Poker Shark goes from first to last at Dover

March 19, 2009

In an example of a not often imposed penalty, driver Kevin Sizer was disqualified from first and placed last for a too-slow second quarter in the second race at Dover Downs on Wednesday, March 18. Sizer and pacer Poker Shark wrestled the lead from Grab The Fortune and driver Tony Morgan at the end of a :27.2 opening quarter.

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Once in control, Sizer immediately eased off, perhaps hoping to yield the lead to a new challenger and sit the pocket. That didn�t happen and by the half the horses following Sizer were crowding each other until Snooker Ball, sitting far off the pace with driver George Dennis, was unable to avoid running into the horse in front of him as Poker Shark strolled to the half in :58, a :30.3 second quarter.

Unchallenged, Sizer and Poker Shark led the field to the three-quarters in 1:26 (:28). He held off the efforts of Dvcflyingfrenchman and driver Corey Callahan to win by 2 � lengths. The final quarter was :28.2.

After reviewing the race, the judges ruled that Sizer slowed the pace excessively and cause confusion among the trailing horses, Poker Shark was placed from first to eighth. Dvcflying Frenchman was declared the winner. Every other horse was moved up one spot. Every horse behind Poker Shark at the half was given an �I� for interference and Snooker Ball was given an �IX� to reflect an interference break.

A 3-year-old son of Cam�s Card Shark, Poker Shark is trained by Joe Holloway. �Every time you think you�ve seen it all, you see something new,� said Holloway, of his horse�s disqualification. �I have never heard of taking a horse down for a slow quarter. I know that the driver usually gets fined or suspended, but I�ve never known a horse to be placed for it.

�I�ve never really agreed with the slow quarter rule anyway,� he added. �Unless you kind of use it like dirty pool to trick somebody, but usually you�re just trying to win the race. Otherwise isn�t that why the other guys have a right line? I don�t know, I watched the race, it didn�t look to me like any of them following my horse were in any kind of trouble until suddenly George Dennis ran up on the guy in front of him and made a break.

�I don�t think it�s fair to the public or the owners to penalize the horse for the driver infraction when the outcome of the race wasn�t affected. Taking the horse down for that, is that the way the rule is consistently applied in Dover? I don�t really know. At least the horse fits the condition for another week.�

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