Bay Meadows race 1

[IrishofNDMan]

move on, Baze did nothing wrong!

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by IrishofNDMan

move on, Baze did nothing wrong!

No, I won't move on.

The horse is gone.

This isn't right.

[3kings]

I don't want to agree with Irish because his point of view is usually assinine but I agree with the Shermans. Break downs are never pleasant but they are part of the game. I just watched the replay and the horse starts to run again after the bad step. Baze had no alternative, he had to continue to ride the horse. It is unfortunate but not Baze's fault.

[Danzig]

"You can't just go by perception. Look at his actions from the 16th pole to the wire. The horse took a few bad steps, but then he started running again. Can you imagine how people would have reacted if he had pulled up a 3-5 favorite leading by that far so close to the wire if there was nothing wrong with the horse?"

Art Sherman, who watched the race on television, added, "They're trying to hang Russell for this thing, and I don't get it. I rode for 23 years. Things happen on a racetrack that horses react to -- a tire mark, a piece of paper; it could be anything. If a jockey pulled up a horse every time they took a bad step, we'd really have a mess. You have to ride to protect the public. I support him."

[my miss storm cat]

You people who suggest we move on..... if this were a stakes race and not an $8k claiming race, I wonder if you'd be outraged.....

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

You people who suggest we move on..... if this were a stakes race and not an $8k claiming race, I wonder if you'd be outraged.....

that has nothing to do with it. jockey did what he was supposed to do. obviously if baze KNEW what was going to happen, he'd have done differently. he didn't know. you don't have time to THINK in that situation, just time to react. he did the right thing. he shouldn't be put thru the wringer because the poor horse broke down. the horse took a bad step, and that happens. he stopped riding. horse changed leads, and took off again. everything seems fine, so he rides him out. use of the whip did not cause the breakdown --the two occurred simultaneously.

[LARHAGE]

The horse took several bad steps and switched leads to save his injured leg, at which point the Buck-toothed ******* hit him with the whip, MAKING him run on. I would think if a jockey has won close to 10,000 races that would mean he's ridden close to 100,000, you trying to tell me he couldn't tell the horse injured himself, it was obvious that was no bobble, the horses head went straight up. I have never before yesterday seen a jockey whip a horse to continue after it has injured itself, most jockeys with a brain and a heart would automatically take hold of the horse to prevent further injury to itself.

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

You people who suggest we move on..... if this were a stakes race and not an $8k claiming race, I wonder if you'd be outraged.....

I completely agree.

People (jockeys included) tend to think the lesser talented horses don't matter. The lesser talented ones account for much more than 50% of racing world wide, are there news stories when a claimer breaks down on the track? No. Is there when a stakes performer suffers the same fate? You bet there is.

If that jerk Baze had done the same on a great, popular horse there would be an outrage, and no one can doubt that.

The status of the horse is a big point here, but it shouldn't be. No matter how talented the horse is, they are still living animals doing what they are bred to do to the best of their ability.

He is an experienced jockey, and if he didn't realisethe horse had 'gone wrong' he shouldn't be riding.