Horse Racing questions and answers

[Dark Horse]

Str, just want to make sure I'm not reading this wrong. Caleb's Posse is a strong closer. He won his first three races with Rajiv Maragh on board. I do think CP really likes to run for Maragh. But in his last three races with that rider he's finished second. By a nose. By a nose. And by a neck. Am I right to think that if Maragh times his stretch run a little better he could have been 6-0 with Caleb's Posse right now? I'm like "by a neck, ok", "by a nose, whoa, not again!", "by a nose again, are you *!&*# kidding me?!!" If you were this horse's trainer, what would your thoughts be right about now?

Here's the last race, the Met-Mile

And this is the race before that, the Carter. Huge effort.

In all fairness, CP/Maragh did win the BC Dirt Mile with ease, but the King's Bishop before that by a nose over Uncle Mo. Is that a matter of cutting it too close? Or is the horse developing a habit of arriving at the wire simultaneously as the leader? The horse is giving it his all, so I would doubt that's the case, but if he's doing that, how would you get him out of the habit?

[str]

Str, just want to make sure I'm not reading this wrong. Caleb's Posse is a strong closer. He won his first three races with Rajiv Maragh on board. I do think CP really likes to run for Maragh. But in his last three races with that rider he's finished second. By a nose. By a nose. And by a neck. Am I right to think that if Maragh times his stretch run a little better he could have been 6-0 with Caleb's Posse right now? I'm like "by a neck, ok", "by a nose, whoa, not again!", "by a nose again, are you *!&*# kidding me?!!" If you were this horse's trainer, what would your thoughts be right about now?

Here's the last race, the Met-Mile

And this is the race before that, the Carter. Huge effort.

In all fairness, CP/Maragh did win the BC Dirt Mile with ease, but the King's Bishop before that by a nose over Uncle Mo. Is that a matter of cutting it too close? Or is the horse developing a habit of arriving at the wire simultaneously as the leader? The horse is giving it his all, so I would doubt that's the case, but if he's doing that, how would you get him out of the habit?

Let's take these one at a time:

King's Bishop:

He just got beat to a tremendous miler that got a perfect trip sitting 4th outside of a 3 horse duel. No disgrace in that. But...

It looks like he had trouble switching his stick from his left to his right late in the race. I did not like that at all. Overall , the horse ran great.

Carter:
He was closer up early because of the slow early fractions23 3/5s , 47 (46.98). The speed had an advantage because of that and the winner fought hard late . CP ran really well but the fractions did not help his cause. No excuse however as CP was well within striking distance in plenty of time with minimal effort.

Met Mile:

He never switched sticks , only riding him left handed. The horse did lean in at the 3/16s pole but I am not sure why he never switched. In this race he really looked like he could not lose at the 1/8th pole. Not sure what too say hear but I do have a question for those that know this rider well. I have no idea of Maragh's strengths and weaknesses, so someone let me know. Is Maragh a top rider in N.Y. ? Is his strength closing? Or is he solid from all positions. I will need some help here to understand the jockey better.
Did he wait too late or should he have started earlier? No. He was where he needed to be turning for home in all three. Does he need blinkers? Probably not. I don't know the horse well enough to speak to that but he ran right by them all in the BC and looked very good in doing so. I doubt that it is that.
So how good is the jockey. Give me your opinion and I will ask T.D. I need to call him anyway.

[Dark Horse]

Thanks str. I wasn't clear enough about the King's Bishop, which he did win by a nose. But his last three races were all losses, by a nose, by a nose, and by a neck. Two of those were the Met Mile and the Carter.

CP loves to run for this jockey. Maragh brought him to a new level last year running Beyers of 105 and 106 (King's Bishop), at a time when he hadn't run higher than 92. After that Robby Albarado rode CP in the race before the Breeders Cup and the horse dropped right back to 92. In the BC Dirt Mile Maragh took him to a 4 lengths win and a 111 Beyer. So I love the horse/jockey combo. Just not the way Maragh has been reading these races since, in 2012. I remember hearing a while back that Maragh was staying with one of the top retired jockeys (not sure which one) to pick up every trick of the trade he could, so that's a good sign.

