Suburban Handicap

[Revidere]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Not a bad renewal. Not sure what Mike Smith has on these owners to pick up these mounts.

Who would have been an alternative? Dominguez chose Trickmeister.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by Revidere

Who would have been an alternative? Dominguez chose Trickmeister.

Those were his stats coming into today. He won two races today, The Mixer ($15.80) and he won the Grade 3 Victory Ride with Emma's Encore ($80.00) she's a $2,000 yearling who had never run a Beyer above 75. She was also a pick-up mount -- as Julian Leperoux chose to ride Tu Eni Wei instead.

Junior's ridden 4,028 races in his career and is showing a flat bet profit for his life. As I said a few years ago, he was the finest bug rider I've ever watched.

He had his bug at Calder near the end of 2007 -- and I followed Calder very closely leading into Gulfstream Park. It was a joke how much better he was than everyone else.

[VOL JACK]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Those were his stats coming into today. He won two races today, The Mixer ($15.80) and he won the Grade 3 Victory Ride with Emma's Encore ($80.00) she's a $2,000 yearling who had never run a Beyer above 75. She was also a pick-up mount -- as Julian Leperoux chose to ride Tu Eni Wei instead.

Junior's ridden 4,028 races in his career and is showing a flat bet profit for his life. As I said a few years ago, he was the finest bug rider I've ever watched.

He had his bug at Calder near the end of 2007 -- and I followed Calder very closely leading into Gulfstream Park. It was a joke how much better he was than everyone else.

His ride on The Mixer was very good.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

His ride on The Mixer was very good.

And the ride on the runnerup was not.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

His ride on The Mixer was very good.

Not so much on Gossip Column 3 races later.

[gamblin4ever]

Maybe Smith is looking to move his tack east again.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Revidere

Who would have been an alternative? Dominguez chose Trickmeister.

Rosie? Alvarado? Castro? Nakatani? Why is Smith the no-brainer candidate to you?

[Calzone Lord]

Jockeys get too much attention from everyone in this sport.

Justin Stein was 23% with the bug at Hastings Park in 2005. Mario Gutierrez was 21% with the bug at Hastings Park in 2006.

Stein won the Queen's Plate with a flawless ride and is a better jockey than most of the big name guys here.

Gutierrez won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness this year with flawless rides, he just won a Graded Stake race at Hollywood today. He doesn't get the mounts. He lucked into I'll Have Another when he picked him up at 43/1 and he never got him beat.

It's a whole lot of fashion. Look at Rosario. He was great until he cemented his status as a top jockey. Once he was made, he just looked to keep everything in the clear.

Once a jockey gets that brand name -- they're made.

[South Beach Luv]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Once a jockey gets that brand name -- they're made.

Poor Iggy Puglisi, an Italian that will never be made.

[ateamstupid]

It's a whole lot of fashion. Look at Rosario. He was great until he cemented his status as a top jockey. Once he was made, he just looked to keep everything in the clear.

Once a jockey gets that brand name -- they're made.

That's for sure. Except for Dominguez.

[Revidere]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Rosie? Alvarado? Castro? Nakatani? Why is Smith the no-brainer candidate to you?

All I did was ask a question. Never said it was a no brainer.

Maybe Smith's agent called first.

Maybe Nakatani thought riding Regally Ready at Arlington for Assmussen was a better long term opportunity given the number of starters he rides for Assmussen compared to Ritvo.

Maybe Rosie thought she had better possibilities down the road with Flat Out.