Letter: Controversial end to the Kentucky Derby
Flavien Prat on Country House, left, races against Luis Saez on Maximum Security, second from right, during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 4. Credit: AP / John Minchillo
I am a longtime horse owner, animal lover and racing fan. I’ve read and heard the pros and cons on the result of the 2019 Kentucky Derby, and am not surprised that the controversy over which horse actually won is unresolved [“Kentucky chaos,” Sports, May 5].
Video shows that while leading the pack of 19 horses into the stretch turn, Maximum Security reacted to the roar of fans and jumped two strides to his right. He brushed one horse lightly, which then bumped another horse lightly, and then another horse ran up on him and almost tangled legs.
A dangerous situation? Yes. Unusual? No. Horse racing is dangerous. Bumping and path changes occur throughout, but horses are disqualified only when interference is blatant and/or horses are unfairly deprived of a chance to win. I believe neither occurred in this race.
Yet, the owners, trainer and jockey of Maximum Security were deprived of the victory, the purse and the glory. Bettors who wagered on the disqualified winner were cheated, and the public and racing fans were deprived of the enjoyable prospect of following a superior horse with a credible chance for a Triple Crown.
Everybody lost with this poorly considered decision.
Lawrence Poppiti,
Selden
It was a race for fame, glory, power and money. The results wouldn’t be known until the end.
After one participant was the apparent winner, it was determined that he had interfered and that the interference might have altered the results. While the interference was not a crime, it was a clear violation of the rules.
What to do?
Horse racing is so important that one must abide by the rules, and one who interferes must be disqualified.
Surprisingly, the president of the United States tweeted, “Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby — not even close!?”
He seemed to indicate that rules don’t count in horse racing — or, perhaps, in presidential elections? Maybe not so surprising!
Arnold Holtzman,
Plainview
