There is an interesting opinion article in Horseplayer Magazine this month. The associate editor puts forth something that I have never heard before. He believes that the stewards should not make any placing in any race, that they should just leave the result up as is, and fine the jock/driver and place the horse at a later time.
If your horse gets mugged, it is what it is.
This does have some merit to me, as strange as it is. We completely take subjectivity out of the equation. No more differences in judges rulings race to race, or track to track. No more whiny grumblings that at Windsor the judges left a horse up and at Mohawk when the same thing appears to happen he is chucked. Over time the public knows that what happens, happens in a race, that's the way it is and they have nothing to grumble about. Not to mention we would not have to sit through 15 minute inquiries and might even (heaven forbid) schedule post times to maximize handles. Gosh, it's growing on me :)
The stumbling block is obviously a winner that ain't a winner getting his picture taken, but heck, what do you think? Any way that it can work?
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4 comments:
So, you think a horse that gets a sulky wheel put under it and falls down should not be disqualified at that time? Oh yeah, the betting public will go for that.
What is needed is a stricter enforcement of the rules by all the judges; it should reduce those instances where a horse is kept up at one track and dq'd at another.
NO WAY. There are many objective fouls, such as clearly whipping another horse in the face, or clearly crossing paths (in TB racing) impeding another horse.
All that would happen is that jockeys and drivers would try to get away with more and more things during a race. It would make it dangerous as well.
I think that when a steward makes a bad ruling they should be fined or fired. That is the only real answer.
Nope. I think the writer is speaking of the tic tac fouls that take ages to put up. Minor bumping and all the rest; the ones that are not blatant and are (seemingly) ruled upon in a subjective way.
I think the stewards at Stampede Park in Calgary were CFL referees in their past lives. Thankfully, with racing now dead in Calgary, the three stooges are out of work.
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