2016 Travers: Baffert, Again

[hellersorr]

Heckuva post:  https://blog.horsetourneys.com/2016/08/29/when-trainers-have-multiple-speed-horses-in-the-same-two-turn-stakes-race/

By my count, we\'re now up to three stakes races, two of historical significance.  I imagine there are more to find - maybe SEVERAL more to find - if somebody had nothing to do but watch old horse races.

Now, no person in his or her right mind would question the extraordinary talent of an Arrogate or a Justify.  But we now have two very clear patterns:  

1)  Bob Baffert uses one entrant in a race to OBSTRUCT competitors in order to set the race up for another Baffert entrant.

2)  Baffert isn\'t punished.

[hellersorr]

Charles Hayward weighs in:  https://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/hayward-stewards-response-to-belmont-controversy-an-absolute-outrage/

[richiebee]

Yeah good old Charlie.

First, let me say that (my opinion) the best runner won the Belmont.
Before Gerouxgate, people were up in arms about Audible not being entered, and
(my opinion) the only way Audible gets 12 furlongs is if he\'s riding in
a Sallee van.

Second, good old Charlie said he was outraged, but probably not as outraged as
all the NYRA horseplayers who were robbed of tens of millions of dollars when
NYRA, with Charlie\'s (and Steven Crist\'s) knowledge, ran races with a
takeout rate in excess of what the law called for.

Third, under Charlie\'s watch as head of NYRA the leading owner (Ernie
Paragallo) ende up in prison and the leading trainer (\"Babe\" Dutrow) ended up
drawing a 10 year suspension.

If anyone wants to complain, how about Saturday\'s Belmont turf feature (you
know, turf racing we all love it because of the large fields) drew a field of
seven... including two MTOs and three Brownies. The great stake filled cards
that we have on BIG days come at a price.

[TGJB]

Get off my lawn...

[richiebee]

Understood, JB, but I posted from E.39th Street, so its a \"stoop\" as you Manhattan
folks say.

When I was five or six, a neighborhood kid was beating the crap out of me right in
front of my house. Pounding my head into the ground. My mother stuck her head out
the window and screamed \"Ricky...get...off...the...lawn!\"

[TGJB]

Hey, I\'m fine with it. If I threw all the cranky old guys off here there would be nobody left.

[FrankD.]

Not to burst your bubble my good friend but your board was once the best of it’s kind by far. A place where industry issues and handicapping discussions were at a premium with participation by many knowledgeable players and industry insiders. It has evolved into a teenage girls face book page...... Complete with drama and nothing remotely serious that a HORSEPLAYER would care to participate in.

See you in 4 weeksðŸ'

FD

[johnnym]

Frank; I don’t think that just applies to this board.