2/20 (TAM): Tampa Bay Breeders Cup

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Kasept

I'm very much into letting them play and all for race-riding as part of the action. But isn't there an inherent and actionable difference between floating a horse wide in a turn... or aggressively riding for position like Mig did with Chavez in the Whirlaway... and failing to maintain a straight course during a stretch duel?

If indeed Karelian cost Gio Ponti a neck in momentum, by definition, that's a violation. As measured in "authentic physical space", it certainly would be enough to reverse the order of finish. If I'm viewing this as a steward, what I see is Gio Ponti denied the opportunity to maintain his course to the finish by the foe to his inside who was constantly impeding his forward progress.

Migliore wasn't agressively riding for position .. he outbroke 85ina50 and simply dove inside to cut him off and take his path away and almost put him down.

It was a very flagrent foul that would have had a huge impact on 85 in a 50's performance had his equipment not broke ... and, his equipment probably did break because that very flagrent foul caused Chavez to panic and grab instead of getting dropped to the ground.

He didn't actually put Chavez on the ground though ... so no, he shouldn't have been DQ'd.

Cohen .. was also not riding for position when he gunned his mount several paths to the inside to bump 85 in a 50 and pin him on the rail. Again, a very flagrent foul that would have seriously hindered 85 in a 50's chances had he not bolted from broken equipment.

He didn't actually put Chavez over the fence though - or even cause the horse to bounce off the rail... so no, he shouldn't have been DQ'd.

Gio Ponti was as courageous in the stretch run yesterday as he was in his last turf race when he seemingly had the bum Interpatation put away - but Interpatation fought back to win by 2 lengths.