The Day Horse Racing Died

[NoLuvForPletch]

That's what my wife said to me when the numbers ceased flashing and 7 was no longer on the board. And I found it impossible to formulate an argument.

This week is Derby week. The eyes of the world are upon our sport. A sport that is hurting like it has never hurt before. Just months removed from the Santa Anita travesties, we have Derby 2019. It will forever be remembered for the only Derby to have a disqualification of the winner. After this chaos it will NEVER happen again, at least as long as I am alive.

Each and every interviewer this week found a way to inquire about what had occured over the winter months at Santa Anita. And each interviewee, responded "racing has been through tough times, and it will get through this". And I believed them. What occurred out west is tragic. Racing has taken measures to assure the public it was doing all it could to rectify the situation. And I did believe the public could get past it.

May 4, 2019. A horse with zero pedigree, (sure, his sire won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but has anyone ever seen a horse by New Year's Day in the PP's before Maximum Security? The Stallion Register page doesn't even have any of the tabs that most stallions do. Not even a photo) is favored in the Derby. He's a horse that debuted for a $16,000 tag, and he is favored in the Derby! He is undefeated heading into the Derby! He's not a Baffert or a Pletcher. He's an underdog and has the profile of a contender the public just loves to support.

Maximum Security WINS! He was the fastest horse. He set the fractions and was moving best at the end of the 10 furlongs. And we all know what happened after that.

Or do we? Tirico, Moss and Bailey seemed content with the DQ. Even our beloved Andy Serling is defending the ruling. But here is the problem. On the day where more people bet on horse racing than any other day of the year. And because Maximum Security likely had more money bet on him than any other horse. And because so many people bet on the Derby that do not normally bet on horse racing. You have the perfect storm whereas there are more people turned off to the sport today than ever before. Because instead of having a story of an underdog striving for greatness, we have a story of how the best horse in the race, won the race, yet finished 17th, And there was really no explanation given because as is normally the case, the network had to move on.

We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot in this sport. This was a joke. And it will not be forgotten any time soon. Next time you see Angel Cordero, ask him if people have forgotten this yet? Almost 40 years later.

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