One Wacky Race

[bigmack]

Hollywood Race 7: MSW

They couldn't load Thust for quite a spell. Finally the race starts. Thust is last for most of the 1 1/16. Leader @ the 16th is Waveland Avenue who breaks down taking down another with him. Meanwhile, Thust is making ground when Vic says: "No way he catches Waveland Avenue". He wins paying $109.80.

Hey Vic - Is Corredor pronounced Corriador?

[toetoe]

All I know is : Thust spanked Zarathustra. YES !!

[beenacoach]

Waveland went down and Gobblers Knob fell over him leaving Thrust to win the race. Very sad.

[rrbauer]

Shame on Neil Drysdale for sending out a horse, THRUST, that delayed the start by an easy 5 minutes....(that horse should've been scratched when it wouldn't front load and it wouldn't back load). Shame on the starter and stewards for allowing this rogue to disrupt the loading and start process with his antics.

And, shame on the stewards for allowing this "race" to be declared a "race" when the leader breaks down inside the 1/16th pole and causes the runner-up and apparent winner to be disqualified because he stumbled and dislodged his rider while trying to avoid collision with the downed horse/jockey.

Adding insult to injury is allowing THRUST, running wide in the stretch and avoiding the downed horses/riders to become the winner.

If there was ever a "non race" this was it. And, Hollywood Park and the stewards just went on as if nothing had happened.

This is really sad stuff.

[beenacoach]

Yes the horse breaking down is truly sad. The rest of it is what they call racing luck and there is nothing that anyone can do about racing luck. I have no idea what you are thinking can or should be done in a case like that. If they had declared it a non-race and refunded money people would have gone nuts if they had a win ticket (or an exotic ticket) on Thrust. It is unfortunate that it happened but there is nothing that the stewards could have or should have done differntly.

[falconridge]

Sorry, mack. You're bigger than your thread-starter would have its readers believe.

Love ya though I do, under these circumstances niggling at Vic strikes me as more than a bit callous. :ThmbDown: Ultimately, the only part of Vic's call that should matter is his description of the fate of the ill-starred Waveland Avenue and Gobbler's Knob. Relatively speaking, nothing else is of any consequence. And Mr. Stauffer sounded genuinely distraught, not only during the survivors' gallop-out, but in the detached tone in which he uttered the post-race plaudits for Thrust and its connections.

Knowing you know better, and on the qui vive for word on the condition of Messrs. Valdivia and Baze,

fr :(

[beenacoach]

I was watching on TVG and it was obviouse that Frank Lyons and the guys were very upset by what happened. They also showed Valdivia and how upset he was after the race. People that think those in the racing industry don't care about the horses are sadly mistaken (at least for the vast majority of the people in the Industry...there are exceptions to every rule of course),

[Marshall Bennett]

Didn't look as if anyone could avoid what happened . Its unfortunate and although it doesn't seem fair , the 9 horse finished first and deserves a victory .

[bigmack]

Sorry, mack. You're bigger than your thread-starter would have its readers believe.

Knowing you know better, and on the qui vive for word on the condition of Messrs. Valdivia and Baze,
Apologies any who read me wrong. I was just on my way out the door and started the thread on my exodus and just returned.

What was meant was the irony of how infrequently VJS would utter such a phrase "there's no way he can catch"...and it happening in such a tragic way. The irony of Thust being the lollygagger. The irony of the whole race.

Any repartee with VJS, I needle.

All in all, it was one strange race and at this point my leanings are with the sentiments of RRBauer.

[rrbauer]

The problem is where does it start and where does it end?

I can understand one horse going down and losing the lead and the race to another horse. In this case, another horse went down trying to avoid the first horse and that cost him the race. So, what if another two or three horses go down that result in a horse winning that would've been 4th or 5th?

Where do you draw the line?

[beenacoach]

The line is drawn before the race starts and it is the finish line. He who crosses it first without fouling someone or breaking any other rules wins. Same in every kind of racing I know of. From the Olympics to NASCAR and everything in between.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Shame on Neil Drysdale for sending out a horse, THRUST, that delayed the start by an easy 5 minutes....(that horse should've been scratched when it wouldn't front load and it wouldn't back load). Shame on the starter and stewards for allowing this rogue to disrupt the loading and start process with his antics.

And, shame on the stewards for allowing this "race" to be declared a "race" when the leader breaks down inside the 1/16th pole and causes the runner-up and apparent winner to be disqualified because he stumbled and dislodged his rider while trying to avoid collision with the downed horse/jockey.

Adding insult to injury is allowing THRUST, running wide in the stretch and avoiding the downed horses/riders to become the winner.

If there was ever a "non race" this was it. And, Hollywood Park and the stewards just went on as if nothing had happened.

This is really sad stuff.
I do not see your suggestion as to how long loading should take before a horse is scratched.

[OTM Al]

Many states do however have a rule that a certain number must make it to the finish line or it will be a non-race. Two however is not enough to declare it so anywhere. It is simply an unfortunate accident.

[KMS]

I enjoy the puzzle-solving aspect of handicapping, and after many years have gotten good enough that, if not exactly making money at it, I have a reasonable expectation of not losing my shirt on a given day. But these breakdowns are seriously disheartening. Maybe it's because with broadband, I'm watching a whole lot more races now, but there seem to be a lot more of them. And every time one happens, it puts a little more nagging doubt in my mind about whether I want to keep on in this hobby. I'm not to the point of quitting yet, and I may never be. But it does make me think.

[pandy]

I enjoy the puzzle-solving aspect of handicapping, and after many years have gotten good enough that, if not exactly making money at it, I have a reasonable expectation of not losing my shirt on a given day. But these breakdowns are seriously disheartening. Maybe it's because with broadband, I'm watching a whole lot more races now, but there seem to be a lot more of them. And every time one happens, it puts a little more nagging doubt in my mind about whether I want to keep on in this hobby. I'm not to the point of quitting yet, and I may never be. But it does make me think.

You make a good point. Years ago I watched 9 races a day, then maybe another 9 or 10 at night if I went to the harness track. Now I watch TVG and HRTV and 50 to 100 races a day sometimes, which means I'm bound to see more mishaps and breakdowns. Interesting piece at drf.com, interview with Jacinto Vasquez, who blames pushing 2yo's too soon (no foundation), and the tracks (too hard) for today's injuries.

[toetoe]

C'mon Falco, allow mack a bit of vicniggling.

Now, when does the new surface go in ? ;)

[bigmack]

Actually, in hindsight I can see how it would be construed in that fashion. Odd, in a way, that as I left I heard VJS wrapping up the details of the race and thought to meself that few show the audible pain of moments like those more than V & Durkin.

Awkward points in the genesis of the thread but certainly no disrespect to the circumstance ever entered my noggin.