That was big fun
I miss being a Steward.
Here's what I wrote for the four films and final question.
1st film
Every horse is entitled to a clear and unobstructed path. #3 at two separate points layed in on and pressured #4 into a very tight spot on the rail. Eventually causing #4 to check sharply. Since #4 finished 3rd it was most assuredly cost an opportunity at a better placing. When I was a steward I always told the riders. Go straight. There's never been a horse taken down that went straight.
2nd film
Every horse is entitled to a clear an unobstructed path. #2 came inward and forced #1 to check very sharply. Causing that rival to take up and lose position. #1 was cost an opportunity at a better placing. #2 should be disqualified and place behind #1.
3rd film
#2 came out into the path of both #1 & #4 without sufficient clearance. Causing both #1 & #4 to check sharply and lose position. Both were cost an opportunity of a better placing. Especially #1 who was re-rallying and managed to finish 4th while coming back on toward better placings after the incident. #2 should be disqualified and placed behind #4.
4th film
By far the toughest of the 4 films so far. I would have left the result unchanged. #10 did come inward into the path of #9. However #9 contributed to the incident by both breaking outward slightly and breaking slow making it very tough for him to gain early position. The most compelling factor is after the incident #9 did nothing with ample time to recover. But there's the rub. What if the incident caused #9 to be injured in some fashion and that's the reason he never became relevant? This was a close call for me. But I decided no DQ because if this horse was taken down a case could be made for a DQ in about 40% of the starts in races around the country
Comment on 3 choice question. I chose the middle answer.
A foul is a foul will never work. What if a tiring horse was brushed and slightly fouled, but fouled, at the quarter pole by a horse that was rolling by on his way to win by 10 lengths. While the offended horse finished 10 lengths behind the 2nd to last horse. If a foul is a foul was applied in that instance it would be a great miscarriage of justice and serve no good purpose for anyone involved in the incident.
