what is up with roman??
 

Larry Roman's search for a retired Hall of Fame jockey to ride Digger in Saturday's Belmont Stakes is coming up empty, so Roman will attempt to get Street Sense's jockey Calvin Borel for the ride.

"I feel bad for Calvin," Roman said. "He deserves to be in the race after giving Street Sense two great rides in the Derby and Preakness.

"They (owner Jim Tafel and trainer Carl Nafzger) owe it to Borel," Roman added. "If he wins the Preakness by a nose, they would have been here. Instead they're not doing what's right for the sport or Borel."

Roman, who owns a Manhattan-based plumbing company, will offer Borel a $10,000 riding fee just to be aboard Digger in the mile-and-a-half final jewel of the Triple Crown.

If he can't get Borel, Roman will try to reach out to Mario Pino, the former jockey of Hard Spun.

Pino lost the mount on Hard Spun for the Belmont after many criticized his ride in the Preakness, where he made an early aggressive move before tiring to third. Garrett Gomez will ride Hard Spun in Saturday's $1 million race.

"I'll offer him the $10,000 too," Roman said. "We'll get somebody to ride. If I can't get either one of them I'll let (trainer Richard) Dutrow (Jr.) decide."

When asked about Roman's comments, Nafzger replied, "Tell him will meet him in the Travers (Aug. 25 at Saratoga) if he wants."

this is becoming more and more surreal. How on earth did this guy become so successful? He must be one heck of a plumber.

Romans is busting me up, I'm actually starting to like the guy. I think we need a match race. Digger vs. SS

Maybe Dutrow will ride

Digger, 200 lbs over.

Digger would promptly dislodge him.

Dont mess with me fatman.

I think Borel would me embarrassed to be on Digger, after being on Street Sense the first two legs.

This guy's so crazy, I'd almost like to see Digger win it. The whole thing reeks of Bloodhorse doing April Fool's Day in June...it's too surreal to be true.

Hey, Roman is the only man in NY who is actually getting the Belmont Stakes any publicity. NYRA should hire him, but I doubt he'd work for them. When there is no TC on the line the silence about the Belmont is deafening.

There is a big difference between getting publicity and making a bold statement -- or prediction -- that you are going to make your presence felt early on in a race that you don't expect to be around at the finish.

I am all for sportsmen and sportsmenship. However, this has nothing to do with that. Count me as the lone voice or the moral minority of one -- but Mr. Roman's statements concern me, and if he follows through this could be very regrettable. Personally I think the horse has no shot at running and gunning to lead and doing the mambo -- but if the connections try this, it's not sportsmenship -- it is far from it.

Aside from that, I also think the disparaging and insulting comments about, and directed at, Tafel are also not sportsmenship -- maybe some should check the other end of the extreme.

Eric

I agree Eric. The whole thing is pathetic, at best, if you ask me.

I've got to be honest with you Andy, check out some of the other BB's. I thought everyone got together and said "let's play a joke and mess around with Eric"

The very large majority of the posts, comments, etc. I am hearing/reading are condemning and indicting Tafel as the enemy of the sport, spewing venom to a degree that seems to border hatred -- that he is ruining the game, etc.

Then I see posts applauding the sportsman Lawrence Roman, his enthusiasm for the game, etc. I see his friends defending him -- which I understand -- but defending this potential nightmare? Defending a friend, blindly is one thing, but it is another to ignore what could be a massive catastrophe.


Eric

I agree with everything you are saying relative to Roman, but I have to ask, what is the potential massive catastrophe here?

He wins and blows me out of a potential Pick-4 score?

:D
:D

LMAO.

Seriously, although it's unlikely he can hang, what happens if this guy runs, guns and is all out to make the lead? Maybe he runs another horse down, maybe he get another horse to hook up in a speed duel.

"Making your presence felt" might in and of itself be a catastrophe.

Eric

That's certainly true for more than a few people I know.

Was it a catastrophe when Smarty chased Jerry Bailey and Eddington? I think the only one that can get hurt here is the horse. He is going to try to bottom out the field going in to the first turn of a mile an half race is a crazy idea. I just hope something bad doesn't happen to the horse. I also think that you are correct about anyone having anything negative to say about the Street Sense camp. I do not understand the whole dramatic story line about the big three running against each other in the Belmont. I guess that they are trying to keep the national audience captivated for one more race. But who are they fooling, the rest of the nation that watches a couple of races a year turned thier sets of after Curlin won by a nose and probably will not even watch the Belmont. If they need a story, why don't they just try to promote the rest of the races that day. The Belmont will probably be the worst betting race of the day. But there will be a load of talented horses and good racing that day which should be promoted, which would be good for the game. If that isn't the story they want, maybe they will get lucky and Pletcher will enter Rags into the Belmont.

