Fabulous Strike Loses His Rider 

Fabulous Strike, the Champion eight year gelding, loses his rider (Cornelio Velasquez) in the Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial Handicap at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack on August 6, 2011 (Race #6), he is second from the rail in gate position #2. Fabulous Strike then loses his "unprepared" jockey at the start and then proceeds to run and play with the field, and actually win the race! (yes, I know that he had a 121 pound advantage). Kudos to the other jockeys for avioding a disaster, and glad Mr. Velasquez sustained no injuries. BTW, the winner of the race was Tend, the vary talented six year old gelding by Dynaformer out of the mare Liable, making Tend the older half-brother to the great Blame, your 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and runner-up to the amazing Zenyatta for 2010 Horse of the Year.