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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
Come on, man, that's pretty weak.
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The guy has a reputation just south of pure saint and it's not wrong to ask a legitimate question that will be asked by racing journalists across the country.
He goes to California approximately 20 months ago to see if he can make it out there after a horrible injury filled 2003-2006. He has a decent 6-9 (months) in California and then things start to slide, he isn't getting as many good mounts the last 6 months, he fires his agent a few months back and now he's coming home. If there are special family circumstances that would have this make sense ,okay could be, but I didn't see that in the story or anywhere else.
The man has four children that are approximately 16,12,10 and 6 years old. Two years ago when he went to California and like alot of fathers who's jobs take them away from home,myself included, he weighs his options and chooses to go west. I am sure he missed those kids and his wife in 2006, they missed him dearly the first time he was away Wed-Sunday and the same is true now.
It's not like looking at an athletes situation when they have announced they have decided to spend more time with the family is character assassination on the contrary I respect this very talented jockey who is a medical miracle
recovering from the injuries he has had winning just about every major award there is from the age of 17 when he won the eclipse for apprentices to multiple versions of jockey of the year in years gone by. What fan is not an admirer of this guy?
It was no secret that injuries took their toll on him the three years prior to going to the west coast.
From NTRA website...
A series of injuries over three consecutive years caused the number and quality of his East Coast mounts to decline. Most notably, broke his leg and injured his Achilles tendon in a paddock accident at Belmont Park nine days prior to the 2005 Breeders' Cup and lost the mount on Artie Shiller, who won the Mile. In 2004, rode Artie Shiller to a 12th place finish in Mile but was later diagnosed with a broken wrist, ribs and pelvis from a gate accident two days prior ... After 26 years of riding on the East Coast, moved West in fall 2006.
Given that the last 6-9 months in California were not as successful as Fall 2006 and his health is far less of an issue it makes sense to consider a previously very fertile environment where everyone respects the guy. It's even possible that both answers to the question are true but it's far from a cheap shot.