Gulfstream Sat. Race 1

[blackthroatedwind]

I agree with a lot of that.

I am amazed at how little trainers seem to get it and often ride back riders who have screwed them over and over again. There's nothing like watching a trainer and rider walking back after a race and laughing....just moments after the rider has screwed him and his entire staff out of a much better performance from the horse. I see it all the time.

Many of these riders seem to have no game plan or awareness of the racetrack. They simply go where the horse takes them. This is why Dominguez can dominate the winter meet. Sure he gets choice mounts much of the time but he also rides intelligently for the most part....while his competition has their head up their collective ass.

As far as jockey agents helping riders....well, assuming they even understood, which is debateable, the riders for the most part would never listen to them. That's just another reason they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. They have the " have you ever ridden a horse " attitude to the extreme and for the most part are loathe to listen to anything anyone tells them.

The riding colonies are often so poor these days that competence is confused for excellence.