Good to see your evaluation that CP looked like he couldn't lose the Met Mile at the 1/8th pole. CP is one of the horses I follow closely and in my prerace handicapping this was a race he would be hardpressed to lose. I don't like to blame the jockey, especially because CP runs great for him, but I would love to know if he did something wrong, such as not switching the stick as you pointed out.

Anyway, this isn't meant to answer your question about Maragh's riding in NY.

[Dark Horse]

Is this more posturing by the NYRA? Is this more anti-O'Neill sentiment? Why would a trainer trust a track guard over his own? The last thing I'd want is a stranger near my horse.

Belmont Stakes 2012: Barn area security tightened
By Matt Hegarty

All horses entered in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9, will be required to be on the grounds at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., by noon on Wednesday, June 6, and will then be confined to an isolated barn guarded by personnel from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board and private security guards under a series of strict requirements announced by the board on Wednesday.

Under the protocols, access to the Belmont horses will be limited to the horses’ trainers, assistant trainers, grooms, hotwalkers, veterinarians, and owners, the board said. Any person who enters a horse’s stall will need to be logged in and logged out and provide a reason for the visit, the board said, and they will be subject to “administrative searches and checks of all equipment, feed, hay, bales, etc.”

In addition, the board is requiring that every horse entered in the Belmont have its blood tested for illegal substances on the day that they are required to enter the security barn, June 6.

Veterinarians treating the horses will need to “provide written notice” of any treatments, the board said. On June 8, veterinarians will not be allowed to administer treatments to horses “without first making an appointment with [board] investigators,” the board said, and on June 9, “treatment will only be permitted for emergency or by agreements with the stewards.”

[str]

Is this more posturing by the NYRA? Is this more anti-O'Neill sentiment? Why would a trainer trust a track guard over his own? The last thing I'd want is a stranger near my horse.

Q. Is this more posturing by the NYRA?

A. IMO absolutely .

Q. Why would a trainer trust a track guard over his own? The last thing I'd want is a stranger near my horse.

A. If O'Neill wants someone from his camp there at all times, he will be able to do so. They will be searched before they go in and not be able to leave without being searched again. That is my understanding. The groom, foreman, and whoever can alternate as watchmen. That is how it would usually work. No guard would stand over IHA the way it might seem. The guard would be guarding the only entrance to the detention barn and oversee who comes in and who goes out.

[Dark Horse]

Q. Is this more posturing by the NYRA?

A. IMO absolutely .

Q. Why would a trainer trust a track guard over his own? The last thing I'd want is a stranger near my horse.

A. If O'Neill wants someone from his camp there at all times, he will be able to do so. They will be searched before they go in and not be able to leave without being searched again. That is my understanding. The groom, foreman, and whoever can alternate as watchmen. That is how it would usually work. No guard would stand over IHA the way it might seem. The guard would be guarding the only entrance to the detention barn and oversee who comes in and who goes out.

They're just making this up as they go.

“While NYRA security will be responsible for logging ingress and egress and monitoring the areas surrounding the stakes barn, RWB investigators will provide surveillance within the stakes barn beginning on Wednesday, June 6 continuously up to the conclusion of the Belmont Stakes on June 9, as noted above,” according to the release. “RWB will have personnel to effectively monitor horses in the stakes barn as well as the other horses on the grounds of Belmont. The stakes barn will only be used for horses that are participating in the actual Belmont Stakes race. “


Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz1wSTw79xp

So there can be all sorts of people in the stakes barn... But I suppose there is no time limit on how long somebody that is allowed in can stay, so at least it's possible to have personal guards as well. Still, this completely changes the atmosphere, and doesn't allow IHA to prepare in a relaxed manner with Lava Man nearby. Who knows how a horse reacts to 3 days of this type of detention? By definition it is unfair to each horse, because they should be able to prepare as they always have.

[str]

They're just making this up as they go.



