Is the Derby a horse race or a spectacle? You can't have it both ways. If CD/KHRC wants a 20 horse spectacle of hellbent speed dirt horses running in front of 150,000+ fans then don't treat the Derby like a Thu afternoon claimer. If 20 horses isn't unsafe, then why is the BC Classic at CD limited to 14 horses, why not 20 horses there? Also, take a look at the start of the race when the horses in the auxiliary gate all bear in because of the huge gap to the main gate. Can CD spend a few bucks and purchase a 20 horse gate - because, you know, safety is a priority, right? Also, if safety is a priority, how about installing a false rail on the home turn so that jockeys know there will be room down inside and not panic looking for space. This is very common in Europe where rodeo riding is very unusual.

That DQ was a pathetic farce. Saez was not whipping left handed, the horse bore out most likely from all the infield commotion, the noise, the thousands of bodies, the security standing on the turf course, whatever. Did he make contact, yeah. But this "could have been a disaster, blah blah" we are now basing DQs on what could have happened? And we are now basing DQs on what a horse "might" have had left in the tank?

The bottom line is that the horse awarded first place was NEVER winning that race. Ever. And that is what the DQ should be based upon. By taking down the winner is a horse being elevated who had no chance to win. In this case, YES, and it's absolute garbage. The field could have run four more laps and Country House was NEVER getting by the true winner. Every horse had a 1/4 mile to get by the winner and couldn't do it.

And now, there are threads about Servis surreptitiously using this or that enhancer - we are now conspiracy theorists that the stewards are in the pockets of trainers like Mott, McGaughey, etc? No wonder this game is fuc*ed.

It is also why I have moved 90% of my handle to Betfair and overseas racing. Is it 100% better. No. Is it 80-90% better. Yes. Stewards don't steal races from the betting public. If a jockey is found to have "fouled" he/she is fined and suspended. Take a look at the YouTube video of the 2015 Irish Champion Stakes. Watch the incident in the stretch. NO DQ. Are drugs 0% of the game there. NO. But it is a tiny percentage, where here, it is 100% of the game.

I have happily taken my money elsewhere.