Congrats Martin Garcia

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by stonegossard

Best jock in country ? He wasn't even the best in So-Cal.

Not sure if he is top 3. Now that he isnt riding in So-Cal vs a below average colony he won't be getting all the best mounts. He is gonna have quite a battle this summer at MTH and Sar.

Gomez doesn't care about being leading rider at a meet. That's not his main goal. He doesn't want to ride 8 horses a day. His goal is to be leading rider in the country in terms of money won. He has done that the last 4 years in a row.

Not only that, but he's not going to be the leading rider at that many meets when he's constantly travelling and missing days. I don't know how you could hold that against him. He's won the national riding title 4 years in a row. A guy can't do much better than that.

[the_fat_man]

Today, Baffert, effectively, pulled Gomez' pants down and paddled him like a (Catholic) school kid. Well deserved, IMO. I'm sure Gomez will dismiss this as easily as he does his MANY blown rides. Sure

[stonegossard]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Gomez doesn't care about being leading rider at a meet. That's not his main goal. He doesn't want to ride 8 horses a day. His goal is to be leading rider in the country in terms of money won. He has done that the last 4 years in a row.

Not only that, but he's not going to be the leading rider at that many meets when he's constantly travelling and missing days. I don't know how you could hold that against him. He's won the national riding title 4 years in a row. A guy can't do much better than that.

He is definitely a very good rider. My point is I don't think talent wise he is any better than the jocks I mentioned a few posts ago.

As far as leading money rider in 2010? Well....getting a pick up ride at the last second in some cheap claiming race at HP just so he could beat Leparoux while Leparoux was out of the country was very weak on his and Ron Anderson's part. Pretty sad in fact. But it didn't matter as the Eclipse voters saw past their bs and gave the award to Leparoux who deserved it.

[my miss storm cat]

Congrats to Martin. The more I read / hear about him, the more respect I have for him.

Seems like a really decent type... good for him.

Hold on did someone dis Calvin and praise Martin? Are you serious? Martin has many more years of horrible rides. The Preakness is the Shemp of the triple crown. Lets not go overboard with praise just yet.

[eajinabi]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Hold on did someone dis Calvin and praise Martin? Are you serious? Martin has many more years of horrible rides. The Preakness is the Shemp of the triple crown. Lets not go overboard with praise just yet.

Martin has only been riding for 5 yrs and he has already a pretty decent resume. He is probably not the best jock out there but he did deliver today and praise is well desereved for his ride today.

[stonegossard]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Hold on did someone dis Calvin and praise Martin? Are you serious? Martin has many more years of horrible rides. The Preakness is the Shemp of the triple crown. Lets not go overboard with praise just yet.

Borel clearly can't ride outside of Churchill. He is lost at every other track. Too bad the jocks that ride down at CD aren't more like Cordero (you know....a jock who wouldn't let him get away with his rail riding).....if they were he wouldn't win nearly as many races.

It's insane how a guy can win so much at one track and then not do a thing anywhere else.

Originally Posted by stonegossard

Borel clearly can't ride outside of Churchill. He is lost at every other track. Too bad the jocks that ride down at CD aren't more like Cordero (you know....a jock who wouldn't let him get away with his rail riding).....if they were he wouldn't win nearly as many races.

It's insane how a guy can win so much at one track and then not do a thing anywhere else.

Lucky for Calvin it's at a major track with arguably the biggest race in N.A.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Hold on did someone dis Calvin and praise Martin? Are you serious? Martin has many more years of horrible rides. The Preakness is the Shemp of the triple crown. Lets not go overboard with praise just yet.

He had the best horse and sat the perfect trip. I didn't see what was so great about the ride either except that he didnt f it up which is better than a lot of them can say.

Baffert goes through a lot of jockeys first call. I wouldnt get too comfortable if I were Martin.

[eajinabi]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

He had the best horse and sat the perfect trip. I didn't see what was so great about the ride either except that he didnt f it up which is better than a lot of them can say.

Baffert goes through a lot of jockeys first call. I wouldnt get too comfortable if I were Martin.

I am surprised John Velasquez did not get the mount for either Aikenite or
LAL. Velasquez is first call for Pletcher and has ridden for Baffert east side on few occasions

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by eajinabi

I am surprised John Velasquez did not get the mount for either Aikenite or
LAL. Velasquez is first call for Pletcher and has ridden for Baffert east side on few occasions

Garcia was going to get that mount...period. He is riding all of Baffert's good horses now. He is Baffert's new Victor.

I think JV could have had the mount on Aikenite if he had wanted it. I don't think the decision was too bad either way. Somewhere out there Aikenite may still be running.

[cakes44]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

He had the best horse and sat the perfect trip. I didn't see what was so great about the ride either except that he didnt f it up which is better than a lot of them can say.

I couldn't agree more. He ran 4 wide around almost the entire 2nd turn. IMO, he just rode like he was on the best horse, and good for him that LAL was.

[dagolfer33]

The main question is, will Garcia get preferential treatment by the stewards like Gomez does?

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Hold on did someone dis Calvin and praise Martin? Are you serious? Martin has many more years of horrible rides. The Preakness is the Shemp of the triple crown. Lets not go overboard with praise just yet.

Belmont is the Shemp, cant remeber who won it and no body watchs it unless there is a triple crown chance.

[Sightseek]

It's going to take more than a Jockey change to help out Drosselmeyer, but like Lucky, Winstar wants to "try something different."