David Flores To Ride In California

[BlinkersOn]

Flores was banned in Singapore for a year, but he's got the OK to ride at Santa Anita. Stevens and Smith both went to bat for him, saying there was nothing wrong with that ride that he was banned for. Personally, I didn't see it, so I'm clueless. I do know when I heard he was banned in Singapore, I pretty much knew he could come back to the states and ride. He will start getting mounts fairly quickly, says his new agent.

This is just info. I have no personal opinion on it at all.

[Some_One]

The CHRB reasoning was them and a few jocks saw the ride in question, didn't agree with the STC call and thus ignored the suspension. First time I've ever seen something like this.

[Stillriledup]

Yes, because you want someone like Smith, who picks and chooses how hard he rides to the wire, going to bat for you. Surprised they didn't summon Kent to show up to give his 2 cents.

I didnt see the ride in Singapore and there's no doubt that the suspension they levied was because Flores was from America and they wanted to stick it to the American Jock, Calif is a good place to ride if you want to pick and choose when you ride hard for board spots, no harm no foul, well, unless you're Omar Berrio, than you get in trouble, these other guys are teflon and can do what they want.

[PaceAdvantage]

I was surprised it took this long for a post on this subject to appear here. I thought one or two of you would have created a thread immediately and jumped all over this.

I would have, but I just didn't have the time over the weekend when I first saw this article on bloodhorse.

I was kind of astounded and disappointed that California undermined another jurisdiction, albeit a foreign one.

Singapore handed down a one year suspension for the following:

After hearing testimony from both Flores and the trainer of Kiss Me, Singapore Turf Club stewards determined the jockey "failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure that (his mount) was given the full opportunity of obtaining the best possible placing." The minimum penalty for violating that rule is a year suspension.

Now, would they have handed down the same sentence for one of their native-born jockeys? Was this some sort of anti-American thing? Who knows...what is known is that the California review didn't necessarily disagree with STC's findings...they disagreed with the severity of the sentence handed down. Maybe Dick Dutrow ought to start making some phone calls and gathering a few star character witnesses who know how to embellish...

The article goes on:

Although the CHRB documents, stemming from an April 23 hearing with the Santa Anita stewards, stated the "Singapore Turf Club, under the auspices of the Malayan Racing Association, is a competent jurisdiction and therefore the disqualification ruling is prima facie evidence that (Flores) is unfit to hold a license in this jurisdiction" the stewards overturned the suspension and allowed Flores to race in California.

The board called on Hall of Fame jockeys Mike Smith and Gary Stevens as "riding expert witnesses" and both testified "to the fact that Mr. Flores had not only given his best efforts in the race in question, but gave the horse a superlative ride."

Although the CHRB documents state stewards did not agree that the ride was "superlative," they deemed the penalty of a year suspension "quite harsh" and ruled Flores is permitted to hold a jockey license in California.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz3ZqB1zcfS

It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when one racing jurisdiction undermines another. Flores should have known the rules and regulations of Singapore before he agreed to start riding there. And, upon breaking those rules, he should live with the consequences of such.

In fact, I dare say that if US racing started imposing stricter punishments like their foreign counterparts, racing here may indeed see a brighter future, with far less talk of how corrupt the sport has become in the states.

The men and women connected to these horses have billions of dollars riding on them every year. They SHOULD face the harshest of penalties if the integrity of their actions come into question by the powers that be.

[horses4courses]

If I recall, Flores was getting next to no business before he left the US.
He is close to done as a rider, anyway.
It's a shame, really - I always felt I got a decent ride from him when betting.
He's sort of a lesser version of P Val - good gate rider, too.

While I think it would be beneficial to the sport if foreign bodies cooperated
with each other when enforcing penalties,
the US has a hard enough time getting on the same page from state to state.

Digressing a little more, whenever I think of foreign bans, trainer Patrick Biancone comes to mind.
He left France in the 80s, or 90s, under a cloud and headed for Hong Kong.
I don't think he was banned in France, but he left for a reason.
Hong Kong kicked him out for banned substances.

Where did he end up? Yep, you're right.
Mr. Cobra Venom is still plying his trade here.
That's a disgrace, in itself.

[BlinkersOn]

I just googled "David Flores banned in Singapore for his ride on Kiss Me", and at the bottom of the story there is a video, if anyone wants to see it. You can form your own opinions.

According to the article accompanying the video, he had not been riding good at all over there. I can't say I honestly see him riding well in the jockey colony at Santa Anita, which is pretty strong. I'm surprised that they overturn the verdict by Singapore, and especially at a large track like Santa Anita. He doesn't seem to be the type of quality rider you would expect to see there. It must help to have friends in high places.

