Why the Life at Ten debacle will never really go away

There is light at the end of the tunnel for the situation that is the 2010 Breeders' Cup Distaff. If you remember correctly, this was the race that multiple Grade 1 winner Life at Ten had shown symptoms of tying up. Her jockey John Velazquez told ESPN who was broadcasting the BC that she was not herself and yet the stewards (including Chief Steward John Veitch) and vets let her run. She was eased in the race that was won by Unriviled Belle.

This set off a firestorm that led to the fineing of Velazquez, hearing into Veitch's actions. Yet the vets where given a pass. That's wrong and they should be found accountable for not scratching Life at Ten and not only putting her and Velazquez at risk, but the other jockeys as well. Lets face it, to me they are the ones who should scratched her, so that she could be looked over more carefully and see what exactly was wrong with her. In turn Velazquez's reputation IMO has been tarnished (and may have cost him from being a first ballot inductee in the the Hall of Fame), the same goes Veitch, a Hall of Fame trainer.

The real loser in this though is Life at Ten herself, trainer Todd Pletcher has been running her against graded company and she has done poorly all year long. The latest a second to last place finish in the Ogden Phipps a race she won last year. To tell you the truth, I'm really suprised she even came back this year. I believe the plan was to retire her after the Distaff and then sell her at Fasig-Tipton. Sadly though human error got in the way.

So what will happen? The hearing that is currently going in will most likely determine Veitch's fate. Weather be suspention or termination, the 2010 BC Ladies Classic debacle has changed the outlook on horseracing forever.