A Saratoga wrap up, best and worst

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by oracle80

I was close, it was 4. But it looks like an exceptional card for them. Quite nice!!!

(oh and I don't mean to be picky but you could have added Kent D's ride on Relaxed Gesture as the worst ride of the meet! The day after his car accident wasn't all that successful either)

Originally Posted by Sightseek

(oh and I don't mean to be picky but you could have added Kent D's ride on Relaxed Gesture as the worst ride of the meet! The day after his car accident wasn't all that successful either)

Well no, it wasn't worse than Milwaukee. Kent made one stupid mistake in that race. Gomez made 14 or 15 in his ride on Milwaukee. Rupert has an agenda, so dont listen to him so far as GG(you can listen to him on everything else), he has the audacity to say she had no run when clear!! LOL!!!! Well geez, after steadying and being choked 14 or 15 times for 11 panels of a 12 panel race, horses tend not to fire so hot the last 1/8th.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Well no, it wasn't worse than Milwaukee. Kent made one stupid mistake in that race. Gomez made 14 or 15 in his ride on Milwaukee. Rupert has an agenda, so dont listen to him so far as GG(you can listen to him on everything else), he has the audacity to say she had no run when clear!! LOL!!!! Well geez, after steadying and being choked 14 or 15 times for 11 panels of a 12 panel race, horses tend not to fire so hot the last 1/8th.

I had Noble Stella so I thought the ride on Milwaukee was brilliant!

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I had Noble Stella so I thought the ride on Milwaukee was brilliant!

NO NO not yesterday!!! Milwaukee was overmatched yesterday and had no real shot in my opinion.
It was the ride in her first spa race. Get out your DRF form froom yesterday, the little chart call line said "steadied repeatedly".

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by oracle80

NO NO not yesterday!!! Milwaukee was overmatched yesterday and had no real shot in my opinion.
It was the ride in her first spa race. Get out your DRF form froom yesterday, the little chart call line said "steadied repeatedly".

LOL, I was wondering why you had her and I missed the race you were talking about, but I see what you mean now!

The killer move for me was my own. Last race of the day this past Sunday I wrote down my picks, but figured I'd quite while I was ahead and didn't bet them lo and behold, I had the tri for $815.00

[LARHAGE]

I have never been to Saratoga, would love to though. I have been to Belmont Park and in fact saw the last 2 Woodwards with Ghostzapper and Saint Liams wins. I think the racing on the East Coast is steeped with a lot of tradition, I enjoy it immensly, but being from California I appreciate our racing here just as much. I have had the privelidge of watching some of the greatest horses in the world here in my own backyard, from Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Spectacular Bid to John Henry and Cigar. I think anyone who could question the quality or history of West Coast racing is just as stupid or uninformed as anyone knocking East Coast racing, essentially the best horses are usually from Kentucky breeding farms, it's their geographic locations that determine their careers in the long run.

I also have never been to a more beautiful track than Santa Anita, with the snow-capped San Gabriel mountains in the background, and anyone who thinks that Del Mar's atmosphere and ambiance is nothing, doesn't have a heart or doesn't know how to have fun, the view, the weather, the ocean proximity, the nightlife, it;s second to none, and seeing horses working in the ocean mist of the morning is our own version of heaven on earth.

[Revolution]

Originally Posted by LARHAGE

I have never been to Saratoga, would love to though. I have been to Belmont Park and in fact saw the last 2 Woodwards with Ghostzapper and Saint Liams wins. I think the racing on the East Coast is steeped with a lot of tradition, I enjoy it immensly, but being from California I appreciate our racing here just as much. I have had the privelidge of watching some of the greatest horses in the world here in my own backyard, from Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Spectacular Bid to John Henry and Cigar. I think anyone who could question the quality or history of West Coast racing is just as stupid or uninformed as anyone knocking East Coast racing, essentially the best horses are usually from Kentucky breeding farms, it's their geographic locations that determine their careers in the long run.

