Two of America's top jockeys have punch-up at Breeders Cup 2010

The opening day of the $25million Breeders’ Cup was overshadowed by a very public fight between two of America’s leading jockeys at Churchill Downs.



Calvin Borel, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner who was riding A U Miner in the Marathon, was furious with Javier Castellano, rider of the runner-up Prince Will I Am, after an incident on the last bend and Borel struck out at his colleague with a flurry of punches as they walked off the track in front of the stands. A very pumped up Borel had to be dragged away from Castellano by several on-lookers.

In the race Castellano made a move on the bend which set off a chain reaction bringing A U Miner to a halt and cost him his chance. Prince Will I Am was demoted to 10th by the stewards and when Borel rode in a later race he was escorted from the weighing room to the paddock by four sheriffs.


There's a different angle here.

Though tensions very occasionally boil over into fisticuffs behind the closed doors of the changing room, public punch-ups are a rarity. Both jockeys are expected to appear in front of the stewards to receive their punishment, which, generally in such situations in America, is a large fine.