then tried to move out in front of WoW. But I don't think that's what happened all things considered. Saez should certainly NOT be suspended. He was trying to gain control of his horse, and he managed to do so. WoW had been the aggressor throughout the early part of the race, trying to gain advantage. That's clear if only the stewards had carefully reviewed those frames and spoken to ALL of the jockeys involved. The stewards made a hasty decision based on the very visible disallowed reaction by MS and the complaint lodged by LRT's jockey, who clearly should have been complaining against Country House and WoW. Country House's jockey had a nerve lodging a complaint against Maximum Security. WoW jockey didn't lodge a complaint because he knows his own faults and the trouble he had out of the gate and throughout the race getting WoW under control and trying to gain position, all of which happened before MS veered! Because of the stewards' official call, everyone is ganging up now on MS and Saez. It was a wrong call!

It is a disaster. Unfortunately, the lawyer video pushes too heavily on WoW clipping MS 4 or 5 times. I think it was more likely one or two clips on MS's right hind leg before MS veered and the additional contact happened. There's no doubt that the video clearly shows WoW coming up on MS's heels, as called by the announcer early in the race. Plus, we clearly see Country House pinching LRT while WoW is trying to press for an opening between LRT and MS that didn't exist, in order to come around to the right of MS.
 
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Vagabond

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25,384
@aftershocks, Maximum Security was disqualified as a result of a protest lodged by the rider of Long Range Toddy, not the one lodged by Country House's jockey. I suggest that you move on.
 

aftershocks

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@aftershocks, Maximum Security was disqualified as a result of a protest lodged by the rider of Long Range Toddy, not the one lodged by Country House's jockey. I suggest that you move on.

@Vagabond dear, you can suggest whatever you please. And I will think and express exactly what I please. Take care of yourself and stop worrying about me.

Both Country House's jockey and LRT's jockey lodged complaints. And since I listened to the decision and I read about it, and I listened to the reports, I know that the DQ was not based on Country House's complaint, especially since Max's unfortunate reaction did not impact Country House. In fact, it was Country House's moving in on LRT that benefited Country House coming in second (along with WoW's actions). And I say again, all things considered, Country House's jockey 'had a nerve' lodging a complaint against Maximum Security.

The fallout from the race and the subsequent DQ will in particular have no one who was adversely impacted 'moving on' for quite awhile, albeit those who benefited from the decision surely wish to put it all behind them. In addition, the DQ will forever be remembered because it occurred in the Kentucky Derby, the most historic and highly anticipated horse race in the world. The decision won't be forgotten, and its full impact on everyone involved will continue to be played out for some time.
 

aftershocks

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And I do agree, if it is ruled other horses interfered first, that the jockey Luis Saez probably somehow needs to have his reputation restored because my ignorant reaction was already to get MS a different mount if he goes again. But in one of his interviews even while still going back at the end of the race when we thought he had won, maybe the one with Donna Brothers, the jockey said something like this is a young baby horse who doesn't know everything yet. Perhaps the jock already knew at that point that the race was a mess. But the fault should be re-established.

Saez apparently didn't know what happened that caused Max to switch leads. It's unfortunate that Saez mentioned the crowd noise. After additional review of a slo-mo tape from an angle that shows the moment when Max switched leads, I doubt it had anything to do with the crowd noise. All the sturm und drang after the race ended obscures what happened that can't be as easily seen as Max obviously drifting. The precipitating factor happened in split seconds. Take a look at the below video on mute (I'm not paying any attention to the inflammatory description by the person who posted it):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=4Qzm-sbftWc (mute sound to concentrate on the footage)

See footage of the entire race, and most importantly a slo-mo angle from :50 - :57. Max's switch of leads happens suddenly at about :53 right after Max is almost imperceptibly clipped on the right hind hoof by War of Will. Max is still in his own lane when he gets clipped by War of Will coming up from behind. If you move the video back further, it shows WoW trying to challenge to the right of Max, and Max pulls away, before being fatefully challenged again and clipped on the right hind hoof. I get that a frame-by-frame breakdown is necessary because it happens quickly. Still, it's possible to see when Max switches leads, after WoW just clips Max on the right hind hoof.

The endangerment was caused by War of Will first forcing an opening between horses that wasn't there in an attempt to come around to Max's right. Max pulls away and then WoW comes up again to challenge too close on Max's right hindquarters which leads to the inadvertent contact. Country House and his jockey also pressed in from right to left at one point, squeezing Bodexpress and Long Range Toddy, while War of Will and jockey Gafflione squeezed those horses from left to right before interfering with Max from behind.

