Post by petergross on Mar 31, 2009 7:35:22 GMT -5
There's a very interesting hearing taking place at the Ontario racing commission that speaks to the very heart of the integrity of racing. Jockey Simon Husbands is appealing a one-year sentence imposed on him last December. The stewards felt he did not persevere on his horse in the stretch. Personally, I have watched the replay of the race several times and came to the conclusion that I simply do not understand enough about race-riding to come to the conclusion that Husbands was not trying hard enough. Others, clearly felt differently. However, this is a very good thing for racing; the ORC has shown that if they're not happy with what they've seen in a race, they will subject it to serious scrutiny. If a jockey is inclined to hold a horse back, he should be aware that he might be subjected to severe punishment. Writer Perry Lefko provides the following excellent play by play of yesterday's exchanges at the ORC offices:
On Monday, jockey Simon Husbands appeared before the Ontario Racing Commission in regards to the one-year suspension he received and appealed for a ride aboard Bug’s Boy, Nov. 30, 2008 at Woodbine. Husbands finished second in the race by three-quarters of a length aboard the maiden $23,000 claimer who was let go at more than 14-1 odds. Husbands’ brother, Patrick, won the race aboard 8-5 favourite Come On Love. Simon Husbands was later suspended by the ORC for failing to persevere in the run through the stretch.
Down The Stretch covered the hearing, the only media to do so. Here is the story.
Dan Loiselle
Dan Loiselle, who called the race, took the stand first and remarked that looking back on it he found himself thinking about the jockeys’ race at the time between Patrick Husbands – Simon’s younger brother – and Jim McAleney, both of whom were tied for wins on the season at that point.
“It was a very tight jockeys race. Going into (the race) I thought this could be interesting,” he said. “This riders’ race is shaping up. It peaked my curiosity that he was on the favourite…to see how he’d perform.”
Defence lawyer Dan McMahon questioned Loiselle for remarking that Bug’s Boy had “yet to be asked” by Husbands leading up the 16ths pole. McMahon wanted to know if Loiselle was editorializing with his comment and if he was implying anything. Loiselle said he was not implying anything. “That was what I saw at the time. It was fleeting. I hadn’t seen him hit the horse or begin scrubbing.”
Loiselle said he would use the comment “yet to be asked” 100 times a year, but generally at the top of the stretch. McMahon vigorously challenged Loiselle about his statement. Loiselle said: “I’ve seen hundreds of thousands of races and I think that’s a pretty educated guess (that the horse hadn’t been asked to run up until the 16ths pole).”
When asked about his credentials as a rider, Loiselle quipped: “The last race I rode was at Wal-Mart and it wasn’t entered in the fifth.”
Richard Grubb
Senior steward Richard Grubb followed and said the stewards could see Husbands was standing up down the lane and his posture was quite high and it looked “like he had them at mercy. At five steps from the wire, he started to knuckle, but at this point the race was over.”
Grubb stated the stewards had not been apprised that Husbands had been told by trainer John LeBlanc not to use the whip. He said if a trainer doesn’t want a whip used, he’ll declare that at entry time and the horse will not be allowed to have a rider with a whip for five consecutive races. As Grubb examined the tape of the race, it appeared to him Husbands was mildly pushing his horse in the last four or five jumps to the wire. “You’re not obligated to hit a horse, but you’ve got to push on him…His posture changed very little from the start of the race to the finish.” He added: “Look at the other riders. Look at their action. They’re getting down low. They’re whipping. They’re riding. Pick anyone. He’s still got a very good hold of hold of the horse (in the drive to the wire). At the last minute, he decides to pump, but the race is over.”
It was Grubb’s contention that if Husbands had given the horse “his head” at the eighth pole, “he’d have gone on and won handily…All the other riders are energetic and he’s still sitting. Pick any rider and see what they’re doing. I’m not saying he has to whip and pound on him, but he has to at least hand-ride him.”
When McMahon said that it appeared that four or five strides from the wire Husbands was scrubbing a little bit on his horse, Grubb replied: “At that point, Secretariat couldn’t have caught the (winning) horse. (Bug’s Boy) was much the best and should have won.”
As for the contention that Husbands held back because his brother was battling for the riders’ title, Grubb said: “Had James McAleney been on the lead, we’ve had take the same action.”
