This horse is clearly broken down and hobbling toward the finish line, Baze sensing another horse coming, continues to try to whip the broken down horse to try to beat the onrushing horse to the wire. This is Fu cking sad.

The action starts at about 1:35 into the clip.

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Stewards to question Baze on ride
By CHUCK DYBDAL
SAN MATEO, Calif. – Jockey Russell Baze will appear before Bay Meadows stewards Saturday morning to answer three complaints filed against him for his ride aboard Imperial Eyes in Thursday’s first race there. Imperial Eyes broke down in the stretch just as Baze hit him with the whip.

The complaints filed by the stewards against Baze were for misuse of his whip, conduct detrimental to racing, and animal cruelty.

Imperial Eyes, the 3-5 favorite in an $8,000 maiden claiming race at one mile, had opened a seven-length lead in the lane before breaking down inside the sixteenth pole. The 4-year-old gelding was so far in front that he still finished second despite the injury.

After taking a bad step in the stretch, Imperial Eyes seemed to re-gather himself. He switched leads and broke down just as Baze hit him with his whip.

Imperial Eyes suffered a condylar fracture of the cannon bone above his ankle in his left front leg. He was vanned off the track and later euthanized.

The 49-year-old Baze, a Hall of Famer who has won more races than any jockey in history, met briefly with stewards Friday, requesting an expedited hearing on the complaint.

Baze refused comment on the incident Friday.

Trainer Steve Sherman, who saddled Imperial Eyes for his father, Art, said neither he nor his father faulted Baze.

“I think Russell’s getting a really bad rap,” Steve Sherman said. “There’s no way I’m pissed off. In my opinion and my dad’s opinion, he did nothing wrong. No way he’s at fault.”

Sherman said critics of Baze’s ride should view the entire incident and not merely the clip of Baze applying the whip as Imperial Eyes broke down.

“When he took a bad step, Russell pulled up, but then he seemed to re-gather himself. When he took off again, Russell hit him with his whip just as he broke down,” Sherman said. “I think people are just seeing that part, not what led up to it.

“There’s no way Russell would do something like that if he sensed the horse was hurt and could go down.”

Baze will appear before stewards Darrel McHargue, Dennis Nevin and Randy Winick.