LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A horse racing expert said the outcry over Kentucky Derby 145 has everything to with viewers not knowing the rules.
Terri Burch with the University of Louisville's Equine Industry Program knows the ins and outs of the business and knows what it takes to become a steward.
"The average person that goes to the racetrack doesn’t know the rules," she said. "They just don't know the rules. And it's like if you're watching a basketball game or football game, and you're like, 'Bad call, Bad call,' you're not trained to be an official.
"A lot of people, after the exams, come to find how difficult the job is for the steward."
All that knowledge was put to the test for the 145th Kentucky Derby when Maximum Security made a wide turn before the final stretch. Two stewards who watched the race live and another who watched the live coverage collectively came to the conclusion to disqualify Maximum Security for interference.
“The more camera angles that they have, the better that it is for them,” Burch said of the stewards.
As for that wide turn, Burch blames it on Maximum Security getting spooked.
“Horses are programmed that if something scares them, run," Burch said. "Run out of the way, go a different direction, because things ate them. Historically, they were food products."
She even points to a 1990 Breeders’ Cup race where a horse that was in the lead, got spooked, jumped over a shadow and lost the race.
Horse racing is an unpredictable sport, and as unpopular as the outcome may be, the rules have to be kept, especially at the Kentucky Derby.
“They had to do it," Burch said of the stewards. "It violated the rules. It was an infraction."
Burch says this Derby race will be a huge teaching moment for future stewards.
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