Indiana Derby Result Challenged

Postby **Roguelet** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:41 pm

Article from DRF:

Hoosier Park
Indiana Derby result challenged
By DAVID GRENING
The connections of Star Dabbler have filed a protest with the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, claiming their horse won last Saturday night's $500,000 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park outright and did not dead-heat with Cielo Gold in the Grade 2 race.
Barry Schwartz, the owner of Star Dabbler, and Mike Hushion, the colt's trainer, filed the protest on Monday. Hushion, who watched the race from an offtrack betting facility on Long Island, believes the photo finish of the race clearly shows that Star Dabbler had his nose in front at the wire.

"We think the photo was misinterpreted," Hushion said. "We would like it reviewed. We expect it to be overturned. A mistake was made; I'm sure it'll be rectified. We'll let the picture speak for itself."

Star Dabbler set all the pace under Richard Migliore and was passed by Cielo Gold, under Brian Hernandez Jr., in midstretch. Star Dabbler, who raced along the rail, came back on Cielo Gold in the last jump.

"We hit the wire and I thought we had gotten back up," Migliore said. "Internally, my reaction was 'Yes, we nailed it.' But I'm superstitious. [Hernandez] asked me, 'Did you nail me, did you get it?' I said, 'I don't know, real close.' "

Migliore said he never saw a photo of the finish until he got back to New York. However, as he was leaving Hoosier Park, Migliore said a fan told him, "You won it, you got robbed. Everybody's talking about it in the grandstand."

Migliore said that he requested a photo of the race but that the Hoosier Park stewards denied it. The stewards also refused a Daily Racing Form request for the photo, saying it was not their policy to release photo finish images. A video replay of the race and a photo finish picture are available online at Racereplays.com.

Deena Pitman, the assistant executive director of the racing commission, said the commission has not decided how to proceed in the matter. Pitman said that Joe Gorajec, the commission's executive director, is on vacation until Oct. 24. Members of the commission's legal counsel are also on vacation.

A reversal could be worth about $100,000 more in earnings for Star Dabbler.

Postby **Roguelet** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:54 pm

Nerd · Postby **Nerd** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:28 pm

I'd say they have a point...

Heidilady · Postby **Heidilady** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 4:00 am

I heard from somebody that Star Dabbler didn't cool out so well. The word they used was "ouchy" so the poor horse can't even be given a win fair and square, he's gotta come up hurt.

Ill-bred · Postby **Ill-bred** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:11 am

I watched the race live and I really thought Star Dabbler was the winner. I think he's a nice colt. He set some fast fractions, and he really dug in when Cielo Gold passed him.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:13 am

So what happens now? The picture is pretty clear.

Ill-bred · Postby **Ill-bred** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:16 am

Have to wait and see what the appeal process is in Indiana.

TBG · Postby **TBG** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:40 am

The inside horse’s nose is obviously in front. The hoof of the outside horse is also on the line. Does that make any difference? I don’t really know the criteria.

zinn21 · Postby **zinn21** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:59 am

I believe the nose is the deciding point of measurement in all cases. No other part of the horse is considered.

Ill-bred · Postby **Ill-bred** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:20 am

Star Dabbler came out of the race with a fractured sesamoid....

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 12:28 pm

According to the Courier-Journal here in Louisville, corrected results have been posted for the Indiana Derby with Star Dabbler as the winner.

Postby **Roguelet** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:01 pm

madelyn wrote:According to the Courier-Journal here in Louisville, corrected results have been posted for the Indiana Derby with Star Dabbler as the winner.

Is that on online paper? I just checked all the normal newsy sites that I go to and I can't find that info. anywhere... do you have a link? Thanks!

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 2:00 pm

No.. and my scanner device driver is messed up (son messed with computer and iPod).. but I will scan it and email it to you through the other scanner later.

oliverstoned · Postby **oliverstoned** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:14 pm

Tony Soprano said to the steward "yous guys just make sure cielo wins"

TBG · Postby **TBG** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:22 pm

How come the photo posted in this trend and the one on the Hoosier Park web site are different? The one on the web site looks like a dead heat. This one doesn't. The horses are at different points in their strides in the 2 photos.