So there can be all sorts of people in the stakes barn... But I suppose there is no time limit on how long somebody that is allowed in can stay, so at least it's possible to have personal guards as well. Still, this completely changes the atmosphere, and doesn't allow IHA to prepare in a relaxed manner with Lava Man nearby. Who knows how a horse reacts to 3 days of this type of detention? By definition it is unfair to each horse, because they should be able to prepare as they always have.

Q. Still, this completely changes the atmosphere, and doesn't allow IHA to prepare in a relaxed manner with Lava Man nearby.

A. That I am not sure of. If the horse required a goat for instance, the goat would need to be allowed. If requested maybe the pony could be in the next stall if indeed that is the norm. He will still be allowed to train in the morning, I can only assume. They could not possibly deny that, so if he trains with him in the morning he will still be able too.

[sandyw123]

I have a question, str, about pedigree in horses in regard to distance. I looked up the pedigree line of the horses in this year's Triple Crown races. If it's actually a relevant factor, I'll Have Another through Arch is a half brother to Blame (who won the Breeder's Cup 1 1/4 mile race recently). Could IHA's bloodline have had any kind of influence in his being able to run the distance in the Kentucky Derby or is he just an exceptional racehorse? Then I looked at horses that have been bred from recent Belmont winners and came to the conclusion that it probably won't be much of a factor in this year's Belmont. Those horses are Alpha, Optimizer, and Unstoppable U. Alpha and Optimizer haven't looked that impressive; and Unstoppable U hasn't run close to the 1 1/2 distance. It would be an awfully big stretch for him. So I'm actually a little doubtful of putting too much stock in pedigree. Do you think it's overrated? Many racing analysts swear by it, but horses can be over and underachievers just like humans.

[str]

I have a question, str, about pedigree in horses in regard to distance. I looked up the pedigree line of the horses in this year's Triple Crown races. If it's actually a relevant factor, I'll Have Another through Arch is a half brother to Blame (who won the Breeder's Cup 1 1/4 mile race recently). Could IHA's bloodline have had any kind of influence in his being able to run the distance in the Kentucky Derby or is he just an exceptional racehorse? Then I looked at horses that have been bred from recent Belmont winners and came to the conclusion that it probably won't be much of a factor in this year's Belmont. Those horses are Alpha, Optimizer, and Unstoppable U. Alpha and Optimizer haven't looked that impressive; and Unstoppable U hasn't run close to the 1 1/2 distance. It would be an awfully big stretch for him. So I'm actually a little doubtful of putting too much stock in pedigree. Do you think it's overrated? Many racing analysts swear by it, but horses can be over and underachievers just like humans.

Pedigree is, in most cases, extremely important. You should not discount it for a minute. The one thing that I will caution you on though is, do keep in mind that each horse is an individual. Their likes and dislikes will typically follow their ancestors to a certain extent, and the negative that followed there ancestors might be more pronounced in them, like breathing problems or bleeding or sore feet, etc. Some more so than others, but ultimately you will find that they are their own selves. They might be bred for mud but not really care for it. Just because they win does not mean they do. They might hate the turf and are bred up and down for it. So, the individual will ultimately define themselves. But, until they have , pedigree is a solid measuring stick.
I remember when I was new to the game, the big thing was that Mr. Prospecter's could NOT go long. Maybe a 1 1/16th but not a classic distance. People would shout it out and you would be deemed a fool if you did not believe what they said. In due time, all of that went away and those that swore they could not, converted. So, listen to what the analysts say, digest the information, but when it is all said and done, make your own decisions. Use it as a tool, not gospel.
Great question by the way.

[BAC]

Hi STR, do you know any site that offer free daily racing form?

I'm willing to bet on horse like maximum $10.00, but I'm not going to

buy the form that too much for small ball player like me.

Also is there a statistic site for horse racing?

RESPECTFULLY,

[sandyw123]

Thanks, str! I looked up past Belmont winners with their sires and dam sires listed. Fairly often they were bred from horses that could run that distance also, though not always. I'll Have Another has a strong pedigree, but Optimizer and Unstoppable U (out of the rest of the field) seem to have the most impressive breeding. Yet when you look at Optimizer's racing history, you just don't see it. Even though he has AP Indy in his bloodline, he might be bothered by a negative trait that Indy might have had - maybe to a greater extent. Unstoppable U has won his first 2 races, but only at a mile. His beyer speed wasn't high, but he wasn't racing particulary fast horses in either one. He's fairly new to racing, has only raced twice. Anyway, thank you for answering my question. I need to look at pedigree and take it seriously, but not over analyze it. You've really helped me with this.

