Kent D Suspended??? - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

ponypro · 06-09-2008, 09:56 AM

I am surprised that no one at least brought this up for discussion. It is illegal to ease a horse for no reason. Can you imagine horses being eased that are percieved not to hit the board. It would be chaotic. Were the superfecta players cheated out of at least a 4th place position. Did he receive preferential treatment because he is "Too valuable"
I think he got a pass
Not that racing needs any more scrutiny

http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/cases/racing/collins.htm

Shenanigans · 06-09-2008, 10:06 AM

KD should be suspended. He eased the horse not for the horses sake but to "save face" for the connections. It was quite obvious. He even said the horse wasn't lame, he just didn't have any horse left. That doesn't warrant an ease.

JBmadera · 06-09-2008, 10:17 AM

and think about the horse - he is still young and learning. after the super early wrap up at the preakness, which I think was mistake, and the unwarrented ease at the belmont (I agree KD did it ONLY to save face, although he looked pretty stupid loping easy down the stretch) what's BB going to do in his next race, just stand in the starting gate and refue to break....wouldn't blame him!

IMHO, unless a horse is injured, in anyway, just ride to the wire....you don't have to whip a horse that's beat but always continue to teach the horse what the heck they are supposed to do when they're on the track!

jb

Tom · 06-09-2008, 10:19 AM

He was pressing the horses, and getting nothing. I think he did the right thing - last we need is potential triple crown winner falling on the track. He has to make a fast decsion inthe heat of a race - I'll take his every time. BB could have been cut in the legs, or otherwise hurt that was not lameness, or he could have had a heart attack and dropped dead.

I think unless you are riding on top of a 1,000 lbs horse, you don't get to second guess the jock. If that allows a certain amount of "gray area" behavior, I'll live with it.

Imagine one of the last things Kent's son see's before losing his sight is his father dying on the track!

Shenanigans · 06-09-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBmadera

and think about the horse - he is still young and learning. after the super early wrap up at the preakness, which I think was mistake, and the unwarrented ease at the belmont (I agree KD did it ONLY to save face, although he looked pretty stupid loping easy down the stretch) what's BB going to do in his next race, just stand in the starting gate and refue to break....wouldn't blame him!

IMHO, unless a horse is injured, in anyway, just ride to the wire....you don't have to whip a horse that's beat but always continue to teach the horse what the heck they are supposed to do when they're on the track!

jb

BB's next race will be racing to the shed.....

DeanT · 06-09-2008, 10:26 AM

Bravo Tom. Kent did one of the best things I have seen on the track for that situation. The last thing the sport needs is another horse falling down on the track. He thought something was wrong and made a good move. If they ever thought of fining him it would send the wrong message to any rider who feels something not right with a horse. It would discourage them to protect the animal, something we obviously do not want.

Shenanigans · 06-09-2008, 10:28 AM

[QUOTE=Tom]He was pressing the horses, and getting nothing. I think he did the right thing - last we need is potential triple crown winner falling on the track. He has to make a fast decsion inthe heat of a race - I'll take his every time. BB could have been cut in the legs, or otherwise hurt that was not lameness, or he could have had a heart attack and dropped dead.

I think unless you are riding on top of a 1,000 lbs horse, you don't get to second guess the jock. If that allows a certain amount of "gray area" behavior, I'll live with it.

Imagine one of the last things Kent's son see's before losing his sight is his father dying on the track![/QUOTE]

Such drama!!! Please, the jock even said the horse wasn't lame, just nothing left. It doesn't mean he had to beat the horse, whip the horse or even hand ride the horse down the lane, but ease???? Pulling up in the stretch??? The horse wasn't staggering, in fact, he looked a little pissed when the jock started pulling on him. It was all for the connections and nothing more. BTW, doesn't "easing" warrant a time on the vets' list????

