Watchdog

I talked to Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey Wednesday about various things, including the Belmont Stakes, which he will analyze for ABC.

Here is what he said on the subject of banning the use of whips by jockeys:

"I've changed my philosophy. It just looks brutal. We say that these horses are bred to run and love to run and love their job. It’s hard for the public to accept that fact. I understand that perception.

"My position has been we probably don’t even need the whips. I feel if you ran 10 races with the whips and without the whip you'd get the same finish nine out of 10 times, with the times being relatively close.

"I think the majority of horses run as fast as they can without the whip. It’s for show more than anything else . . . It’s a fine line that we run. If it will create more goodwill, take it away."

That's it for me today. Enjoy the 2006 John Duddy-Shelby Pudwill bout at 8 p.m. on MSG.