oh wow it totally just did that weird capitalization thing to me for writing in all caps!

he won despite the jockey, first time that jara made a questionable ride on him.

yeah, he usually does great-first bad ride i have personally witnessed by him. bound to happen.
a little too sure maybe? probably thought those others would part like the red sea for him. ooops.

Jara took a huge gamble with the horse's welfare but it worked out in the end. I can picture the confrontation between Jara and McLaughlin after the race looking like the one between Dorn and Vaughn at the end of Major League, McLaughlin punching him out and then giving him a big hug.

Jara was a little too cute. When you are that much the best you dont worry about saving ground, you just stay out of trouble and make one run. I like Jara though, I think hes a heck of a good rider, that wasnt his shining moment.

The whole " Jara is a good rider " thing is total crap. He's a very mediocre rider at best. What he has been proving is that good horses overcome all.

To take a chance with a horse like that, in a spot like this, was foolish and should absolutely cause the connections to consider a rider switch.

he's not good? i've seen him do well--but of course the horse plays a part.
you don't think he'll be a top jock?

The "Showdown in the Desert" 3/31/07
INVASOR versus DISCREET CAT...round 2
...be there !!!

The best ride was by Cornelio V. The way he rushed up to close off the hole and then geared down to trap Invasor was a thing of beauty. If Cornelio V didnt do that then Jara prob would have angled out and won by 7 plus lengths. But what a heads up ride by Cornelio V.

Of course it is as he has shown on a daily basis that he has not shot to hang with the big boys and is so so so lucky the Kiaran has put him on some very good horses including his big gun in Invasor. I really am wondering what the hell he was thinking because it couldn't have been anything sane.

And thats why he is the best.

He will NEVER be a top jock. He's had a very beneficial relationship with Kiaran that has worked out well for both of them.

If this horse had not gotten through today he would have lost this mount and possibly Jazil. It was a needless and foolish choice he made.

Yeah, very heads up to shut a horse off when you have no horse.

I think that's called bad sportsmanship.

I didnt view it as shutting off a horse as Invasor wasnt in position to move to the hole. I see as it giving your horse the best chance of winning.

A page out of Bailey's book, who used to do it all the time.

I am going to guess that a rider of Johnny Velasquez's caliber knew full well at that point that he had zero horse with Magna Graduate. If not then he should re-receive his apprentice allowance.

Jara will wind up doing just fine. Not a very good ride at all here but he's only 19 years old. Just wrong to say he's got no chance to be a top rider.
how good were any of the top guys at age 19?

Top riders? Better than him.

He has a good situation with Kiaran and has gotten lucky. He's not a terrible rider but he's sure nothing special. On a day to day basis he doesn't help his mounts. This is not to say he's not competent, and he's certainly above most of the clowns currently masquerading as riders in NY right now, but he's at best a fair journeyman. That's no insult, in fact, if anything it's a compliment.