Bay Meadows race 1

[Echo Farm]

I read the chart early this morning. It didn't look good, I don't think I'm up to looking at the replay.

Various on line forums as well as PedigreeQuery.com report Imperial Eyes as haveing been euthanized.

Without pointing fingers, Art Sherman seems to have a high number of breakdowns.

Bay Meadows claims to have improved the surface.
http://www.drf.com/news/article/87769.html

[my miss storm cat]

From BH.....


Baze Faces Disciplinary Inquiry in Bay Meadows Incident
by Jack Shinar

Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, North America's all-time leading rider, faces a stewards' disciplinary hearing at Bay Meadows after his horse broke down Aug. 23 in the first race nearing the wire as the jockey whipped him. The trainers of the horse, who was euthanized afterward, said they support Baze.

The California Horse Racing Board initiated the hearing, set for the morning of Aug. 25, steward Darrell McHargue said. Baze appeared briefly before stewards Aug. 24 and requested an expedited meeting.

McHargue did not specify the complaint against the 49-year-old jockey, but Baze is believed to be charged under CHRB rules pertaining to cruelty to animals, misuse of a whip, and actions detrimental to horse racing.

The 4-year-old gelding Imperial Eyes, running in an $8,000 claiming race as the 3-5 favorite, held a seven-length lead at the furlong pole of the one-mile event when he took a bad step, according to the Equibase racing chart of the race. After a brief hesitation, Imperial Eyes switched leads and resumed running. However, a few strides from the wire, the horse broke down. Witnesses said Baze urged the horse with his whip after the initial bad step.

Imperial Eyes was pulled up past the wire after finishing second. He suffered a fracture to his left front cannon bone, according to assistant trainer Steve Sherman, who saddled the gelding for his father, Art Sherman. After being transported by van back to the stable, Imperial Eyes was euthanized on the advice of a veterinarian, Steve Sherman said.

Baze, contacted the evening following the incident, said he thought Imperial Eyes went lame initially, but when the gelding started running again, he thought he had misjudged what happened.

"I was trying to hold him together to the finish," he said.

Baze acknowledged using his whip. "We were in the shadow of the wire, and I did keep riding him to get him across the finish line," he said.

The Shermans were outraged that Baze was facing possible disciplinary action.

Asked if he thought Baze should be penalized for his ride, Steve Sherman responded, "Absolutely, 100 percent, no way. This should never even be considered.

"The horse took a bad step, and Russell folded up on him for a few lengths. But when he started running again, they were only a few lengths before the wire," he added. "The thing that people are reacting to is that he broke down right there at the finish just as Russell hit him, and that looked bad. But he didn't do anything wrong.

"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."

Baze had 9,819 lifetime wins through Aug. 23, and his mounts have earned nearly $150 million.

* * *

For anyone wishing to voice their opinions, outrage, disgust, etc.....

http://www.baymeadows.com/vucontacti...26active_sub=3

[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.....

[my miss storm cat]

"I was trying to hold him together to the finish," Baze

Doesn't that mean he knew something was wrong?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

"I was trying to hold him together to the finish," Baze

Doesn't that mean he knew something was wrong?

said he thought Imperial Eyes went lame initially, but when the gelding started running again, he thought he had misjudged what happened.



doesn't baze deserve the benefit of the doubt? the owners are supporting him, doesn't that matter? with bazes long career--has their been any question of him in the past?

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by Danzig

said he thought Imperial Eyes went lame initially, but when the gelding started running again, he thought he had misjudged what happened.

So, what he is basically saying is that through all his experience he doesn't know when a horse has broken down.

What a pathetic excuse from a greedy man.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance

So, what he is basically saying is that through all his experience he doesn't know when a horse has broken down.

What a pathetic excuse from a greedy man.

since he was on the horse, he's the only one who knows what the horse felt like. if he felt the horse bobbled but picked back up, how can anyone argue the point? looking at it is not the same as being on the horse. the owners aren't blaming him, so i don't see how anyone else can question him.

