Eight Belles’ trainer defends jockey
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The trainer of euthanized filly Eight Belles adamantly defended the way jockey Gabriel Saez handled the Kentucky Derby runner-up on Saturday.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Monday, Larry Jones said Saez applied the whip only to prevent Eight Belles from crashing into the rail.
“This filly in every race has tried to drift toward the rail,” Jones said. “It’s her comfort zone, and Gabriel knows this. This kid made every move the right move, and I hate it that they’re wanting to jump down his throat. He did not try to abuse that horse to make her run faster. He knew he was second best, that she wasn’t going to catch Big Brown.”
Jones spoke while traveling from Churchill Downs to Delaware with his other prized filly, Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell. Jones is scheduled to have a news conference this morning near the paddock at Delaware Park.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for Saez to be suspended, contending he should have noticed an injury and pulled the horse up rather than applied the whip.
In a statement Monday, Saez said Eight Belles never indicated anything was wrong.
“All I could sense under me was how eager she was to race,” Saez said. “I was so proud of her performance, and of the opportunity to ride her in my first Kentucky Derby, all … adds to my sadness.”
Responding to charges against the jockey, Kentucky Horse Racing Authority executive director Lisa Underwood said racing stewards found no evidence of wrongdoing by Saez.
Jones said he has watched the race from various angles and found that not only did Saez do nothing wrong, but everything right.
“We’re putting him on multimillion-dollar horses, and I think this kid represented our business as professionally as could be run,” he said. “If I were to run in the Derby tomorrow, I’d put him right back on my horse.”
Jones acknowledged changes could be made to make the sport safer, although he doubts any would have saved his filly from what he called a freak injury.