David Egan won the richest race in the world but has to cough up 10% of his winning riders share of the purse for violating the Saudi whip rules. Mike Smith gets days as apparently Charlatan interfered with Sleepy Eyes Todd down the backside. Last but not least, Joel Rosario took off Saudi Derby winner Pink Kamehamema to ride Cowan for Steve Asmussen. Cowan was open because of the Covid pandemic traveling woes and a late change in the rules. K. Tosaki rode the winner. Joel got second on Cowan. Ouch…..

LOW FIVE to whoever set up the travel arrangements for The Saudi Cup for Umberto Rispoli, Gary Stevens and John Velazquez. While we realize the pandemic makes travel more complicated and difficult, there was ample time to plan and communicate about this properly, and a 20 million dollar race in Saudi Arabia, send the corporate jet…..

Big Low Five to Australian jockey Chris Mclver. He was suspended for a year for kicking a horse twice. No excuse or room for this in the sport. This is his second incident. He has a previous 7 month ban for being seen in a video hitting a horse, Absolute Bonanza in the head with a whip. That suspension only ended in November. We’d have banned him for life.