Would Velasquez ever get another mount for the connections if he refuses to ride a horse that a trainer sent out in the Breeder's Cup??!!
As far as we know, the horse was and is structurely sound and fit - just wasn't feeling it that day - whatever it was... reation to meds, feed alergy, etc....
that said, the the horse passed the vet check - TWO vet checks actually - in the paddock and at the gate - so the jock took the gate under direction of the trainer,and promptly eased the horse when he knew she was feeling stressed. He did precisely what any jockey would do, and probably does at least once or twice every racing day in this country.
His biggest crime was that happened on one of the biggest days in NA racing, and there happened to be a microphone in his face on his way to the gate.
If you want to vilify Pletcher, that's another argument entirely, but at the end of the day, the stewards and the on track vet make the call to scratch a horse if they feel it shouldn't run - not the jock.
The jock has the right to refuse a mount, not the responsibility to make that call.
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