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CNN Live Saturday

Kentucky Derby Officials Launch Investigation Into Last Week's Race

Aired May 10, 2003 - 16:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A rather suspicious photo is stirring up some controversy. Did the jockey on the Kentucky Derby winning horse Funny Cide have something in his hand other than the riding crop? Thanks to the photo and a comment from jockey Jose Santos, officials with the Kentucky Racing Commission have launched an investigation into last week's victory for Funny Cide. And you're looking at the actual photo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE MILLER, KENTUCKY RACING COMMISSION ATTORNEY: It will be essential that we have credible information, and the information is important not only the fact that there's a photograph that exists, but we need to know who took it and that person or person -- those person or persons have to be available to certify, and those photographs are going to have to be checked by some photographic laboratory to make sure there's been no doctoring. So there's a lot of work in the terms of an initial investigation has to be undertaken here. And that's being done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our Matt Morrison joins us now with more on this derby development and what happens next. So they want to make sure there's no funny stuff with the photo of Funny Cide.

MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Anytime you're talking about thoroughbred racing and a question about whether there was any cheating going on, you're darn right they're going to do some thorough investigations.

What the gentleman from the Kentucky Racing Commission just pointed out is that they're going to take this very seriously. The photograph, again, shown here, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) images, photographer Jamie Squire (ph) took this photograph. And in a report in the "Miami Herald," the reporter, who had written the story that accompanied this photograph, called the jockey, Jose Santos and asked him, it looks as if there's something in your right hand. And Santos, at first, who does not speak English well, indicated that, indeed, he may have been carrying something besides his whip in this photograph.

Later he recanted his story and said the only thing he had besides his whip was a bracelet that he may have worn, a copper bracelet to ward off arthritis, as some athletes do. In any case, an investigation is under way. Santos and the owner of Funny Cide, Jack Nolton, have been called to a meeting which will take place early next week, we hear, Tuesday morning, in Louisville, to discuss what the findings may be from members of the racing commission. And as of right now, they're trying to check what the photograph may or may not show and the validity of what some may say is something fishy that's going on with something in the right hand of jockey Jose Santos.

Now, it's also important to point out that the rules do not prohibit the jockey from carrying something besides his whip in his hand, as long as it's not a specifically prohibited device. And by this we're talking about an electrical, battery-operated device that some jockeys, in the past, have used in an illegal fashion to spur their horse.

So this is obviously why there's such an outcry about a very small device if there is indeed anything in his hand.

There has been times when, in thoroughbred racing, jockeys have tried to gain an advantage by using something in their hand to spur their horses. So again, Jose Santos did speak with the reporter, he was abrupt in their first conversation. He denied having anything in his right hand in their second conversation, and obviously, this is why the investigation is going on, because there are many questions.

WHITFIELD: Yes, so you explained very thoroughly there that this Q-ring or Q-bracelet, copper bracelet, it isn't considered illegal. Would be allowed to carry such a thing. But even that sounds awfully strange, why in the biggest horse race of the year, at least one of them, one of the big three, was why any jockey would want to carry something other than the actual tool they need in order to help guide or steer that horse.

MORRISON: And it's because of those questions that the race officials are looking into this most thoroughly, because there doesn't seem to be any reason or purpose for anything other than a rider carrying a whip. You'd not want to be wearing a bracelet that could possibly flop around while you're riding in the Kentucky Derby.

Funny Cide was a winner, he was a 12-1 shot. It's important, I think, for betters to understand that this, any investigation will not impact the outcome of the race in terms of the betting windows, because what has been paid out has been paid out, and the order of finish will stand in terms of the money that has already changed hands. Now, if they find something illegal, obviously, it will be a matter of official changing of the order, but not as far as the betters are concerned.

WHITFIELD: All right, still a lot of questions, but no idea really when they could possibly resolve all this.

MORRISON: Looking into it. I guarantee you, by Tuesday morning, they'll have all their questions in order and we should find out something early next week.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be waiting and watching. Thanks, Matt, good to see you.

