Punches at the PHA

Philadelphia is known as a tough, but proud city. If you go to an Eagles game with an oposing teams jersey, prepared to be booed. Remember, this is the city that threw snowballs at Santa. However, what was unexpected is what happend at Philadelphia Park in Bensalem, PA today. The following video isn't that great of a quality, but if you look closely there is something shockingly happening.



That ladies and gentlemen is punches being thrown, the two jockeys are Eriluis Vaz aboard Divine Light and Ademar Santos aboard Mi Helena. I've seen some wierd things in horse racing (at DP once a horse actually grabbed another jockey's crop (whip) out of his hand, I forget who the horses where involved and where they finished), but this is new. Have punches been thrown before at race tracks, more then likley yes. During a race thorough? This is all new to me.

Now it will be up to the PHA stewards to figureout the punishment for both of these jocks, but I hope the both of them spend sometime on the sidelines for careless riding. There where horses in the back of them, and what if one of them fell off during this punching exchange? They could have been seriously injured, and the outcome would be quite different. If you are wondering, Divine Light finished fifth, and Mi Helena ninth, however Devine Light was DQ'ed to ninth. My guess is Vaz threw the first punch (By the way I counted three, but there may have been four punches), which is why he was DQ'ed to ninth. Of course I hope both horses are okay, and next time they get different riders.

I'm sure this will be in the Inquirer tomorrow, and it will interesting how this story will play out.

I had planned to preview this weekend's stakes, but this fight was a bit more interesting. So stakes previews will be returning next Friday. However I leave this post with one more complaint. Robert La Penta who owns Da' Tara, Cool Coal Man among others, is sponcering the Derby Trial which is held the week before the Derby at Chuchill Downs. I'm okay with him sponcering it, as the La Penta Derby Trail sounds somewhat cool. But that's not the name of the race, Da' Tara? Nope Cool Coal Man? Nope. Then who is it? The Cliff's Edge. Really? That's the best you can do? The Cliff's Edge?

So you mean the horse who got his keister kicked by Smarty Jones, and then later that same year by Funny Cide? He lost to TWO Derby winners, two of them Mr. La Penta. Yes I know he won at Churchill, but seriously advertising much? Ugh it doesn't help that I think The Cliff's Edge is one of the most overrated horses his year. I rather seen Cool Coal Man or Da' Tara get it, blech.