Rapid Grey
08-01-2009, 11:26 PM
Just wondering if HANA is in any type of regular contact with the different stewards on the racing circuits. Who holds them accountable?
Today in Hoosier Park's 6th race there was an incident at the gate that, imo, was just swept under the rug. Seattle by the Sea, the #6 horse reared in the gate just prior to the start unsettling both horse and rider, F. De La Cruz. The rearing also unsettled the #5 horse Arroson whose comment line read "unprepared start."
Rather than wait until the jockey was back in control of his mount the starter rang the bell (or whatever they do) to start the race (only two seconds elapses between the rearing and the start). De La Cruz, obviously unprepared, falls off Seattle by the Sea and the horse proceeds to wipe out several other horses right out of the gate. Inquiry sign posted, no changes in the race, no declaring of non-starters.
My contention is that the starter never gave the jockey time to both settle his mount and prepare himself for the start and should have been declared a non-starter. Obviously not the decision they made, and obviously not the first time a horse was declared a starter although they were never given a chance for a fair break from the gate.
Far too often this happens and it all reverts back to the fact that declaring non-starters in a race means refunding money to the public, a concept lost on every racetrack in the country.
Today in Hoosier Park's 6th race there was an incident at the gate that, imo, was just swept under the rug. Seattle by the Sea, the #6 horse reared in the gate just prior to the start unsettling both horse and rider, F. De La Cruz. The rearing also unsettled the #5 horse Arroson whose comment line read "unprepared start."
Rather than wait until the jockey was back in control of his mount the starter rang the bell (or whatever they do) to start the race (only two seconds elapses between the rearing and the start). De La Cruz, obviously unprepared, falls off Seattle by the Sea and the horse proceeds to wipe out several other horses right out of the gate. Inquiry sign posted, no changes in the race, no declaring of non-starters.
My contention is that the starter never gave the jockey time to both settle his mount and prepare himself for the start and should have been declared a non-starter. Obviously not the decision they made, and obviously not the first time a horse was declared a starter although they were never given a chance for a fair break from the gate.
Far too often this happens and it all reverts back to the fact that declaring non-starters in a race means refunding money to the public, a concept lost on every racetrack in the country.