Stan Bergstein of DRF doesn't like Calvin Borel
 

This is a DRF Plus article but I'm posting it anyway. If I get in trouble with DRF I'll become a Brisnet guy.

Cheering this Derby win too much of a stretch
By Stan Bergstein

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=112681

TUCSON, Ariz. - Hi, it's the old tree-hugger checking in.

I dislike interrupting parades or anointments or deifications, and I am particularly averse to disturbing the canonization of saints. So as hesitant as I am about stepping in where angels fear to tread, I regretfully cannot join the millions celebrating the elevation of Calvin Borel to sanctity, and must cast a lone vote of disapproval of his use of the whip with Super Saver.

I was not one of the announced crowd of 155,804 enraptured by the wild cavorting of Borel as he raised his arms and thumped his chest and slapped hands with every groom and outrider in sight, in ecstasy over his third Derby win in four years.

I understand all of that overwhelming happiness, but I was not one of the millions who joined in the joyful celebration of his rail-riding skills. The punishment he administered to his mount in the last eighth of a mile dulled my enjoyment of all that. I had cleaned the screen on my home TV to make sure I had a clear picture, and I counted eight hard blows in the final eighth and at least 14 from the head of the stretch to the wire. I may have missed a few before Borel and Super Saver cleared the pack, but he worked the colt over pretty good.

Who is this clown?

Stan has lost his marbles...

wow, but i have to say I thought he hit Rachel too much in the Woodward.

Chuck, I know this conversation has been brought up here before, but doesn't Borel use a crop? If so, I've seen them up close and there's no way they could administer a "beating" to a horse.

NT

perhaps you had a bet on Macho again?

The whips that they are using are padded. 100 swats with the new whip doesnt equal 2 with the old. But why would anyone care about the facts?

Buzzz. I had no bets in the race. And I was rooting for Rachel. I have posted numerous times on here about excessive whipping incidents...I did not see closeups for the Derby. This is the first I've heard of it.

What a p.ussy.

The new whips they are using can hardly mark a humans skin. Horses hide is much thicker. Honestly the whole whip controversy is just another sign of the pussification of society.

Ol' Stan oughtta head to a hunter/jumper show sometime and take a look at the spurs riders use to get horses to jump five and six feet fences. It would blow his mind.

Of course you didnt notice it because wasnt isnt an issue. When you are trying to win whipping should hardly be an issue. Where I have an issue with whipping is when horses who are hopelessly beaten are flogged because the rider is pissed at them. But in a sport where billions of dollars are bet on the outcome, the entire theory of whipping too much is foreign to me. As I said the use of the new whips should make any whipping controversy moot.

Yes the new ones don't. Can't say that for the old ones....And I'm not against the whip, I'm against excessive whipping....not saying he did it on Sat as I didn't notice.

agreed


I think he already had the article written he just was waiting to insert name(s) here.

A comparison of old vs new crops: Anatomy of the Whips

The worst post-derby article I've read...

This guy should go back and count how many times all of the past Derby winners have been hit with the whip..

What a joke...

I would have understood if this was written by a woman,but this guy should just stay away from racing.

Yeah. I mean what's next to go: geld 'em as soon as you get 'em? We wouldn't want that. :rolleyes: And, then, maybe they'd want horses trained to run behind/between rather than outside and, heaven forbid, on the rail. Why in the world would we want them saving ground? We need them to be extra tried when we whip the **** out them in the lane.

I mean, these are long time track truisms that need to be held on to.

:rolleyes:

Gelding horses is humane for the horse. Horses arent "trained" to save ground, jockeys are.