Whip rules in the Kentucky Derby

Question
Kent Desormeaux said that he harnessed the speed of Hold Me Back in his previous races and that he was going to use its speed early in the Derby.  Could he use the whip right out of the gate to get Hold Me Back to the front of the race as soon as possible or does he have to let the horse do it on its own and just use the reins as motivation?

Answer
Dennis,

Kent could have used the whip right out of the gate, but you will almost never see that happen outside of a Quarter Horse race.  As a general rule you want to allow the horse to find his pace and settle in as much as possible early in the race, rather than shaking him up with the whip.  

Stephanie Frost
www.AlchemyBloodstock.com