Absolutely Horrendous DQ at belmont

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I agree with your last statement. There is no consistancy. The stewards, I think incorrectly, actually believe that when one horse bears out and the one outside drifts as well that they are both drifting. They foolishly don't understand that horses are herd animals and clearly the outside horse is drifting in response to the inside horse. I give credit to the rider of the 15 in the 6th, because he understood this, and smartly steered his horse to hold it's ground, and therefore recieived the contact that these stewards so desperately seem to need. Had he just allowed the other horse to carry his out without contact there would have been no DQ ( much like the 3rd race ).

However, since I strongly believe the horse in the third should have come down, I also believe the 6th winner was justly Dq'd. And, I did not bet either race.

Ok We just differ on both races. I think both should have stayed and after hearing my friends rant about the third race and watching it I told him I felt it was a non call because the other horse was getting away from the place horse anyway.
But yeah I hear you on the stewards. Its incredulous to me when I hear some nitwit watching a head on and saying "look, they both drifted out" as if the outside horse just coinincidentally started to drift after the other one did.
The lack of consistency is alarming and they seem to have different rules for different races and riders. They also let way too much go out of the gate, which is just plain wrong. Incidental gate contact is going to happen in just about every race but its become obvious that certain smart riders have come to realize that the stewards are gonna let gate contact go and come out and saw off the guys next to them, eliminating them from early pace contention. Since the same guys seem to do this in races, I highly doubt its just "one of those things".