There are 2 differences between a jock moving prematurely into the pace of a race and a cyclist (or group of cyclists) making a premature break:
1) While the early move might cost the jock the race, the one paying for it is the horse, in terms of needless OVER-extention, and, thus, jocks continue to do it; while the breaker in a cycling race pays for it, similarly to the horse, when the pack comes to him and buries and abuses him.
2) The premature move works, and works quite often, on the many BUSH speed favoring tracks. Thus, jocks, trainers, handicappers, etc., have come to think that it's proper to move, for example, 3 wide into a pace where the winner is sure to quit.
Why go after the winner on the turn, where you're at a disadvantage in terms of ground covered, when you can just sit and get her in the stretch? Unless, of course, your intent is to collapse the race AND PUNISH YOUR horse.
The horse might've had a a history of rankness YET she was doing quite nicely until Gomez decided to gun her on the turn. Moreover, Castro was her 'regular' jock ---need more be said?
P.S. There are 2 ways to BID wide on the turn:
1) Go all out, like Gomez did and thus make it highly likely that you will DUCK IN immediately upon entering the stretch --this happens all the time in turf races (Gomez and Johnny V specialize in this).
2) Do it the way that Kent D described his run of BB in the Derby: put the horse in position and just have it sit with the pace and ASK AFTER you ENTER. So, I imagine that if Kent knows the difference, some of the other jocks do as well.
|