dalakhani |
08-26-2008 02:41 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Handicappy
I read the following in a editoral in the Bloodhorse a couple of years ago. I then checked it out and found that it is indeed true. McCarron has a class at his jockey school in Kentucky. He focus's on the impact of a jockey's ride on not only the outcome of a given race but the money lost by owners and breeders. His example? A race about 2 years ago at Toga when Kent was on Capote's Crown. He didn't ride the horse out in a Grade 1, missed third by a photo. The photo was of him standing up on the horse. He had given up on the horse at the top of the stretch. The horse took him to forth. Your point is what I am concerned about. I think the jock's may excuse away their rides by saying the same thing. Come on, after seeing the Haskell, you mean it never crossed your mind about what could have happened in the Belmont if he didn't give up on the horse? NOT THAT HE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT DA TARA, but didn't you wonder a bit how he may have done?
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This is only Kent's third season at Saratoga so all of this had to have happened since 2006. I dont doubt it happened. My point is that I dont remember the race or the horse and i doubt many others do. It is rather insignificant.
Without being on Big Brown it is impossible for you or I to know what the horse was feeling like. I would imagine after the Eight Belles tragedy that Kent was going to be a little cautious. How do you know that the owner didnt give him "just in case" instructions? It would be extremely ignorant to think that Kent pulled him up because he didnt feel like riding him out.
When I read the critiques on racing forums heaped upon ride after ride I find myself wondering how many critics have EVER been on top of a horse. Sometimes, horses just dont do what you want them to. No matter, if the race doesnt come out like planned, its automatically the jockey's fault. Some rides will be "good" and some "bad" but at the end of the day more times than not the best horse wins.
There are basic laws of business. If your gardner is bad and your yard looks like crap, you find a new gardner. If Kent continuously gives bad rides and is this awful symbol, how does he continue to get good mounts? Are all of these people stupid? Bill Mott stupid?
When I first got to this site all i ever saw was people beating the crap out of Gomez. Now, I dont ever see a word. Did he suddenly learn how to ride? Or is he just getting better horses?
For the record, I am not denying that a ride CAN make a difference in a race. At the same time, the laws of averages kick in.
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