Best and Worst Ride in the BC

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Really? What was wrong with the ride? He saved all of the ground, made it through the hole on the rail and got beat by a horse that sat a superior trip and benefitted from the dynamics of that particular race. I honestly don't see what velazquez could have done that would have changed the result. Did I miss something?

He didn't look comfortable on the rail. That's a decision that's difficult for a jockey to decipher. John R. caught on but it was too late. If the horse is moved off the rail a little earlier in the stretch he wins IMO.

[blackthroatedwind]

I agree on P Val on Merit Man ( he absolutely cost him the win by rating him needlessly on the lead ) and Mike Smith on Atigun ( that ride was just hilariously bad ).

[jms62]

If Little Mike doesn't win that we are all questioning why he wasn't taken to the lead. The same can be said for Trinnieberg.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by jms62

If Little Mike doesn't win that we are all questioning why he wasn't taken to the lead. The same can be said for Trinnieberg.

This doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Travis Stone]

I actually thought Brian Hernandez's ride on Fort Larned was one of the best rides of the weekend. I know... it's easy to go to the lead and see what happens but I thought he did a lot of things right.

First off, the front was the place to be and he went there. Second, he maintained a comfortable advantage throughout and as they neared the far turn, he committed to the race. I think way too many jocks try and sit cute on their horse until the top of the stretch, at which point every other horse is back in the race and the front-end advantage is lost. He also could have easily worried about going too fast and tried to rate the horse (see Merit Man), but instead went on with it and won the whole thing.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I actually thought Brian Hernandez's ride on Fort Larned was one of the best rides of the weekend. I know... it's easy to go to the lead and see what happens but I thought he did a lot of things right.

First off, the front was the place to be and he went there. Second, he maintained a comfortable advantage throughout and as they neared the far turn, he committed to the race. I think way too many jocks try and sit cute on their horse until the top of the stretch, at which point every other horse is back in the race and the front-end advantage is lost. He also could have easily worried about going too fast and tried to rate the horse (see Merit Man), but instead went on with it and won the whole thing.

But couldn't you say that his job got a lot easier when Game On Dude didn't make the front?

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

But couldn't you say that his job got a lot easier when Game On Dude didn't make the front?

Sure, but that's horse racing. He also could have done what many riders do, particularly in NY as of late, and yank back and turn every race into a turf-like affair.

[robfla]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I actually thought Brian Hernandez's ride on Fort Larned was one of the best rides of the weekend. I know... it's easy to go to the lead and see what happens but I thought he did a lot of things right.

First off, the front was the place to be and he went there. Second, he maintained a comfortable advantage throughout and as they neared the far turn, he committed to the race. I think way too many jocks try and sit cute on their horse until the top of the stretch, at which point every other horse is back in the race and the front-end advantage is lost. He also could have easily worried about going too fast and tried to rate the horse (see Merit Man), but instead went on with it and won the whole thing.

I may be imagining this, but it looked to me that at about the 1/8 pole - when MMM looked like he was going to run right by Fort Larned, Hernandez cocked the horse's head to the right to show Fort Larned the other horse coming to him. Fort Larned took off again. Maybe the horse was trying to lug out.. I don't know...I thought that was a great move if I'm correct.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

This doesn't make a lot of sense.

Really? Makes perfect sense to me. Little Mike loses and people on this board are bitching about him not being taken to the lead since All his previous victories came while on the lead.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

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Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

best friday Christophe Lemaire flotila

worst friday husbands spring venture

sat nakatani tapizar

worst angel serpa speak logistics


worst honorable mention p val

The ride on Flotilla was a thing of beauty.

[parsixfarms]

Best: Mike Smith on Royal Delta.

Worst: Mike Smith on Atigun.

[cakes44]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Best: Mike Smith on Royal Delta.

Worst: Mike Smith on Atigun.

I guess I don't know what was so great about Smith's ride on Royal Delta. He was on clearly the best horse in the race, so he gunned her so he could keep her out of trouble at all costs. Would Smith have taken back if Questing actually ran? I don't know, but I doubt it(see Bodemeister in KD).

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by cakes44

I guess I don't know what was so great about Smith's ride on Royal Delta. He was on clearly the best horse in the race, so he gunned her so he could keep her out of trouble at all costs. Would Smith have taken back if Questing actually ran? I don't know, but I doubt it(see Bodemeister in KD).

He was on the best horse in the race and rode her like it. Too often, it seems like the rider on the best horse clutches and grabs, and then goes three or four wide to "stay out of trouble." By riding her aggressively, he also put Royal Delta on what was arguably the best part of the track.

[banter]

Castellano gave a standout ride in the Filly & Mare Turf, keeping The Fugue and William Buick pinned on the rail and then timing Ventura's final burst of speed just right.

Ryan Moore on George Vancouver showed a lot of grit splitting horses like he did. Kudos.

Bad rides included Valenzuela on Merit Man, Talamo on Jaycito, and Bejarano on all but Animal Kingdom. Valenzuela's ride had to be the worst.

[PatCummings]

How about the consistency of Little Mike's performance?

Here are the gaps between the slowest and fastest six 1/4-mile sectionals run by each horse in the race:

Little Mike - 0.98
Point of Entry - 2.12
St. Nicholas Abbey - 1.98
Trailblazer - 1.46
Shareta - 2.23
Kindergarden Kid - 2.09
Cogito - 2.38
Slim Shadey - 2.08
Dullahan - 1.86
Treasure Beach - 1.62
Optimizer - 1.70
Turbo Compressor - 2.43

The gap between Little Mike's fastest and slowest quarter miles was less than a second (his second quarter was fastest and his fourth quarter was slowest). Overall, his sectionals were...

24.00
23.14
24.07
24.12
24.10
23.20

At no point during the race did any two consecutive 1/4 mile segments ever accumulate to being the fastest in the race. He got a great ride, and you can truly say Ramon rationed his speed as well as anyone possibly could. This horse has cost me at least $5, maybe $10k this year, but I have overwhelming respect for him.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by banter

Castellano gave a standout ride in the Filly & Mare Turf, keeping The Fugue and William Buick pinned on the rail and then timing Ventura's final burst of speed just right.

Ryan Moore on George Vancouver showed a lot of grit splitting horses like he did. Kudos.

Bad rides included Valenzuela on Merit Man, Talamo on Jaycito, and Bejarano on all but Animal Kingdom. Valenzuela's ride had to be the worst.

Yea, Ventura ran a monster race to win.