Rex Stokes gets away with incredible animal abuse!!!
 

Nobody is likely to do anything about this but Stokes just beat the living **** out of the #9 The Unbelievable, in the 9th race at the Mountain BEFORE the race was run because the horse balked at getting into the gate. Delivering his whip, arm fully extended with exagerated force approximately 8-10 times, Stokes clearly was way over the line with the stick as the gate crew just watched dumbfounded.

THIS WAS MULTIPLES WORSE THAN BAZE AT BAY MEADOWS RECENTLY. THE REPETITIVE BEATING OF THE HORSE BEFORE HE ENTERED THE POST UNDOUBTEDLY LED TO HIS SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE AND WAS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY!!!

Because it did not take place during the race, it won't be on the tape of the race and the bastard will get away with it but it was a sickening display of animal abuse that should be punished severely.

The Mountain is still a dump, slot fueled purses or not.

Phil you would have been outraged of you saw this one. Stokes deserves 30 days at a minimum for this!!

No jug blowing for 30 days. That'll learn him.

Jesus..... poor thing.

I hope he gets whatever it is he deserves.

Poor horse.

The chances of anyone getting this reviewed for actions prior to the tape of a race are beyond unlikely. That is the most disturbing thing as far as I am concerned. It's like it didn't happen.

I just pulled up the replay on TVG and youbet and the beating is not part of the tape

Wow. Not a good thing to hear about.

I observed Stokes wallop the hell out of that horse and it took me back also. It goes on all the time during races, however. I see some horses hind quarters swerve sideways because they have been whacked so hard. Racing can appear to be pretty brutal sometimes. Maybe Stokes is frustrated, because he doesn't appear to be as good as he was before he injured himself. I still personally like betting this "dump" because I like big prices.

Any kind of abuse should not be tolerated. Can't the owner or trainer make a formal complaint to the stewards to look into this? It shouldn't be actionable only if caught on tape and there is a public outcry. Poor animal.

He must use his stick up before the race.

The owner probably doesn't give a shiat. Poor horse. :(

Who knows, maybe the trainer told Rex to do what he did. The horse could have a past of problems going into the gate, and the trainer told Rex what to do if it happened. Not the end of the world, I'm sure the horse will be alright. When I was a kid and did something wrong I would get the belt, so why can't a horse get the whip?

Evidentally, you don't know a lot about horses. Beating them senseless does very little for 'teaching' them a lesson besides creating problems in the future. Most of the time being afraid causes those sort of problems, and beating them only validates that fear.

agreed

Tatooing the rogue out of anger is never a good thing.

I will agree, you are right that I don't know a lot about horses. I just figured that maybe by being hit a little a light will go off in their heads telling them "I better not do that again, that whip hurts". Like I said, I don't know a lot about horses and now that you tell me I can see I'm wrong. I just don't see the real big deal of what Rex did, I've seen plenty of jockeys do that.

They're not like humans... a light doesn't go off in their head at all. In fact, by the time the whip comes out, they probably have completely forgotten what it was they were doing to begin with. Most horses just aren't that bright.

actually, that beating may make any gate problems worse...horse may remember next time that hey, last time i got near one of these, it hurt like hell..

Horses have excellent memories and I agree.

Simply being at Mountaineer is close to abuse for both horses and humans