Gunnar Lindberg
Fellow steward Gunnar Lindberg, who was not in attendance for the race because it was his day off, followed Grubb. He appraised Husbands’ ride while watching a video of the race. “He never knuckles down. His hands don’t move until he makes a half-hearted attempt.” Lindberg said looking at the video, Bug’s Boy went by the winner “pretty quick” when allowed to run” past the wire. Grubb said it’s incumbent on a rider to follow the trainer’s instructions, but to also try some different things in the race if the strategy isn’t working. “He never really seems to move his hands. He keeps it in the same (position). You have to change. He never changed his posture until it was too late. He’s not really giving a good effort there and that’s late in the race.” Lindberg said if Husbands had let the horse run at the 16th pole similar to what he did after the wire “he’s a winner.’ Lindberg added: “This is probably one of the worst things that can happen – preventing a horse from winning…We felt he never let the horse run at any time in the race until such time as it was too late.”
Jennifer Creer
McMahon presented his defence witnesses, beginning with veterinarian Jennifer Creer, who was present in the morning when LeBlanc gave Husbands the instructions “not to hit the horse, but to run to the bit.”
Robbie King
Robbie King, secretary/manager of the Jockeys Benefit Association of Canada, followed and revealed the Husbands brothers have a strained relationship, something he became aware of when he returned to riding in 2005 after training for some 10 years.
King said it’s important for a jockey to have a whip regardless if he uses it on his horse because “it’s a safety issue. Some wild and wacky stuff can happen out there. It’s better to have it on you.”
King said the fact Husbands asked his mount to switch leads at about the eighth pole was a sign he was trying to get another gear out of the horse and the horse did take off at that point.
“It’s an unusual mode of riding and that’s probably why we’re here,” he said. “I don’t think we should be sitting here. The horse ran the best race of his life and the gentleman (Husbands) is facing a year’s suspension for something he didn’t do.”
Lou Cavalaris
Hall of Famer Lou Cavalaris took the stand next. Cavalaris, an esteemed trainer during his lengthy career in horse racing, opined Husbands did nothing wrong. “I think he rode a good race. He did everything right. He saved ground, finished second at a big price…If I was the (trainer of this horse) and I told him not to hit (the horse) and get what you can, I’d be pretty happy. Looking at the horse’s form and everything, I’d have to be pleasantly surprised at how the horse ran. I thought the kid rode him perfectly. I would be more than satisfied with the ride.”
As for the stewards’ opinion that Husbands failed to persevere, Cavalaris said: “I’d say that’s their opinion. I don’t agree with them. That’s why I’m here.” Under cross examination from the Crown, Cavalaris said: “(Husbands) saved every inch of ground. He couldn’t have ridden him any better.”
John LeBlanc
LeBlanc followed and said on the morning of the race he told Husbands “not to push the horse, definitely not use the whip and keep him covered up as much as possible.” He had deduced from previous races and galloping Bug’s Boy regularly that when the horse was whipped, “he hit the wall.”
After the race, LeBlanc said he was satisfied with the ride. “I thought he did a dynamite job throughout the whole race…The fact the horse didn’t stop, he was trying. He was moving forward. I was very happy.” He said his wife, who owns the horse with the couple’s child, planned to give Husbands a Christmas gift basket the next day for doing such a good job on Bug’s Boy, along with winning a race for them in the race that preceded that and for a race the previous day.
When asked by McMahon if he had any problems with the ride, LeBlanc said: “Not at all. I thought he rode a dynamite race. He followed my instructions…That’s exactly what I wanted.
LeBlanc said he has already lined up Husbands to ride a couple races for him in the upcoming Woodbine meet and that he will have the mount the next time Bug’s Boy runs.
Under cross examination, LeBlanc was repeatedly asked why he told the stewards in the hearing to discuss the race a few days later that it looked like Husbands held the horse. He said if he said that, he would have followed up with some comment explaining what he meant. “I may have chosen some poor words because he did not hold him. There was more to that statement at the time.”
That led to a critical point in the cross examination, specifically the public and the stewards’ perception of the race, in particular because there was no disclosure about the instructions for use of the whip.
Simon Husbands
Husbands took the stand and admitted he and his brother had some jealousy issues growing up and to this point the two don’t really say much to one another.
Husbands said he had learned the hard way to follow trainer instructions because his stock had dropped after not following orders. After finishing second in the race in question, he said: “I was shocked (from what he’d run the last time). I told (the LeBlancs) we could bring the horse back next year and have some fun. They were all happy.” He added that based on the way the horse ran the last time he rode him he knew he couldn’t beat down on him. “I know for sure in my heart if I get aggressive, I know he’s going to stop.”
