Horse Racing: Kentucky Derby debacle finally over

The recent incident with Jose Santos being accused of carrying an illegal device in the Kentucky Derby just goes to show what a glass house we live in.

I would like take some of your time to explain how racing people were completely incredulous at this story from Day One.

Jose Santos is, and always has been, a truly class act.

He rode great horses, Cryptoclearance for one, back in the 1980s for Phil Tienowitz and Scotty Schulhoffer.

Schulhoffer, an ex-jockey himself, should know a good rider.

As time went on, the chicken and the egg principle kicked in. Santos did not get good mounts anymore, so he did not get many mounts.

A good horse can make a good jockey or trainer, but he did not have many good horses to ride, sometimes only a few a week.

Taking a horse that should finish 10th and riding him to finish sixth often does not cut it.

However, here is where the story get truly weird for anyone not in the business -- he got some good mounts from D. Wayne Lukas.

Anyone who has done any analysis on Lukas in big races will learn he is probably the best jockey-picker around. He fits horses to riders amazingly well.

We remember him using Gary Stevens, but think also about him using Donna Barton, Pat Day, Mike Smith, Jerry Bailey, and Chuckie Lopez on horses.

He gave Santos some mounts with a chance, which gave the jockey his second life.

To everybody in the racing business, Funny Cide's victory was not that surprising.

What it takes to win the Kentucky Derby is a horse willing to run the best race of his life and get a good trip.

Funny Cide absolutely ran the best race of his life and got a good trip.

Unfortunately for Santos, he just took advantage of a good situation and will be the first to admit it.

The truth of the matter, if anyone wants to hear, is that Santos got the mount on a good, improving horse, who ran a big race and got a good trip in the Derby.

Did the good trip help? Yes, but good horses find a way to get good trips.

Personally, I think we should celebrate Santos' win.

This is a great accomplishment. He should be allowed to enjoy every minute of it, not be yanked back to Louisville to explain because of a reckless story by the Miami Herald.

And yes, I did view enlargements of the picture in question and I saw nothing.

The good side of this story is too great to dismiss.