Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Racing Commission Launches Probe Into Last Week's Kentucky Derby Win
Aired May 10, 2003 - 18:04 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 potential scandal at the Kentucky Derby? As the state's racing commission launches a probe into last week's win. It centers around a photo that seems to show winner Funny Cide's jockey using something other than a riding crop in his right hand there. Steve Overmeyer joins me now with more on that.
It could be pretty alarming.
STEVE OVERMEYER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, anytime the integrity of a sport comes into question, they take this very seriously. So, you could say this year's Run for the Roses had serious side as well as a Funny Cide.
The Kentucky Racing Commission has opened an investigation into last Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Members will meet with three race stewards on Monday. Officials at Churchill Downs are focusing on an investigation on a picture that ran in the "Miami Herald". It appears Funny Cide jockey Jose Santos is holding something in his right hand along with his whip.
Now, jockeys can hold anything they want with their whip, just as long as its not illegal, like say an electronic device used to make the horse run faster.
The Derby winning jockey was reportedly asked about what that object was, after the race. And he called it a "cue ring" sometimes used to call the outriders. He later said, he was actually misquoted and actually said it was a Q-ring, which is an ionized bracelet used to help with arthritis.
It seems like, Fredricka, he was holding something in his hand. They're going to try to figure out, on Monday, again, what exactly that is. The stewards are going to be in there talking with the owner and the jockey, figure out exactly what that was in his hand. If it was illegal and what they can do about it. If it was illegal this horse is going to be disqualified.
WHITFIELD: They want to hash out an awful lot of those questions. And still, we don't know if they are going to disqualify Funny Cide. But in the past, has a horse winning the Kentucky Derby ever been disqualified before?
OVERMEYER: It's only happened once before. It was 1968 and Dancer's Image, who was disqualified for a banned substance, that they discovered after the race, sent to the back of the pack. He was stripped of his title and the winnings as well. That's exactly what would happen this time around. Empire Maker would bumped up to the champion of the Kentucky Derby.
And that might pose an interesting question. By the way, Empire Maker has decided that, or the owners of Empire Maker, are trying to keep that horse fresh. They're not going to allow it to run in the Preakness. If he's officially the Kentucky Derby winner and has a shot at a Triple Crown, I bet that Empire Maker would be running in the Preakness.
WHITFIELD: So, they would make any kind of corrections on the winnings if they indeed did end up disqualifying. But what about for all those -- the many people who placed bets, who won, or who lost?
OVERMEYER: Right. If you have an Empire Maker winning ticket, you might as well go ahead and burn it. I mean, there is no chance that they're going adjust that. The winner has been paid out 27/60 to the winner. And that will not be adjusted.
WHITFIELD: And folks do not save their tickets anyway. Once they're gone, they're gone, you know?
OVERMEYER: There could be a couple people out there that have them out there.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. OK, the other thing though, how about whether indeed this photograph is authentic. I know they're going to be looking closely, but apparently there is some discrepancy over whether this photo may have been doctored.
OVERMEYER: Right.
WHITFIELD: Or whether there were other frames that didn't seem to show this very same shadow. What's going on with that?
OVERMEYER: Over the next day, this commission, who is conducting this investigation, will be I guess gathering as many photos, as much video as possible to see if in fact there was something in his hand -- where exactly it may have gone, then as well. Because it wasn't in his hand as he was crossing the finish line. So, where exactly did it go?
And there are going to be specialists there who are going to be checking out the photo to make sure that it hasn't been doctored by whoever was taking the photograph.
WHITFIELD: Well, if anything it is going to be interesting to see -- and hear -- from the jockey himself. Because we haven't really, yet.
OVERMEYER: Yes, this just make the Kentucky Derby that much more exciting, even still exciting after its done.
[LAUGHTER]
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks Steve.
OVERMEYER: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Derby Win>
Aired May 10, 2003 - 18:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A potential scandal at the Kentucky Derby? As the state's racing commission launches a probe into last week's win. It centers around a photo that seems to show winner Funny Cide's jockey using something other than a riding crop in his right hand there. Steve Overmeyer joins me now with more on that.
It could be pretty alarming.
STEVE OVERMEYER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, anytime the integrity of a sport comes into question, they take this very seriously. So, you could say this year's Run for the Roses had serious side as well as a Funny Cide.
The Kentucky Racing Commission has opened an investigation into last Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Members will meet with three race stewards on Monday. Officials at Churchill Downs are focusing on an investigation on a picture that ran in the "Miami Herald". It appears Funny Cide jockey Jose Santos is holding something in his right hand along with his whip.
Now, jockeys can hold anything they want with their whip, just as long as its not illegal, like say an electronic device used to make the horse run faster.
The Derby winning jockey was reportedly asked about what that object was, after the race. And he called it a "cue ring" sometimes used to call the outriders. He later said, he was actually misquoted and actually said it was a Q-ring, which is an ionized bracelet used to help with arthritis.
It seems like, Fredricka, he was holding something in his hand. They're going to try to figure out, on Monday, again, what exactly that is. The stewards are going to be in there talking with the owner and the jockey, figure out exactly what that was in his hand. If it was illegal and what they can do about it. If it was illegal this horse is going to be disqualified.
WHITFIELD: They want to hash out an awful lot of those questions. And still, we don't know if they are going to disqualify Funny Cide. But in the past, has a horse winning the Kentucky Derby ever been disqualified before?
OVERMEYER: It's only happened once before. It was 1968 and Dancer's Image, who was disqualified for a banned substance, that they discovered after the race, sent to the back of the pack. He was stripped of his title and the winnings as well. That's exactly what would happen this time around. Empire Maker would bumped up to the champion of the Kentucky Derby.
And that might pose an interesting question. By the way, Empire Maker has decided that, or the owners of Empire Maker, are trying to keep that horse fresh. They're not going to allow it to run in the Preakness. If he's officially the Kentucky Derby winner and has a shot at a Triple Crown, I bet that Empire Maker would be running in the Preakness.
WHITFIELD: So, they would make any kind of corrections on the winnings if they indeed did end up disqualifying. But what about for all those -- the many people who placed bets, who won, or who lost?
OVERMEYER: Right. If you have an Empire Maker winning ticket, you might as well go ahead and burn it. I mean, there is no chance that they're going adjust that. The winner has been paid out 27/60 to the winner. And that will not be adjusted.
WHITFIELD: And folks do not save their tickets anyway. Once they're gone, they're gone, you know?
OVERMEYER: There could be a couple people out there that have them out there.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. OK, the other thing though, how about whether indeed this photograph is authentic. I know they're going to be looking closely, but apparently there is some discrepancy over whether this photo may have been doctored.
OVERMEYER: Right.
WHITFIELD: Or whether there were other frames that didn't seem to show this very same shadow. What's going on with that?
OVERMEYER: Over the next day, this commission, who is conducting this investigation, will be I guess gathering as many photos, as much video as possible to see if in fact there was something in his hand -- where exactly it may have gone, then as well. Because it wasn't in his hand as he was crossing the finish line. So, where exactly did it go?
And there are going to be specialists there who are going to be checking out the photo to make sure that it hasn't been doctored by whoever was taking the photograph.
WHITFIELD: Well, if anything it is going to be interesting to see -- and hear -- from the jockey himself. Because we haven't really, yet.
OVERMEYER: Yes, this just make the Kentucky Derby that much more exciting, even still exciting after its done.
[LAUGHTER]
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks Steve.
OVERMEYER: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Derby Win>
