Recently, the horse racing community has been in turmoil. So, it looks like the Del Mar racetrack is in the middle of a disqualification drama, and this time it’s about #5 My Love Caroline in the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (CTBA) Stakes. The filly that crossed the finish line first ended up being dropped to fourth place after the stewards decided she interfered with #6 Liberation right at the start of the race. So, the drone footage caught My Love Caroline making a little right turn right out of the gate, which led to Liberation clipping heels and stumbling a bit.

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) stewards made a big call by changing the order of finish to 7-3-6-5, and it didn’t take long for bettors and fans to react. Many felt the infraction was pretty minor and that the enforcement was all over the place. Some critics have noted that #7 Jasmina, who was declared the new winner, also veered into Liberation’s path but didn’t face any penalty. This has led to some accusations of hypocrisy in the officiating.

The impact of the ruling went beyond Del Mar, sparking a wider conversation about transparency and consistency when it comes to disqualifications in horse racing.

In the midst of all the chaos, jockey Abner Adorno—who’s not connected to the CTBA Stakes but just came off his own controversial disqualification—jumped on X to share his frustrations. Adorno, who took Heat Alert to a third-place finish in a claiming race at Delaware Park, ended up losing that spot after the stewards decided there was interference.

“You really think I deserve to be DQ? I am on the 5 horse, from first to third I guess I kill somebody MINDBLOWING never post nothing like this but this one got me…,” he said, sharing a video.

Even though Adorno’s incident happened in a different race and place, his reaction really struck a chord with Del Mar’s critics. It brought attention to what many see as a trend of biased and harsh decisions by stewards in the sport. But there were definitely more concerns brought up at Del Mar.

Concerns raised about the popular horse racing track

Horse racing analyst Ed DeRosa shared some thoughts on X about a worrying trend he’s noticed. He mentioned that Del Mar’s handle has dropped compared to 2024, and the disqualification drama isn’t really boosting bettor confidence either. So, back on August 4 last year, the total handle was $14,298,056. But now, it’s sitting at $12,035,665.

This nearly 16% drop really points to some bigger problems they’re dealing with when it comes to keeping individuals interested in betting, especially with all the concerns about operations and transparency floating around. At the moment, the CTBA Stakes is raising some eyebrows—it highlights how a single choice by the stewards can expose some issues in the sport’s relationship with its key players: the bettors who play a big role in keeping things running smoothly. But if this issue keeps going on, the numbers are likely to drop even more next year.

With all the exciting races coming up at Del Mar, like the Pacific Classic and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, there’s still a chance for the racecourse to steer clear of any drama and reclaim its former glory in the horse racing community.