John R. Velazquez

[GPK]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

I actually agree with Scavs here, not on the stallion stuff, because that's insane, but he's right about the ride. Kev, if he was up near the lead, he wouldn't have hit the board. He never looked like he was a winner at any point and to blame that on Velazquez is incorrect in my opinion. I know we disagree on how fast the race was early, but either way the horse didn't kick in like he usually does. He didn't fire his "A", it happens.

Jay, I still think it was a huge mistake on JV's part to take him that far back. He took him out of his preferred running style and a great majority of the time, when you do that to horses, the chance of them firing their "A" race deminishes a great deal. I could have dealt with EC not hitting the board if Johnny had placed him where he runs best, but he clearly made a mistake taking him that far back.

[Linny]

They all make mistakes. JV may have made a mistake on EC but the fact remains that the Pletcher barn is winning at 12% this meet, rather than 25% and that is a significant stat. JV rides first call for Todd and if Todd is leaning to running in a given spot, it's assumed that he has the call. If Todd's horse doesn't go, JV may end up sitting out. If it does go, he's (statistically) not as likely sitting on a "live mount" as he was last year.
That JV has won as many as he has with Todd being cold is testament to his skills and Angel's as well.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Linny

They all make mistakes. JV may have made a mistake on EC but the fact remains that the Pletcher barn is winning at 12% this meet, rather than 25% and that is a significant stat. JV rides first call for Todd and if Todd is leaning to running in a given spot, it's assumed that he has the call. If Todd's horse doesn't go, JV may end up sitting out. If it does go, he's (statistically) not as likely sitting on a "live mount" as he was last year.
That JV has won as many as he has with Todd being cold is testament to his skills and Angel's as well.

That is kind of the point of this thread. He is making FAR more mistakes and not riding nearly as well as he has in the past.

[Linny]

I think that overall, he's riding on par with before but is, overall, sitting on far fewer "live" mounts. You can get away with far more when you are sitting on "much the best" horse.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Linny

I think that overall, he's riding on par with before but is, overall, sitting on far fewer "live" mounts. You can get away with far more when you are sitting on "much the best" horse.

Thats the beauty of different opinions.

I happen to agree with others on here in that he is not riding anywhere near was well as normal. I tend to think the Keen spill and the couple of falls this meet have him a bit shy.

[deltagulf]

the spills and a
its cause todds horses aren't winning.

so j.v. is doing as good as tood.

todd is winning at 12 %.

[DJK]

I suspect he was riding with bruises on top of bruises ... which I'm sure had to affect him, at least physically.