Jimmy Takter had a bad night in the Yonkers Trot as Pinkman finished second but was disqualified and placed sixth then placed fifth for causing interference at the top of the stretch while entry mate French Laundry due to NY rules which apply when an entrymate causes an infraction was fourth, placed third then placed sixth. Southwind Mozart finished third but placed second while fifth place finisher Buen Camino was placed fourth before being placed third. All this because of an objection by Trond Smedshammer, claiming his horse Buen Camino was interfered by Pinkman which resulted in his interfering with Billy Flynn.
Oh yeah, Habitat won the Yonkers Trot by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:54.4. At least that part of the race was uneventful.
Here is the replay of the Trot,
After the race, it took the judges a 1/2 hour to make the results official and Takter made it known he was 'unhappy' with driver Trond Smedshammer for claiming an objection; feeling it is the judges' job to disqualify horses. Drivers should remain quiet.and never claim foul.
How wrong Takter is. If he were to look at tote boards around the country, he will see there is an 'Objection' light on each board in addition to the inquiry 'Inquiry' sign. Rest assured in this cost-conscious environment, tote manufacturers would be happy to eliminate the sign if it wasn't needed.
Violating an unwritten rule? Possible, but it shouldn't be an unwritten rule. Gamblers expect races to be contest fairly and judges to watch the race. If for some reason, the judges miss a call, it is the driver's duty to report the infraction and let the judges make the ultimate call, Those investing money in this sport, either by wagering or owning a horse shouldn't be victims of an unwritten rule.
What Smedshammer did was absolutely correct. It is Takter who is wrong. He owes Smedshammer an apology. Lastly, if there is some unspoken rule, it is time to get rid of it.
Doctors who operated on Ron Pierce this past week have suggested he retire for fear what another injury would do to him. Yes, it is up to Pierce to decide what to do but he should heed to his doctors and retire. Racing is a dangerous sport so it is a matter of when, not if another accident or injury will happen. Better to get out while you are still able to walk than finding oneself being seriously injured and depending on a wheelchair for the rest of your life.
3 comments:
Is this the same Jimmy Takter that had Corey Callahan strangling French Laundry to give entrymate Pinkman a hole past the quarter, then crashing out at the half to block Southwind Mozart, while refusing to actually advance (allowing Pinkman to wait until the straightaway before having to pull)? Seems Yimmy is involved in these "conflict of interest" scenarios on a pretty regular basis (almost as often as he can be heard complaining about judges, other trainers and drivers, rules in Sweden, and anything else that doesn't go his way). Was nice to see karma in play last night!
Jimmy Takter is an outstanding trainer who is wrong about drivers filing objections. The Yonkers judges should have called an inquiry to see why the turn for home looked messy, so Trond Smedshammer did the right thing. Objections are part of racing even though the red light on the tote board is rarely used. Judges can't clearly see everything that happens and a driver's objection lets them review video from multiple camera locations. Some states make it the driver's obligation to claim foul or be fined for failing to do so. I'd like to see that enforced.
Takter had more problems than his double disqualification at Yonkers. He was programmed to drive in stakes races at Pocono last night. Multiple Takter horses in the races and they were separated for betting. Somehow, the judges forgot about a state rule.
§ 183.198. Coupled entries.
(b) No driver shall drive a horse in a race in which there shall start another horse which he in any way represents or handles or in which he has an interest unless the horses are coupled as an entry.
The mistake was corrected before race time and Takter found substitute drivers. A similar incident happened at Pocono a few years ago when a fan notified the Harness Racing Commission it was violating its own rule by allowing a trainer to drive against one of his horses that was uncoupled by the track. A change of drivers was ordered after the state investigated the complaint. The irony? That trainer/driver was Smedshammer. The Pocono judges may have removed Takter when they remembered what they had to tell Trond.
Hey Jimmy, do you ever consider your multi-part entries from a fan's perspective and how the entries can destroy the race as a fair betting proposition.
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