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by Danzig

since he was on the horse, he's the only one who knows what the horse felt like. if he felt the horse bobbled but picked back up, how can anyone argue the point? looking at it is not the same as being on the horse. the owners aren't blaming him, so i don't see how anyone else can question him.

Fact is, he hit the horse when it was clearly distressed.

I have no ideas as to who the owners are or what they are like, but what i will say is that if that happened over here Baze would be hung out to dry by the media.

When a horse takes a really bad step like that, and then throws it's head up in the air (as has been said in this thread) you don't need to have 3 days experience in the saddle to know that something very wrong is up with the horse let alone many years of experience.

What people are trying to say is that if this was a popular stakes performer, people wouldn't be saying move on and people certainly wouldn't be saying "oh it wasn't his fault"...... that is the part that disgusts me more than anything.

[FGFan]

I didn't have to watch replays we slo-mo'd it on the DVR when it happened.
Frankly I found it disturbing from as seasoned a rider as Russel Baze. The horse stumbles and then he does right himself but in slo-mo it is obvious something has gone very wrong.
I might have felt a little differently if he hand rode him to the wire to get him out of the oncoming horses in order to offset further catastrophe. And it was obvious the horse was going to go down in the gallop out.
I feel strongly there should be some accountability for this mis-judgement by a jockey that has rode as many mounts as Russel Baze.
Although I think the animal cruelty is a bit much certainly there is conduct unprofessional and misuse of the whip.
However, I don't think Russel Baze should be crucified for bad judgement at 35 mph when you have seconds to make a decision, but something should happen.

[Danzig]

well, it's in front of the stewards, a decision pending. they had a hearing this morning, and no word when a decision will be made. i hope whatever they decide is fair. if he was found in the wrong, then yes, he should get the proper punishment.

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by FGFan

I didn't have to watch replays we slo-mo'd it on the DVR when it happened.
Frankly I found it disturbing from as seasoned a rider as Russel Baze. The horse stumbles and then he does right himself but in slo-mo it is obvious something has gone very wrong.
I might have felt a little differently if he hand rode him to the wire to get him out of the oncoming horses in order to offset further catastrophe. And it was obvious the horse was going to go down in the gallop out.
I feel strongly there should be some accountability for this mis-judgement by a jockey that has rode as many mounts as Russel Baze.
Although I think the animal cruelty is a bit much certainly there is conduct unprofessional and misuse of the whip.
However, I don't think Russel Baze should be crucified for bad judgement at 35 mph when you have seconds to make a decision, but something should happen.

Why not. Being a jockey is a profession, if you are not capable of making the right decisions in those split seconds, you're not right for the job.

If you are trading for a company on the stock markets and you lose a company thousands because you didn't make the right split second decision you get crucified for it.

Jockeys should know when a horse has gone wrong and they should know what to do when it's happened.

[MaTH716]

I wonder what the fallout would have been if it was any other jockey in the colony. I feel that because it is Russell Baze, that at this point it seems that he is getting a pass from a lot of people. We will see what the stewards say. That whole keep him together to the wire comment bothers me more and more. He never stopped driving that horse, and then when the horse was about to stagger across the wire he gave him the whip again. The more times I watch it, the worse it gets. If he really wasn't sure about the horse's condition, why didn't he just take him in hand after he veered out? He still had a 5 length lead. If he just took a bad step and was ok, he probably would have still held on to win. We already know the other scenario. The horse deserved better, gave his life to try to win an 8K claiming race. As far as Sherman goes, maybe he feels that if he hangs Baze out in the media he will lose the services of the top jockey out there. As far as the owners go, I have my own ideas. But I could also be way off base with those too.

[FGFan]

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance

Why not. Being a jockey is a profession, if you are not capable of making the right decisions in those split seconds, you're not right for the job.

If you are trading for a company on the stock markets and you lose a company thousands because you didn't make the right split second decision you get crucified for it.

Jockeys should know when a horse has gone wrong and they should know what to do when it's happened.

Uh, did you read my whole post. You are preaching to the choir here.

However I disagree with your analogy. Until stock traders are riding horses at 35 mph, and have to take into consideration what an animal underneath might do with other 1000+ lb. animals coming at them it really doesn't apply.