KENTUCKY DERBY Jockey meets with stewards at Churchill

No decision was announced. Jockey Jose Santos had no comment after the meeting.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Churchill Downs stewards pored over scores of photos and videotape of jockey Jose Santos this weekend, but were unable to find any evidence he cheated in winning the Kentucky Derby aboard Funny Cide, a racing official said Monday on condition of anonymity.
The stewards also searched the racetrack and turf course where Funny Cide and Santos crossed for postrace ceremonies and did not find any illegal device, the source said.
Santos met 90 minutes Monday morning with stewards who are investigating whether he held something in his hand besides his whip when he crossed the finish line on May 3. A photograph prompted the inquiry.
The investigation is focusing "most particularly on the actions" of Santos at the race, said chief steward Bernie Hettel, joined by stewards Rick Leigh and Jack Middleton at the meeting.
When the meeting ended, Santos, along with his lawyer and agent, drove away without comment.
Only comment
"Conversations between Mr. Santos and his attorney and the stewards have been completed," said John Asher, Churchill Downs' vice president of racing communications. "I would not draw any conclusions. This was part of the process. The stewards have to sit down and talk about a few things."
Asked if any decisions had been reached, Asher said: "They did not advise me of that."
He added that Santos would attend an afternoon news conference.
Funny Cide, a 12-1 shot, beat favorite Empire Maker by 13/4 lengths to become the first gelding to win the Derby since 1929.
Stewards decided to investigate after The Miami Herald published the photo, along with a story. A reporter from the Herald brought the image to the attention of the stewards Thursday night.
The Getty Images photo, which ran in several newspapers the morning after the race, depicts a dark area in the space between Santos' right hand and his whip. It is unclear whether the area is a shadow, the green background of another jockey's silks or something else.
Replays showed
Race replays showed that Santos switched the whip from his right hand to his left and back to his right during the final three-sixteenths of a mile. Funny Cide's trainer Barclay Tagg said it would take a special jockey to pull off the feat while carrying something else.
"If you can move the reins and move the sticks [whip] and still get rid of something you have to be a pretty good juggler," the trainer said.
The stewards have ultimate authority over race results.
Funny Cide could be disqualified if it is determined Santos carried something illegal, such as a battery or hand-held electrical device to shock the horse into running faster.
Kentucky Racing Commission rules do not prohibit a jockey from holding an object besides his whip, other than those specifically prohibited.
A Derby winner has been disqualified only once -- Dancer's Image in 1968 after he was given banned medication. Forward Pass was declared the winner.