150TH KENTUCKY DERBY

[Mylute]

I have a lot of catching up to do re: any drama or analysis but today during the Claiborne Farm tour a lady asked me what I thought about the lack of inquiry at the finish. I was like wtf??? Ma'am I'm clueless.

Wtf Sierra Leone jockey

[Diver52]

Just watched the race a few more times... man, Mystik Dan had possibly the best trip of any recent Derby contestant. It was like he had a forcefield around him... absolutely wild. He did break incredibly well and then punched through that very tight spot on the rail turning for home, had a lot of guts to do that, but trip was definitely the difference-maker here.

Fierceness hit the same wall that he hit in his previous two losses. He broke a little slow, I don't think he needed to be up that close and wide, and I think the pace was quicker than it looked, but he just didn't have anything. Johnny V pretty much wrapped him up, and hopefully he comes out of the race without any issues.

EDIT: Man I hate to say it, but Forever Young could have gotten a better ride. Watch him vs. Sierra Leone on the final turn: Sierra Leone is actually inside of him until the very top of the stretch, because Tyler prioritized saving ground until the last possible second. Forever Young might have moved a tiny bit too soon, and with the tiny final margin that could have been the difference-maker. Not criticizing the jockey! It was a good ride overall, and the horse was very brave. It's just a reminder of how difficult it is to win the Kentucky Derby.

Also, T O Password ran insanely well. He should seriously run in the Preakness, any chance of that?

I heard T O Passwords jockey lost his whip in the stretch

Kazushi Kimura (T O Password's jockey) explained more details in the morning after the Derby.

https://twitter.com/agentes305/status/1 ... 0554723693

While I've naturally been following Ryusei Sakai since a longtime ago(haha!), I hadn't known much about Kazushi Kimura until recently.
But now I'm a big fan of the latter, too!!
I wish him all the best!!!

Kimura has been riding at Santa Anita the last two years in the winter when Woodbine in Canada is closed--he's done well with some big wins. He's gone back to Woodbine for the summer season but he was a sneaky good addition to the California jockey colony.

[tachyon]

I heard T O Passwords jockey lost his whip in the stretch

Kazushi Kimura (T O Password's jockey) explained more details in the morning after the Derby.

https://twitter.com/agentes305/status/1 ... 0554723693

While I've naturally been following Ryusei Sakai since a longtime ago(haha!), I hadn't known much about Kazushi Kimura until recently.
But now I'm a big fan of the latter, too!!
I wish him all the best!!!

Kimura has been riding at Santa Anita the last two years in the winter when Woodbine in Canada is closed--he's done well with some big wins. He's gone back to Woodbine for the summer season but he was a sneaky good addition to the California jockey colony.

Thanks Diver52 for the info.

I'm sure that many Japanese fans are proud of Kazushi Kimura who moved on his own to North America to get a chance.
Here's hoping this young rider will pick up some BC mounts at Del Mar later this year!!

[Slewfan2]

Wow, now I know why the rumors about Honor Marie started - it sounds like he really could have been scratched

Outside of a single disagreement between the head regulatory vet and the connections of Honor Marie, which was settled after a considerable amount of diagnostic testing showed the colt to be sound, it wasn’t a late scratch-fest like 2023

https://goingincirclesdigest.substack.c ... irect=true

[Squeaky]

Wow, now I know why the rumors about Honor Marie started - it sounds like he really could have been scratched

Outside of a single disagreement between the head regulatory vet and the connections of Honor Marie, which was settled after a considerable amount of diagnostic testing showed the colt to be sound, it wasn’t a late scratch-fest like 2023

https://goingincirclesdigest.substack.c ... irect=true

Considering the horror trip he had and where he finished maybe would have been a good thing.

[Slewfan2]

Wow, now I know why the rumors about Honor Marie started - it sounds like he really could have been scratched

Outside of a single disagreement between the head regulatory vet and the connections of Honor Marie, which was settled after a considerable amount of diagnostic testing showed the colt to be sound, it wasn’t a late scratch-fest like 2023

https://goingincirclesdigest.substack.c ... irect=true

Considering the horror trip he had and where he finished maybe would have been a good thing.

Oh no, I don’t believe that. He ran an extremely creditable race to finish where he did - he proved a lot. I would never wish that any horse be scratched on the eve of the Derby if they’re sound

[Squeaky]

I was thinking more along the lines of sparing the horse all that trauma/ soreness from all the bouncing around. But I’m sure that would have been devastating to the owners and trainer, who had to overcome a lot of health issues that week just to be there.

[Slewfan2]

I was thinking more along the lines of sparing the horse all that trauma/ soreness from all the bouncing around. But I’m sure that would have been devastating to the owners and trainer, who had to overcome a lot of health issues that week just to be there.

I get it - I’m glad that the vets didn’t just scratch and, instead, gave HM’s connections a chance to prove their colt was sound

Fortunately HM came out of the race in good shape…can’t wait to see him run again!

[stark]

NO fines, NO suspension for Tyler Gafflione for his ride on Sierra Leone.

