California Racing

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by iamthelurker

Am I the only one who thinks Johnny V is without question the best rider in the nation?

There has been a huge turnaround in Johnny since Saratoga 2010 I think. He is willing to save ground and get out of his comfort zone, especially on turf, and it has helped him immensely.

Look at his two winning rides at this year's Breeders' Cup. Prior to 2010 JV was notorious for mailing it in on longshots or horses who it seemed like he thought were overmatched. He'd do stupid things on them like send them to the lead when they had no speed or bury them with hopelessly wide trips. He rode Perfect Shirl incredibly well and his ride on Stephanie's Kitten was arguably better.

I like Garrett Gomez but he has become more inconsistent as the years have gone by and if not for a great 2010 Breeders' Cup he'd have had a career worst year. His experiment at Monmouth was a disaster, he was replaced aboard his top 3YO after the Derby, and he had a lower win percentage at Saratoga than Desormeaux, Garcia, Dominguez, Castellano, and Velazquez.

When the chips are down and you need a big ride, to me it's Johnny V.