By John Stettin, Past the Wire
Umberto Rispoli was taken off Journalism for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Jose Ortiz picked up the mount. Rispoli rode Journalism to a strong campaign winning the San Felipe, The Santa Anita Derby, The Preakness and The Haskell. You can add seconds in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and the Pacific Classic against older horses. While I pretty much steer clear of social media the past few years I was compelled to share Journalism never lost a race he could have or should have won because of Umberto Rispoli. Not one. I could argue in this subjective sport that he won both The Preakness and Haskell because of him. Add the flawless ride in the Kentucky Derby where despite his grit and talent he could not keep pace late with Sovereignty. Umberto was part of “team Journalism.”
The comment sparked a lot of rebuttal. “Loyalty means nothing” I was told. The right decision I was told. I’ll come back to that to close but I’ll start with this and may I say I am more than pleased to be in the minority on this one.
Loyalty used to mean something. It was a code you lived by, not a convenience you pulled out when it suited you. These days, loyalty is treated like some old-fashioned relic, nice in theory, expendable in practice. Most people toss it aside the second there’s something in it for them, and they’ll even convince themselves it’s normal, that “everyone does it.” But the truth is, real loyalty is rare because it’s priceless. It can’t be bought, taught, or faked. It’s who you are when nobody’s watching and when it costs you something to stand by someone or something. That’s when it matters.
People love to say, “It’s business, not personal.” That’s one of the biggest lies ever told. Because every time someone says that, nine times out of ten, it couldn’t get more personal. You’re talking about relationships, trust, integrity, all the things that make business, or anything in life, actually work. When someone betrays that under the excuse of “business,” what they really mean is they don’t have the backbone to own the personal side of their choices.
Now I will address the business side of this decision as that is was matters to the majority. As a gambling man by nature Eclipse Thoroughbreds made a very bad bet. In fact, they’ve already lost. If the horse wins you may look like a star but the win in an epic race is tarnished a bit by the lack of character in swapping a team member who did nothing to deserve it. That would always be a stain you did not need and some stains don’t come out in the wash. The garment is ruined. If you lose it’s worse. The “decision” took things from a win win to a no win.
At the end of the day, you’re either common or uncommon. The common follow the crowd, justify betrayal, and act like loyalty is outdated. The uncommon stand their ground, even when it’s not easy or profitable. The uncommon still believe your word means something, your actions mean more, and loyalty is never negotiable. In a world where most are fine being common, it’s the uncommon who truly stand out, and they always have.