[str]

Hi STR, do you know any site that offer free daily racing form?

I'm willing to bet on horse like maximum $10.00, but I'm not going to

buy the form that too much for small ball player like me.

Also is there a statistic site for horse racing?

RESPECTFULLY,

I do not think so. Guys have at times shown ways to get brisnet info( Same idea as the form) free but they could tell you better than I .

The stats info I am also far behind in info wise. I just do not handicap more than a handful of times each year .DRF. com can certainly provide you with all that you need but it would be at a cost.
There are plenty of guys on board here that can hopefully help you. I hope they see this and jump in .

Best of Luck.

[str]

Thanks, str! I looked up past Belmont winners with their sires and dam sires listed. Fairly often they were bred from horses that could run that distance also, though not always. I'll Have Another has a strong pedigree, but Optimizer and Unstoppable U (out of the rest of the field) seem to have the most impressive breeding. Yet when you look at Optimizer's racing history, you just don't see it. Even though he has AP Indy in his bloodline, he might be bothered by a negative trait that Indy might have had - maybe to a greater extent. Unstoppable U has won his first 2 races, but only at a mile. His beyer speed wasn't high, but he wasn't racing particulary fast horses in either one. He's fairly new to racing, has only raced twice. Anyway, thank you for answering my question. I need to look at pedigree and take it seriously, but not over analyze it. You've really helped me with this.

You're welcome.

[Dark Horse]

Hi STR, do you know any site that offer free daily racing form?

I'm willing to bet on horse like maximum $10.00, but I'm not going to

buy the form that too much for small ball player like me.

Also is there a statistic site for horse racing?

RESPECTFULLY,

Good place to start out: http://www.horse-races.net/library/l...ances.htm#free

If you don't need Beyer figures, Bris is probably superior. Bris also has a very useful library (or google Frandsen Allways for those articles). There are plenty of numbers in horse racing, and many different approaches to using them. The number one thing would be to study, develop, and use a time-tested methodology. Which can be time consuming, as well as fun. GL

[sandyw123]

I use the site that Dark Horse posted the link to fairly often. You can get the form for the Brisnet race of the day, along with races in which specific trainers have entered horses. They'll be available several days in advance, which will give you time to really study them. Past performances for the Belmont will be available on Thursday. All you have to do is click on the name of one of the trainers that you know has a horse entered. Good luck!

[Arletta]

Hi STR, do you know any site that offer free daily racing form?

I'm willing to bet on horse like maximum $10.00, but I'm not going to

buy the form that too much for small ball player like me.

Also is there a statistic site for horse racing?

RESPECTFULLY,

http://www.trks2day.com/trks2day.html

[sandyw123]

Str, I looked at the post positions for the Belmont and saw that I'll Have Another will be running from the far outside. I can't help but wonder if the #11 position might make the race even harder for him, with the length of the track and wide turns. Do you think a #4 to #7 might have been better for him? He won from #19 at the Kentucky Derby, but that was a totally different race. What do you think of his post?

[str]

Str, I looked at the post positions for the Belmont and saw that I'll Have Another will be running from the far outside. I can't help but wonder if the #11 position might make the race even harder for him, with the length of the track and wide turns. Do you think a #4 to #7 might have been better for him? He won from #19 at the Kentucky Derby, but that was a totally different race. What do you think of his post?