I think he'll be a non-factor in every sense. If he goes all of the main competitors will be aware of him. If he guns and is all out to make the lead no one will be running with him and Mr. Roman will end up looking foolish for running such a horse in the first place.

"Lend Me Your Ear and I'll Sing You A Song...."
 

Race your potential superstar a few times, win, and you're worth more off the track. That is the game. BD (before drugs) some raced more some did not. You can come up with examples.
If Sense wins the Preak then no discussion.
For those neg on Digger.....I say anyone that has a horse eligable for a race then let'em race. Players can throw out the ones they don't like......just like we do every day.
Besides NYRA needs the PR boost and this one is free.
Players want to have all available wagering possibilities as well....right?

"A fool and his money are soon parted" -- Thomas Tusser (1524-1580)
 

Mr. Roman only proves that a rich fool and his money can be foolishly parted. He is one of those owners who believe that they know what is best for racing and can shape the game because what they have moolah. Digger will be another "vanity also-ran" so Mr. Roman can boast that he had starter in 2007 Triple Crown series.

Earlier today, I heard John Pricci suggest over/under for beaten lengths is 50! I will take a Benjamin on the over... :rolleyes:

small field, chance for a payday, it's not like the horse will be in physical danger, altho getting his ass handed to him may not help mentally....
don't understand it, i wouldn't do it, but it could always be worse...

Kasept, I beg of you, score the entertainment coup of Belmont week and get Mr. Roman on ATRAB, please! :D

Those were pretty weird statements but Borel should be up there riding on that day anyway with all the stakes money available. Who would turn down $10K to ride a horse anyway. That is the equivalent of winning a $150K stake race.

That's not really the problem -- the problem is Roman and his stated intentions. It's not about his horse. It's more about what he has inferred or potentially he might do to other horses.

This is an aside to the comments directed toward Tafel, Nafzger et al. I found this offensive and insulting.

Eric

yeah, i know, the whole thing is whacky....if you just consider, as i did above, the affect on the horse (since some thought there was a safety issue), i don't see a reason to be worried.

BUT...his comments since deciding to enter--and his efforts to get borel or pino, well it just doesn't make sense to me, or many others for that matter! can't help but wonder exactly what his agenda is here.

ego a part? probably...
i just don't see why he's going to offer his horse up as some sort of sacrifice for whatever it is he's trying to prove. that is what i have a problem with.

altho i'm disappointed that street sense skipped the race, i can't say that i'm surprised. i doubt anyone is. it's what this sport has become for the most part, which is a shame. but i don't get what roman is trying to accomplish here.

OK, that's fine, however, I immediately looked beyond the horse and looked at Roman's stated intentions.

This is outlandish.

Whatever Roman may be trying to accomplish -- running the horse, not running the horse -- is a fallacious arguement. It distracts from the real danger and real concerns -- his stated intentions.

Eric

Explain to me what you think is the danger of him running this horse in the Belmont.

As for what he might be trying to accomplish, a chance of a lifetime to race in a Grade 1 race at his favorite T-Bred track and hopefully pick up part of the purse.

He is the guy who gave back, supposedly over $1M on the sale of his horse Lawrence The Roman after he performed bad at the Big A this winter.
Name someone else with that integrity in this cut throat sport.

Your points about what Roman has done in the past, are irrelevant here -- in this case and on this issue. It is not about integrity -- it is about motive and intent, which Roman himself stated, not you might I add. You appear to be blindly defending a friend, and I respect that. However, in doing that you turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the real issue at hand.

Mr. Roman himself said that the horse would be make his presense felt early on, even though he felt he wouldn't be anywhere in it at the end. There was also commentary that Hard Spun should "watch out" or something along those lines.

He wants to run his horse -- great. Beat the field fair and square -- great. But what about costing another horse the race -- when taken in the context that you admit you really don't stand a chance?

Your blind support of a friend is superceding your common sense.

Eric

this is lunacy by Roman...Borel in no way, shape or form will jeopardize his relationship with Carl Nafzger for a mere 10,000 to ride for an owner and trainer that he will never ride for again.