MORRISON: OK, Fredricka. My pleasure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Week's Race>


Aired May 10, 2003 - 16:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A rather suspicious photo is stirring up some controversy. Did the jockey on the Kentucky Derby winning horse Funny Cide have something in his hand other than the riding crop? Thanks to the photo and a comment from jockey Jose Santos, officials with the Kentucky Racing Commission have launched an investigation into last week's victory for Funny Cide. And you're looking at the actual photo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE MILLER, KENTUCKY RACING COMMISSION ATTORNEY: It will be essential that we have credible information, and the information is important not only the fact that there's a photograph that exists, but we need to know who took it and that person or person -- those person or persons have to be available to certify, and those photographs are going to have to be checked by some photographic laboratory to make sure there's been no doctoring. So there's a lot of work in the terms of an initial investigation has to be undertaken here. And that's being done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Our Matt Morrison joins us now with more on this derby development and what happens next. So they want to make sure there's no funny stuff with the photo of Funny Cide.

MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Anytime you're talking about thoroughbred racing and a question about whether there was any cheating going on, you're darn right they're going to do some thorough investigations.

What the gentleman from the Kentucky Racing Commission just pointed out is that they're going to take this very seriously. The photograph, again, shown here, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) images, photographer Jamie Squire (ph) took this photograph. And in a report in the "Miami Herald," the reporter, who had written the story that accompanied this photograph, called the jockey, Jose Santos and asked him, it looks as if there's something in your right hand. And Santos, at first, who does not speak English well, indicated that, indeed, he may have been carrying something besides his whip in this photograph.

Later he recanted his story and said the only thing he had besides his whip was a bracelet that he may have worn, a copper bracelet to ward off arthritis, as some athletes do. In any case, an investigation is under way. Santos and the owner of Funny Cide, Jack Nolton, have been called to a meeting which will take place early next week, we hear, Tuesday morning, in Louisville, to discuss what the findings may be from members of the racing commission. And as of right now, they're trying to check what the photograph may or may not show and the validity of what some may say is something fishy that's going on with something in the right hand of jockey Jose Santos.

Now, it's also important to point out that the rules do not prohibit the jockey from carrying something besides his whip in his hand, as long as it's not a specifically prohibited device. And by this we're talking about an electrical, battery-operated device that some jockeys, in the past, have used in an illegal fashion to spur their horse.

So this is obviously why there's such an outcry about a very small device if there is indeed anything in his hand.

There has been times when, in thoroughbred racing, jockeys have tried to gain an advantage by using something in their hand to spur their horses. So again, Jose Santos did speak with the reporter, he was abrupt in their first conversation. He denied having anything in his right hand in their second conversation, and obviously, this is why the investigation is going on, because there are many questions.

WHITFIELD: Yes, so you explained very thoroughly there that this Q-ring or Q-bracelet, copper bracelet, it isn't considered illegal. Would be allowed to carry such a thing. But even that sounds awfully strange, why in the biggest horse race of the year, at least one of them, one of the big three, was why any jockey would want to carry something other than the actual tool they need in order to help guide or steer that horse.

MORRISON: And it's because of those questions that the race officials are looking into this most thoroughly, because there doesn't seem to be any reason or purpose for anything other than a rider carrying a whip. You'd not want to be wearing a bracelet that could possibly flop around while you're riding in the Kentucky Derby.

Funny Cide was a winner, he was a 12-1 shot. It's important, I think, for betters to understand that this, any investigation will not impact the outcome of the race in terms of the betting windows, because what has been paid out has been paid out, and the order of finish will stand in terms of the money that has already changed hands. Now, if they find something illegal, obviously, it will be a matter of official changing of the order, but not as far as the betters are concerned.

WHITFIELD: All right, still a lot of questions, but no idea really when they could possibly resolve all this.

MORRISON: Looking into it. I guarantee you, by Tuesday morning, they'll have all their questions in order and we should find out something early next week.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be waiting and watching. Thanks, Matt, good to see you.

MORRISON: OK, Fredricka. My pleasure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Week's Race>