When asked if he’d ride him differently, Husbands said: “I’d ride him the same way…He’s not the nicest moving horse. When you’re holding him, you’re helping him.”
Husbands said he was “shocked” when informed he was to appear before the stewards to discuss the race.
The hearing continues today.
On Monday, jockey Simon Husbands appeared before the Ontario Racing Commission in regards to the one-year suspension he received and appealed for a ride aboard Bug’s Boy, Nov. 30, 2008 at Woodbine. Husbands finished second in the race by three-quarters of a length aboard the maiden $23,000 claimer who was let go at more than 14-1 odds. Husbands’ brother, Patrick, won the race aboard 8-5 favourite Come On Love. Simon Husbands was later suspended by the ORC for failing to persevere in the run through the stretch.
Down The Stretch covered the hearing, the only media to do so. Here is the story.
Dan Loiselle
Dan Loiselle, who called the race, took the stand first and remarked that looking back on it he found himself thinking about the jockeys’ race at the time between Patrick Husbands – Simon’s younger brother – and Jim McAleney, both of whom were tied for wins on the season at that point.
“It was a very tight jockeys race. Going into (the race) I thought this could be interesting,” he said. “This riders’ race is shaping up. It peaked my curiosity that he was on the favourite…to see how he’d perform.”
Defence lawyer Dan McMahon questioned Loiselle for remarking that Bug’s Boy had “yet to be asked” by Husbands leading up the 16ths pole. McMahon wanted to know if Loiselle was editorializing with his comment and if he was implying anything. Loiselle said he was not implying anything. “That was what I saw at the time. It was fleeting. I hadn’t seen him hit the horse or begin scrubbing.”
Loiselle said he would use the comment “yet to be asked” 100 times a year, but generally at the top of the stretch. McMahon vigorously challenged Loiselle about his statement. Loiselle said: “I’ve seen hundreds of thousands of races and I think that’s a pretty educated guess (that the horse hadn’t been asked to run up until the 16ths pole).”
When asked about his credentials as a rider, Loiselle quipped: “The last race I rode was at Wal-Mart and it wasn’t entered in the fifth.”
Richard Grubb
Senior steward Richard Grubb followed and said the stewards could see Husbands was standing up down the lane and his posture was quite high and it looked “like he had them at mercy. At five steps from the wire, he started to knuckle, but at this point the race was over.”
Grubb stated the stewards had not been apprised that Husbands had been told by trainer John LeBlanc not to use the whip. He said if a trainer doesn’t want a whip used, he’ll declare that at entry time and the horse will not be allowed to have a rider with a whip for five consecutive races. As Grubb examined the tape of the race, it appeared to him Husbands was mildly pushing his horse in the last four or five jumps to the wire. “You’re not obligated to hit a horse, but you’ve got to push on him…His posture changed very little from the start of the race to the finish.” He added: “Look at the other riders. Look at their action. They’re getting down low. They’re whipping. They’re riding. Pick anyone. He’s still got a very good hold of hold of the horse (in the drive to the wire). At the last minute, he decides to pump, but the race is over.”
It was Grubb’s contention that if Husbands had given the horse “his head” at the eighth pole, “he’d have gone on and won handily…All the other riders are energetic and he’s still sitting. Pick any rider and see what they’re doing. I’m not saying he has to whip and pound on him, but he has to at least hand-ride him.”
When McMahon said that it appeared that four or five strides from the wire Husbands was scrubbing a little bit on his horse, Grubb replied: “At that point, Secretariat couldn’t have caught the (winning) horse. (Bug’s Boy) was much the best and should have won.”
As for the contention that Husbands held back because his brother was battling for the riders’ title, Grubb said: “Had James McAleney been on the lead, we’ve had take the same action.”
Gunnar Lindberg
Fellow steward Gunnar Lindberg, who was not in attendance for the race because it was his day off, followed Grubb. He appraised Husbands’ ride while watching a video of the race. “He never knuckles down. His hands don’t move until he makes a half-hearted attempt.” Lindberg said looking at the video, Bug’s Boy went by the winner “pretty quick” when allowed to run” past the wire. Grubb said it’s incumbent on a rider to follow the trainer’s instructions, but to also try some different things in the race if the strategy isn’t working. “He never really seems to move his hands. He keeps it in the same (position). You have to change. He never changed his posture until it was too late. He’s not really giving a good effort there and that’s late in the race.” Lindberg said if Husbands had let the horse run at the 16th pole similar to what he did after the wire “he’s a winner.’ Lindberg added: “This is probably one of the worst things that can happen – preventing a horse from winning…We felt he never let the horse run at any time in the race until such time as it was too late.”