IMO, the problem with the lawyer video is that they are overplaying WoW's interference, and they don't carefully focus on the moment when Max switches leads after being slightly clipped by WoW from behind. Max was being crowded at points during the race by WoW. The announcers mention issues with WoW at least three times, stating at one point before the fateful incident that, "WoW comes up on Max's heels..."

Fortunately, perhaps by divine intervention, Max didn't trip and fall after being clipped from behind by WoW. The divine miracles continued after Max switched leads and WoW's front hoofs came directly in between Max's rear hoofs. Max and jockey Saez are taking the fall for what appears to have been directly (albeit unintentionally) caused by WoW and his jockey, with some indirect participation by Country House and his jockey. The difficulty is that the interference by WoW just before Max switches leads happens in the blink of an eye and can't be easily seen without careful examination, whereas Max's drifting reaction is very easy to see.

It's being exaggerated in some accounts that Max moved over by three or four lanes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRu0x2hzSks (NBC report: How can racing move past the KD controversy?)
Max drifted more like one-and-a-half lanes before Saez straightened him out. Max clearly had a lot in him, and would probably have won by a greater distance if not for the interference by WoW and the subsequent drifting.

The stewards seemingly felt pressure to make a quick decision. I doubt they had been planning to make an inquiry initially. If fatalities in other recent races, @sk8pics, factored into their decision, along with politics, then that's a serious concern, because it means the stewards did not focus on carefully determining what happened in the race they were reviewing, the 2019 Kentucky Derby! Maybe the history making occurrence should have been the stewards stating they needed more time to study all of the evidence and talk to all of the jockeys involved in order to be able to make an accurate judgment call. Perhaps the stewards figured the second time WoW came up on Max, that Saez was attempting to cut off WoW. That would be a bonehead move though.

It's not easy to see, but I think it's clear that WoW clipped Max on the right hind hoof, after which Max immediately switched leads and moved to his right, which led to the further interference (thankfully not fatal). IMO, Saez is only being suspended belatedly because the Wests and Saez are suing. And I think they are suing because looking closely at crucial angles of the race's footage, there's enough evidence to question the decision by the stewards.

Original full race footage on NBC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci_ychn7ga0
 

aftershocks

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17,317
Initially, I thought War of Will had the short end of the stick. Unfortunately, I believe it's more the case that Maximum Security has received the short end of the stick. Also, many observers and horse industry people don't agree with the Saez suspension.

Although, there are some people who point out that Saez has been suspended or fined a few times over the past several months for his riding. But that shouldn't color what happened in the KD race, unless poor behavior by Saez is blatantly obvious, and it isn't in the KD race. There's a great deal of 'taking sides' going on by some fans of horse racing. And others who are perturbed by the way the stewards did not allow any questions/ lacked transparency regarding how they arrived at their decision.

I wonder in general whether jockeys today are under more pressure to perform because the stakes are much higher and opportunities to prove oneself at the higher echelons difficult to achieve. Reportedly, the industry is not doing that well, except for the big, established races.

I heard that Improbable (Bob Baffert) is currently the Preakness favorite, followed by War of Will. Country House would likely not have been in the running had he been able to run in the Preakness. I wonder if Country House will continue to race throughout this season and next season.

At least there's some good news: Maximum Security had x-rays performed on his hind legs, which were scratched and beaten up, and the x-rays came back negative. His owners will be allowing him some time to rest and recover. Max's trainer, Jason Servis said:
"He got beat up a little bit in the Kentucky Derby but we're fortunate it was nothing too serious. He just needs some time. I will let him tell me (when he's ready to race again).”

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/...epared-to-move-forward-with-maximum-security/
 

genevieve

drinky typo pbp, closet hugger (she/her)
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This whole TC is just wild.

Thoughts on what weird thing will happen at the Belmont?
 

aftershocks

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:lol: War of Will and jockey Gafflione learned their f'ing lesson, I'll say. Gafflione no longer the aggressor in the Preakness, eh. He sure as hell kept his horse's a$$ on the rail this time, and it paid off big time. At least they didn't try to force an opening where none existed, like they did in the KD, impeding Long Range Toddy and Bodexpress, and fatefully bothering and clipping Maximum Security on the right hind hoof.

