The Ultimate "Undisclosed" Change

[Hawk]

You have reason to be mad if you lost a bet on the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park on Saturday. You probably didn't know that the winner, Laity, a Kentucky Derby hopeful, ran as a first-time gelding.

According to the Daily Racing Form, "Turfway officials said both before and after the Battaglia that they had no information about him having been gelded."

In its post-race chart, Equibase, plus other media, still referred to Laity as a colt.

Gelding a horse often leads to a much improved performance. When I handicap a race, I look for changes -- whether it's the jockey, equipment, medication, etc. To me, when a horse is gelded, the change is as important as if Pat Valenzuela were replacing an apprentice rider.

How important was the change on Laity to a first-time gelding? Just look at the Battaglia prices. Laity paid $15.80 to win. A $2 exacta returned $352; a $2 trifecta was worth $8,880; and a $2 superfecta paid $78,065. A $2 Pick 3, with odds-on favorites winning the first two races before Laity, returned $98. All payoffs were huge overlays.

The only handicappers who knew Laity was a first-time gelding were listeners of the "Race Day Las Vegas" radio show. John Asher of Churchill Downs was on Saturday's show with host Ralph Siraco. Asher, in previewing the Battaglia, said "Laity had been gelded since his last start."

I'm not trying to beat up on Turfway. If the handlers of Laity don't tell track officials and it's not on the horse's identification papers, Turfway wouldn't know. This sort of nonreporting occurs all too often at racetracks, big and small. When horseplayers don't have complete information, be it first-time geldings or full workouts, it's like stealing money from the betting public.

The public must be protected to uphold the integrity of betting. In this case, I suggest either the trainer or the veterinarian who performed the procedure be held responsible. The change can be added to foal papers, or track stewards should be notified.

It's absurd that in a $100,000 stakes race, nobody knew one of the favorites had recently been gelded.

Richard Eng/Las Vegas Review Journal