I’m not on social media except for here and don’t feel like reading a single article about today’s bad call in the race allowing the second best horse to be declared the winner, but I am curious to know if anyone supports that call.
In my horse and family circles absolutely no one does - even those who profited by it due to having winning bets. I had expected them to be thrilled. It’s become a “thing” to hear the declared winner renamed, “Poor Loser,” and I only know of one person who’s going to continue watching the next two races. Everyone considers Maximum Security to be the true winner.
But that’s just my circle - family (horse racing fans - or - used to be anyway going back into the '70s and earlier for the older members) and equine (these folks are often my age or younger).
Is it true everywhere, and if so, what sort of hit do you think it’s going to cause on the sport? The heavy betters in my family (not me) are going so far as to say they’re no longer going to bet the big races. Disillusion is running very high.
CC usually has a wider audience and many of you are on social media. Are my circles typical or an anomaly?
We aren’t big race people and know very little about the sport, but we always watch the triple crown races. We were shocked by the decision. Seems like Maximum Security was totally robbed. He led the entire time!
My DH posted and all our friends also agree that it was a terrible call.
He led the entire time, but he pulled off the rail, which illegally impeded the horses that were trying to catch him. Why is a unanimous decision of the stewards controversial?
I did not watch. Anyone care to give the Readers Digest version of events?
It has in my circles - not a single person supporting the call (even those who financially profited from it). Only one person is planning to watch the next two races and the heavy betters have said they’re no longer betting on the big races. The second best horse has been renamed, “Poor Loser.” Maximum Security is going down as our winner.
I was posting the same time you did wondering essentially the same thing. I know I’m among those skipping the next two races and perhaps all future Derbies. (That’s my mindset now - time will tell a year from now esp if they have different folks making the calls - aka - some lose their jobs.)
Very, very bad call - lots of wondering if they or those they know profited from it.
ps I’m also rooting for Poor Loser to lose all of his future races. I fully expect his owners to be rather shunned among race fans IF folks are responding the way my circles are. (That was my curiosity. Are my circles typical or not?)
Because those of us who watch horse racing often didn’t see where he impeded the one claiming the foul. He would not have won the race regardless. The one most impeded did not lodge a foul. If they were content…
And it’s common for horses to swing wide in races. Fouls usually involve severe bumping or clipping heels or similar. There was very little, if any, bumping. The horse that was impeded had to swerve and steady, but continued running at a similar pace, then dropped back naturally - hence - why they probably didn’t feel they were fouled.
Hopefully the thread I just started will merge with yours.
All I could think was that after 145 years they’ve found a way to kill horse racing as a sport. One fell swoop. Hoping I’m wrong.
Listening to the deafening boos during the awards was awful.
@“Cardinal Fang” But if you support it, that’s fine. It answers my question wondering if anyone else does or if it’s only my circles where it’s a unanimous bad call. Out of curiosity, how much horse racing do you watch?
I need to head off to bed now - lots of driving tomorrow. Will be curious to see how others respond in the morning and/or evening.
Really a “Mind blown” situation. They penalized an animal for…being an animal.
Where did you hear it was unanimous decision? I sincerely doubt it. I won’t believe that for a second. Good story to save the sport though. They’ll need it.
@gouf78 I turned it off as soon as the decision came down. Glad to hear the fans had a say at the award ceremony.
Yes, this could be the straw that broke the camel’s back for horse racing if my circles are typical.
“I’m also rooting for Poor Loser to lose all of his future races.”
Why blame it on this horse? Doesn’t seem fair.
I watch no horse racing and didn’t watch this horse race. But the stewards watch a lot of racing. Why would they make this choice, knowing it was bound to be unpopular, if they weren’t certain it was right? There have been challenges in previous Derbies but they weren’t upheld.
That is to say, I know nothing about racing, but I’m assuming the stewards know quite a bit.
@doschicos The horse won’t care… It’s the owners we want to see lose.
Not the horse’s owners fault. You can blame the stewards if you think it unfair. Or you can blame Maximum Security’s jockey. But others aren’t to blame for what happened today.
@“Cardinal Fang” Ah, ok. Those of us who know horse racing wouldn’t be upset if we thought the stewards were correct. There wouldn’t be lots of wondering about who profited from a lucky ticket or two if we thought the stewards were correct.
If I understand this correctly Max didn’t hurt the chances of Countryhouse, he hurt chances of horses so far behind they didn’t have a chance anyway. On a muddy track. With such quick correction that even Countryhouse jockey said it didn’t affect him.