Life At Ten Saga Not Passing Smell Test, Stench Coming from Chief Steward

We are ten days past the unfortunate and somewhat bizarre situation with Life At Ten, who was eased in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic as the 7/2 second betting choice.

There have been plenty of people that have been blamed for allowing the distressed five-year-old mare to run, from her trainer Todd Pletcher, to jockey John Velazquez, to track veterinarians, to the track stewards.

The bottom line is the mare should never have raced, and the fact she was not scratched cost horseplayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Anyone that caught Velazquez telling a national television audience on ESPN, “She’s not warming up the way she normally does” was able to cancel their bets if they wanted to.

I had picked Unrivaled Belle, and Life At Ten was my fifth choice in the race, and only in the third spot on some of my trifecta tickets.

When I first heard the jockey’s comments, I assumed the mare would be scratched. I pulled up my wagers, and actually shook my head as I felt some of my value of not liking the 7/2 second choice in the race would be out the window with a scratch.

Several minutes later ESPN commentator Jerry Bailey went back to Velazquez shortly before the race and asked if the mare was doing any better.

Velazquez’s response was, “Not really.”

At that point, I could tell the mare was off, and I was certain she would be scratched by the track veterinarian.

However, as post time approached, she was being led to the starting gate by Velazquez, and although shocked, I managed to punch out another win ticket on Unrivaled Belle and a few more exacta and trifecta combinations, leaving Life At Ten off.

I felt like I was standing in front of a broken ATM machine that was dispensing an unlimited amount of money.

When the gate opened, the usual speedy Life At Ten was struggling to keep up after breaking sluggishly and was eased.

For those of us tuning into ESPN, we were not surprised. For horseplayers at the track, at simulcast centers, or playing at home and watching the simulcast feed, most were probably clueless as to why the mare ran so poorly.

So where does the blame lie?

Pletcher noted that the mare was “quiet” in the paddock and told Velazquez to spend extra time warming up the mare.

Velazquez did not notify the track veterinarians despite telling a national television audience not once, but twice that the mare was off her game.

ESPN producer Amy Zimmerman actually called the stewards and relayed the information.

You would think that with millions watching around the world, that chief Steward John Veitch would have taken 30 seconds and called down to the track veterinarian, suggesting that Life At Ten might deserve an extra once over behind the gate.

However, that did not happen.

Was Veitch out to lunch?

Veitch is a hall of fame trainer, who conditioned such top horses as Alydar, Davona Dale, and Sunshine Forever.

My out to lunch question was not rhetorical. Was he literally at the buffet when the horses were in the post parade and heading toward the gate?

Many horseplayers noticed all was not well with Life At Ten, and most of us probably could not pass a trainers’ test.

Here we have a hall of fame trainer, and now chief steward, who is apparently completely oblivious to what is going on at his track. He is the person that is supposed to protect not only the horses, but also the betting public.

He failed miserably.

In a statement released by Life At Ten owner Candy DeBartolo, it quoted Veitch as saying, “Well, you know, she was a little dull…but except for the dullness, it wasn’t apparent to anyone.”

Well, maybe not apparent to anyone without a high definition flat screen television in front of them.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission issued a statement that read in part, “The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission takes seriously the safety of horses and jockeys – before, during and after each race. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission firmly believes its veterinarians and racing stewards acted properly in all instances regarding this race.”

Did Veitch write that?

Despite being eased as the second choice in the race, Life At Ten was not taken to the test barn. Veitch claimed that because the top four finishers in each graded race are tested post-race, there was not enough room in the test barn for Life At Ten.

Does it get any better?

Sure, Veitch told Jenny Rees of the Louisville Courier-Journal that interviews with jockeys before the race should not be allowed.

“From the time a horse leaves the paddock until the time he starts, nobody should have communication with that jockey one way or the other,” Veitch said.

Great John, that’s what we horseplayers need, less information.

It also seems doubtful the Breeders’ Cup will be following up on this debacle.

They issued a statement that read, “The Breeders’ Cup adheres to the highest standards in safety, security and testing procedures to protect both our athletes and the integrity of our competition. The Breeders’ Cup World Championships are conducted under the jurisdiction of our host site and the state of Kentucky has authority in this issue. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has advised the Breeders’ Cup that it is conducting an investigation of the pre-and post-race events in this year’s Ladies’ Classic. The Breeders’ Cup is working with the KHRC in its investigation and awaiting the final report of the KHRC before deciding what steps we will take moving forward in the management and protocols of our Championships.”

I’m not holding my breath.

DeBartolo’s statement did not mince words:

“On both counts, it appears that Mr. Veitch is in total denial or is attempting to justify the stewards’ failure to adjudicate the case properly. Life At Ten, without equivocation, should have been scratched from the race. What’s more, to ignore testing that type of form reversal in a $2 million race on national television is tantamount to letting a suspected criminal go free because the jail is too crowded.”

“However, that doesn’t excuse the scenario that evolved prior to and after the race. It was made blatantly obvious to the millions of people watching the post parade that something was terribly amiss. The stewards were alerted by telephone to that fact by the ESPN production truck prior to the race. The stewards have direct radio contact with the veterinarians stationed at the starting gate. So why was our filly allowed to enter that starting gate?”

While Pletcher and Velazquez certainly deserve some of the blame, Veitch’s actions, or should I say non-actions, both before and after the race are outrageous.

Nobody can have confidence that he can oversee racing in the state of Kentucky, as he has now proven without a doubt that he can’t.

Racing dodged a huge bullet. If Life At Ten has broken down, it would have done irreparable damage to the sport.

Somebody needs to be held accountable to the horseplayers that lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention the owners of Life At Ten, who would have received their $60,000 in starting fees back if the mare has been scratched.

That falls squarely on the shoulders of chief steward John Veitch, who should no longer be employed by the state of Kentucky.