Race Course Justice

I made my 3rd annual pilgrimage to Saratoga this past weekend. It is always a pleasure to be there among the thousands celebrating the sport that seemingly fewer and fewer of us still love. I just wonder why the Alabama cap giveaway was weeks before the Alabama Stakes? Not complaining, just wondering.

So, I like to watch races from different locations around the track. For the 2nd race on Saturday, I was watching from the rail on the Clubhouse side of the Winner's Circle. Not the best view of the stretch run, but it's on the finish line and somewhat replicates my favorite spot at Aqueduct that has the best view of the horses coming back after the race.

After a little bumping, City Trooper and Javier Castellano beat Fenway Faithful and Alan Garcia by a length. But hold all tickets, the inquiry sign went up because Garcia claimed foul on Castellano for interference in the stretch. From my spot, I had a great view of both riders making their cases to the stewards on the phone next to the scale:
About 30 seconds after Javier hung up, Tom Durkin announced that the results would stand and City Trooper would not be taken down (correct call by the officials). It was very interesting to see this happening in real time and trying to make out what the jockeys were telling the stewards. It was even better than a scene from Jockeys on Animal Planet.