Churchill Downs Stewards On Crack?

[Mr Wonderful]

It's totally unconceivable that an Inquiry was not called on Sierra Leone during the stretch drive
of the Kentucky Derby. It was painfully obvious that Forever Young was impeded. Now whether
or not a disqualification was necessary is up for debate. But to not even look at it through the
lens of an Official Inquiry is indefensible. In one photo you can plainly see that the jockey on
Sierra Leone was pulling extremely hard on the right rein to keep his horse from running in and
off of Forever Young. In that same photo it also showed the Sierra Leone jockey actually coming
in contact with Forever Young with his left arm attempting to push Forever Young away. It is an
absolute shame that this race was marred by the Stewards incompetence.

[Papillon]

It's totally unconceivable that an Inquiry was not called on Sierra Leone during the stretch drive
of the Kentucky Derby. It was painfully obvious that Forever Young was impeded. Now whether
or not a disqualification was necessary is up for debate. But to not even look at it through the
lens of an Official Inquiry is indefensible. In one photo you can plainly see that the jockey on
Sierra Leone was pulling extremely hard on the right rein to keep his horse from running in and
off of Forever Young. In that same photo it also showed the Sierra Leone jockey actually coming
in contact with Forever Young with his left arm attempting to push Forever Young away. It is an
absolute shame that this race was marred by the Stewards incompetence.

Forever Young gave as good as he got-yes there was contact but the Japanese horse also contributed to the contact

CD , after a few years of controversy in this race-didnt want to cause any more headlines after what has been going on there

[Oliver Clozoff]

Forever Young gave as good as he got-yes there was contact but the Japanese horse also contributed to the contact

CD , after a few years of controversy in this race-didnt want to cause any more headlines after what has been going on there

Not quite sure what race you were watching, SL slammed FY several times in the stretch and then Gaffalione tries to grab FY's reins right before the wire?  Jap jockey was looking at his inside and didn't see it but that's as bush league as you get.

[Dingus]

Forever Young gave as good as he got-yes there was contact but the Japanese horse also contributed to the contact

CD , after a few years of controversy in this race-didnt want to cause any more headlines after what has been going on there

I must have been watching another race.  Winner is on the rail, and the other 2 are way on the outside coming down the stretch.  At finish, all 3 are next to each other near the rail.  How did the 2 outside horses wind up next to the winner unless the horse furthest out is bearing into the horse in the middle?

[BoKnows]

To me it looks like the Japanese horse came out and made the 1st contact then Sierra Leone lugged into him through the rest of the stretch. Sierra Leone definitely gave more than he got especially when the camera was on them down the stretch.

[Meadow Ford]

I have driven horses well over a 100,000 miles to a jog cart or race bike.
No way would I ever get aboard one of those half broke semi-controlled run aways!

[Papillon]

It's totally unconceivable that an Inquiry was not called on Sierra Leone during the stretch drive
of the Kentucky Derby. It was painfully obvious that Forever Young was impeded. Now whether
or not a disqualification was necessary is up for debate. But to not even look at it through the
lens of an Official Inquiry is indefensible. In one photo you can plainly see that the jockey on
Sierra Leone was pulling extremely hard on the right rein to keep his horse from running in and
off of Forever Young. In that same photo it also showed the Sierra Leone jockey actually coming
in contact with Forever Young with his left arm attempting to push Forever Young away. It is an
absolute shame that this race was marred by the Stewards incompetence.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission fined jockey Tyler Gaffalione $2,500 “for touching a rival with his left hand” near the finish of the Kentucky Derby, according to a ruling posted on the KHRC’s website Friday afternoon.

In the Kentucky Derby, Sierra Leone finished second, a nose behind Mystik Dan and a nose in front of Forever Young. In midstretch, Sierra Leone drifted in and bumped Forever Young and the two were side-by-side through the stretch, exchanging bumps. Nearing the wire, Gaffalione put his left hand on Forever Young, seemingly in an attempt to create some space so he could use his left-handed stick.

The Churchill stewards did not light the inquiry sign after the Derby nor did the jockey of Forever Young, Ryusei Sakai, claim foul. A spokesman for the owners of Forever Young said that Sakai told him he didn’t claim foul because “both horses were fighting together.”

In a statement released Monday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said the stewards conducted “their standard review of the race, determining no further review or investigation was necessary to conclude there were no incidents that altered the finish of the race.”

However, the stewards met with Gaffalione Thursday at Churchill Downs before a twilight racing card but did not mete out the penalty until Friday afternoon, according to someone familiar with the situation.

[luker2453]

So, what does this matter to the race?  Nothing changes.  The money means nothing to Tyler G.  Racing is a joke.  There should have been a  stewards inquiry immediately after the race.  The Japanese horse lost all chance with the other horse coming in on him.  Racing today is a travesty!