Very hard to believe that the stewards didn't DQ Pumpkin Pie in the 9th race. He absolutely wiped out Blue Sparkle in the backstretch and definitely cost him a placing (although 2 of the 3 stewards didn't agree).
How can the stewards assess that the incident (in their words) "didn't cost Blue Sparkle a placing" (especially since it happened in the middle of the backstretch in a one mile race)? Blue Sparkle went from a joint 3rd to last in the subsequent strides after the incident - yet somehow recovered to finish 5th.
As the California tracks continue to see their LIVE attendance/handle drop year-after-year, the nepotism/hardboots within the ranks of the higher levels are destroying the sport and will eventually make the sport evaporate into thin air.