Also, in the KD, Country House with Flavien Prat aboard, successfully squeezed out Bodexpress from the left (causing a domino effect), while WoW was pressing LRT from the opposite side. Anyone who can't see that or who doesn't want to see it because of the 'choke-choke' easy way out decision by the KD stewards, can continue heaping sympathy and praise upon Gafflione and WoW. Might as well throw in some praise for Prat's actions too in the KD aboard Country House! CH conveniently ended up with a cough after the KD and thus was backed out of the Preakness, which he had no chance to win anyway. :rofl:

Sadly, in the Preakness, the guy holding fast to Bodexpress' rein in the starting gate was dozing off and still holding onto Bode's rein when the gates opened. :yawn: That's why poor Bode bucked and unseated his rider. :drama: Thankfully, neither the jockey nor the horse were seriously injured. It's usually not the horse's fault, but boy are they easy to blame. Speaking of the blame game, the bandwagon consensus now is to paint Maximum Security and Saez as the villains of the KD race, and to heap sympathy and oodles of admiration upon WoW who got 'cut-off' in the KD by 'big, bad' Maximum Security and 'reckless' Saez. Of course, the reality is that a lot of these young jockeys are overly aggressive and reckless. None of the horses should be blamed. I'll bet the horses know what happened in the KD race, but even if the horses could talk, the stewards wouldn't listen. :judge:

Had the stewards carefully looked at the entire KD race, and had the courage to delay a decision until they had spoken to all the jockeys involved, and had the footage fully and thoroughly examined frame-by-frame at important angles, the best result would have been: Leave the KD race as it stood, reprimand Prat and Gafflione, and issue a cautionary warning to Saez. In addition, issue a strict warning to all jockeys to ride with more care and responsibility. The other important task would have been to fully explain to the public what actually happened and how they arrived at a decision to leave the race as it stood.

Regarding the Preakness results: Sweet indeedy for Gafflione, Casse, WoW and his owners! Not a bad win, especially with Maximum Security not in the race, and Bodexpress also not a factor. Just call WoW, 'Free Pass' from now on, cuz Gafflione and Casse know they dodged a bullet in the KD, and I ain't talking about dodging a disastrous and fatal pile-up (that if it had occurred would have been precipitated by Gafflione's rough ride on WoW, and Prat's decision to squeeze out Bodexpress). Face facts bandwaggoners: The only reason Gafflione didn't lodge a complaint after the infamous KD race, is because he knew it was possible he could be implicated himself for what really happened in that race. In fact, after the KD race, Gafflione attempted to excuse his pressing into a hole that didn't exist between LRT and MS, by tweeting: "It's called anticipating a spot..." Gafflione later erased the tweet, but the Internet has a forever memory.

Meanwhile, most people don't really care, and horse racing fans are divided into different camps. Those who are participants in horse racing either use their words with care, or fall in behind supporting the KD stewards, because they know where and how their bread is buttered. At least Bob Baffert had the gumption to say immediately after the KD race that he didn't agree with the DQ of Maximum Security. But again, most people involved in horse racing will now stay away from making any comment, or will find ways to make jokes, such as this one: "Country House is the first KD winner to not race in the Preakness since, ummm, oh since Maximum Security." :rofl: That's not my joke. It's just one of the laugh-inducers making the rounds in the industry.
 

aftershocks

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17,317
As far as the 2019 Preakness race, fortunately there were only 13 horses in that race (12 with riders), so that makes a difference. Bodexpress being taken out from the start by the handler not releasing Bode's rein when the gate opened, could have been a factor in the race's overall outcome. We'll never know how Bode would have managed to run in the Preakness with a jockey in the saddle. :saint: :(

Stablemates, Warrior's Charge and Owendale, ran very well with WC leading throughout a good portion of the race, and Owendale coming in third, just a nose out of second (both are trained by Brad Cox who is considering Owendale for the Belmont). Gafflione on WoW obviously ran a smarter race in the Preakness, after escaping opprobrium and any faulty consequences for his questionable actions in the KD. Improbable was likely improbable from the start, and his trainer, Baffert probably knew it. Bettors were apparently banking on Baffert's reputation, not on Improbable's racing stats. :COP:

Alwaysmining and Anothertwistafate were in the Preakness betting, but appear to be also-rans who are not in the mining nor counting on a happy twist of fate for the duration of this season. Signalman missed all the signals in this race. Meanwhile, Win Win Win – Lost Lost Lost, and Bourbon's War should probably lay off the hard stuff. ;) Twelfth place Market King should give up shopping because he is unlikely to land on the throne. Everfast lasted for second, and Laughing Fox was apparently outfoxed and not laughing so hard at the end of this Preakness.
So, War of Will won the 2019 Preakness Stakes, but he's no War Admiral! :soapbox:

Let's find out though whether or not War of Will might prove to be a Seabiscuit to so far unbeaten Maximum Security!!! :watch: But please may good karma allow any future outcomes to result from a clean race!!!

