RAMON DOMINQUEZ

[jbelfior]

Just curious as to what everyone is thinking out there.

Let\'s say AFLEET ALEX had fallen (thank GOD this terrific athlete did not) causing a tragic accident which included several other horses and riders.

Do you think Ramon Dominquez would have been held accountable and suspended??



Good Luck,
Joe B.

[MO]

Tough call. If I were a steward I would disqualify the horse and hold the rider blameless. A grade 1 horse should not be reacting to a whip like he did.

[Michael D.]

joe,
the stewards said that \"no rules were broken\" and they saw \"no human error\".  

on another note, OTB channel saying dutrow might bring back love of money in five days to run in the met mile. gotta love that guy.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

MO wrote:

> Tough call. If I were a steward I would disqualify the horse
> and hold the rider blameless. A grade 1 horse should not be
> reacting to a whip like he did.

Beyer thinks that Scrappy was tiring on the turn. He proped to the noise of the crowd and the whip strike further alarmed and spooked him. He has to mature a little, but hes a thoroughbred. Many times they are defense mechanism animals. He chased a fast pace. Was rating in hand dying to run and he got spooked at the head of the stretch. He had every right to be tired on that pace, but was he? Agree with your interpretation MO.

Michael D. wrote:

>
> on another note, OTB channel saying dutrow might bring back
> love of money in five days to run in the met mile. gotta love
> that guy.
>

Hmmmmm 5 days? I missed his previous start it seems. I dont know if he can be ready for a top effort on five days rest, but with weight a one turn mile would be right up Love of Money\'s alley.

[jimbo66]

Have to disagree.  I thought Dominguez would get time despite the lack of a need for a DQ.  To me, whacking the horse that hard on the left side, while turning for home, was reckless riding.  

Aren\'t most riders conscious of horses bearing out on the far turn, and if so, isn\'t it logical to hit them on the opposite side that Dominguez did?  And isn\'t hitting them at that point on the turn kind of strange?  After they straighten out for home, yes, mid-turn - no.

Reckless IMO.

He should get time, even though no DQ was necessary.  If it weren\'t for that horse\'s athleticism and a nice job by Rose, there could have been a seriously dangerous incident there. (and a horse looking for a tainted triple crown at Belmont........)

[Michael D.]

jim,
you can\'t suspend a rider because he whipped a horse on the turn, doesn\'t matter what hand he did it with.
......
although i have no idea why he did it.



Post Edited (05-25-05 17:48)

[rando]

  Talked  after the race with Randy Moss of ESPN and he agreed that it seemed wierd that Dominguez hit AA left handed coming out of the final turn. Answer when ? was asked was that Scrappy has a habit of bearing in after the final turn so subsequently the left hand whip. I believe SCRAPPY was also getting tired and the incident may have energized both horses in the final analysis. IMHO no matter what tendancies if a horse is coming out of the final turn drifting hitting hin left handed makes no SENSE.

[spa]

The boy should get 30 days and an ass kicking..........We\'ve seen this ride before.

[gvido]

Author: spa
Date:   05-25-05 18:01

The boy should get 30 days and an ass kicking..........We\'ve seen this ride before.

Agreed spa.

That shot by Dominguez would\'ve made Earlie Fires and Chop Chop Chavez blush. He hit the horse in the ribs for pete\'s sake, not his flank. The horse no doubt wondered what was going on.

[TGJB]

We live in politically correct times. If it had been Cordero, he would have kicked the guy as he was falling.

[NoCarolinaTony]

That made me laugh so hard. You are so right.

NC Tony

[jimbo66]

Michael,

I hear you.  But it was the WAY he hit the horse, WHEN he hit horse and WHERE he hit the horse.  

If they want to, they can suspend him.  That \'reckless riding\' clause can be interpreted pretty widely.  Similar to the \'best interests of baseball\' clause.....

[big18741]

A quality horse shouldn\'t react to a whip like that no matter how hard he\'s struck- if its on his flank.

The problem with Dominguez is that instead of reaching back and hitting the horse where he was supposed to-he smashed him in the ribs.Nobody even mentions that.Of course the horse is going to react like that.Who the hell hits a horse in his fully exposed ribs like that coming off the turn?

And Bailes is going to use him again on the horse.Is he crazy?



Post Edited (05-25-05 18:40)

[MO]

Reminds me of one of my more prophetic comments when working as bugler at Belmont. Cordero was in his last year riding. If he had fallen one more time, they\'d need a front loader to scoop him off the track.
Anyway, he comes back from a losing mount (can\'t recall for whom) but here he comes down the tunnel and he\'s begging Pete Ferriola to ride this mount next time out. He had tears in his eyes saying \"Come on Pete, I\'m an old man, gimmie a break\".

Right then and there I said OUT LOUD \"This guy\'s a better agent than he is a jockey!\"
In hindsight,I wasn\'t very far off.



Post Edited (05-25-05 18:50)

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Figuring out why horses do things isn\'t as easy as seeing what they do. Its possible Scrappy was gassed at the end of the turn, but if he was he was full of run and on a long lead heading into it. He also had a nice stride until wrapped up late. Additionally no one came and picked him up.  

Scrappy ran a fourth quarter of 25.12 (with bear out and interruption) after being right on a .46 and 1.10.4 He then ran 3/16ths in 19.90 after the incident and wrapped up when it was certain he wasnt gonna wear down or be put up over Alex. Giacomo picked up 2 lengths when clear and saving ground in the last fraction. Not sure he gains an inch but for the trouble. Is Scrappy a Belmont horse? Prolly not, few are. Is he gonna hammer most of this crop? Probably.