Jockeys Out

RUFFIAN · #1 03-20-2020, 01:35 PM

ORTIZ, MARAGH, SANTANA ALL HAVE STOPPED RIDING

I fear this is only the tip of the iceberg

But can you blame them trying to keep their loved ones safe

JolyB · #2 03-20-2020, 04:06 PM

We'll need to keep an eye on the changes for the Fair Grounds tomorrow. Ricardo Santana is riding this afternoon at Oaklawn and has been named on quite a few runners at the Fair Grounds on the LA Derby card, including major contenders in some of the graded stakes for Steve Asmussen [e.g. Silver State, Finite and Gun It].

RUFFIAN · #3 03-20-2020, 05:26 PM

It was the racing office personnel at the FAIR GROUNDS
Who told me directly on the telephone
that SANTANA is taking off Riding for now

JolyB · #4 03-20-2020, 08:30 PM

Not questioning your information, just suggesting that from a handicapping point of view, changing jockeys from Asmussen's top "go to" rider to another jockey who doesn't have the familiarity with some of these horses that Santana does might be a reason to think more carefully about their chances.

I don't blame any rider who doesn't want to travel from Hot Springs to New Orleans in this current situation.

JolyB · #5 03-21-2020, 10:03 AM

Based on the list of scratches and changes at 10:49 EDT, Irad Ortiz, Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez have relinquished mounts at the Fair Grounds today. Each of them would have had to travel to NO for today's races and may have found that too difficult. So far, Ricardo Santana is on all of his mounts and in fact has picked up one more in Race 2. Perhaps more changes to come.

JolyB · #6 03-22-2020, 09:21 AM

To continue this thread, here is a link to an interesting article in DRF about the consequences of Ricardo Santana's decision to ride at the Fair Grounds yesterday. Upon his return to Oaklawn, his regular track, he faces a lengthy quarantine period and had to take himself off of his mounts today.

After all of that difficulty, it is a shame that Finite, probably the primary reason he went to NOLA, performed so poorly in the LA Oaks. His agent was quoted as saying, "We cannot not show up for the biggest day of the year at Fair Grounds"

These riders have to go through a lot to ply their trade. We never really consider the logistics some of them have to handle to honor race calls at various tracks.

https://www.drf.com/news/santana-mis...due-quarantine