Oh, but that doesn't matter because he is already unofficially retired. I feel very embarrassed for Three Chimneys for this one.
BTW, the horse was never "pressed" once by the jock. KD never used the whip from what one can see on the over head view. Pressed.....

dutzman · 06-09-2008, 10:29 AM

He'd probably get a 40-day ban in Europe for that job......

ryesteve · 06-09-2008, 10:33 AM

I agree that there was no reason to persevere with the horse... my issue is that Kent was fighting the horse very hard to get him to slow down. Why not just let him gallop out naturally? He was applying so much effort trying to get the horse to stop, it gave the impression the horse was injured, so much so, that an outrider was racing after him to assist in getting him to stop (unecessarily, as it turns out)

Shenanigans · 06-09-2008, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryesteve

I agree that there was no reason to persevere with the horse... my issue is that Kent was fighting the horse very hard to get him to slow down. Why not just let him gallop out naturally? He was applying so much effort trying to get the horse to stop, it gave the impression the horse was injured, so much so, that an outrider was racing after him to assist in getting him to stop (unecessarily, as it turns out)

Exactly. KD could have caused damaged by fighting to stop a horse that wants to continue to run. If he had stated that BB didn't feel right instead of "not having anything left" then yes, by all means ease the horse. That's not why he did it.

JBmadera · 06-09-2008, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shenanigans

Exactly. KD could have caused damaged by fighting to stop a horse that wants to continue to run. If he had stated that BB didn't feel right instead of "not having anything left" then yes, by all means ease the horse. That's not why he did it.

right and that's my point.....of course an injured horse needs to be eased right away but i think it is a mistake if every time a jock doesn't think he'll get a check (KD's quote about not getting into the top 5) that he fights the horse to a near halt on the track and lopes back ease to the wire.......now let's start to focus on the huge p6 carryover on wed!

DeanT · 06-09-2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryesteve

I agree that there was no reason to persevere with the horse... my issue is that Kent was fighting the horse very hard to get him to slow down. Why not just let him gallop out naturally? He was applying so much effort trying to get the horse to stop, it gave the impression the horse was injured, so much so, that an outrider was racing after him to assist in getting him to stop (unecessarily, as it turns out)

In his mind he might have been injured, imo. If he had a hairline fracture and galloped the horse out and he broke down, I wonder if the chat boards will be filled with "he knew something was off, the horse would not go, why didn't he just pull him up?"

You simply cant win in a situation like that (especially with the 20/20 hindsight of the media and chat boards on the net). I think he did the right thing. If anything, it gives the PETA folks some pause because it shows that the welfare of the horse is paramount to the participants (which for most it is)

ponypro · 06-09-2008, 10:47 AM

I think the issue is the Stewards and protecting the bettor. I actually think Kent D did the right thing but he broke the rules doing it and it should be REVIEWED. This is unprecidented that if in the future 4 horses pull up out of a $5000 claimer for no reason and state the "BIG Brown rule: " Boss, I wasnt going to hit the board so I put him away for next time" It just wouldnt be allowed. The rules should apply equally to all. but we know they dont and the Betters are always at the mercy and there were tens of millions bet on BB. too bad so sad

JBmadera · 06-09-2008, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeanT

In his mind he might have been injured, imo. If he had a hairline fracture and galloped the horse out and he broke down, I wonder if the chat boards will be filled with "he knew something was off, the horse would not go, why didn't he just pull him up?"

You simply cant win in a situation like that. I think he did the right thing. If anything, it gives the PETA folks some pause because it shows that the welfare of the horse is paramount to the participants (which for most it is)

maybe it's just the fact that he didn't just pull up the horse, hop off and unsaddle him...plus the comments KD made after the race...either way, glad BB is ok

Cangamble · 06-09-2008, 10:50 AM

I thought about this too, it is bad precedence. What if expensive 2 year olds who don't look like they will win start getting pulled up, even if they could be part of tris and supers.
And why stop at expensive horses. What if there is a rash of horses being pulled up or eased or not worked on in the stretch because they obviously won't win?

Many jockeys have been criticized in the past for having double or triple the wins versus seconds or expecially thirds. They give the impression they only try when they have a good chance of winning.