Paco

Alright y’all, buckle up, ‘cause we’re goin’ full on Racingwithbruno on this one—Southern sass, smart-ass commentary, and a good ol’ fashioned roasting of the absurd theater that is modern-day horse racing. Here we go:

So lemme get this straight...

Racing—a sport I love, by the way, like truly, in-my-bones, tattoo-a-horseshoe-on-my-ass love—is also, without a doubt, the single most unserious serious sport on Earth. I mean, it’s fun as hell, sure. But also? It's like watchin' a Shakespeare play put on by drunk toddlers. There’s beauty and grace and magic… and then there’s a whole pile of bullshit just waftin’ in the breeze.

And what really gets me? Ain’t nobody held accountable. Not for their actions, not for their words, not for that crusty old “integrity” thing we pretend to care about when it's convenient.

Now look, I know what you’re thinkin’: "BDJ, this sounds like some Mike Repole shenanigans."But no, sir. This ain’t about Repole. Say what you will about that man, but he walks the walk. He talks his talk, sure—loudly, often, and with all the subtlety of a cannon in a cathedral—but hell, he puts his horses where his mouth is, and they show up. They run. They win. You ain’t gotta like it, but at least it’s real.

In the case y'all standing up and you about to faint right on your face, yes, I did give Repole a compliment, he ain't my commish', but will give the dude a pass here, cause he don't shy away from nothing, especially microphones.

No, this right here? This is about the performative theater troupe known as the Book Em Danno connections and their trainer, Derek Ryan, with their little soapbox moment over the Paco Lopez suspension.

Now Paco… whew.

That boy ain’t exactly a model citizen in the irons. He rides like his stirrups are tied to a stick of dynamite and his arse is on fire 24/7 . There are legends about him in every corner of every backstretch—stuff that would make a lawyer blush and a steward weep. If Bravo TV ever ran Jockeys Gone Wild, he'd be the whole damn franchise.

Now, Derek Ryan can say anything he wants, that's his right of Free Speech, but its up to YOU, if you buy into it or not.

But lemme tell you somethin’: This ain’t about Paco either.

This is about a horse named Book Em Danno who won the Forego Stakes on August 23rd—a Win and you're in Breeders Cup Prep, and right after, his people went on TV, looked the camera in the eye, and said, clear as day, “We’re likely not goin’ to the Breeders’ Cup.”Why? ‘Cause the distance wasn’t right, whatever, stay in Jersey and run against a Jersey bred field, then. Fair enough! but, knocking the venue, Del Mar, once again, that's clown talk.

I could have said that's what I call knowing your stock. Makes perfect sense. You don’t bring a knife to a gunfight and you don’t send a sprinter in unfamiliar territory, until, well, you ooze a lack of confidence in your ability to ship and win from every pore in your body. How do you say in Jersey, "get the F*ck outta here".

But NOW—now that Paco’s gotten himself in trouble with HISA (again), suddenly they’re comin’ out like it’s some damn moral crusade, sayin’ “We’re not goin’ to the Breeders’ Cup because of the injustice done to our jockey!”

Bullsh*t!

Why are we giving these people oxygen? because we love to applaud people who just are looking for justification, and adoration, like the dudes that make a donation to a racing charity and then post the check image all over social media for instant gratification. Again, why do we give these people oxygen?

Same thing last year too—more drama, more digs at Del Mar by the same connections, if y'all just don’t think it’s worth it” don't come, don't go, or could it be y'all don't want to deal with the Breeders Cup Out of Competition Testing?

It's A fair question.

Thus, Hoss, you already said you weren’t goin’! You ain’t “boycotting” somethin’ you were never gonna attend. That’s like me refusin’ to go to prom with Dana Baker ‘cause well, I was an idiot, but I didn't blame the Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in July 1979,

But the racing media? Oh boy, they just eat it up. No follow-up, no fact-check, nothin’. Just a big ol’ round of applause with a side of pom-poms. Like they’re coverin’ the damn Olympics instead of a rich man’s game of horse poker.

And shoutout to Bill Finley, who already covered this circus a month ago—good on him—but most of the rest of y’all?Y’all just nod your heads, smile real big, and print whatever storyline they hand you like you're workin’ the press box at a pop warner football game.

Meanwhile, us regular folks—the ones with dirt under our fingernails and oats in our damn shoes—we’d kill for the chance to run one in the Breeders’ Cup. Just a shot. One shot to shine on the biggest stage in the game. And here y’all are, spittin’ in the eye of that opportunity because it’s too far to ship and Paco got a time-out?

If that's the case, then don’t go! Seriously. Stay home. Enjoy your moral high ground and your imaginary protest.But don’t come sellin’ us this “poor Paco” fairy tale like it's some righteous stand with the man.

‘Cause it ain’t.

It’s just another case of folks tryin’ to dress up convenience, or fear as courage

And that, my friends?

That’s racin’.