California Racing
 

It's interesting that for the first time since Lafitte and Shoe Cali has the three best riders making their base out there at this time. Rosario, Bejarano and Gomez.

They also have 3 out of the 4 best trainers at the moment with Sadler, O'Neil and Dorf. ll they're missing is R. Dutrow.

The three best riders in the country are Rosario, Bejarano and Gomez? Really?
Where do Ramon Dominguez and Javier Castellano fit in?

You're obviously kidding about the second part, so I won't ask about that one. Funny though.

I'm a huge fan of Cali racing, and Rosario is definitely in the discussion, but I completely agree with Hossy - IMO Dominguez and Castellano would ride circles around GG and Bejarano. They are good riders that get top mounts...Talamo is just as talented as those two and would get his ass handed to him in the NY colony.

Maybe I'm missing something, and I really don't see enough day to day racing to be fair, but every time I see Rosario I am unimpressed. His ride in the Citation on Saturday was too bad for him to be considered one of the best riders in the country. He's young, and may well end up the best of the best, but I doubt he is right now.

Welcome.

I think Julien Leparoux is in the discussion, especially if you are talking turf and Synth.

Key phrase being "he's young"...At times he is brilliant, but there is still a good amount of immaturity.

I don't think it's really his 2nd post...cynic that I am.

None of the three best riders base in Cali right now, in addition to Dominguez and Castellano, John Velazquez is right there as well.

The three best jockeys? Is this a joke? Rosario might make it into the top 6 the other 2 maybe the top 10 if that. Top 3 would have to be Ramon, Javier and JV or Leparoux. I would barley have any of your 3 in the top 5. Trainers I wont even say anything your so far off its not even worth responding.

Put me in the camp that believes Rosario is overrated.

Rosario reminds me an awful lot of Dominguez when he was @ Delaware. He's young and granted makes his fair share of mistakes that you'd expect from a young jock, but he seems to possess that same uncanny ability to get horses to settle under him, coupled with a strong knowledge of race dynamics and placing his mount where he needs to be... Very few jocks actually have the ability to move a horse up, but I'd put all 5 in the discussion, with Rosario being the only Cali representative.

I have a love/hate thing with Leparoux although to be honest it's mostly hate. Not that I don't think he's a very talented rider, but I think his penchant for trying to turn many of the horses he rides into closers bothers me. But, this is what generally works on synth/turf, so there is a reason he rides like that.

He's like Pat Day part deux for me. When I bet him he just misses and when I don't he usually seems to beat me.

:tro:

Most shiny, new people on any horsie board don't start threads this quickly...

Dixie Porter back in the house?

I almost changed my avatar to Coaltown last night to see if i could get an answer to that.

Dixie is that you?

Am I the only one who thinks Johnny V is without question the best rider in the nation?

I agree. In order I would make it JV, Ramon, Javier, Leparoux and then I really dont know who else. I think those are the top 4 though.

Personally, even though I'm not a big fan of his, I think I would put Gomez in front of Javy and Frenchy on your little list there.