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.