Does anyone else out there think the whole Belmont was a scam? Watching that race from the get go looked phony. The break was odd, the maneuvering of horses seemed orchestrated throughout the race. There was even a shot in the post parade where Desormeaux was riding along with his feet out of the stirrups like he was out on a trail ride. Everything about this race seemed wrong. We watched it from Canterbury Park and for Ken to completely pull him up and out when Big Brown appeared to be ready to go citing that "he was probably just tired." What?!?!?! I watched the ESPN footage in slow-mo at work and I am even more convinced than ever. Desormeaux makes a big show (huge flapping arm) of asking for more when he is clearing pulling the reins tight. He pulls up so hard in the corner, Big Browns head goes up and he staggers to the right. Big Browns health and safety are obviously most important to me, but this was something else. We heard once as we were sitting there that the betting totals at Belmont alone were almost 6 million dollars wagered on Big Brown to win. That is not counting to place or show and all the exactas and trifectas, ect. The track is required to pay 1.20 even if the odds are 1-1. So you can imagine the pools around the world betting on this horse. Dutrow is a crook and the track stood to pay out a lot of money. When something doesn't sit right, follow the money. This looked like the WWF version of horse racing....I can't believe sports writers and analysts aren't blasting it and looking into what a complete joke and scam (in my opinion) the 2008 Belmont Stakes really was.
18 Degrees, Felt Like 3
3 hours ago
9 comments:
I used to train horses
this horse was not ready to run
or race, it may be the foot
or pain somewhere else.
What I thought was really weird
was when BB ran up on the lead horse
and nearly run over him.
the jockey had to pull him up
and over to get him running room.
He may have been kick at that point
Sad way for the race to end.
I was glad to see the jockey to
taking care of the horse and not
so into the race that he put the
horse in danger.
kay lee
Obviously Big Brown's health and safety are most important to me, but somethings about this race doesn't sit right. Horses run with chips, with pain, with cracked hooves ALL the time in this sport. It is a sad reality. All I am saying is "follow the money."
I got a call from Australia just as the horses were going to the post so I didn't really get to see the race with my full concentration. By the time it was over, I wasn't really interested in watching a rerun.
You know more about racing than I do so I think you raise an interesting idea. However, Big Brown would have been worth so much more to his greedy owners had he won. I can't believe they would throw the race.
I noticed that BB was the only one not jigging and running sideways on the way in. I, too, noticed the jockey with his legs relaxed like he was on a trail ride. I don't know what BB usually looks like before a race, but anything in my yard would have been more excited than that.
Was it the lack of steroids? Pain? Too hot? I wonder if we'll ever know.
Good questions all around. I think it made the industry "look"
better to pull him up. But, would the industry have that much influence on an outcome? The track could have lined the pockets of the owner, but again, I think they had more to win by winning it. Hard to say, hard to say, but you definately have more insight.
I think the lack of excitement is due to the lack of experience running. Our horses that run barrels usually only get on muscle after they've been seasoned awhile...
Again, though, I am giving my humble opinion because I just don't have the insiders edge like others.
I did watch it, but we had storms coming through and they kept breaking in...we got no pre-race hype.
My take on the race was that he just didn't look right and the jockey did the right thing by pulling him up. The bigger question is - where is his trainer?? Not shooting his mouth off now, is he?
I didn't think it really looked like a scam... Big Brown looked plain tired to me. I think without the drugs he lost some of his edge, and then the heat and other stress probably got rid of the rest of his keenness.
I know nothing about racing other than the fact that I hate that they are racing babies, but it didn't look "fixed" to me. I watched the Derby and when the jockey asked him to move into the next gear he did it, whereas this race, he just didn't have another gear to go to. Thank goodness the jockey took care of the horse.
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