You heard it here first horse racing lovers. :gallopin1
 

aftershocks

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17,317
The Wests will hopefully be fairly heard in a court of law. Some see Max's owners as poor sports. But let's face it, after the Wests saw footage of the KD race from the revealing angle, they have a right to be upset about WoW's interference. Also, with Max and Saez being painted as the KD villains, the Wests are rightfully determined to gain some due respect for their horse and rider.

I think the attorneys are overplaying the hand a bit though by claiming that Max was hit multiple times in his own lane, instead of focusing more specifically on the video frame that explicitly shows when Max was clipped, which immediately caused him to switch leads and drift out of his lane. Max was being bothered and then clipped on the right hind hoof which caused him to switch leads. But once Max drifted out of his lane, that's when the further 'multiple hit' contact by WoW happened, which is easier to see. So the stewards timidly based their decision on what was easier to see.

West is challenging owners of War of Will, Long Range Toddy, Bodexpress, and Country House (and pledging any proceeds he may receive to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund):

https://www.si.com/horse-racing/2019/05/17/maximum-security-challenge-gary-west-kentucky-derby

I've also seen it reported that Maximum Security may race next in the Haskell.
 

genevieve

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the way things are going, probably one of those weird dudes who run onto playing fields shirtless with a website written on their chest. Who will miraculously not get trampled, but will certainly interfere with Bodexpress.
 

aftershocks

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Did any of you see the video of a guy who once ran onto the track during a race? It was not one of the Triple Crown races, but it happened on Preakness Day at Pimlico in 1999. The guy stood waiting in the path of oncoming horses, as the jockeys tried to steer their horses around him. Then the fool balled up his fist and attempted to punch out one of the horses, for what possible reason is not clear (though he later claimed he was trying to commit suicide -- the video doesn't support that claim). Too much to drink, or perhaps a mental problem are probably understated guesses.

Fortunately, this hell-bent individual wasn't successful in physically harming any of the horses or jockeys, and he wasn't trampled either, except by several security guards who ran onto the field and tackled him to the ground after the horses had passed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpxMHOAo1o The jockeys were understandably rattled, especially the one who was hit on the boot by the punch. All bets on the race were refunded.

And then there's this bizarre incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqxOzdpTJTM


In more heartwarming news, I came across these blog posts by the young rider who helped train and transition former race horse Cozmic One (a son of the great Zenyatta) to a new career in eventing and show jumping. Brava to the young rider, and kudos to Cozmic One! :cheer2:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/keyword/blogger-isabela-de-sousa
 

sk8pics

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In more heartwarming news, I came across these blog posts by the young rider who helped train and transition former race horse Cozmic One (a son of the great Zenyatta) to a new career in eventing and show jumping. Brava to the young rider, and kudos to Cozmic One! :cheer2:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/keyword/blogger-isabela-de-sousa
Isabella is nice young woman. I met her one time at Old Friends, when she and a friend were going to visit Alphabet Soup and groom him and braid his mane. She sounded like a typical teen to me. :lol: Then I met her again last October at the Thoroughbred Makeover, and met Coz too. They'd posted on Facebook what barn they were in so people could find them and meet Coz. She was braiding his mane when I walked by and told me to keep petting him while she did because it distracted him. :lol: Her dad was there too and they were both very welcoming and friendly, and her dad took a picture of me with Coz while Isabela was still braiding his mane. :lol: Coz did quite well and I think they both have bright futures.

Oh, and I also got to meet Ann Moss, who is one of the owners of Zenyatta and jointly owns Coz with the de Sousas. She was quite gracious too.
 

aftershocks

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Isabella is nice young woman. I met her one time at Old Friends, when she and a friend were going to visit Alphabet Soup and groom him and braid his mane. She sounded like a typical teen to me. :lol: Then I met her again last October at the Thoroughbred Makeover, and met Coz too. They'd posted on Facebook what barn they were in so people could find them and meet Coz. She was braiding his mane when I walked by and told me to keep petting him while she did because it distracted him. :lol: Her dad was there too and they were both very welcoming and friendly, and her dad took a picture of me with Coz while Isabela was still braiding his mane. :lol: Coz did quite well and I think they both have bright futures.

Oh, and I also got to meet Ann Moss, who is one of the owners of Zenyatta and jointly owns Coz with the de Sousas. She was quite gracious too.

