Jockey Colonies -- few real good ones are out there

[Bogey]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Deshawn Parker won the riding title at Sam Houston last year in the winter by a country mile. He actually had a very nice meet.

I think it's safe to say the best colony in the country is at Saratoga. The thing about Gulfstream in the winter is that not all of the NY guys are there, Rosie is at FG and some of the other KY guys are spread out. Saratoga brings together the best in NY, best in KY and Paco ships up for big races often enough.

Except for the Ortiz brothers who have recently emerged as arguably top tier jocks, who else stays in NY for the winter. Cornelio and Rajiv could not compete in Gulfstream on a consistent basis, so they decided to take the easier route and deal with the harsh winter. Rosie is about the only exception. Paco (16 mounts at Saratoga this summer, hardly counts for often enough) riding full time at Gulfstream more than makes up for the average jock choosing an easier meet.

Having Desormeaux, Trujillo, Carmouche, JC Caraballo, Contreras, and G Saez more than makes up the difference. Although, Saratoga has the best meet throughout the year, Gulfstream winter meet has the BEST jock colony assembled.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Bogey

Except for the Ortiz brothers who have recently emerged as arguably top tier jocks, who else stays in NY for the winter. Cornelio and Rajiv could not compete in Gulfstream on a consistent basis, so they decided to take the easier route and deal with the harsh winter. Rosie is about the only exception. Paco (16 mounts at Saratoga this summer, hardly counts for often enough) riding full time at Gulfstream more than makes up for the average jock choosing an easier meet.

Having Desormeaux, Trujillo, Carmouche, JC Caraballo, Contreras, and G Saez more than makes up the difference. Although, Saratoga has the best meet throughout the year, Gulfstream winter meet has the BEST jock colony assembled.

Gus I think Cornelio and Rajiv are betting then and of these guys......
Desormeaux, Trujillo, Carmouche, JC Caraballo, Contreras, and G Saez

[booner]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Gus I think Cornelio and Rajiv are betting then and of these guys......
Desormeaux, Trujillo, Carmouche, JC Caraballo, Contreras, and G Saez

I agree with that. Cornelio and Maragh are better than these. But I look at it like this:

After Cornelio, Maragh and the Ortiz bros, are there 6 jocks at the Aqu winter meet that can compare to the 6 listed above? I don't think so. After the top 4, NY winter gets thin.

[booner]

I started following the Tampa Bay meet closer the past 2 years and like the jocks there. Pretty good riding going on as Doug stated above.

One jock that I have started watching more is Florent "Frenchie" Geroux. He has really caught my attention at the Kentucky Downs meet this year with a couple of heady rides. He won't be able to overtake Rosie and James Graham at Fairgrounds this winter but will get his fair share of quality mounts. Solid rider.

[Bogey]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Gus I think Cornelio and Rajiv are betting then and of these guys......
Desormeaux, Trujillo, Carmouche, JC Caraballo, Contreras, and G Saez

Why, just because they ride in New York?

They both use to ride at Gulfstream and recently decided to stay in New York for the winter. I understand the money is good at the Big A. It's hard to convince me that they wouldn't move their tack back to Gulfstream for the winter if they were winning more races.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Bogey

Why, just because they ride in New York?

They both use to ride at Gulfstream and recently decided to stay in New York for the winter. I understand the money is good at the Big A. It's hard to convince me that they wouldn't move their tack back to Gulfstream for the winter if they were winning more races.

Gus the 2 we mention above are both riding really well right now. Not just on cheap claimers either. Corny won multiple G1's with Palace this summer. Maragh is the regular rider of Artemis Argotera and Wicked Strong.

[Pants II]

I think Rajiv Maragh is mediocre and a benefactor of a dwindling colony.

But to each his own. This is the sport present day.

And the Ortiz brothers seem to get a lot of love but I find them to be nauseatingly frustrating. They're too inconsistent lately.

[Bogey]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Gus the 2 we mention above are both riding really well right now. Not just on cheap claimers either. Corny won multiple G1's with Palace this summer. Maragh is the regular rider of Artemis Argotera and Wicked Strong.

I think I follow racing enough to have this information off the top of my head. I understand the New York love.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Bogey

Except for the Ortiz brothers who have recently emerged as arguably top tier jocks, who else stays in NY for the winter. Cornelio and Rajiv could not compete in Gulfstream on a consistent basis, so they decided to take the easier route and deal with the harsh winter. Rosie is about the only exception. Paco (16 mounts at Saratoga this summer, hardly counts for often enough) riding full time at Gulfstream more than makes up for the average jock choosing an easier meet.

Having Desormeaux, Trujillo, Carmouche, JC Caraballo, Contreras, and G Saez more than makes up the difference. Although, Saratoga has the best meet throughout the year, Gulfstream winter meet has the BEST jock colony assembled.

This has to be the first time in the history of the internet that anyone said having Jose Caraballo, Kendrick Carmouche and Luis Contreras in a riding colony made it the strongest in the country. Cornelio and Rajiv Maragh are Willie Shoemaker and Eddie Arcaro compared to those three titans of the turf. Rajiv has popped down for limited mounts at GP in the last two years and is 8-27 at the two championship meets. He did fine in the 2010 and 2011 meet, finishing in the top 10 both times.

Irad and Jose Ortiz would likely be top 10 riders for the "championship" portion of the meet and are not there. Neither is Rosie. Desormeaux? He was 6-63 at GP last year before picking up scraps in a depleted colony over a type of surface he rides exceptionally well in CA. Gabriel Saez has bounced around every winter spot possible (Aqueduct, Oaklawn and now GP) and simply followed Jamie Ness there for the winter. Saez is the 2nd leading rider at Monmouth with 4 more wins than Eddie Castro, who missed a month of the meet. His presence at Gulfstream is merely a blip on the radar.

[Bogey]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

This has to be the first time in the history of the internet that anyone said having Jose Caraballo, Kendrick Carmouche and Luis Contreras in a riding colony made it the strongest in the country. Cornelio and Rajiv Maragh are Willie Shoemaker and Eddie Arcaro compared to those three titans of the turf. Rajiv has popped down for limited mounts at GP in the last two years and is 8-27 at the two championship meets. He did fine in the 2010 and 2011 meet, finishing in the top 10 both times.

Irad and Jose Ortiz would likely be top 10 riders for the "championship" portion of the meet and are not there. Neither is Rosie. Desormeaux? He was 6-63 at GP last year before picking up scraps in a depleted colony over a type of surface he rides exceptionally well in CA. Gabriel Saez has bounced around every winter spot possible (Aqueduct, Oaklawn and now GP) and simply followed Jamie Ness there for the winter. Saez is the 2nd leading rider at Monmouth with 4 more wins than Eddie Castro, who missed a month of the meet. His presence at Gulfstream is merely a blip on the radar.

If you want to debate that Rosie takes Sarartoga over the top, I'll have to say that I'll take Paco over Rosie any day of the week.

The jury is still out on the Ortiz brothers.