DQ or no DQ you be the judge

[Scanman]

Bayern - Easy DQ. Gutless stewards.

[Sinner369]

If you watch the telecast today.........all the commentators and Baffert said that they do not take you down on the first steps of the start because all horses bump leaving the gate!

[husker du]

omg what b.s by Baffert, i believe that if he was not the trainer he would have come down !

[Mineshaft]

Originally Posted by Sinner369

If you watch the telecast today.........all the commentators and Baffert said that they do not take you down on the first steps of the start because all horses bump leaving the gate!

and hes right theres always bumping at the start and they dont take you down

[luisbe]

Originally Posted by Redboard

No. I have never seen a horse taken down for what he did at the first 30 yards of a race. Unless he completely turns into the field and knocks somebody down and completely out of the race.

He knocked down SB and pace competitor Moreno, changed completely the developing of the race. Also SB got pulled strongly after that. Unbelievable he was 4th at the end.

[OntheRail]

Originally Posted by Sinner369

If you watch the telecast today.........all the commentators and Baffert said that they do not take you down on the first steps of the start because all horses bump leaving the gate!

All they needed was a puck on the track... and it a been horse hockey. Bayern's move will be shown by the Red Wings this year on how to check a opponents.

[Mineshaft]

Originally Posted by luisbe

He knocked down SB and pace competitor Moreno, changed completely the developing of the race. Also SB got pulled strongly after that. Unbelievable he was 4th at the end.

Horse did run a helluva race and was in perfect striking distance but didnt kick on

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Had to be DQd. I didn't even think it would be a question, and then you see the inquiry lifted and no change of order.

I don't know what argument anybody can make to not DQ Bayern. A gutless decision.

[horses4courses]

I wouldn't have had a problem with a DQ.
Did Bayern's actions at the start cost Shared Belief at least one placing?
I would answer - yes.

Likely, however, that it would have created
more controversy than the decision they reached.
I think they tried to take the safest option.

What would have happened had an east coast horse run second?
Say it was Tonalist, V.E. Day, or Zivo beaten a nose?
I shudder to think........

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by tophatmert

For me it is simple . When the jockey(Garcia) causes all of the problem the horse must come down . Bayern didn't want to bear in , Garcia took him there. This was not incidental gate contact , it was a tactic.

Over the top

[Bullet Plane]

Agree, gutless!

[tophatmert]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

Over the top

Are you saying Bayern was bearing in and Garcia was trying tom keep him straight ?

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by Redboard

No. I have never seen a horse taken down for what he did at the first 30 yards of a race. Unless he completely turns into the field and knocks somebody down and completely out of the race.

I agree 100%.

I also think that it's time change the rule.

The Breeders Cup (or any race) is not the place to change the rule.

The competition committee must consider changes.

Within reason, it makes sense that a horse "taking out" another horse at the break should be a DQ whether intentional or not. It should be a hard foul and take place in the other runner's lane and be unavoidable.

The changes should then be announced at the start of the next seasonal meet (winter?) and adopted.


Within the current understanding of the rules it would have been unusual to take down Bayern.

Bayern ran a tremendously game race, but you have to wonder whether Moreno's presence contesting the pace, and Shared Belief's presence in the stretch run, would have produced a different outcome.

[taxicab]

I don't know....
It's tough to take Bayern down because it's out of the gate.
I get that he drilled SB,but that's horseracing.
And it is tough to DQ out of a giant race like the Classic.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Sinner369

If you watch the telecast today.........all the commentators and Baffert said that they do not take you down on the first steps of the start because all horses bump leaving the gate!

But that's not the rule, its not even an unwritten rule according to the judges.

First of all, if it was a rule, there wouldn't have been an inquiry to begin with because it wouldn't have been a foul and therefore, wouldn't have had any need to be looked at. Second, the judges said it didn't cost Smith a placing, which is another reason why this bump at the gate stuff is actually punishable.