What awesomeness is this? Jockeys fight … during race. Yes!

And we take you now to — well, it’s Philadelphia again, folks — where two jockeys got a little perturbed with each other and came to blows at Philadelphia Park last week. Oh, did I mention that it occurred during the race, in the middle of the backstretch? Call it midget wrestling on horseback, I suppose. I only thank God that Barbaro did not live to witness this.
Divine Light, ridden by Eriluis Vaz, was disqualified after Vaz punched Mi Helena’s jockey, Ademar Santos, in the face (neither pictured here). When you see the video following the jump, you realize that all the horses were bunched up at the time, and the fight could have taken everyone down, making this story go from awesome to horrific in a split second.
Video following the jump, plus a new poem by horseracing superfan and noted Barbaro scholar Dee Mirich!

A replay showed that after Vaz threw his punch, Santos appeared to punch Vaz right back. Then Vaz nailed Santos with his whip.

Santos said Vaz had veered toward him three times before the blows began.

“I asked, ‘Man, why you go like that?’ ” Santos said. “Then he hit me in the face . . . in the mouth.”

OK, now let’s watch that video again with music and sound effects, which always makes a jockey fight more entertaining.

Oh man, that is great. New on ESPN2, full contact hobbit horse boxing.
And I can think of no better time than this to break out the Dee Mirich poem I just found over at the Equine Heaven message board. I don’t think it has anything to do with fighting jockeys, but who knows? It just might.

I Love You So A Lot So Angels Equine Heaven And
Angel Lynne And Angel Linda And Angel Sue. You Are In My Heart So (8) A Lot So. Thinking Rainbow Roses And Cooking With Slew. Recipes.
Music. Sending All My Love To You So, So So
Very Beautiful Angels On This Earth. Affirmed

Whip to the back. Short people punching so a lot so. Tiny, tiny pants.
Affirmed.
***
Jockeys battle — literally — at Phila. Park [Philadelphia inquirer]
Jockeys fight while riding [ESPN]
Equine Heaven [Official site]