How does he cost another horse the race?

Doesnt a rabbit, as part of an entry, also cost another horse a race? Havent they been part of racing since racing has been around.

What about the job they did on Cigar at DM, didnt that cost him the race? There were horses literally crawling in that race on the last turn.

If the horse isnt sound than I agree. However, every day I see sprint races with 12 horse fields and horses who cant run more than 2F race out to the lead and then back through the field. Isnt that the same "Dangerous" analogy implied here? Those horses that cant make a 6F race alter the course of those races too? Yet we dont see complaints about that?

Each year arent there about 10 horses in the KY Derby that have no chance and lose by over 25 lengths, the same horses are backing through the field as you anticipate Romans horse too. Yet they allow 20 starters in that race.

I am a long time friend of Larry's, although since moving to California I havent seen him in aboout 15 years. But as a fan of racing, if someone else had done the same I would support them the same. I would rather support Larry for racing than anyone who retires these horses way too soon.

Thanks for the comments -- they prove my point. It's abundantly clear that you don't get it.

Eric

I can't believe you're equating Digger to a rabbit. . . Who's he the rabbit for? What gives Roman the justification to enter a horse to purposely impede a another in a race where he has no other interest other than sabotage? He needs to mind his own business. . .

Too bad the guy doesnt have a decent horse, he has the moxie to make it interesting.

There are only so many ways for millionaires to get a rush. You can only have so many 50 foot yachts and 800 square foot homes. The only thing left is to buy a horse at Charlestown and enter him in the Belmont stakes.

Actually my statements prove my points. You just didnt have an argument to stand on so you come back with a short one liner.

Might as well have walkovers in racing because obviously only the winner belongs and nobody else.

Now I hope he scratches the horse, because anything else will be a "See I told you so response"

Go root for all of the connections that spew the same garbage talk pre derby than duck a TC grade 1 race because it now doesnt fit our schedule. Strange how a head loss changes so much.

Sure let's just ignore the self esteem and psychological well being of this horse I guess. Putting a horse in over it's head can potentially ruin the horse. In the face of it, some horses never put in a try ever again. As for the other horses, say he does cook Hard Spun in a duel (not that I buy into the idea that HS would engage) at the end you'll have to wobbly horses flying backward into the face of advancing traffic which isn't going to be huge (it's not as if it's a 20 horse Derby field) but still anybody in the first couple paths has to deal with going around them. What could it do to the other horses? A variety of things. This one may be extreme but excessively tired horses have flat out fallen down. They've also caused another animal to clip heels or any other number of racing accidents. I personally prefer my races without the equine edition of Frogger. I guess if Digger ends up vanned from the track after being eased, no harm no foul right? I mean who else did he hurt? (He could of course come out of it just fine and even do well but the odds are seriously against him, that's the point. If he wants a G1 race better suited to the horse, there are others he could take a stab at. It's not sporting to take an animal over his head just to do it. You need to at least think there's a chance which they don't appear to.)

Maybe he becomes a tougher and braver horse by racing against tougher horses? Can you say he wont for sure? How many times have we as humans seen our kids or even ourselves step "up" to the competition level of more experienced people at sports we play. I play alot of racquetball. When I play against the guys that are much better than me my game picks up. Can you say that Digger wont show up when the time comes?

As for your analogy of a weary leg animal causing confusion a potential problems, I dont buy it. Every day we see horses backing through 12 horse sprint races after 2F. This is the same danger that I assume you mean that Digger might cause. Why has there been no arguments over this danger. I cant think of a more dangerous race in the USA than the Derby. A 20 horse cavalry charge to the first turn and then 1/2 the field is going backwards into the second turn.

What Larry Roman has said as an owner is one thing, but he doesnt ride the race and the jock will. The horse is eligible to race in the Belmont and deserves a chance.

Thank God most people don't believe this kind of nonsense. Even Larry Roman apparently doesn't and has said as much.

That is my biggest issue with it. If they thought Dutrow had straightened some things out with the horse and saw the short field in the Belmont and took a shot I wouldn't have a huge problem with it. The horse has gone nine furlongs three times so it isn't like throwing an unraced horse into the Arkansas Derby, My issue was Roman's comments that he was basically entering the horse to make a mockery of the race because Street Sense wasn't going and that his horse had no shot. That is indefensible in my opinion.