Thanks for sharing! Ah, how cool to rub shoulders with wonderful horse people, and especially with the horses, who put up with so much from us humans. Boy can horses teach us a lot, when/if we listen and learn. :saint:

Zenyatta has had ups-and-downs in her mating career. Her first filly, Z Princess (by War Front), was euthanized after a tragic paddock accident in 2014; another foal (by War Front) died in 2016 from a respiratory problem, and yet another foal (by Into Mischief) was aborted in 2018 due to 'low-grade placentitis'; Ziconic (by Tapit) had a somewhat better racing career than Cozmic One (by Bernardini) https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Zenyatta_progeny I'm not sure where Ziconic is now, or whether he's still owned by the Moss family. I hope he's okay. Zellda (2-year-old by Medaglia d'Oro) apparently hasn't been raced yet: https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Z17

In any case, Zenyatta gave fans, her riders, trainer and owners so much. She doesn't need to do anymore. And whatever progeny she conceives and successfully births don't need to be great on a racetrack either. I'm so glad Cozmic One is finding joy and purpose with a new owner and a different career.
 

aftershocks

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Yes, it was not a fast pace. Sir Winston outlasted and the commentators said his jockey also maneuvered him smartly to cover less ground during the race. There was comment about some bumping of Tacitus against WoW, and Sir Winston 'pinching' WoW a bit to get out in front in the stretch. But WoW didn't look like he was going to manage this distance anyway, coming back from the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness in short order. Some of the other horses, like Tacitus and Sir Winston were better rested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGpuF19ZrU0 2019 Belmont Sir Winston 1st, Tacitus 2nd, pacesetter Joevia 3rd

Trainer Casse had WoW and Sir Winston in this race, so he must be on Cloud Nine.

One of the analysts on this show picked Sir Winston, and he was right!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-HQhyyyZRM

And none of the Daily Line predictors picked WoW either
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_tyJa1Fnvo Tacitus was picked on this show

Another pre-Belmont analysis show ran down the fact there was a lot of 'jockey-switching' of horses, including the fact that Joel Rosario, the jockey who placed second on Everfast in The Preakness, switched to Sir Winston in The Belmont. Very interesting. And Luis Saez rode Everfast, so his suspension must have been lifted after his appeal.



In other racing news, the stewards did speak to jockeys after the ruling in the KD, and it's now been reported:

The quotes by Tyler Gafflione, jockey on WoW, are defensive and inaccurate. But all of the jockeys backed the fact that what happened in the KD was not Luis Saez's fault. Saez said he isn't sure what happened but he felt Maximum Security jump, switch leads and his ears went up at the same time, a clear indication the horse was reacting to something.

“'In that moment,' Saez said, 'I was not really sure (if it was) the crowd … or somebody hit him from behind. The thing was he jumped at that moment... It went from the back of his butt. He was like, Ow,...'"

The footage linked earlier in this thread shows in a slo-mo frame-by-frame breakdown that Maximum Security was brushed and then clipped slightly on the right hind hoof by WoW, after which Max immediately switched leads and moved out of his lane. But of course, no one wants to know about the precipitating factor now. I think it's simply that the side footage showed the stewards something they hadn't considered before making their initial decision and they couldn't back out of their ruling. Thus, they ignored what all the jockeys said in the meeting, and gave Saez a suspension, probably in part because of the suit by the Wests.

It's interesting that Gafflione is defensive about Saez's comments as well as Jon Court's claim (he rode Long Range Toddy) that WoW bumped LRT twice. WoW's contact with LRT is clearly visible in the video of the KD race as well. But not mentioned in the article is the fact that Flavien Prat had squeezed in from the left against Bodexpress, which was part of the domino effect LRT and Bodexpress were both impacted by.
 
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skipaway

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So, I think the brushing of WOW by Sir Winston was minimal and WOW would not have been in the top 3. The explanation by NBC’s broadcast team that both were trained by Casse and therefore no objection would be forthcoming is questionable ethics by Casse. Casse is training for two ownerships and has a duty to both, yes? So, if the bumping had been more egregious, I would have expected an objection by the jockey, stewards or Casse himself despite the impact on his winning horse.
 

Vagabond

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There was a quite a bit of bumping in the Belmont, including what the chartmaker called a "solid bump" between War of Will and Tacitus (after the bump between War of Will and Sir Winston). As we know, however, ;) (1) the stewards won't disqualify a horse for bumping a rival unless the other horse would have achieved a better placement but for the bumping and (2) Tyler Gafflione is not the most likely jockey to file an objection when his own mount wouldn't be getting purse money anyhow.
 

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