Trainer Todd Pletcher indicated to New York stewards on Saturday that connections of Vino Rosso will appeal the decision to disqualify their colt from a victory in the Grade 1, US$750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
New York Racing Association steward Braulio Baeza, Jr., in a meeting with reporters after the races at Belmont Park, said “it wasn’t that hard” of a call to take Vino Rosso down and place Code of Honor atop the running order. Stewards voted unanimously.
“If the riders had kept their horses straight, we wouldn’t be here,” Baeza, Jr. said.
He cited Vino Rosso drifting out in the stretch under a left-handed whip from jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. When a reporter pointed out that Code of Honor also came in under a right-handed whip, another steward, Stephen Lewandowski, said, “That’s your opinion.”
Stewards said they concluded only one rider — Ortiz Jr. — was at fault in the matter.
“They could have corrected,” Baeza, Jr. said of Ortiz Jr. “After they made contact, he still used the crop again.”
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable campaign Vino Rosso, a 4-year-old son of Curlin. Albany Times Union reporter Tim Wilkin tweeted that connections on site declined comment on the disqualification.
Vino Rosso, who set the pace in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic qualifier, hit the wire a nose in front. After the photo finish, with Code of Honor rallying from fourth in the compact field of five, jockey John Velazquez filed an objection. Stewards also lit the inquiry sign.
While Pletcher said he will file an appeal, it is not official until the the paperwork is filed Sunday, stewards said. They did not have a timeline for when the matter could be solved, particularly whether it may be settled before the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup victory awarded the connections of Code of Honor a fees-paid trip to the west coast for the Classic.