Jennifer Creer
McMahon presented his defence witnesses, beginning with veterinarian Jennifer Creer, who was present in the morning when LeBlanc gave Husbands the instructions “not to hit the horse, but to run to the bit.”
Robbie King
Robbie King, secretary/manager of the Jockeys Benefit Association of Canada, followed and revealed the Husbands brothers have a strained relationship, something he became aware of when he returned to riding in 2005 after training for some 10 years.
King said it’s important for a jockey to have a whip regardless if he uses it on his horse because “it’s a safety issue. Some wild and wacky stuff can happen out there. It’s better to have it on you.”
King said the fact Husbands asked his mount to switch leads at about the eighth pole was a sign he was trying to get another gear out of the horse and the horse did take off at that point.
“It’s an unusual mode of riding and that’s probably why we’re here,” he said. “I don’t think we should be sitting here. The horse ran the best race of his life and the gentleman (Husbands) is facing a year’s suspension for something he didn’t do.”
Lou Cavalaris
Hall of Famer Lou Cavalaris took the stand next. Cavalaris, an esteemed trainer during his lengthy career in horse racing, opined Husbands did nothing wrong. “I think he rode a good race. He did everything right. He saved ground, finished second at a big price…If I was the (trainer of this horse) and I told him not to hit (the horse) and get what you can, I’d be pretty happy. Looking at the horse’s form and everything, I’d have to be pleasantly surprised at how the horse ran. I thought the kid rode him perfectly. I would be more than satisfied with the ride.”
As for the stewards’ opinion that Husbands failed to persevere, Cavalaris said: “I’d say that’s their opinion. I don’t agree with them. That’s why I’m here.” Under cross examination from the Crown, Cavalaris said: “(Husbands) saved every inch of ground. He couldn’t have ridden him any better.”
John LeBlanc
LeBlanc followed and said on the morning of the race he told Husbands “not to push the horse, definitely not use the whip and keep him covered up as much as possible.” He had deduced from previous races and galloping Bug’s Boy regularly that when the horse was whipped, “he hit the wall.”
After the race, LeBlanc said he was satisfied with the ride. “I thought he did a dynamite job throughout the whole race…The fact the horse didn’t stop, he was trying. He was moving forward. I was very happy.” He said his wife, who owns the horse with the couple’s child, planned to give Husbands a Christmas gift basket the next day for doing such a good job on Bug’s Boy, along with winning a race for them in the race that preceded that and for a race the previous day.
When asked by McMahon if he had any problems with the ride, LeBlanc said: “Not at all. I thought he rode a dynamite race. He followed my instructions…That’s exactly what I wanted.
LeBlanc said he has already lined up Husbands to ride a couple races for him in the upcoming Woodbine meet and that he will have the mount the next time Bug’s Boy runs.
Under cross examination, LeBlanc was repeatedly asked why he told the stewards in the hearing to discuss the race a few days later that it looked like Husbands held the horse. He said if he said that, he would have followed up with some comment explaining what he meant. “I may have chosen some poor words because he did not hold him. There was more to that statement at the time.”
That led to a critical point in the cross examination, specifically the public and the stewards’ perception of the race, in particular because there was no disclosure about the instructions for use of the whip.
Simon Husbands
Husbands took the stand and admitted he and his brother had some jealousy issues growing up and to this point the two don’t really say much to one another.
Husbands said he had learned the hard way to follow trainer instructions because his stock had dropped after not following orders. After finishing second in the race in question, he said: “I was shocked (from what he’d run the last time). I told (the LeBlancs) we could bring the horse back next year and have some fun. They were all happy.” He added that based on the way the horse ran the last time he rode him he knew he couldn’t beat down on him. “I know for sure in my heart if I get aggressive, I know he’s going to stop.”
When asked if he’d ride him differently, Husbands said: “I’d ride him the same way…He’s not the nicest moving horse. When you’re holding him, you’re helping him.”
Husbands said he was “shocked” when informed he was to appear before the stewards to discuss the race.
The hearing continues today.
