With all the sublime and nearly sublime racing taking place at this time of the year, I would like to spend some time discussing the ridiculous side of Racing.

For your consideration, I give you the last place finisher in yesterday's Pleasant Colony at Aqueduct, Blue Mon.

Blue Mon has listed as trainer Wayne W Rice. I am not certain if Wayne W. Rice is a son of Clyde Rice (who put over a 2YO named Titillating in one of the craftiest betting scams at NYRA in the past couple of decades) and thereby a brother of Linda Rice, who has become unbeatable in 5 furlong turf dashes.

No matter what his lineage be, Mr. Rice should have his license to train horses evaluated. Under the conditions of the Pleasant Colony, Blue Mon, as a non- winner of 5 races lifetime, was eligible to carry 118 pounds in this 14 furlong marathon, yet BM carried 126. You would think the owner of this animal would have complained that trainer Rice didn't take the 8 pounds BM was entitled to.

But wait. The owner of BM is also the jockey, Arienne Cox. Ms. Cox apparently also trained BM for the latter part of 2006. I am assuming that West Virginia racing rules prohibit trainers from riding their own animals, so in December, when BM appeared at Mountaineer, Wayne Rice took over the training chores.

Blue Mon's 2 races at Mountaineer produced 2 of the most eye- catching running lines I have seen in the DRF. On December 9, carrying 125 pounds in a 2 mile race (I'm assuming this is the lowest weight Ms. Cox could tack), BM went off at odds of 5/1; he trailed by 28 lengths after the first call, by 16 lengths at the second call, and according to the DRF made a "quick 4 wide bid", going by 6 more lightly weighted rivals like a freight train goes by a hobo, winning by 18 lengths.

21 days later, BM is back at "the Mountain" as an 8/5 favorite in a 2-1/16th mile race carrying 124 pounds. In a 10 horse heat, he trailed by 49, 68, 52 and 21 lengths before splitting the field and getting beat 20 lengths.

BM shows up at the Gulf in March in a turf marathon. Carrying 128 pounds, most of which is made up of Ms Cox, he presses the pace set by a Todd Pletcher wire to wire winner, tiring at the end, beaten less than 3 lengths by 2 rivals carrying 8 less pounds than BM carried that day. The comment was "steadied both turns".

I didn't bet the Pleasant Colony, but watched closely. For the part of the race that BM was in contention, both horse and rider looked very uncomfortable. I am wondering why (a) with all the concern for the health of racehorses, why are we allowing this owner/ trainer/ jockey to burden this animal with excess weight; and (b) with all of our concern for the safety of jockeys, why is this woman (who looked awful on this horse yesterday) allowed to ride?

Team TVG never mentioned the weight issue on Blue Mon, saying only that he was a contender based on the Florida race. The sad part is that this could probably be a useful animal at some level, if only the owner would fire the jockey.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2007 07:57AM by richiebee.