[Missbeholder]

NO fines, NO suspension for Tyler Gafflione for his ride on Sierra Leone.

Stark, do you have a link, or can you say where you heard or saw this? I've been anxious to hear news on it, but there's nothing up yet at the usual sites like BH, DRF, or PR.

Thanx!

[stark]

NO fines, NO suspension for Tyler Gafflione for his ride on Sierra Leone.

Stark, do you have a link, or can you say where you heard or saw this? I've been anxious to hear news on it, but there's nothing up yet at the usual sites like BH, DRF, or PR.

Thanx!

https://twitter.com/Steve_Byk/status/17 ... 6163323348

[Missbeholder]

[quote=stark post_id=300767 time=1715355887 user_id=3832]
[quote=Missbeholder post_id=300766 time=1715355276 user_id=37695]
[quote=stark post_id=300765 time=1715351357 user_id=3832]
NO fines, NO suspension for Tyler Gafflione for his ride on Sierra Leone.
[/quote]

Stark, do you have a link, or can you say where you heard or saw this? I've been anxious to hear news on it, but there's nothing up yet at the usual sites like BH, DRF, or PR.

Thanx!
[/quote]
https://twitter.com/Steve_Byk/status/17 ... 6163323348
[/quote]

Thanks again, Stark! I didn't think of Steve Byk! Much appreciated!

By the way, this news is going to make some folks pretty unhappy.....especially Forever Young fans!

[Curtis]

Stark, do you have a link, or can you say where you heard or saw this? I've been anxious to hear news on it, but there's nothing up yet at the usual sites like BH, DRF, or PR.

Thanx!

https://twitter.com/Steve_Byk/status/17 ... 6163323348

Thanks again, Stark! I didn't think of Steve Byk! Much appreciated!

By the way, this news is going to make some folks pretty unhappy.....especially Forever Young fans!

No doubt the same folks that saw Jose Santo’s battery.

[Missbeholder]

https://twitter.com/Steve_Byk/status/17 ... 6163323348

Thanks again, Stark! I didn't think of Steve Byk! Much appreciated!

By the way, this news is going to make some folks pretty unhappy.....especially Forever Young fans!

No doubt the same folks that saw Jose Santo’s battery.

HaHa! Ain't that the truth!

[sweettalk]

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... derby-ride

$2500 fine, BH notes at the end of the article that sources had been putting out incorrect info.

[Missbeholder]

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... derby-ride

$2500 fine, BH notes at the end of the article that sources had been putting out incorrect info.

Well, this is rather embarrassing for Byk and others that were a bit too trusting of their sources! I have to say that I was a bit surprised that they didn't at least fine him, supposedly. It's my understanding that the rule about jockeys touching another horse or rider with either hand or whip is pretty much "zero tolerance". Some form of discipline, be it fine, suspension, or DQ, is supposedly required and automatic, regardless of intent or reason.

Thanks sweettalk for posting the BH piece that tells the correct story.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Paulick has this:
https://paulickreport.com/news/triple-c ... derby-ride

[Squeaky]

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... derby-ride

$2500 fine, BH notes at the end of the article that sources had been putting out incorrect info.

Well, this is rather embarrassing for Byk and others that were a bit too trusting of their sources! I have to say that I was a bit surprised that they didn't at least fine him, supposedly. It's my understanding that the rule about jockeys touching another horse or rider with either hand or whip is pretty much "zero tolerance". Some form of discipline, be it fine, suspension, or DQ, is supposedly required and automatic, regardless of intent or reason.

Thanks sweettalk for posting the BH piece that tells the correct story.

You can be first, or you can be right. Glad BH waited to get the correct story.

[sweettalk]

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... derby-ride

$2500 fine, BH notes at the end of the article that sources had been putting out incorrect info.

Well, this is rather embarrassing for Byk and others that were a bit too trusting of their sources! I have to say that I was a bit surprised that they didn't at least fine him, supposedly. It's my understanding that the rule about jockeys touching another horse or rider with either hand or whip is pretty much "zero tolerance". Some form of discipline, be it fine, suspension, or DQ, is supposedly required and automatic, regardless of intent or reason.

Thanks sweettalk for posting the BH piece that tells the correct story.

You can be first, or you can be right. Glad BH waited to get the correct story.

they actually didn't, they had the same "no punishment" story up at first. then when i went back abt an hr later, they had this corrected story up.
i wonder where the "no punishment" news came from, cuz it fooled everyone.

[Missbeholder]

You can be first, or you can be right. Glad BH waited to get the correct story.
[/quote]
they actually didn't, they had the same "no punishment" story up at first. then when i went back abt an hr later, they had this corrected story up.
i wonder where the "no punishment" news came from, cuz it fooled everyone.
[/quote]

Very interesting. It does kind of bother me that Steve Byk's Twitter post didn't include a link to where he got his information. I didn't notice that originally, but I would think he would have covered that!

It's over and done with now, and really doesn't matter. But it did cause big embarrassment to some professionals who should know better than to jump on info like that without confirming it first.