[Derby] No honor among thieves
In politics, what Churchill Downs has done in banning Saffie Joseph is called "performative." Churchill Downs Inc. is interested in one thing and it's not "the welfare of our equine athletes"--it's the fabulous money machine we know as The Kentucky Derby. The vulture capitalists at CDI have priced the Derby out of the reach of ordinary horse players through a ticketing system that Jeff Bezos might have devised, and milked what little was left of Arlington Park and Calder before bulldozing both tracks for real estate developers.
I was glad they banned Bob Baffert because Baffert's record begged for censure. I just wish it had been some other body wielding the punishment. Churchill Downs loved Baffert until his practices came to light and might tarnish the brand. Then they made a calculation and decided it was better for the brand to take the moral high ground at a time when Baffert was especially vulnerable. I don't have much respect for either party.
Now Saffie Joseph is getting the treatment. I don't know anything about Saffie Joseph other than that he has the courage to be seen in ugly shirts and a hideous hair-do. He may or may not be drugging unsound horses to get them to the starting gate, I don't know. And that's one reason why I'm growing weary defending the sport I love to people who don't. Because I don't think Saffie Joseph is doing anything that isn't being done by every other trainer who's bringing a horse to the saddling stall today.
Civres
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I was glad they banned Bob Baffert because Baffert's record begged for censure. I just wish it had been some other body wielding the punishment. Churchill Downs loved Baffert until his practices came to light and might tarnish the brand. Then they made a calculation and decided it was better for the brand to take the moral high ground at a time when Baffert was especially vulnerable. I don't have much respect for either party.
Now Saffie Joseph is getting the treatment. I don't know anything about Saffie Joseph other than that he has the courage to be seen in ugly shirts and a hideous hair-do. He may or may not be drugging unsound horses to get them to the starting gate, I don't know. And that's one reason why I'm growing weary defending the sport I love to people who don't. Because I don't think Saffie Joseph is doing anything that isn't being done by every other trainer who's bringing a horse to the saddling stall today.
Civres
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