2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf: Confusion among vets led to betting scratch of Modern Games
DEL MAR, Calif. – Modern Games was prematurely scratched from Friday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar after attending veterinarians present at the starting gate thought the colt may have sustained an injury when he acted up before the start.
After several minutes of confusion, and consultations between veterinarians and stewards, Modern Games was allowed to run for purse money. Modern Games finished first in the one-mile race, crossing under the line to a chorus of boos from a frustrated ontrack crowd of 20,536 left baffled why the horse was withdrawn from betting pools but allowed to compete.
Modern Games, owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Charlie Appleby, was awaiting the start in post 1 when he reared and struck the back of the gate, according to California racing officials. This resulted in the horse in the adjacent stall, stablemate Albahr, acting up to the extent that he was briefly lodged under the gate and eventually scratched.
Modern Games was released from the front of the starting gate by an assistant starter who manually opened the stall doors, allowing the colt and jockey William Buick to jog a few strides away from the gate.
A few moments later, track veterinarian Chuck Jenkins relayed to stewards Grant Baker, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer that Modern Games should be withdrawn, thinking the colt had aggressively struck the front of the gate, according to California Horse Racing Board executive director Scott Chaney.
Jenkins, and a second track veterinarian behind the gate, Dana Stead, were unaware the assistant starter had released the front of doors of Modern Games’s stall, according to Chaney and CHRB equine medical director Jeff Blea.
“The horse was taken out of the wagering pools when it was racing sound,” Chaney said. “The horse was prematurely radioed up to the stewards who took the horse out.”
Buick guided Modern Games back to the starting gate. A few minutes later, the decision was made to allow the colt to race for purse money only.
Jenkins and Stead “were under the impression that [Modern Games] reared back and [then] busted through the front of the gate, further compounding that horse’s health,” Blea said.
“That was the reason the scratch was called. After that, upon further consultation with the assistant starters, the information was relayed that they opened the gate and let the horse out. [They] reexamined the horse and after consulting with the rest of the veterinary staff [determined] that the horse was fit and healthy to race.”
Blea said that a horse could sustain a shoulder injury when aggressively striking the front of the gate.
“At the end of the day everyone came back safe,” Blea said. “The decision was made that the horse was fit to race.”
In a post-race press conference, Buick said that when the front doors of Modern Games’s stall were opened, the colt jumped away aggressively.
“Fortunately, he got my message to be pulled up and we went around the back” of the gate, Buick said.
“To be honest, I wasn’t aware of the situation of him potentially being scratched or whatever happened. The vet team wanted to know what happened, and I told them what happened and [that] the guy that opened my gate, thankfully, he exactly told them what he did and what happened there.”
Buick said Modern Games was not injured when he reared in the gate.
Compounding the confusion surrounding the scratch was information on the tote board that still showed wagers on Modern Games in the win, place, and show pools for a few minutes before the colt was withdrawn from betting pools.
In allowing Modern Games to race, the racing board cited a rule that states that a horse can race for purse money only in the event that an error is made that is not the fault of the owner and trainer and that the information must be conveyed to the public.
Chaney said the racing board and Breeders’ Cup officials will review veterinary and scratching procedures.
Chaney said one solution may be to have a single person tasked with contacting the stewards to convey such information. For the Breeders’ Cup on Friday and Saturday, there are multiple veterinarians observing horses as they are prepared to race. Typically at Southern California race tracks, Stead alone would watch horses going through those phases before racing.
It was not immediately known how many dollars were refunded due to the withdrawals of Albahr and Modern Games from parimutuel pools.