Derby Jockeys and Other Hopeful Riders
 

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=38473

I was just smoking over who would ride who, realizing that there's a certain amount of general gossip in my head about jockeys. I know of opinions that may or may not be valid by others on various boards, e.g. deserved/undeserved blame for a race result, and thought it might be good to concentrate some discussion.

I'd appreciate some critiques of the jockeys with confirmed mounts and those putting out 'hello? anybody there?' calls for Derby rides. Who among the ones still looking do you go 'good, I don't want him in the race. Talk about lousy.' and who got one that you go 'oh crap, he might screw it up for a horse I actually like.' Underrated, overrated, who's just as awful as a bad post position draw, just whatever insights. I'm sure there are plenty who love/hate the same jockey and it's a great learning opportunity to see who's assumed to be good but maybe has some quirk or flaw. I don't think Street Sense has to be on the rail but I've heard Calvin admit with a smile that the nickname 'Calvin Bo-rail" isn't unearned. This is less broad than just asking about jockeys in general to look at these in particular.

Well, here's what the Bloodhorse article says:

Horse -- Trainer -- Jockey
1 Street Sense -- Carl Nafzger -- Calvin Borel
2 Scat Daddy -- Todd Pletcher -- Edgar Prado
3 Circular Quay -- Todd Pletcher -- John Velazquez
4 Curlin -- Steve Asmussen -- Robby Albarado
5 Nobiz Like Shobiz -- Barclay Tagg -- Cornelio Velasquez
6 Great Hunter -- Doug O'Neill -- Corey Nakatani
7 Stormello -- William Currin -- Kent Desormeaux#
8 Dominican -- Darrin Miller -- Rafael Bejarano
9 Tiago -- John Shirreffs -- Mike Smith
10 Cowtown Cat --Todd Pletcher -- Fernando Jara
11 Hard Spun -- Larry Jones -- Mario Pino*
12 Storm in May -- William Kaplan -- Juan Leyva*
13 Zanjero -- Steve Asmussen -- Shaun Bridgmohan or Julien Leparoux#
14 Xchanger -- Mark Shuman -- ???
15 Any Given Saturday -- Todd Pletcher -- Garrett Gomez
16 Liquidity --Doug O'Neill -- David Flores
17 Cobalt Blue -- Doug O'Neill -- Victor Espinoza
18 Sam P. -- Todd Pletcher -- Ramon Dominguez
19 Sedgefield -- Darrin Miller -- ???
20 Teuflesberg -- Jamie Sanders -- Stewart Elliott
21 Chelokee -- Michael Matz -- ???
22 Reporting for Duty -- Steve Asmussen – ???

* First Derby ride
# Not confirmed
??? No jockey


Anyone want to fill in the ???'s ?

I'll say, having seen Calvin ride many a time at CD, he can hit that rail like no other. I dunno with this many horses if the opp will present itself, but if it does, he will be on it. I really like Calvin, so I think I will be betting on him. PP will proly have a say in it. If Street Sense gets a good PP, I will be on it. :cool:

storm in may is juan leyva

Borel is very good getting the rai either with front runners or closers. The thing we sometimes mis is his ability to take the inside hole when closing and not be limited to going around like Albarado. Albarado wins when he has the best horse and not because of his ride. Albarado is more likely to lose a race than win one because of his riding.

Also Leyva's first Derby.

i think guidry would fit zanjero great!

I'd love to see Guidry aboard one of the contenders for what would be his last derby. :)

likewise, unfortunately i dont think asmussen would use him on the horse, darren miller might tho

I like Gomez on AGS because I know he'll sit back and punch late instead of being near the leaders. I think that style will suit him best.

Ya but I think AGS will be better off being a little closer. . . if he sits back he'll be with every other horse in the race. . . they can't all close. . .

So what about this angle.....Pletcher/Velazquez...the most dominant trainer/jockey combo for the last several years. I think a bit overrated as well. With all the numbers in victories and earnings they have both gobbled up, that triple crown race is still not in the trophy case. I wonder what Johnny V. would think if Pletcher got his first Derby win and he wasn't the rider. Oh I'm thinking he would be churning if he looked up on the stand and it was Pletcher and Prado hoisting the trophy. As much as I would like to see Prado win, I want Pletcher to lose even more.

That's an interesting thought, what jockey(s) would you be happiest for if they won? Prado would be a sentimental one but any others? Guys that would make you go "well good for him."

Then don't put him on Zanjero.

how can you be dominant for years, yet overrated? season doesn't come down to three races, does it? matz sure didn't get the eclipse last year for trainer!

Post will have no baring on Borel getting the rail out of the gate. He want be gunning to get position but taking back. Now comming home could be different and the inside might be blocked and he will need to make the right decision as far as where the hole will be or ifhe needs to get outside. SS seems to have the trait when presured from the outside he does his best running.Most horses dont like to be pinned on the rail comming down the stretch but SS finds another gear. This might just be a result of the way his races have unfolded. He has shown that he has the heart to win where some of the others have shown talent but none the heart that SS has shown when he faces the chalange.

I agree to a point and my saying I think they are over rated is by no means an attempt to say the record isn't impressive. Pletcher imo has achieved the results he's achieved simply by being a master salesman, great organizer, and a protege of one of the most famous trainers in history. This has allowed him to maintain a stable that spreads all over the country and basically manhandles the big races on sheer volume. But to his credit, he is doing it and nobody else is......

I'd really like to see Mig get a ride as hasn't he missed twice because of injuries?

Spyder