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    The contentious victory of Peteski in the Queen's Plate race (Part 2)
The contentious victory of Peteski in the Queen's Plate race (Part 2)
Peteski in the Queen's Plate. Source: The Wault

The contentious victory of Peteski in the Queen's Plate race (Part 2)

Perret received a summons to appear before the ORC the following week. During his testimony, he emphasised that he had given his utmost effort in the race. When the Woodbine jockeys were questioned by the media, they expressed their full support for him.

When asked if he needed to find a replacement rider, Mack responded, “I’ll cross that bridge when it comes to that. That’s just the way I’m going to address the situation." However, behind the scenes, Mack was actively making arrangements for a potential replacement for Perret in case of a suspension. He also provided guidance and support to Perret, whose previously untarnished reputation in racing had suddenly come under attack.

Drea was determined not to let the international horse racing incident pass without consequences. As a result, Perret was fined $4,000, suspended for 15 calendar days (a suspension that would be acknowledged by all North American racing jurisdictions), and instructed to publicly apologise for his comments. He chose not to appeal the penalty.

Dave Penna, based at Woodbine, was assigned to ride Peteski in the Prince of Wales race. Penna kept the horse close to the lead and made a decisive move as they entered the stretch. With a three-length lead, he comfortably crossed the finish line four lengths ahead, setting a track record of 1:54 2/5 for the mile and three-sixteenths race on the dirt. Peteski was the favoured horse at odds of 6-5.

Three weeks later, the Breeders' Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, took place, and this time Perret was back in the saddle. It was widely believed that Perret would have to encounter a significant obstacle to lose because Peteski was considered the superior horse and had the pedigree to handle the switch to grass. The public made Peteski the overwhelming favourite at odds of 1-10 in the small field of four horses.

Shortly after the race began, Perret faced an unforeseen problem when his saddle slipped, causing him to lose the use of his stirrups for the remainder of the 1½ mile race. However, he controlled the pace comfortably, and no competitor came close to challenging Peteski, who won by a six-length margin in a relatively slow time of 2:30 2/5.

CBC analyst Jim Bannon commented after the race that he had noticed the saddle slipping and mentioned that it occasionally occurs when a jockey holds the horse too tightly.

Fans at Queens Plate. Source: America’s Best Racing
Fans at Queens Plate. Source: America’s Best Racing

“This is not the way a jockey would usually ride a horse way up on his withers with just a sixteenth of a mile to the wire,” Bannon remarked. "If somebody had come along with a big challenge, Craig Perret did not have the proper purchase in the saddle to guide this horse properly. It was just that this horse was too good.”

Broadcaster Dan Kenny interviewed Perret after the race and inquired about the saddle incident. Perret acknowledged that the saddle slipped a sixteenth of a mile after the start.

"Out of all the things that could have happened, look at what happened now. But he's a great horse, he loves the grass, and I was just along for the ride," Perret said.

Kenny welcomed Perret back to Toronto and mentioned that the fans had been very forgiving when Perret rode in an earlier stakes race on the card, although he did receive some negative reactions as he passed through the tunnel.

"All is forgiven?" Kenny asked.
"All is forgiven," Perret succinctly replied.

A new Triple Crown winner joined the ranks of those before him, and the controversy that arose during the series was finally put to rest, although it would forever be a part of history. Peteski went on to be named Canadian Horse of the Year.

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