I also have never been to a more beautiful track than Santa Anita, with the snow-capped San Gabriel mountains in the background, and anyone who thinks that Del Mar's atmosphere and ambiance is nothing, doesn't have a heart or doesn't know how to have fun, the view, the weather, the ocean proximity, the nightlife, it;s second to none, and seeing horses working in the ocean mist of the morning is our own version of heaven on earth.

this is excellent commentary. all the tracks have something to offer. it is silly to say that one track is much better than any other.

Originally Posted by Revolution

this is excellent commentary. all the tracks have something to offer. it is silly to say that one track is much better than any other.

I agree that all have something great to offer.
Santa Anita is indeed beautiful. I was there over 20 years ago, but will never forget it.
Keeneland is nice, but kinda like Saratoga without any of the fun.
I hope to see del mar someday.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Well no, it wasn't worse than Milwaukee. Kent made one stupid mistake in that race. Gomez made 14 or 15 in his ride on Milwaukee. Rupert has an agenda, so dont listen to him so far as GG(you can listen to him on everything else), he has the audacity to say she had no run when clear!! LOL!!!! Well geez, after steadying and being choked 14 or 15 times for 11 panels of a 12 panel race, horses tend not to fire so hot the last 1/8th.

I don't think Desormeaux made a mistake at all. I would take back every time going into the clubhouse turn rather than fight it out head and head on the lead.

With regard to Milwaukee, the horse had a ton of traffic trouble that day. There is no doubt about that. Come-from-behinders get into traffic trouble sometimes. There is no way to avoid it. Gomez drops further back than a lot of the other jockeys. The strategy obviously works well. Look at his win percentage. If you come from dead-last, you can either circle the field and go five-wide or you can try to save ground. If you try to save ground, you will get into trouble sometimes. So Gomez will probably get into a little more trouble than jockeys who won't drop that far back, but so what? It's a winning strategy overall. Who cares if he gets into trouble and blows a race once in while. He makes up for it by winning 4 other races that the other jockeys would have never won on the same horse. It's like complaining about a home-run hitter who struck out 50 times. If he has 40 home-runs and you compare him to a guy with 20 home-runs and 40 strike-outs, I'd rather strike out a few more times if I could hit an extra 20 home-runs.

With regards to Milwaukee, I know Oracle will disagree but I think she was really rank that day. A jockey is going to have no choice but to continuously check if his horse is rank in trafffic.

[Gander]

Stand up and salute the Captain! I've been waiting my whole life to bet this race.

[Gander]

Relaxed Gesture wasnt beating Go Deputy that day with any type of ride but he surely could have held off Gray Whistle for 2nd. Kent D is a very average rider who has his head up his ass. Problem is all these broads chasing him around. Hes got a little following, makes the Backstreet Boys look like your typical degenerate gambling track hanger outer.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Gander

Stand up and salute the Captain! I've been waiting my whole life to bet this race.

Bullsh*t....you have been waiting since Point Ashley kicked you in the nuts last night to bet this race.

Next time we go to the harness track to bet simulcast...I want it to be while they are actually running at the track there too.

[Gander]

Not going back there ever. Ever. Place is a pit. You wanna go there next time you come up here, be my guest. I'll leave the light on. No way for me.

[Gander]

Horses like Relaxed Gesture find ways to lose. He will be overbet AGAIN in the next race and he will find another way to lose.

Couldnt agree more. This horse is a money burning hanging no good barn animal. I'm sticking with the Tin Man. Hes a real horse.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Gander

Not going back there ever. Ever. Place is a pit. You wanna go there next time you come up here, be my guest. I'll leave the light on. No way for me.

I just don't see what there isn't to like....plenty of secondhand smoke, cardboard style pizza (which taste really good after alot of beer), semi-cold draft beer...

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Come on Rupert, that ride by Kent D. in the Sword Dancer was awful. It wasn't his first time on the horse, and RG has always struck me as a horse who does his best making one run, ala the Manhatten this year, and Canadian Int'l last year. He didn't take back in the early stages, then wrestled him back 5 furlongs in, I think he took out the fight in the horse by doing it. I think he would have been better off staying with the pace, or taking back at the beginning of the race.

