Never seen this before

[Claim digger]

Look at 8th race at DEL today. Jockey not mounted at start. Gate opens, money refunded. Weird.

http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbChartResultsDisplay.cfm?TRK=DEL&CY=USA&DATE=07/19/2003&STYLE=EQB

[Observer]

Saw something like that happen here in New York. You'll see riders dismount in the gate if a horse is acting up .. and from what I remember from the New York incident .. it was just bad timing .. the rider made a quick dismount a split second before the gate sprung open .. don't think there was any way the starter could have seen that coming.

Seemed today the Delaware starter barely let the horses finish getting into the gate for the Delaware Handicap .. the TV crew doing the ESPN coverage didn't even seem prepared for the start .. they were still trying to throw the coverage up to the track announcer and the gates sprung open. Summer Colony, the last to load, basically walked in the back, and off they went, but she seemed unprepared .. guess she was expecting the brief pause before the actual start as is usually the norm in most races.

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by Observer
Seemed today the Delaware starter barely let the horses finish getting into the gate for the Delaware Handicap .. the TV crew doing the ESPN coverage didn't even seem prepared for the start .. they were still trying to throw the coverage up to the track announcer and the gates sprung open. Summer Colony, the last to load, basically walked in the back, and off they went, but she seemed unprepared .. guess she was expecting the brief pause before the actual start as is usually the norm in most races.

War Emblem in the Belmont.....same deal.....

[Fastracehorse]

Funny.

fffastt

[Observer]

Originally posted by JustRalph
War Emblem in the Belmont.....same deal.....

The way I remember it, War Emblem simply broke poorly in the Belmont. .... wasn't it the Pacific Classic where they backed him out then walked him back in as the gates opened??

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by Observer
The way I remember it, War Emblem simply broke poorly in the Belmont. .... wasn't it the Pacific Classic where they backed him out then walked him back in as the gates opened??

You might be right.......I am sure he stumbled in the Belmont so you are probably right. It was one of those races where he fizzled.

[Observer]

The Belmont was the beginning of what would become a regular pattern of gate problems for War Emblem. He absolutely stumbled coming out of the gate in the Belmont Stakes .. it was a nasty looking stumble .. his head dropped to the ground, nose almost hitting the dirt .. or maybe it did .. his legs got all twisted up .. and had it not been for the horse to his outside, Magic Weisner, who appeared to come over a bit on War Emblem, who knows what would have happened, because it appeared to me, that horse being there gave War Emblem a bit of leverage to get his balance back. I always thought he was justified for the fade in the Belmont .. after the stumble, then the fight with Espinoza, the bold move for the lead .. who could blame the horse for coming up empty when it counted???