I think that IHA has had 2 perfect trips so far and the 11 post gives him an opportunity to have yet another one. Do remember that Big Brown's inside draw made Kent make a decision to make a bold move within the 1st 1/8th of a mile to get outside and that might have led to his undoing.
Because IHA has tactical speed, the early horses can go out and he can decide where he wants to settle. I doubt that he will be forced to be 4 wide because of his tactical speed that others do not possess. I do want to see the PP's before I confirm that however.
Winning the triple crown is no easy feet as we all know. Typically a horse that runs in all 3 races will have to overcome something at some point of at least one of the races. So far IHA has not had to overcome anything even remotely challenging from a trip standpoint. Remember, even Secretariat had to overcome trips in the Preakness as well as the Belmont. He, being the best horse , made those obstacles look easy. By no means am I comparing the two, just pointing out what I mean about difficulty of trips.
Let's get the PP's and position the horses accordingly and see who might be around IHA while he negotiates the turns.
On a side note, I can not stress enough how ridiculous the absurd, bogus and misleading crap about how nasal strips prevent bleeding is being played out . I will simply say this. If they worked, everybody would be using them. We all tried them when they came out. Today, less than 1% of trainers use them. That should be all you need to know in terms of there effectiveness.

[sandyw123]

Thanks! Probably the majority of horses wouldn't fare well then in this race with an outside post. It seems there have been more horses winning the Belmont from the 4 - 8 post, not many from the far inside or outside. So he should be benefited from his post. I looked at the positions of the horses. From what I remember Optimizer is #10, My Adonis is #12, and Paynter is #9. I think that's right. The nasal strip ban really got blown out of proportion. I think it started with someone saying that it was beneficial to horses, and the next thing you knew everyone was up in arms over the decision to not allow them. I was too to begin with, not knowing at the time that they don't really have any benefits. That issue is still being discussed then? You know if it wasn't for the naive general public, the media wouldn't have any power at all.

[Dark Horse]

str, will you be able to determine the effects of the detention barn on each horse before the race? Can you see if the horse is still relaxed and ready to go?

[BAC]

thank you DARK HORSE and Arletta for your help

and the rest of you guy too!

[str]

thank you DARK HORSE and Arletta for your help

and the rest of you guy too!

I am sorry that I could not help much but I knew that others in here would.

A great group of horse players in here.

[str]

str, will you be able to determine the effects of the detention barn on each horse before the race? Can you see if the horse is still relaxed and ready to go?

Any effects that the detention barn might have on each horse will be almost impossible to determine by watching the post parade or them being saddled unless a horse comes unglued or if very dull warming up. Too be that dull, it would take a tremendous amount of energy loss which I doubt would happen. The effects that you need to worry about are smaller in size. An overall effect that would make a horse only 90% instead of 100%. Just like in all professional levels of sports, the difference between the best and the rest is minimal.
The effects will be seen for sure , if there are any, by the connections of each horse however. Eating habits , how the stall is laying, which let's you know if the horse was as restful as normal or more agitated, like tossing and turning in bed instead of a restful sleep, overall demeanor, will be the signs as well as other subtleties. We will not be privy to that. Each trainer will know about their horse though.
I did notice that IHA went to the track this morning at 5:45 instead of his normal 8:45 time frame. That could be a red flag or simply the trainer trying to avoid the rush hour at the detention barn. Depending on the size of the barn, that could be a problem. Also, if the track closes tomorrow morning earlier than normal for the crowd like it did at Pimlico, he might want to get him out early today so that tomorrows jog early won't be different. I just do not know enough to give you the proper answers on the exacts of what he is thinking. This is why I said last week that I was surprised that he was not out 1st thing in the morning since he arrived. This was my thought process leading up to training tomorrow.
If the horse was restless O'Neill would have wanted the horse out as early as possible to get him out of that and hopefully settle back once his daily routine was finished this morning. If the horse was status quo and everything was fine, I don't think he would have changed that up unless the barn is a zoo at 8:45 which it very well could be. It is indeed a difference, albeit , a subtle one. But remember, it is all about the routine and normalcy.
If someone had video of him training this morning and walking to the track, and compared it to his other trips to the track this week,that would help answer the question if he was indeed worked up from the surroundings.
While complex, it really is not rocket science. It's understanding the body language of your horse, who can not tell you what he is thinking. That is the essence of horse training.

[Dark Horse]

Looks like the effects of the detention barn have taken out IHA already. What could have been the best story in horse racing since years turned into a very ugly episode.

