Invasor and Bernardini - Time Comparison

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I also consider Jara a negative compared to Castellano. Jara is very good, but he has not been in many of these extremely high pressure races. Plus, I have to give Bernardini a nudge in the figures for the stranglehold Castellano has had on him near the wire. When I put it all together, I have Bernardini about 4 times more likely to win the race than Invasor.

--Dunbar

I think the Belmont showed the guy can hold it together. We've had more than a couple jocks, even long timers, get to the Belmont Stakes and royally choke even if they weren't going for the Crown. Sure his horse wasn't a TC contender but he knows darn well when it's too early to move at Belmont in a mile and a half race--kind of an indication of patience and a cool head really. He also knows about high pressure mile and a quarter races at Churchill. He'll have another dirt mount that day won't he? I would figure it'd help you get your head on straight if you were nervous but whatever. I think he's got a good head on his shoulders even if I have no idea what he's saying in post-race interviews.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

I think the Belmont showed the guy can hold it together. We've had more than a couple jocks, even long timers, get to the Belmont Stakes and royally choke even if they weren't going for the Crown. Sure his horse wasn't a TC contender but he knows darn well when it's too early to move at Belmont in a mile and a half race--kind of an indication of patience and a cool head really. He also knows about high pressure mile and a quarter races at Churchill. He'll have another dirt mount that day won't he? I would figure it'd help you get your head on straight if you were nervous but whatever. I think he's got a good head on his shoulders even if I have no idea what he's saying in post-race interviews.

I like Jara and am a big Jazil fan but I think a monkey could have ridden Jazil, who runs between 24 and 25 seconds every two furlongs regardless of the length of the race, to victory in the Belmont.

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I like Jara and am a big Jazil fan but I think a monkey could have ridden Jazil, who runs between 24 and 25 seconds every two furlongs regardless of the length of the race, to victory in the Belmont.

right. you're ridiculous. if a monkey rode jazil, they would have ended up with the trip steppenwolfer had.

sorry, jara was brilliant that day when a vet absolutely ****ed steppenwolfers race.....ill take the smart jockey over the veteran idiot any day

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

right. you're ridiculous. if a monkey rode jazil, they would have ended up with the trip steppenwolfer had.

sorry, jara was brilliant that day when a vet absolutely ****ed steppenwolfers race.....ill take the smart jockey over the veteran idiot any day

I would be fine backing this assessment if steppenwolfer had actually WON a significant race before or after the belmont.

Face it- the horse is a plodder and the trip really had very little significance in the result.

As for Jazil, i commend Jara's patience on belmont day, but he had the best horse plain and simple. There was no brilliance to the ride.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I would be fine backing this assessment if steppenwolfer had actually WON a significant race before or after the belmont.

Face it- the horse is a plodder and the trip really had very little significance in the result.

As for Jazil, i commend Jara's patience on belmont day, but he had the best horse plain and simple. There was no brilliance to the ride.

i think jaras ride on angara several months back indicated his ability to hold it together. i don't think he so much as twitched, and she got up for the win...i don't think jara would be a weakness at all.

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I would be fine backing this assessment if steppenwolfer had actually WON a significant race before or after the belmont.

Face it- the horse is a plodder and the trip really had very little significance in the result.

As for Jazil, i commend Jara's patience on belmont day, but he had the best horse plain and simple. There was no brilliance to the ride.

until the belmont, jazil hadn't won a significant race either. and he won the belmont because jara gave him a ride with patience beyond his years.

steppenwolfer was in a great spot for a plodder in that race, it was setting up perfectly for him, and then he got wrangled back. i'm hardly the only one who thinks that the trip was atrocious and killed any chance for him.

jara has been brilliant in big races so far, he never moves too early with invasor, he has been perfectly patient on angara and jazil.

i'll take him any day, especially when people continue to see him as a liability -- just a better price for me.