The So. Cal Stewards are F'king Retarded

[madmaxx]

The 9th at Santa Anita today (Saturday) is just one instance but is the worst I've seen in a while. First and foremost, outside of the crap at Fairplex, DO NOT LET MARTIN PEDROZA RIDE YOUR HORSE.

Rosario will probably get a suspension for this and if the 7 doesn't break down there is not even an inquiry. The "bump" didn't even impede the 7 or break his momentum...Pedroza beats the living shit out of every horse he rides and has done so for 15 years. It is not a coincidence that he is constantly in "accidents." Nakatani used to do the same thing until he got in big trouble and now you'll notice that he can't win in Cali anymore. Martin Garcia is bad but Baffert just wants to win and collect checks and couldn't care less about the well-being of the horses in his stable.

Regardless, there is no rationale behind the #5 being disqualified in that race, other than the fact that one person hit the super high 5 which was impossible even if you absolutely love Quinonez on shots (which I do). If Twirling Candy broke down after being ambushed by Chantal/Game on Dude and Setsuko...would there have been no DQ in that race? I highly doubt it. Since TC seemed to come out of it "okay," they pass the blame to Twirling Candy being a green horse who's all over the place. The lack of consistency by the stewards is a complete joke. Call it the same way every race. The 7 was still full of run (or so it seemed) and just collapsed, I don't think Rosario's horse and the little 'tap' caused that, I think it was Pedroza beating the horse until he had a heart attack.

[Dark Horse]

They're saying the horse is ok. Teasing Bernie. Glad I didn't see the race. Tuned out after Tapizar's win. Ridden by Nakatani, by the way...

[madmaxx]

Ummmmm, there is no way that horse is okay. That was one of the nastiest spills I've seen in a while and afterwards he couldn't even attempt to get up.

Tapizar caught a dream race cause Baffert's horse didn't go with him and the 4 got scratched. I wouldn't give Nakatani credit for that race, Rick Plano could have rode that horse to victory today.

[str]

Sorry that they took your horse down. I went to the S.A. website and watched the replay of your race. The lead horse definitely came out and into the fallen horse causing him to fall. But why did he fall ? We see that type of bumping all the time. Here is why. The horse that fell had been on his left lead since the beginning of the far turn. He never switched back to his right lead. The horse that was DQ'ed did switch his lead but not until about the 1/8th pole. So what you had was the lead horse with his weight being driven from his right shoulder while the horse that fell had his weight being driven from his left shoulder. When the lead horse veered in for a bit and then out and into the horse that fell he hit him directly on the left shoulder just as he was striding with that left front leg. He was air born when contact was make with that leg. That caused him to be knocked off balance at just the wrong time and it undercut him. Similar to when a big tight end gets his leg cut out from under him by a small corner and goes down easily instead of hitting him high and needing 3 guys to get him down.
Your right about the horse not being necessarily O.K. afterwards. No , he was not lame right afterwards so nothing catastrophic hopefully. But you can bet that he is sore as hell today and will be for a few more at a minimum. Hopefully he did not break anything and will be back in a month or so but who knows.
The horse that came out on him needed to be DQ'ed in this case. I can not speak to the consistency of the stewards but I know what you are saying. It is frustrating to say the least.
He might have gotten up had that not happened. Who knows.That is a tough way to lose.

[Dark Horse]

Ummmmm, there is no way that horse is okay. That was one of the nastiest spills I've seen in a while and afterwards he couldn't even attempt to get up.

I read he was ok. Which is the main thing when something like this happens. So I hope that's true. I'm sorry you lost a race, but can't help thinking that a money-related complaint in a race where one of the horses got into a spill that could have easily cost him his life is ... not very humane. I don't really get that. I vaguely recall I lost money on Galex last month, but it meant nothing when I realized he was euthanized at the track. If this sounds like a lecture, it's not intended to be. More of a reminder of who make racing possible in the first place. And I agree that stewards need to be more consistent.