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by BlinkersOn

I just googled "David Flores banned in Singapore for his ride on Kiss Me", and at the bottom of the story there is a video, if anyone wants to see it. You can form your own opinions.

According to the article accompanying the video, he had not been riding good at all over there. I can't say I honestly see him riding well in the jockey colony at Santa Anita, which is pretty strong. I'm surprised that they overturn the verdict by Singapore, and especially at a large track like Santa Anita. He doesn't seem to be the type of quality rider you would expect to see there. It must help to have friends in high places.

Didn't see anything blatant with Flores' ride.....6 unevenly timed, soft whip strikes might be the culprit?:
Race 1- Feb. 22nd- #7 Kiss Me
http://www.turfclub.com.sg/MediaCent...eoGallery/Race Videos/2015/20150222SR01.jpg&AutoPlay=false

[outofthebox]

Didn't see anything wrong with the ride. He did take a nice hold of Kiss Me after the break, saved ground and was urging his horse home under intermitting right hand sticks. Don't think Kent Desormeaux would last long over there.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by ReplayRandall

Race 1- Feb. 22nd- #7 Kiss Me
http://www.turfclub.com.sg/MediaCent...eoGallery/Race Videos/2015/20150222SR01.jpg&AutoPlay=false

Ride looked terrible to me.

He'd have to say he was either 'terrified' of riding in traffic (doesn't fly for a pro jockey)

or "he felt his horse buckle under him" (tough to dispute, but when it becomes a pattern it must result in a penalty)


Awful ride from my perspective. He had opportunity to urge his horse and he either froze or chose not to.

[Poindexter]

Wow, does anybody think that was a legitimate suspension and why? I know the track announcer was surprised he was taken back(is that the reason for the suspension?). Other than that I see absolutely nothing. Does anybody know whether the horse came back to race since then and how he did? If that race is a model for a 1 year suspension, is there a jockey in this country that would not be suspended? Robert, since you are convinced it was a terrible ride, what tactics would have gotten this horse better than a 4th place finish. This horse was not exactly full of run at the wire as was the 3rd place finisher. That is a ridiculously harsh ruling imo.

PA, the stewards cannot should not deny him permission to ride, simply because there is not a chance in a million that they would have suspended him for that ride.

[Stillriledup]

"America" is VERY light on Jocks who don't perservere or ride mounts out for minor board spots, i don't know if its just California, but for the most part, a jock can do anything he wants out there and any excuse he or she gives, will be accepted. If this exact scenario happened in Calif and not Singapore, Flores would have told the CHRB that the horse "Felt funny" or some other kind of excuse and they would haven't thought twice about buying what he was selling.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by Poindexter

Robert, since you are convinced it was a terrible ride, what tactics would have gotten this horse better than a 4th place finish.

about 50 or 51 seconds on the video , it is just about time to 'go!'. Entering the stretch run now.

Instead of urging he does a couple half hearted waves of the whip.
Then some half-hearted urging.
Then the horse moves up under it's own power.
Then he stops even the half-hearted urging and is sitting back on the horse commencing the the half-hearted wave of the whip. This brings you to 59seconds on the video.
He gives a couple more whips while 'seated' and the horse moves forward bit, and then he appears to put both hands up on the reigns again bring us to 1:03 on the video.
There he inexplicably waits for 3 or 4 seconds in spite of being in the late stretch run (250meters to go!).
More of the seated waving of the whip, and hits the finish line.
Galloping out well.

[Robert Fischer]

1) Maybe I'm seeing his trip all wrong.
2) Maybe he was sick and heroically giving his all when he should have been hospitalized.
3) Maybe the horse "Felt funny" underneath him
4) Maybe he was just going through the motions
5) Maybe he had financial incentive or trainer instruction
6) Maybe I only feel like thinking of five scenarios

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Poindexter

PA, the stewards cannot should not deny him permission to ride, simply because there is not a chance in a million that they would have suspended him for that ride.

I have a problem with the CHRB stating this:

"Singapore Turf Club, under the auspices of the Malayan Racing Association, is a competent jurisdiction and therefore the disqualification ruling is prima facie evidence that (Flores) is unfit to hold a license in this jurisdiction"

...then overturning the suspension. It's nothing but hypocrisy if you ask me...

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

I have a problem with the CHRB stating this: ...then overturning the suspension. It's nothing but hypocrisy if you ask me...

I agree. I think that its one thing to shorten the suspension, but to go from 365 days to 0 days seems a bit much. Its like they didn't care what they saw on tape and let the jock explain away what he was doing and bought it, like they always do.

I don't know if the CHRB has ever given a jock a minute suspension for lack of effort or not riding for a minor board spot. If i had to guess, i would say its happened before, but it rarely happens.

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...ht=antongeorgi