But what do you do if the horse breaks sharper than usual and is keen for the lead? If he stays on the engine and slows down in the stretch, everyone is calling Kent an idiot for not taking back. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time with that horse.

Horses like Relaxed Gesture find ways to lose. He will be overbet AGAIN in the next race and he will find another way to lose.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Come on Rupert, that ride by Kent D. in the Sword Dancer was awful. It wasn't his first time on the horse, and RG has always struck me as a horse who does his best making one run, ala the Manhatten this year, and Canadian Int'l last year. He didn't take back in the early stages, then wrestled him back 5 furlongs in, I think he took out the fight in the horse by doing it. I think he would have been better off staying with the pace, or taking back at the beginning of the race.

I don't think he really tried to go to the lead. There was no pace and he ended up on the lead. That was fine because I believe the horse has gone wire to wire before. Anyway, when someone challenged him for the lead going into the clubhouse turn, he took back and let the other horse have the lead. That was the smart thing to do. It's not as if they were at the 3/8 pole. If someone comes outside of you at the 3/8 pole, they pretty much force your hand. Even if you wanted to wait a little longer before asking your horse, your hand is forced if someone is starting to pass you. It's a totally different story going into the clubhouse turn. It's not too late to take back at that point. If someone else wants the lead, I would let them have it every time. The last thing you want is to go head and head the entire race. You have very little chance if you do that.

Anyway, Relaxed Gesture had no real excuses for the most part. He got into a little traffic trouble on the far turn. That was the only excuse he had. He was not the best horse that day and there was no way he was going to win the race. You guys should stop blaming Desormeaux and admit you bet the wrong horse. I have no problem criticizing a jockey if he makes a mistake and costs his horse the race but that was not the case with Relaxed Gesture.

It's ironic that as well as Victor Espinoza rode yesterday, he actually cost his horse the race in the finale yesterday. I had no action on the race but I did watch it. Victor moved much too soon and opened up at the 3/16 pole only to get run down and lose by less than a length. Now that was a bad ride.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

I don't think he really tried to go to the lead. There was no pace and he ended up on the lead. That was fine because I believe the horses has gone wire to wire before. Anyway, when someone challenged him for the lead going into the clubhouse turn, he took back and let the other horse have the lead. That was the smart thing to do. It's not as if they were at the 3/8 pole. If someone comes outside of you at the 3/8 pole, they pretty much force your hand. Even if you wanted to wait a little longer before asking your horse, your hand is forced if someone is starting to pass you. It's a totally different story going into the clubhouse turn. It's not too late to take back at that point. If someone else wants the lead, I would let them have it every time. The last thing you want is to go head and head the entire race. You have very little chance if you do that.

Anyway, Relaxed Gesture had no real excuses for the most part. He got into a little traffic trouble on the far turn. That was the only excuse he had. He was not the best horse that day and there was no way he was going to win the race. You guys should stop blaming Desormeaux and admit you bet the wrong horse. I have no problem criticizing a jockey if he makes a mistake and costs his horse the race but that was not the case with Relaxed Gesture.

It's ironic that as well as Victor Espinoza rode yesterday, he actually cost his horse the race in the finale yesterday. I had no action on the race but I did watch it. Victor moved much too soon and opened up at the 3/16 pole only to get run down and lose by less than a length. Now that was a bad ride.

Rupert i saw it the same way. I honestly dont know what kent could do differently besides winging it out front which would have brought certain doom. At least with what he was doing he was keeping his horse more to a style he was accustomed to. You are right...RG was just not the best horse on that day. Easier to blame the jockey.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Yeah ain't that the truth. I actually think RG has a big shot in the Man O' War. Switches to Nakatani, who has won on the horse. That poor horse should be a multiple grade I winner right now, but has been the victim of some horrific rides the last two years.

Well he may not have to run bent in half but he will have to face Showing Up....it's going to be a good one!

Belmont - JCGC day 2006, now this is going to be a GREAT day! Invasor v. Bernardini!