Mike Smith is a great jockey
 

Watched the replay of the race and his stretch run navigation of the field was excellent. If Zenyatta was more used to the dirt or if Mike could have cleared the field a fraction of a second earlier, she wins.

Good read -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/hor...se-Racing.html

excerpt from -

Later Smith confided that he had even contemplated pulling her up after the field passed the post first time. "I was thinking what do I do? Do I pull her up?" he told me as we walked through the dark streets of Louisville.

My God - could you imagine what would happen if he did?!~

I don't think he did a thing wrong.

Stunning to watch that replay again

How much the camera had to pan away just to keep Z in the picture with the other horses coming down that lane the first time

I mean, if that was the first horse race I ever saw in my life … and was watching with a few of my drunken homies … it'd be like … Hey, Rick, is that your horse … number eight? … LOL … dead last … LOL … look at that f'n slow pig … LOL … LOL



Ah, but the joke would've been on me the next time they came around … as my naive azz probably would've had a 20 spot on the 'uber fast' QR



Let there be NO doubts … the GREAT Cali mare has the heart of a CHAMPION :tro:

He's not great and never has been....Occasionally he gives some great rides. Let's not throw around the term great with jockey except for a very few.

Let there be NO doubts … you have the brain of a MUSHROOM.

Byk must really like you, Indian boy…



CM was great, randy.

I agree.

He is the Eddie Maple of our time!

My problem with Mike Smith is that he seems to ride almost every other horse that he's on, like they are Zenyatta. Most of them don't fare too well by trying to come from the clouds and then going 5 wide at the top of the lane.

Again the chills, excellent read. Tell your homies, whats up? From Joey S

His Jaycito ride gave a whole new definition to wide trip. Just think if ol' Mike could have figured out a way for the horse to run straight earlier. He's at least on the board, IMO.

I know Mike Smith loves the ambulance path, but that was kind of ridiculous.

Of course he is a great jockey, he's in the Hall of Fame.

I think that more of a case of Jaycito getting hit with REAL DIRT for the very first time and no reacting well to it. Mike was just trying to keep him out of harms way.

:tro:

Yeah, I know, but that was still one of the more bizarre moments of the weekend. He closed purty darn well though all things considered.

Earlie Fires is GREAT.

So is Point Given :eek:

I don't want to argue about his talent as a rider, but one thing I am totally convinced of is that he loved that horse and is a pretty classy guy.

B/c he drinks wine with Chantal? He may well be classy but I don't know exactly what you are basing it on....The stories I've heard of him when he was in the Toga colony in the early 90's surely aren't too positive behind the scenes.

Yeah.

And Byk must really think you are an idiot. Like everyone else besides Prudery.

On Saturday before the races Smith signed 100's and 100's of Zenyatta posters before going into the jocks room. That shows some class IMO.

That's a long time ago. Mike is a terrific guy. He brought my kids into the paddock at Del Mar, took pictures with everyone standing near the jocks room....he is good people.

Glad he turned the corner.

Blah blah blah

Smith SUCKS. No sense of pace, terrible handling (a stumbler and bumbler) and finishes like Channing Hill and Quinonez and the others. Oh, and, his lack of nuts is right up there in Johnny V territory.

Can you imagine this horse with someone who can actually FINISH a race? Someone who is able to take a tight hold, stick in stride, and provide some help in getting to the wire.

Smith knew exactly what he was doing when he started bawling like a baby after the race. He knew he ****ed up and it wasn't when he got outrun early.

No problem, Rock

I lift with them a couple times a week


It's a good idea to stay on their good side. :D

Fixed that again for you.

I don't know if that is Smith's style or the horses he rides are closers.

Clearly, Z is that type of racer and so was Giacomo. Jock probably has to have a good sense of pace and timing to win on a closer. Maybe Smith gets the come from behind racers becasue he is good on that type.

Smith didn't get to the HOF by being "popular".

I called him classy because of the way he has carried himself under intense pressure and because of the way he cares about the horse.

Not to change the subject - but I'm interested in who this group would name as a great jockey - I saw some GREAT riders in the 70's and 80's in NY - -Cauthen, Cordero, Velasquez, etc.

but in his prime, for my money, I'd take Laffit Pincay, Jr. in a heartbeat

I automatically thought of Brett Prebble but since a lot of people don't really know who he is over here I'll say Fallon.

Masterful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHXc1...eature=related

You follow Euro racing and I wanted to ask someone who did but is it true that Murtagh is being ditched by Ballydoyle? I saw something yesterday that said Christophe Soumillon is the leading candidate to take over. I think Soumillon is a good rider.

Yeah agree a very good rider.

http://www.derbytrail.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39366

Maybe I'm crazy and Brock might have some insight but I think Fallon returns.

Do you think David Flores would have been better? He rode her the first three times and if wasnt for him to stay in So Cal to ride Bobs Black Jack in the '08 SA derby instead of the Apple Blossom he still would have been her jockey.

Interesting name, Julien Leparioux has come up.

Laffit Pincay is my top choice. Cordero would probably be second.

Kent D was awesome before he succumbed to spontaneous brain damage.

P.Val as well, until that fateful ride on the nondescript Bill Spawr filly, Long Long Trail.

When was that in relation to when he stopped riding Paddy to let the other nice horsie pass him so he could be 2nd?

Hmm, about 20 years, give or take.

:tro:

I wonder if he'd even be interested. He's carved out a nice niche in America and has the backing of a few big stables. To say his Breeders' Cup was disappointing is an understatement since he rode in 12 of 14 races. It seems like he'll keep getting on decent 2YOs until they've McPeeked.

Wow you just coined a great phrase!

Bravo, Sir. :tro:

Who exactly is he first call for?
Mcpeek is all I can think of.