Hiding the Brick disqualification gives Opening Day win to Flash of Genius

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The second race of the 2021 Del Mar Thoroughbred Club summer meet ended with San Luis Rey Training Center colts finishing first and second, although a stewards' decision reversed the order of how the horses finished on the track.

Hiding the Brick finished a nose ahead of Flash of Genius. A photo finish determined the winner, and then a stewards' inquiry determined that Hiding the Brick and jockey Cesar Ortega had interfered with Flash of Genius and rider Flavien Prat in the stretch. Hiding the Brick was disqualified and given second place while Flash of Genius was awarded the victory.

"We disagree on the call," said Hiding the Brick trainer and owner Paula Capestro.

"It was a tough call, but it was the right call," said Flash of Genius trainer Peter Miller.

The July 16 race was a 5 1/2-furlong dirt competition for 2-year-olds who had not previously won a race. Hiding the Brick led throughout and completed the first quarter of a mile in 22.32 seconds at which point he held a 1 1/2-length lead over second place Axel Steel while Flash of Genius was in third a head in back of Axel Steel. Flash of Genius moved into second in the next furlong although he was 1 1/2 lengths behind Hiding the Brick.

Prat and Flash of Genius narrowed the deficit to a head as the horses entered the stretch. The jockeys and horses battled as the lead diminished during the stretch. "Neither horse was giving it up," Capestro said.

Both trainers agree that contact between the two horses occurred and that neither horse maintained a straight path. "They were equally hitting each other," Capestro said.

"The other horse initiated contact, bumped us three times, and then my horse bumped back," Miller said.

"We just bumped," Capestro said.

"My horse moved out a little bit, no doubt about that, but not enough to stop him," Capestro said. "He never really lost his stride."

Prat was guiding Flash of Genius with his right hand whip. Ortega had no room to use his own whip. "He couldn't use his whip to make the horse get over because he was crowded by Prat," Capestro said. "He couldn't really do anything about it. He just had to hand ride him."

San Luis Rey colt Get Back Goldie, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, finished fourth in the race.

"It was a very good race," Capestro said.

After Hiding the Brick crossed the finish line ahead of Flash of Genius, Capestro and her entourage headed toward the winner's circle. "We were down there. We were on the track for about a good five minutes," Capestro said.

The rider objection led to the stewards' inquiry. "They put up the objection right away," Capestro said.

The stewards ruled that Hiding the Brick and Ortega were responsible for the interference. "It was two to one," Capestro said.

Grant Baker and Luis Jauregui voted for the disqualification which placed Hiding the Brick second while Kim Sawyer supported not changing the results.

"The win should have stayed up," Capestro said.

"I felt they should have left it alone because each of the horses were equally hitting each other," Capestro said. "There was not enough disadvantage for Miller's horse to say he lost the race because of the stretch run."

A jockey who causes interference faces a disciplinary hearing. Capestro knew she couldn't reverse the disqualification but continued her plea so that Ortega would not be given a fine or a suspension.

"It wasn't like either one of us were really disadvantaged," Capestro said. "Cesar did everything he could to keep the horse straight."

Ortega was allowed a jockey advocate at the disciplinary hearing the morning of July 17. "They let Cesar off the hook," Capestro said. "I'm glad they didn't take it out on Cesar."