whipped 17 times to the wire

[AscotStud]

Interesting chart...good thing the race wasn't in Ontario or the jock would have got a lifetime ban.

http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFC ... USA&race=6

[Toccet02]

wow/ talk about using your job to get a point across.

[Jorge]

Not justified in any case, but note that the track record was not in jeopardy.

[tbrace]

This kind of use of the whip does more to kill racing than any single thing.

Disgusting.

[pfrsue]

Okay, so it's not a lifetime ban in the states, but surely something like that should still come in for disciplinary action, shouldn't it???

[Toccet02]

are these chart callers (writers? what's the official name?) supposed to be dry and factual as possible, or can they say whatever they want? Do you think he or she was indignant and that's why they specified the whipping, or wanted to show that the horse was likely subject to pain and stress that day, for future handicapping . . .??

[TJ]

are these chart callers (writers? what's the official name?) supposed to be dry and factual as possible, or can they say whatever they want? Do you think he or she was indignant and that's why they specified the whipping, or wanted to show that the horse was likely subject to pain and stress that day, for future handicapping . . .??

Good question Toccet. I've never seen or heard of anything like this, it's a smack in the face to the stewards who do watch over such things. Unfortunately this is an old chart and it would be hard to find out if there was a ruling over it. The good news, two years later and she's still in the entries. A whip is a necessary piece of equiptment and probably saves more horses and riders lives, than actually hurts a horse when being whipped. Whips are much less severe than days of old when certain riders were know to hit so hard they left welts and cuts. It's much less actually using pain from the whip to run today then it is just keeping busy and going through thru the motions to keep the horses mind on business. Certain horses you have to stay that busy on or they'll quit running under you. Smokin Pistol may have been one of those as you will note in this chart with her winning again by an open margin. But the chart caller didn't bother to count the strokes, which was certainly unnecessary in the first chart. TJ
http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFC ... USA&race=8

[wilf]

Two weeks ago at Mountaineer I watched a two year old filly win with Scott Speith up and it was disgusting to witness the beating she took. I was in the HBPA office at the time and asked them to call the Stewards to see if they had anything to say. The Stewards had not noticed anything but were going to review the tape, we never heard back. Not surprising!

[zinn21]

This is a tough one. Some horses need the whip. Others do not need it at all. Perhaps there should be a rule that states a rider can only strike a horse X number of times from the quarter pole to the wire. What "X" is, I don't know.

[tbrace]

The horse was winning by 3+ lengths, for heaven's sake!

This is not a tough one, or a slap in the face to stewards. This is someone finally taking action because stewards seldom condemn the use of the whip in the United States.

I can't count the potential fans I've brought to the races over the years, who where immediately turned off by the some jocks use the whip, and never returned to see another race.

Imagine what a horse is feeling/thinking when they are full out, and still being whipped hard with a stiff, thin, leather whip. They get corrected with the same whip when out of line galloping in the mornings, etc.

Then, when they are trying their hardest, they still get whipped.

If they were dogs, in a competition of some kind, people would be shocked and the practice would stop immediately.

But, with horses, well "that's the way it's always been done", which seems to be good enough reason to not change most things in horse racing.

Could it be a contributing factor to the spectator decline in racing that has gone on for years?

[going4stamina]

Disgusting .

[Jorge]

Hmmm, why not include a special paragraph titled "Special Remarks" where these remarks can be posted as an exception. I agree that some remarks within a race chart may sound quite unfamiliar and a subjacent repriment but certainly the action described here shouldn't be ignored. So
I guess we better back the remark expressed here.

Jocous note: Imagine that some chart analizer posts this comment on a horse who arrived dead last:

"And all this occurred even though this horse was a prohibitive favorite ---go figure!"

[TJ]

Here's the video from the chart I posted.... http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFC ... USA&race=8
...It's obvious Smokin Pistol has to be constantly ridden.....she recieved a vigorous ride, jock changing holds and keeping very busy on her to the 3/16ths pole then was hit with a high whip stroke inside the 1/8th pole when she was also well clear as in the first 17 banger chart. Smokin Pistol is number 5. TJ
http://www.nybreds.com/includes/video-p ... FIM&race=8

[Affirmed1]

I commend the charter for including this comment. In the typical fashion of isolating the truth teller, I would suspect the charter has paid the price for their integrity.

[TJ]

Found the 17 banger video...once again a keep busy ride, he had to be instructed to ride her like that when she's that clear of horses. When you open the FL site, back up to 10/19/09 and hit race 6. TJ
http://www.fingerlakesracetrack.com/new ... _2716.aspx