Horse racing oddity: starting gate tractor malfunction
It may not have been as exciting as Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, but as Mary Rampelllini reported in the Daily Racing Form:
The featured ninth race at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on Thursday was declared a no contest after the starting gate was unable to be pulled from the racetrack because of problems with a tractor. Wagers on the race were refunded, while bets tied into multiple races were given an “all” in the ninth race.
“We had a tractor malfunction,” said David Longinotti, assistant general manager at Oaklawn. “We told it to go, and it wouldn’t go. We’ll obviously completely check out the tractor tonight, and hopefully we won’t have any more problems with it in the future.”
The horses started to be pulled up at the top of the stretch in the 1 1/16-mile race. Jockey Calvin Borel, who was aboard the front-running Richwood Silver, noticed the gate and began shouting to his fellow riders while pulling up his mount. The starting-gate crew and outriders also waved off the field. There appeared to be no injuries as a result of the mishap.
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Enjoy this video from March 13, 2008. Terry Wallace is the announcer.
Duration : 0:2:10
The names of the …
The names of the horses are ridiculous lol. Sounds more like Pornstars then horses. LMFAO
Look up the GRAND …
Look up the GRAND NATIONAL that never was. Uk National some years ago had 2 false starts and on the third time of asking that to was a false start…most of the horses though carried on and completed the whole national course only to be told that it was a no race…Now thats cruel.
Terry Wallace was …
Terry Wallace was the last to know…
Well done to the …
Well done to the jockey on the leader, did a nice job of telling the other jockeys, could have been nasty if he didn’t.
That’s the call to …
That’s the call to post. That’s played by various buglers on differnt tracks.
I always wondered …
I always wondered if this ever happened and
this is the first one I have seen.
What’s that trumpet …
What’s that trumpet tune they play when a race starts or something like that? I’m trying to find out who plays that.
where was the back …
where was the back up trailer?
wesmoskalski, they …
wesmoskalski, they hate you too.
2 wold of won
2 wold of won
It’s called a “no …
It’s called a “no contest” and all bettors get their momey back.
Feel sorry for the …
Feel sorry for the poor horses, having to run all that way so hard just for it not to count. Least it didn’t end too badly.
i freekin hate …
i freekin hate horses.
What do they do in …
What do they do in a situation like that? Call it a non-race and give the folks the money back?
that’s a bad …
that’s a bad mistake to make with SO much money on the line.
They were lucky to …
They were lucky to pull out of that as well as they did.
WTF??!! …
WTF??!! Incompetents.. (the people)! This makes and breaks careers!
Most callers are …
Most callers are looking through binoculars so that they can call the leaders accurately. So obviously they can’t see what is going on all over the track.
they didnt count it.
they didnt count it.
OMG, that was so …
OMG, that was so dissapointing
lol @ the camera …
lol @ the camera stopping at the finish line like the race results existed.
I’m wondering the …
I’m wondering the same thing. I can recall an incident at Keeneland on the turf course that the race had to be stopped. All three outriders rode against the field telling the jockeys to pull up.
Also where was the backup tractor? Most major racetracks have a backup with a tow chain for such an incident.
I think that race …
I think that race was totally thrown out. I think the tractor had a stuck parking brake and the pull off wouldn’t start. How unfortunate.
An oblivious race …
An oblivious race caller. Big surprise.
While their Internet audience at home (95% of their audience) is watching the technological equivalent of crappy early 1950’s broadcasting –
They brainlessly assume that it’s the same quality as network TV.
Race callers and local TV news blowdrys = dead heat IQs.
Can u imagine this …
Can u imagine this at the Derby? “hold all tickets”
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