Kentucky Derby Controversy--You Decide

Louisville Courier Journal ^ | May 11, 2003 | damper99

[damper99]

Derby photo of jockey investigated Santos carried nothing but whip, his attorney says -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By JENNIE REES jrees@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal

This image is enlarged from a Getty images photo that was e-mailed to a state racing steward at Churchill Downs on Thursday. It was taken as Jose Santos changed the whip position in his hand after crossing the finish line.

By James Squire/Getty Images

This enlarged AP photo was taken from a slightly different angle at about the same time as the Getty Images picture and shows the green silks of Empire Maker's jockey through Santos' hand.

AP Photo

This enlarged Courier-Journal photo was taken moments before the Getty and AP images as Santos started the whip's movement that resulted in th controversial hand position.

C-J Photo by James H. Wallace

Racing stewards at Churchill Downs are investigating whether jockey Jose Santos was carrying a prohibited item in his right hand when he rode 12-1 long shot Funny Cide to a dramatic victory in the May 3 Kentucky Derby.

The investigation was prompted by an inquiry by the Miami Herald, which yesterday published a picture of Santos that an accompanying story said raised question about whether he was holding something other than his whip when he crossed the finish line.

[damper99]

compare the photos taken at slight differnt angles. Looks like the "object" is a combination of the horese's ear and shadows on the trailing jockey's silks.

[discostu]

This is all because a bunch of people are pissed a gelding won.

[BushCountry]

No, I think it actually did look like he cheated. I blew the hand up in photoshop and it sure look he had something in his hand to my untrained eye. I am glad for this post, becuase I thought he was guilty and I didn't care about the sex of the stupid horse.

[discostu]

The stewards that started this "controversy" had access to enough photos to know there was nothing doing. The fact that they decided to bad mouth the jockey and slander his reputation anyway shows they cannot and should not be trusted.

[BushCountry]

I will concede the point, there does seem to be something fishy.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

This image is enlarged from a Getty images photo that was e-mailed to a state racing steward at Churchill Downs on Thursday. It was taken as Jose Santos changed the whip position in his hand after crossing the finish line.

By James Squire/Getty Images

This enlarged AP photo was taken from a slightly different angle at about the same time as the Getty Images picture and shows the green silks of Empire Maker's jockey through Santos' hand.

AP Photo

This enlarged Courier-Journal photo was taken moments before the Getty and AP images as Santos started the whip's movement that resulted in th controversial hand position.

C-J Photo by James H. Wallace

[PRND21]

It's true...Disco Stu doesn't advertise.
The pic in question...

Seems clear I see the cyan jersey through the hole made by the fingers. No violation.

[discostu]

There's a better pick with the story, you see no brown inbetween his fingers and it's clear that he's in the middle of spinning the whip from one grip to another and there's no way anything else is in his hand (the whip at that point is only technically in his hand, a pretty impressive piece of dexterity when done on a galluping horse). I don't blame people who got worked up over the presented evidence, I blame the stewards who had no reason to do what they did.

[TN4Liberty]

I prefer short tracks where they don't have these restrictor plate controversies.

[RossA]

The Miami Herald should be punished for starting this - by cancelled subscriptions. The stewards should be fired for starting an investigation on flimsy evidence. Anyone watching tape of the race would realize Santos wasn't holding anything but a whip.

[strela]

A question: If this protest is upheld and the guy turns out to have cheated, what happens to all those bets that have been paid already? If I had a ticket that would otherwise have been a winner that I tore up when the "official" results were announced, I would be p*ssed and would probably think about suing somebody to get the money I should have won.

You can just hear the lawyers booking flights into Kentucky even as we speak ...

[Galtoid]

This controversy will be settled tomorrow. The photos will be considered inconclusive. But, it this horse comes in dead last in the Preakness, the matter will not go away.

[strela]

I prefer short tracks where they don't have these restrictor plate controversies.

Where and how does one mount a restrictor plate on a horse? That's gotta hurt!

[FReepaholic]

>>...I prefer short tracks where they don't have these restrictor plate controversies...<<

I see you're suffering from NASCAR withdrawal symptoms today.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I've studied both photos quite alot over the last several days and my personal conclusion is that there is nothing in his hand except his crop.

The AP photo was taken from a slightly different angle at the same moment as the Getty image. The AP photo clearly shows the green silks from the other rider through an opening in Jose Santos's hand. Look carefully at the AP image. Look to the left of Santos's hand. You can see a wide dark line or crease in the other rider's silks. It almost resembles a dangling helmet strap. If you view the Getty image carefully you will see that what appears to be a foreign object in his hand is nothing more than the dark portion of the silks and a very small snip of the green silks. This small snip of green is what gives the illusion of a highlight or a reflection that makes it appear if there is a 3 dimensional object in Santos's hand.

If this were viewable in 3 dimensions (a lá "The Matrix") it would be extremely clear that this "object" is nothing but empty space and the 2D image is an illusion, tricking the eye. It happens more often than not in conventional photography.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

...what happens to all those bets that have been paid already?

According to track officials the word is that if there is a change in the outcome, purse money will be redistributed according to the new finishing order but no bets will be refunded. A bit of hard cheese, that.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Where and how does one mount a restrictor plate on a horse? That's gotta hurt!

On a horse, the only way to mount one properly is to go in through the...uh....ummm....exhaust port. Ouch.

[strela]

I'm just about convinced that the "object" shown in the picture is a illusion of camera angle, light, and background as well.

[strela]

Its not the presence of the plate itself that bothers me, its the fasteners used to attach the thing. Mollies? Rivets? The mind boggles ;)