[madmaxx]

The main worry for me is the horse and I wasn't pissed because I lost money on the race; if the 7 doesn't go down he wins for fun. I don't know if you guys have seen episode 1 of "Luck" on HBO yet but there's a scene there that was hard for me to watch and that's just a show. Even though it happens all the time in racing, its never easier...whether its Charismatic, Eight Belles, or some 10k claimer, its still disheartening to watch after 20+ years and having seen countless accidents on TV and in person.

Str, I appreciate you breaking down the stretch run and your explanation. After further review, I could see how a DQ was warranted in some regard. Still, if the same incident happened but the 7 doesn't break down (and finishes 2nd)...I have a feeling they would have kept the 5 up. That is what I was more pissed about...not an isolated incident but the stewards in Cali in general.

I'm glad the horse was okay as you guys have said...from the stewards' replay that showed the fall I was only able to see him try to get up and fall right back down. This race may have been a coincidence but I still think Pedroza rides the horses way too hard and gets whip happy when its not necessary.

[str]

The main worry for me is the horse and I wasn't pissed because I lost money on the race; if the 7 doesn't go down he wins for fun. I don't know if you guys have seen episode 1 of "Luck" on HBO yet but there's a scene there that was hard for me to watch and that's just a show. Even though it happens all the time in racing, its never easier...whether its Charismatic, Eight Belles, or some 10k claimer, its still disheartening to watch after 20+ years and having seen countless accidents on TV and in person.

Str, I appreciate you breaking down the stretch run and your explanation. After further review, I could see how a DQ was warranted in some regard. Still, if the same incident happened but the 7 doesn't break down (and finishes 2nd)...I have a feeling they would have kept the 5 up. That is what I was more pissed about...not an isolated incident but the stewards in Cali in general.

I'm glad the horse was okay as you guys have said...from the stewards' replay that showed the fall I was only able to see him try to get up and fall right back down. This race may have been a coincidence but I still think Pedroza rides the horses way too hard and gets whip happy when its not necessary.

I must have held 20 or so horses that were being put down while at the track. It is such a very hard thing to do especially if you are the groom and the horse hears you coming into the shed at 5 AM when it is still dark outside and meets you at the door doing some silly routine every day. Every bit the same as having to do it with a dog or close pet. Nothing easy about it, but, it is part of the game. Don't think that the horses don't know this. They do. At least the older and smarter ones. It is really good that the horse will be O.K.
Inconsistent stewards used to drive me crazy. When I first started I was too young to say anything but as the years went by, I would call them in a heartbeat if I did not agree and was part of the decision. It is bad for the game . I hope that is not the case out in Calif. I don't follow Cal. at all. Never did much.
You might be right about the jockey, I don't know him either but maybe I will pay some attention if I see him in a race.
I hope that that the next take down works IN your favor. Those things are supposed to even out, but it never feels like it does it.
I missed the "Luck" promo but I will be sure and watch it when it comes on. Hope it is realistic.

[thezbar]

I've seen the pilot episode of Luck and the scene where they put a horse "down" is at the end of the episode. It will stir things up once it hits the public airways. Even so it was edited in such a way that its not as sickening as seeing it in person. It goes with the darker tones the show seems to project.
As for the horse in Question train Jim Cassidy stated on HRTV over the weekend the concern of head issues.That's not something they can test for. A fall like that could make the horse "dingy" as I understand it.

[str]

I've seen the pilot episode of Luck and the scene where they put a horse "down" is at the end of the episode. It will stir things up once it hits the public airways. Even so it was edited in such a way that its not as sickening as seeing it in person. It goes with the darker tones the show seems to project.
As for the horse in Question train Jim Cassidy stated on HRTV over the weekend the concern of head issues.That's not something they can test for. A fall like that could make the horse "dingy" as I understand it.

He is correct. I have seen horses NEVER be the same again(rare) and plenty that were absolutely fine( usually this). You never know until time goes by and you see how things are handled by the horse moving forward.
Let's hope for the best.

[TonyP]

I watched the pilot episode of Luck on tube+ (tube plus) this is going to be a great series

[madmaxx]

The first ep was a bit unrealistic and had some mathematical errors..especially concerning the cost of their pick6 ticket and the eventual payouts. Guessing they were less concerned with the true horse players who would point this out and more concerned with the broader audience who wouldn't notice (or care). Still should be a good series.