Calvin's ride

[the_fat_man]

Two points:

1) I need to check the replays again but it appears the Curlin was needlessly widest on the 2nd turn.

2) it takes Curlin till almost mid stretch to change leads, then a few strides to settle when he does --- if he changes when SS does, it wouldn't have been a contest.

[pointman]

Borel did nothing wrong, the fact of the matter is that Curlin was the best horse today.

[SCUDSBROTHER]

YOU KNOW WHAT? Neither horse gunna pay anything in the near future.So,why argue who is better?No point to it.It's like 2 ugly guys fighting over which girl is prettier(THEY AIN'T GETTING ANY.)

[cmorioles]

I don't think it cost SS the race. I am constantly baffled, however, as to why a jockey ever looks backward. What is the point?

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

I don't think it cost SS the race. I am constantly baffled, however, as to why a jockey every looks backward. What is the point?

Especially when you're so close to the wire, why look back?
If you want my honest opinion? This is only speculation but I think he felt he had the race won and wanted to look to see if it was okay to celebrate, wave his fist, etc. When he saw Curlin right there he got back to business.

He only lost by a nose, it could be that a more focused ride wouldn't have reversed the order. We're talking inches here.

[brockguy]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Especially when you're so close to the wire, why look back?
If you want my honest opinion? This is only speculation but I think he felt he had the race won and wanted to look to see if it was okay to celebrate, wave his fist, etc. When he saw Curlin right there he got back to business.

He only lost by a nose, it could be that a more focused ride wouldn't have reversed the order. We're talking inches here.

it certainly didnt look good when he did it.. I had to cringe seeing the replays when I saw him look back.. Hamdan said he was disappointed to see Jara look back when he won the DWC, imagine what he would have been like if he owned Street Sense..

[Samarta]

A couple of thoughts on this.....I'm surprised that nothing has been mentioned about Borel running out of goggles.....Gary Stevens made mention of it in the broadcast yesterday....If you look at the wire, when Borel raises his head, he looks like a baby that just went under water for the first time....could that have caused him some issues down the stretch....I know it happens all the time, but to happen in the stretch of the 2nd leg of the TC is awful....I think the reason why it looked like he quit riding him was because when he looked back over his shoulder and saw Curlin it shocked the bejesus out of him and then he really had to get busy again....once he passed him at the top of stretch, I don't think he ever thought about him til he heard something, looked over his shoulder and he was right in his face.....you can tell on the replay that he was stunned..whatever happened happened and we all got to witness a great race....

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by brockguy

it certainly didnt look good when he did it.. I had to cringe seeing the replays when I saw him look back.. Hamdan said he was disappointed to see Jara look back when he won the DWC, imagine what he would have been like if he owned Street Sense..

That's the thing, when Jara looked back he was at the head of a long stretch and he hadn't yet really put Invasor into his drive, so there was time to react.

What reason would CB have for looking back so deep in the stretch, in the middle of an all out drive to the wire?

I would guess that he never makes that little look around move on his every day mounts. At least I never recall him doing so.

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Two points:

1) I need to check the replays again but it appears the Curlin was needlessly widest on the 2nd turn.

2) it takes Curlin till almost mid stretch to change leads, then a few strides to settle when he does --- if he changes when SS does, it wouldn't have been a contest.

BIG "IF"