non-starter/Arlington Park

[Rapid Grey]

Posted on here a couple of weeks ago about an incident at Hoosier Park where a horse, who was unprepared for the start, was still considered a starter and no refunds were issued. An incident in yesterday's 4th at Arlington was almost identical.

The #4 horse, Unexpected Valor, was unprepared for the start, hit the gate and broke in the air coming out. After a steward's inquiry the horse was declared a non-starter and all refunds involving the #4 were refunded. Nice to see that some tracks still can do what it the best interest of racing, and the fans, not their bottom line.

I applaud Arlington Park for their efforts, as far as Hoosier Park goes they have yet to answer my e-mail, and I have not wagered on their races since.

[illinoisbred]

Actually it was the 6 horse and the real problem arose when his gate opened early.Although I have noticed it's been a bad week for Arlington's gate crew,they should be scolded by the stewards or reschooled.

[illinoisbred]

7-5 favorite too,expected to be on or near the lead with soft fractions.

[illinoisbred]

I remember Rapid Grey,he wasn't the stoutest front-runner,presser,but he always tried,one of my favorites from what the late 80's,early90's.Didn't Jere Smith Jr. have him?

[Valuist]

I remember Rapid Grey,he wasn't the stoutest front-runner,presser,but he always tried,one of my favorites from what the late 80's,early90's.Didn't Jere Smith Jr. have him?

I thought Bill Mott trained him. I remember being at Canterbury in either their first or second season and seeing him run. Thought he did most of his racing in Kentucky and some at Oaklawn. THis was back before Mott and McGaughey went to GP in the winter.

[illinoisbred]

Mott may have had him in his early years,but as he aged and dropped into claimers,I think Smith Jr. got him.

[Imriledup]

I've always had a problem with them refunding one horse and not calling the entire race a no contest. Sometimes a 'non starter' will affect the pace scenario and you might have not wanted your wager if you had known that so and so wasn't going to run. Once that horse gets an unfair start, the entire race becomes unfair, its like a domino effect.

[illinoisbred]

This situation did affect the pace scenario.Good point on declaring the race no contest,but that would be fair to all bettors and when does that ever happen?

[Rapid Grey]

Mott did have him at his peak, think he claimed for around 7,500 and rose him up the ladder. I bet, and won, on him once at Keeneland at about 25-1 in my early days of wagering. I know he won the King Cotton at Oaklawn one year as well.

[BIG49010]

Actually it was the 6 horse and the real problem arose when his gate opened early.Although I have noticed it's been a bad week for Arlington's gate crew,they should be scolded by the stewards or reschooled.

I quit betting Illinois racing years ago, because they used to clamp these tongs on any horse that acted up. I watch way too many good horses come out of the gate all twisted up, never too recover in the days race and the rest of their careers.

[Rapid Grey]

Actually it was the 6 horse and the real problem arose when his gate opened early.Although I have noticed it's been a bad week for Arlington's gate crew,they should be scolded by the stewards or reschooled.

Went back and watched the head-on and saw that the gate did open a fraction too soon. Was at the OTB yesterday and in real-time it looked like he just got left, or the assistant starter had a hold of the horse coming out.

One other thing.... why did the topic get moved?

Is the practice of stewards making judgement calls on declaring horses starters, or non-starters, not an issue with H.A.N.A.? As a regular horseplayer it is an issue with me.

[illinoisbred]

Until very recently Illinois stewards have been very slow to press the inquiry button.A horse basically has to fall down or some incident has to be so egregious that the public hissing and booing would force their hand.I don't know how other jurisdictions behave,but here flagrant fouls can be commited and as long as didn't affect the outcome, no action is taken.I have no real problem with this,I just feel the stewards here in Illinois are not that competent,fair or uniformly rule on such things.They're political appointees and I'm sure almost everyone on this board is aware of the corruption this stste has been plagued with.Like everybody else,I've had tough losses due to DQs but one really points out the stewards ineptitude. It was a cheap claiming race at hawthorne in the spring of 08.The winner,Island Miss [8-1] was DQed for intimadating another runner, the only problem was Island Miss was several lengths in front of the mare that swerved.Well obviously the trainer,who was also the owner saw red.He appealled this DQ to the state racing board and what do you know,it was reversed but it didn't restore my ticket to a winner.It was reversed on the fact that one of the 3 stewards didn't show up that day and they had to resort to a substitute steward of whom the racing board lacked cofidence in.This is how things play out much too often here in Illinois.