[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

No, it didn't take 17 years. That first article that you posted was from 1995 and the article said that his business had already gone way down. That was 6 years after he arrived and his business had aleady gone way down. Aaaron Gryder's business was good in New York for more years than that.

You argument is absurd. Just because big trainers used him for a while that doesn't mean they all think he's a superstar. Every top trainer out there has a bunch of different guys that they use. There are some guys like Pletcher out there who only use one guy but the majority of trainers have used multiple guys over the years. As I said before, Bobby Frankel was riding Jon Court on his best horse. That hardly means that Frankel thinks that Court is the best rider out there.
There are some trainers that are more loyal to jockey agents than jockeys. They will use whatever jockey a certain agent has. In another words, some trainers are riding certain jocks simply because they are friends the jock's agents. If the agent and the jock split up, the trainer will stop using that jock.

If you think that a trainer riding a certain jockey proves that that trainer thinks that jockey is great, you are wrong. Don't get me wrong, they're probably not going to use a guy they think is terrible. But if they think that a jock is at least sufficient and they are either friends with the jock or his agent, that may be why they ride that jock. I remeber backin the 1980s, the trainer Loren Rettele was friendly with the agent Bill Barisoff and Retttele would always use whatever jock Barisoff had. When Barisoff would split with a jock and get a new jock, then Rettele would stop using the old jock and starte using the new one. Another reason a trainer may use a certain jock is because the jock is a hard worker and he works a lot of horses for them in the morning.

As I said, I will ask a few of the trainers and we will see what they say. If you turn out to be right l will admit it. I once had a debate with the poster Dunbar and I told him that I would check with some people to see who was right and I ended up coming back to the board and admitting to him that he was right. That's why I have credibility with many of the posters here. I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong.

Rupert, Im really starting to question your knowledge on the So Cal racing scene. First of all, Jon Court really didnt get the first or even second call on Leroidsdeanimaux. It was a pick up mount! Leroids ran on KYD day 2004 at Hollywood and most of the other good jocks were either in Kentucky or were already committed. Frankel hardly knew at the time that Leroids was even close to his best. Court rode him well so he left him on.

When your asking your "friend" Mandella about Kent, why dont you ask him about when Kent use to ride first call for him? Yeah, they usually just make the "sufficient" jocks first call riders. As a matter of fact, why dont you ask Drysdale why Kent was first call for so many years. Ask Cassidy or mel stute as well. Ask Bob Hess, Jr. Ask Ted West. Ask Craig lewis. Why were so many of these guys fooled for so long.

Kent's riding has never been the question. If that were the case, why would his winning pct and in the money pct have always been so high? can you dispute that?

Another article just in case you didnt know. There is a book out called "ride of their lives". Check it out.