Pimlico Blames Brother Derek

austique · Postby **austique** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:30 am

I couldn't make this crap up if I tried. They say he hit Barbaro's pastern and he took a bad step and if he hadn't broken so slow Barbaro never would have broken down. Classy Pimlico...really classy. Like it matters unless you're trying to cover your own butt.

Btw, Solis refutes the claim saying if he had been that close when the horse broke down Brother Derek would have fallen.

HR LLC · Postby **HR LLC** » Tue May 30, 2006 12:05 pm

No way they said that...send me the link to the story...

austique · Postby **austique** » Tue May 30, 2006 12:21 pm

Its buried about half way down the article although they alude to it toward the front

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33786

They even sent Matz a DVD so he could convince himself. All this despite the fact that Barbaro has no cuts anywhere on him :roll:

Heidilady · Postby **Heidilady** » Tue May 30, 2006 12:26 pm

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33786

The main discussion about Brother Derek's near the bottom. Drama drama drama. See I love how various people are trying to pin and deny blame. As if Pimlico wants any blame in this, as if Alex Solis would ever want people to think he put Barbaro's life at risk albeit accidentally. Since I can't watch the dvd they sent to Matz that shows the allegedly incident from many angles supposedly when viewed frame by frame, I really have no idea what happened. Matz probably hasn't obsessed about it and doesn't like rewatching Barbaro's injury over and over so he probably wouldn't have seen it if it HAD happened.

I find it hard to believe that Alex was as far away from Barbaro as he implies if it's 80% clear as Pimlico claims, as well as it's also quite possible that Alex's right shoulder pulls like that as a result of getting out of Barbaro's way rather than b/c BD had just struck him. I don't think we should defend Pimlico or Solis without seeing it ourselves but most importantly it probably doesn't matter. I doubt it was intentional if it did happen and 9 times out 10 it never happens accidentally so what are you gonna do? Punish Alex?

austique · Postby **austique** » Tue May 30, 2006 12:41 pm

I did rewatch the race and he is outside of Barbaro and a length off of him. Barbaro then begins to break down and drifts out causing Brother Derek to check (Solis' shoulder goes out). No contact is made and I watched it several times. There is a big enough space between Barbaro and Brother Derek that unless Brother Derek is the worst paddler in the world he could never have made contact and I think this is punk move on Pimlico's part.

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Tue May 30, 2006 1:07 pm

If Pimlico is hit with a law suit, the we will know this is a fantasy story.

HR LLC · Postby **HR LLC** » Tue May 30, 2006 1:11 pm

Okay...I read it...Its a bush league move on Pimlico's part...You see why the dont give these clowns slots...

hoof hearted · Postby **hoof hearted** » Tue May 30, 2006 3:44 pm

What possible purpose is there in coming out with trash like this. If BD had hit Barbaro there would have been a slice in his hind wraps that was noticable. Vet Wrap is very delicate material.

Heidilady · Postby **Heidilady** » Tue May 30, 2006 4:06 pm

HR LLC wrote:Okay...I read it...Its a bush league move on Pimlico's part...You see why the dont give these clowns slots...

I just remembered these were the same folks spouting off about how Barbaro would probably never be a stud since it's too hard on him when the surgeon totally said the opposite. It's like the guy couldn't read or watch tv since, if he had, he'd have seen they were actually completely contradicting him.

It's so sad to see what Pimlico's turning into. They need a track overhaul, a facility overhaul, and a management overhaul. I could see if they saw Pimlico,etc and the quality, they wouldn't be very What's sad is if they don't things could get even worse so it's a rock and a hard place.

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Tue May 30, 2006 5:43 pm

Sooo stupid...

Nerd · Postby **Nerd** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:05 pm

you know, I don't think they are trying to assign the blame in a malicious way. They are just trying to understand the causality behind the catastrophe. I would hold back judgement until we are able to see the replay frame by frame and from all angles.

austique · Postby **austique** » Wed May 31, 2006 12:05 am

Nerd,

I watched the replay in slow mo and it was physically impossible for Brother Derek to have stepped on Barbaro and cause any injury prior to the point when he began to break down and drifted into Brother Derek's path and even then there was no contact. Pimilico is trying to save themselves some bad press and tell me this, why would stewards spend hours going frame by frame over the race? What is the point in that? Do they do it every time a horse breaks down or just for VIP's who might garner some bad press?

Secondly, lets suppose in some fantasy land where pink ponies graze purple pastures that Brother Derek did step on Barbaro. What would be the point of releasing that information? Its still an act of God. It doesn't change anything about the fact that the horse broke down.

Michael Matz got the DVD they watched and said he never saw anything. They told him he hadn't watched enough and both riders say nothing happened. Prado described the injury as "a mystery" and suggested everyone just move on, so what purpose does Pimilico have in coming up with this "second horse on the grassy knoll" theory? Me thinks something stinks in Maryland and it ain't Sammy Sosa this year.

Nerd · Postby **Nerd** » Wed May 31, 2006 12:56 am

See, I think there are plenty of reasons for such information. If you say it was a freak collision, it's no longer MM's fault for being too easy on Barbaro, it's no longer MM's fault for running him in the Preakness when he was supposedly 'gimping' after the Derby, it's no longer the starter's fault for letting him start again so soon, it's no longer the starter vet's fault for not looking him over closely enough, it's no longer Budweiser's fault for leaving big ol' clydesdale tracks for Barbaro to step in, it's no longer modern-day TB breeder's fault for breeding fragile TBs, it's no longer Pimlico's fault for not having polytrack, it's no longer Barbaro's fault for being secretly unsound, etc etc etc.

I think they are only trying to prove one theory in an attempt to lay to rest the very "grassy knoll" conspiracy theories that abound and don't do anyone any good. I'm not judging whether they're wrong or right, but I think we should at least respect their attempt to find out what happened.

Sam · Postby **Sam** » Wed May 31, 2006 1:10 am

Nerd wrote:I think we should at least respect their attempt to find out what happened.

The horse took a freakishly bad step. There's no reason to 'attempt to find out what happened" because that IS what happened.

The only thing a punk move like this does is give people a reason to speculate and debate 'what happened' and try to assign blame because no one likes to admit that sometimes there is no one to blame.

austique · Postby **austique** » Wed May 31, 2006 2:14 am

Just to clear up something. The footage they showed of the clydesdales was early in the race card and the track was harrowed after they were out there...several times.

The horse took a funky step, plain and simple. Didn't matter if he was sore or what Michael Matz did that might be termed mismanagment or the track vet for not scratching him after he false broke or any number of other things people like to talk about because its sinister and makes for good headlines or makes the sport look bad. None of that was a factor. He took a bad step and any amount of analysis isn't going to stop other horses from taking a bad step and possibly breaking down regardless of if its on dirt, turf, polytrack, or breast implants.