Horse Racing - Starting Gate

[onlooker]

Watching the coverage for the Belmont Stakes, they had the running of the Acorn Stakes? Not sure that is the right race or not.

But there was another starting gate problem with a horse. The horse flip over and get stuck under the gate. Im surprised how the jocky got out of there with out getting injured. I think the horse that got stuck under the gate kicked the horse to the right of them, and got that horse scratched as well as the that flipped on its back.

My question is to all you horse bettors. Is this a common thing to see starting gate troubles? Or are they far and few between each other? Have you lost bets because of starting gate problems?

Also, if you go to the track a lot. What is the worse starting gate problem you have seen or heard of?

[picantel]

few and far between I would say. getting trapped under would be about the worse that could happen. I see them rear up alot in quarter horse races but nothing much happens in a regular race. Most of the worst accidents are in harness racing. One guys horse went down to his knees from chicago and he was catapulted through the air and landed with his nuts on the railing. It tore open his sac and he was kicked out of the hospital within a few days for cursing at the nurses who tried to clean his wound lol. Who would blame him

[kdmfox]

Lots of horses get jittery in the starting gate but injuries are relatively rare ... I'm basically a harness guy but after the gate opens I get a chuckle as the t-breds bounce off each other ... Some of those horses have a mind of their own and go sideways when they feel like it ... Harness horses go where the driver wants them to.

[Seattle Slew]

I'd say overall, it's rare, but it's been happening a lot lately at many tracks. Likely just a coincidence.

I saw the incident before the Acorn at Belmont, and 2 hours later it happened again in the 5th race at Hollywood Park. The No. 9 broke through the gate, they returned him behind the gate, and the vet ordered him scratched.

The Barbaro incident will now force vets to look at the horses more carefully. I thought I heard someone say today that a horse also broke through during a race today at Churchill Downs, was reloaded and actually won the race.