What we learned: How drifting incident hurt Midnight Bourbon

Hot Rod Charlie took the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing for his first Grade 1 victory. His win did not come without controversy, as he drifted out on the far turn and arguably disrupted the momentum of runner-up Midnight Bourbon. The incident resulted in an inquiry, but the stewards decided on no change to the official order.

Regardless of whether the no-change decision was fair, Midnight Bourbon lost his chance to win on the far turn as a result of Hot Rod Charlie not taking the turn and drifting out.

Watching the replay, it looks like Midnight Bourbon began to pick up momentum at the beginning of the final turn. At a minimum, he was going to make Hot Rod Charlie work hard for the win, as there was no initial sign of Midnight Bourbon getting tired.

But Hot Rod Charlie failed to turn properly, and the trouble happened at that point.

As Hot Rod Charlie failed to turn, he carried Midnight Bourbon out with him. It also looks like Flavien Prat took his time before correcting Hot Rod Charlie. 

Finally, Hot Rod Charlie straightened out at the top of the stretch. 

However, the drifting incident was bad enough that Midnight Bourbon was pushed off Hot Rod Charlie’s flank right before the top of the stretch. Midnight Bourbon’s building momentum before the turn was gone, and Hot Rod Charlie went on to win by 2 1/4 lengths as Midnight Bourbon could not rally again after his momentum stopped.

Was Prat using normal race-riding tactics to make Midnight Bourbon lose ground on the turn? That is an arguable defense, although it seems like it was overdone.

Perhaps Hot Rod Charlie drifted out on his own power and Prat could not correct him until too late. Even in that case, he still hurt Midnight Bourbon’s momentum.

The arguable foul is easier to see with a different angle, which TVG posted on Twitter. At about 45 seconds, the video shows the behind angle on the turn.

Once again, it still looks like Midnight Bourbon slowly inched closer before Hot Rod Charlie carried Midnight Bourbon wide and pushes him out in the process.  

It does not seem like a question of whether Midnight Bourbon’s chances were hurt by Hot Rod Charlie carrying him out. The answer appears concrete from watching the replays.

Did the incident deserve a disqualification? The question is debatable as there are many past instances of the leader drifting out into the oncoming horse on the turn and not getting punished. 

For example, Genuine Risk was making a bold move on the outside in the 1980 Preakness Stakes before Codex under Angel Cordero Jr. took her wide on the turn.

After getting carried several paths wide, Genuine Risk did not sustain the bid.  

If it were up to this writer, yes, horses that blow the turn and hurt the chances of another horse making a move would be disqualified. Based on the numerous times in the past where the stewards did nothing about it though, the dirty tactics of carrying out a horse wide on the turn are simply part of the game.

For those who bet Midnight Bourbon, it was tough break for their horse to get carried out on the turn and lose the inquiry afterward. On the positive side, Midnight Bourbon continues to improve and could become the next Gun Runner for trainer Steve Asmussen, as various people including the owner Ron Winchell himself seem to suggest.

Only top horses hit the 130 mark on TimeformUS. Hot Rod Charlie earned a 133 for his win in the Pennsylvania Derby, while Midnight Bourbon posted a 130. Those are the kind of numbers that contend in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and other big Grade 1s.

Speaking of improving horses, Americanrevolution deserves credit for running third and earning a career-high 124 on TimeformUS. This New York-bred is on the right path and eventually could become part of the top mix of dirt routers in this crop, perhaps by 2022.

Fulsome also closed for fourth with a career-high 119 on TimeformUS. Although he performed well, the connections probably will want to avoid the Classic and point for the Dirt Mile instead, if they choose to aim for the Breeders’ Cup with this horse.

As for the hyped Speaker’s Corner, he was a big disappointment after losing contact on the far side and finishing a well-beaten sixth. He lost by 20 1/2 lengths.

Hot Rod Charlie is one talented colt and deserves to go into the Breeders’ Cup as a top contender. As shown in his past few starts in the Belmont Stakes, Haskell Stakes (G1) and now the Pennsylvania Derby, this is a colt with real ability. He could withstand a fast pace and he still finish well, which is a huge positive in dirt racing against top horses.

But Midnight Bourbon is not far behind him and could match or surpass Hot Rod Charlie. The only question is whether it happens at Del Mar in a month or later as a 4-year-old. Look for this son of Tiznow to blossom into a powerhouse runner.