3/5 (SA): Big Cap, Kilroe Mile, SA Oaks (G1's), Clocker's Corner

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Let me ask you this Travis ...

If Twirling Candy goes on to win that race after that incident...

A.) Would you - as a steward - vote to take him down?

B.) Do you think these three stewards in So. Cal would have taken him down?


I really have a hard time buying that those same three stewards would take his number down.

I don't follow California race enough to know how they react to various fouls, objections, inquiries etc. to know what they would have done if Twirling Candy won. Their no-call though says they felt he started it all, so if they maintained their same opinion, he would have come down.

DQ's in stakes races, much less grade one races are a tough trigger to pull. If I were the stewards, I would have DQ'd him behind both Setsuko and Game On Dude had he won.

It's probably a good thing I'm not a steward though. When I used to referee basketball in college, I let a lot of things go. I would probably do the same as a steward. I don't mind race riding, herding etc. I would draw the line when the safety of the riders and horses becomes an issue. I also tend to lean towards stewards making a judgment call as to whether or not the bumps affected the outcome of the race.

In this case I don't think any of those three riders were race riding, save Sutherland, who might have been bringing Game On Dude out to get him going again, but was met with an incoming Twirling Candy, the initial catalyst to the rodeo. Watching the race at full speed, or even in the slow motion of the live feed during the inquiry, is a bit misleading. Slowing it down shows who kicked it all off.