How does this horse stay up?
 

HOL-11-16-08_R9

Sutherland sticking lefty on Leedstheway (#4) takes the path from Uncle Jeep (#2) late stretch. Even if she was clear (debatable) she's not supposed to be able to obstruct the path of another horse. (Seems like Chantal has been studying the style of Javier Castellano --- she looks behind early stretch, note that she's going to face a challenge, and then craftily starts whipping lefty to get her horse to drift, herd, then cut off the competition.) People bet their money and stewards allow this kind of **** to happen (regularly). Why are these ****ers earning a salary, money that could be better spent elsewhere by the tracks?

In socal if you are clear they let you get away with alot of things.

The TVG guys seem to be going with "well the best horse won" concept but all felt there was some contact.

I really dont like that, it seems like a foul should be a foul so this type of discussion would be moot.

This is pretty easy to answer. If 2 out of 3 stewards think the winner had the more juice, then it ain't coming down. They can get away with an awful lot if they are deemed to have an ounce more horse than the 2nd place horse. It's a foul. They don't give a damn. They only care if you had enough run to win it. Then they care if you got fouled.

If the 2 is allowed a straight/unobstructed run in the lane, it's probably a blanket finish. Hard to believe that the stewards were able to see it as the 4 being so superior. If that were the case, then maybe Sutherland keeps her mount straight and doesn't feel the need to intimidate/block the 2. Makes sense to anyone but a steward, I suppose.

What's in the future: trainers running entries and having the lesser of the two **** with the rest of the field so no one else gets a clear run?

I remember this race vividly, I took the horse that finished 2nd ridden by Ezpinoza that day. I wasn't really surprised by the decision of the stewards, if they went by the letter of the rule Chantal should have been taken down, however given it happened in deep stretch they probably deemed it insigificant to change a result. The best horse won and given the moderate odds of the second place finisher I was comfortable with their decision. As for Chantal's riding can anyone be surprised she can't keep a horse straight.

Horse don't surge late stretch on the turf at CALI? This is something that happens quite frequently on just about ALL turf courses; especially when the leader is weakening.

I had nothing invest in all of this so it's neither here nor there for me. And, being taken down by a 'suspect' stewards' decision is just another way to lose in this game.