Secret Oath

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

I didn't think the ride in the Arkansas Derby was that horrible. Seemed to me like he'd had it beaten into his head not to move to early. He probably waited too long. It could very well have cost him second. Nobody that's ever ridden would have got her up to beat CYBERKNIFE that day.

It was a dreadful ride. He made the opposite move that Florent did when he effectively won the race on the backstretch, losing valuable position when the race was slowing down....and then rushing wide on the turn. He also gave up position around the first turn that ended up putting him in bad position thereafter.

She likely would have finished second, but there is an outside chance she could have won, and all of these things were the rider's fault. I'm not trying to crucify him, as these things happen, but to suggest his ride in Arkansas Derby wasn't poor is to fail to acknowledge what happened in the race.