Velazquez has harsh words for Maragh

[algobbi]

John Velazquez said he believes that jockey Rajiv Maragh was careless in his handling of Isn’t He Perfect shortly after the start of Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, causing Velazquez to nearly become unseated from Animal Kingdom in the early stages of the race. Animal Kingdom, the Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up eventually finished sixth as the 5-2 favorite in the Belmont.

Further, Velazquez said he thinks Maragh may have deliberately taken a left-hand turn aboard Isn’t He Perfect to impede Mucho Macho Man, a horse Maragh had been taken off after riding him in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Mucho Macho Man, under Ramon Dominguez, broke from post 10, in between Animal Kingdom and Isn’t He Perfect.

Velazquez said he complained to the Belmont stewards about Maragh’s handling of Isn’t He Perfect. The stewards will have all the riders in Wednesday to go over films of the start of the race.

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[TapitsGal]

I can't decide if that's actually what happened.or if it's just a case of someone being a sore loser

[Blue Jeans]

Good idea to review it. Certainly the best way to handle the situation .... for all parties involved.

[Secretariat Forever]

I can't decide if that's actually what happened.or if it's just a case of someone being a sore loser

I like Johhny V, he's a geat jockey but I think he might be being a big sore loser here. First off, I highly doubt Maragh would come over on purpose like that just because he lost the mount on MMM, and would try to run into him. Knowing that's a dangerous move and could cause injury to a horse or rider, even himself. (but then again, I don't really know the guy so who knows) and 2nd, if you really watch the replay, (and I've watched it a bunch of times in a row analyzing the start) it looks to me like Prime Cut is actually the horse who caused the incident for the most part. MMM broke about a neck/half length behind Isn't He Perfect, and AK was about aother neck behind MMM and Prime Cut. (so the way AK broke was already causing him to be behind those 3) Prime Cut caused AK to trip as he came outwards into him and MMM, Isn't He Perfect didn't really start coming inwards until after AK tripped.

[JT Dancer]

On the wrap up Pursuit of the Crown, Richard Migliore said he was watching with some other people and the 'more cynical' people watching thought it may have been purposeful on Maragh's part, so JV is not the only one to think this.

[gravano]

It seems like JV should have at least looked at a head-on replay before making the assessment.

[reverberate]

anyone hear barry irwins comments on the race. really i understand his emotions but really grow up its horse racing. yea isn't he perfect shouldn't have been in the race but what are you going to do about it. people run maidens in the belmont in past years give me a break

[second_glance]

More here:

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...nnections.aspx

[BARNFOUR]

Irwin's complete post on Facebook:

Barry Irwin
Mud didn't cost AK the Belmont. At the break, Isn't He Perfect came over at the break, intimidated Mucho Macho Man, who slammed into Animal Kingdom so hard that our colt nearly went down. Our jockey lost his left iron, which was not corrected until the turn. We never had a chance. Isn't He Perfect had no business being in this race and he screwed it up for a lot of horses today. Classics are no place for amateurs.

17 hours ago

[Secretariat Forever]

Irwin's complete post on Facebook:

Barry Irwin
Mud didn't cost AK the Belmont. At the break, Isn't He Perfect came over at the break, intimidated Mucho Macho Man, who slammed into Animal Kingdom so hard that our colt nearly went down. Our jockey lost his left iron, which was not corrected until the turn. We never had a chance. Isn't He Perfect had no business being in this race and he screwed it up for a lot of horses today. Classics are no place for amateurs.

17 hours ago

What a drama queen. Maybe he should watch the replay again. Isn't He Perfect did not come over on anyone that hard, Prime Cut came out into AK and MMM. And The only horses affected by it were AK and MMM (though he wasn't affected by it that much). So how did that incident (or Isn't He Perfect for those who blame him) screw up "a lot" of horses chances?

Classics are no place for sore childish losers either. I would love to see someone come up and knock him out right in front of the cameras one day.

[JT Dancer]

Is there a head on somewhere? I've only seen the slow motion replay from the back of the incident, and it is difficult to tell what happened from that view.

[Secretariat Forever]

Is there a head on somewhere? I've only seen the slow motion replay from the back of the incident, and it is difficult to tell what happened from that view.

I'd like to know too. From the regular video, it really looks to me like Isn't He Perfect was not the cause of the incident. But a head on may tell me different, or it may not.

[reverberate]

i was just watching the head on shot prime cut did most of the work. MMM bumped AK at the start before IHP came over

[mightyhijames]

i was just watching the head on shot prime cut did most of the work. MMM bumped AK at the start before IHP came over

where did you find the head on replay? xpressbet has a head on for every race yesterday except the belmont. thanks.

[djnorth]

Sounds like it's good that they're reviewing on Wednesday but JV may have just let out some frustration at what happened. NBC reported that JV kind of carped at Maragh in the jocks' room, "you were on me in three jumps" but he appeared to blame MMM. Maragh supposedly said, "I wasn't on that one. I was on #11 (I think)." Neumeier then pointed out that Ramon Dominguez was on MMM and that the two jocks are friends etc.

I wonder if JV was just frustrated (and a little rattled about almost hitting the ground) and said something that maybe should have waited until after the cameras left.

Irwin, well,...

[TapitsGal]

Irwin's complete post on Facebook:

Barry Irwin
Mud didn't cost AK the Belmont. At the break, Isn't He Perfect came over at the break, intimidated Mucho Macho Man, who slammed into Animal Kingdom so hard that our colt nearly went down. Our jockey lost his left iron, which was not corrected until the turn. We never had a chance. Isn't He Perfect had no business being in this race and he screwed it up for a lot of horses today. Classics are no place for amateurs.

17 hours ago

How is it Irwin's business/place to say which horses do/don't belong in the field?This comment by Irwin rubs me the wrong way.Too me, that's just Irwin being a whiny loser

[Still on the Farm]

Irwin's complete post on Facebook:

Barry Irwin
Mud didn't cost AK the Belmont. At the break, Isn't He Perfect came over at the break, intimidated Mucho Macho Man, who slammed into Animal Kingdom so hard that our colt nearly went down. Our jockey lost his left iron, which was not corrected until the turn. We never had a chance. Isn't He Perfect had no business being in this race and he screwed it up for a lot of horses today. Classics are no place for amateurs.

17 hours ago

I would say that people such as Barry Irwin, who can't seem to either win or lose with any sense of grace, don't need to be involved in competitive sports.

[Miss Woodford]

Irwin's complete post on Facebook:

Barry Irwin
Mud didn't cost AK the Belmont. At the break, Isn't He Perfect came over at the break, intimidated Mucho Macho Man, who slammed into Animal Kingdom so hard that our colt nearly went down. Our jockey lost his left iron, which was not corrected until the turn. We never had a chance. Isn't He Perfect had no business being in this race and he screwed it up for a lot of horses today. Classics are no place for amateurs.

17 hours ago

These two statements have no connection to each other. Any horse could've broken inward and "intimidated" MMM.

[JT Dancer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf_nC4DGft8

Head on starts about 4 minutes in.

[gravano]

I wanna like the guy I really do. The first kerfuffle about everyone lying he shrugs off as bad timing and people give him a break because it seems like nothing more than misplayed PR, nevermind the fact that he actually worked in the media conducting interviews and now runs a group of investors (PR ignorance isn't all that plausible). But no big deal. Whatever. Move on. He still is one of the good guys.

Now he's whining after sending his horse into three fully (or just about) subscribed classics with enormous fields and screaming fans about getting bumped in one of the races. Accusing another owner of lacking judgment. Really Barry the Classics have no place for amatuers.