[str]

The horse has a strained /bowed tendon. This is not the type of tendonitis that we get that goes away in a week or two.
The tendon can fill up from training although gallops and jogs do not cause a tendon to do this. It can occur if his standing bandage worn while in the stall was twisted or chewed at by IHA . It would be like if you twisted your pant leg until it became very tight to your skin. With the tendon in the back of the leg, all the twisting pressure is going to affect it and not the hard shin bone in the front. If your Achilles ran from your ankle to your knee and the pant twisted around it, that is what it would be similar too.
In time we will probably find out if he hit his tendon galloping , or avoiding the loose horse last week or in the stall when the bandage twisted or wherever it might have occurred. Maybe they don't know.
Bowed tendons ARE NOT life threatening problems. They can be career threatening however. If the horse has a tear in his tendon, they can scan it in 3-6 months and see if it has healed but even if it has, many times the tendon will reappear filled when heavy training presumes. A sandy deep surface will also help to strain a tendon. Training in California , where the surface is much less heavy will help a tendon where a place like Belmont would hinder that same tendon, at least in theory.
Probably a good chance that he will be retired but it is a bit too soon unless the plans were to retire after this year anyway.
The triple crown is a darn tough mountain to climb and holding the horses together for these three races , over three different surfaces, after all the work and stress to just get to the start of this series, with all the things that can go wrong is as tough a thing to do as any in sports.

[sandyw123]

Although it's disappointing that there won't be a Triple Crown winner this year, it would be much worse to see the horse crippled or in pain for the rest of his life for being pushed too hard. Seeing him limp along at the back of the pack would be a sad thing to see as well.

[str]

Although it's disappointing that there won't be a Triple Crown winner this year, it would be much worse to see the horse crippled or in pain for the rest of his life for being pushed too hard. Seeing him limp along at the back of the pack would be a sad thing to see as well.

Yes, it would be sad.
They did what they had to do. There were really no choices.

[str]

Mike Smith did such a nice job of slowing things down to 49 and change. He had the race in his hip pocket but made the ultimate mistake when he let Union Rags through. The race was over at the 1/4 pole. No horse outside of him had any chance to get him but when he went left handed, Paynter drifted out about 2 feet and that gave U.R. enough room to slip through. He's got to feel terrible about that. The best horse did win but the horse that should have won , lost.

[str]

Thanks str. I wasn't clear enough about the King's Bishop, which he did win by a nose. But his last three races were all losses, by a nose, by a nose, and by a neck. Two of those were the Met Mile and the Carter.

CP loves to run for this jockey. Maragh brought him to a new level last year running Beyers of 105 and 106 (King's Bishop), at a time when he hadn't run higher than 92. After that Robby Albarado rode CP in the race before the Breeders Cup and the horse dropped right back to 92. In the BC Dirt Mile Maragh took him to a 4 lengths win and a 111 Beyer. So I love the horse/jockey combo. Just not the way Maragh has been reading these races since, in 2012. I remember hearing a while back that Maragh was staying with one of the top retired jockeys (not sure which one) to pick up every trick of the trade he could, so that's a good sign.

Good to see your evaluation that CP looked like he couldn't lose the Met Mile at the 1/8th pole. CP is one of the horses I follow closely and in my prerace handicapping this was a race he would be hardpressed to lose. I don't like to blame the jockey, especially because CP runs great for him, but I would love to know if he did something wrong, such as not switching the stick as you pointed out.

Anyway, this isn't meant to answer your question about Maragh's riding in NY.

I talked with my friend in N.Y. and he said that the jockey Maragh is a real nice kid, a hard working kid and he feels as though he does not have a particular strength or weakness. Just a good all around rider. He does not use him much but when he does , Maragh rides just fine, no matter the surface or situation.
That answer makes a lot of sense. you can not make it in N.Y. unless you are pretty well polished in all facets of riding. At lesser tracks we see pure speed guys and decent closer guys not not so much at the top tracks. If he was not solid, he would leave and be a big fish in a smaller pond. Is he one of the top few up there? No. He is however a jockey that, when the top few are unavailable, you would have no problem giving a leg up too.

