Kent's Ride: Stride-by-stride

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Yeah, why does that dude need to be there?

yeah man he looks like he's right in Browns path... doesnt make sense to me at all.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Maybe I'm wrong, but this isn't the first time the starter has stood close to the horses. It happens all the time. Granted, this starter seems further down past the gate then normal, but are the connections serious with the excuses?

Reaction to the photo didn't come from connections. It came from press when they saw it. And the starter is usually on the other side of the rail and closer up. It's not just him either. The tower of photographers is right there too and it's been suggested that it caught his eye too.

[slotdirt]

If you look really closely, I'm in the middle right portion of the crowd in that picture. Can you see me?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Reaction to the photo didn't come from connections. It came from press when they saw it. And the starter is usually on the other side of the rail and closer up. It's not just him either. The tower of photographers is right there too and it's been suggested that it caught his eye too.

The starter at NYRA is always on the track not inside the rail. Started by Bob Duncan who thought he could see the field better from that vantage point. Most starters are on a little platform inside the rail.

[robfla]

ny times and espn report dutrow and desormeaux "back on target" and KD retains mount- also Big Brown's monthly winstrol will resume.

[ELA]

I just don't see what all the debating is about. Sure, is there a tendency to "blame" or "look for excuses" or "justification" for that matter? Yeah, I guess I can see that.

Be that as it may -- I think this is very simple. The jock did not cause this horse to lose the race -- PERIOD! Was it a textbook ride? No, but this horse on this day was not a textbook horse. There were many things going on and many contributory factors that played into the entire situation. The jock played the cards he was dealt and nobody truly knows if the cards could have been played differently. Based upon everything that was going on, it is more probable that possible, that there was nothing else that could have been done. The jock was dealing with an unmanagable, close to unmanagble, difficult to control, perhaps impossible to control, horse.

It's always easier -- very easy as a matter of fact -- to play, or replay, the hand after it's over. It's also very easy to say how it should have been played, but that's when you have the liberty of knowing the outcome or of second guessing the decision that was made.

Eric