[ShadowRoll]

There's really no point in bemoaning the comments many trainers and owners, perhaps with the intent of influencing weight assignments, make in the public media. Putting on pressure through the media is de rigueur in this day and age. Whatever his motivations, Jones is just using the tools that are available to effectuate the goal of his client -- to create the best possible conditions in which to win. With the state of racing as it is, and the high level of comptetition among tracks for publicity, it's a buyer's market for an owner with a big horse. Gone are the days when horses the likes of Dr. Fager seemingly shrugged off high weights and ran to victory anyway (although I can't believe that John Nerud liked the weight assignments any better back then than Larry Jones likes them now).