[Dark Horse]

Thanks for checking with your friend.

I like Maragh as well. Especially with CP. As we saw with the Belmont even someone like Smith can make a crucial mistake. If that had happened to a lesser jockey... And I couldn't help noticing Desormeaux on the backstretch, asking a whole lot of Guyana SD when that didn't seem necessary. Looked to me like he just drove the horse into the ground early, gambling on either a big performance or nothing.

[str]

Thanks for checking with your friend.

I like Maragh as well. Especially with CP. As we saw with the Belmont even someone like Smith can make a crucial mistake. If that had happened to a lesser jockey... And I couldn't help noticing Desormeaux on the backstretch, asking a whole lot of Guyana SD when that didn't seem necessary. Looked to me like he just drove the horse into the ground early, gambling on either a big performance or nothing.

You never know about the jocks instructions or the horses mannerisms. That horse pulled up in a workout about a week before the race. Very strange. Maybe, and this is a definite maybe, he is a horse that you must stay busy on at all times or he stops putting out. That is probably a stretch but at 50-1 Kent was probably riding too instructions and because of his recent alcohol problems, he certainly needed to show that he was willing to listen to trainers.
You never know but that would be my gut guess. Kent , if allowed to be just who he wants to be while riding, would have not done that so he had a motive. I am totally guessing at what that might have been. Typically a sit still rider down the backside, that's for sure. A really good guy but is struggling with a few demons right now. Remember, his son was losing his sight a few years back when Big Brown was running( think it was B.B.). That's gotta be a killer to try and deal with.

[sandyw123]

Life has been crazy for the last few weeks, and I haven't had a chance to look much at upcoming races. Str, I was looking at Parx race 8 for Sunday and saw that Royal Currier didn't have a designated rider. Looking at the racing form; I saw that he had a high percentage trainer, good speed, a sharp recent workout, favorable post, and a great record at the track (3 wins out of 4 races). Yet as of yesterday, he didn't have a rider. I always thought that trainers had no problem finding jockeys for horses that have a good chance to win. It makes me wonder if Royal Currier might be a very difficult horse or there was something that I missed while looking at the form.

[sandyw123]

It might be race #9 at Parx, could have typed it in wrong.

[str]

Life has been crazy for the last few weeks, and I haven't had a chance to look much at upcoming races. Str, I was looking at Parx race 8 for Sunday and saw that Royal Currier didn't have a designated rider. Looking at the racing form; I saw that he had a high percentage trainer, good speed, a sharp recent workout, favorable post, and a great record at the track (3 wins out of 4 races). Yet as of yesterday, he didn't have a rider. I always thought that trainers had no problem finding jockeys for horses that have a good chance to win. It makes me wonder if Royal Currier might be a very difficult horse or there was something that I missed while looking at the form.

There could be a ton of reasons but let me try and explain:

Typically, jocks are lined up for a certain horse and race about 2 weeks ahead of time. Maybe the race selected for this horse to run in did not fill and this is a spot that was next in the book but the rider that the trainer might have selected already had a commitment to ride another horse in the race. The trainer could have lined up another rider but if he found out that the rider he wanted and another rider he had in mind both had mounts in this upcoming race before it was drawn, he might have decided to just enter " No Boy" or blank and see who was available after scratch time.
I would suggest not reading too much into this from your angle unless the horse has a normal rider and is taking a suspicious drop in class. So I have to ask, where is the normal rider for this horse? Is he in the race or does he have days or is he out of town and off all mounts for Sunday?

[sandyw123]

I apologize for not getting back with you sooner, Str. It's just been a month of battles with the forces of nature. In answer to your question about Royal Currier. His regular jockey was Steve Elliot. He had made the choice himself to ride that horse over the favorite in a previous race and ended up winning with him. For the race in question, he rode a horse other than Royal Currier. The horse he did ride ran a much better race. It makes me wonder if he had his choice again and felt more confident with this horse for that particular race. I had just been curious about the reasons behind jockeys switching horses and horses not having a designated rider. I can really see how it could be hard sometimes to match a rider with a horse, especially with the number of races that are run.