Afleet Alex gets rider for the derby:

[Jinxed]

I have it straight from the horse's mouth. Gary Stevens will be aboard Afleet Alex for the derby. Good new for me, as I hated how Jeremy Rose whipped Afleet Alex on Sat. Stevens can rate well and give Afleet Alex an awesome ride. You heard it first here...let's hope my info is right. :)

[depalma13]

You sure that was the mouth? Gary Stevens picked up the mount on Noble Causeway, at least according to Zito.

[Lasix1]

You sure that was the mouth? Gary Stevens picked up the mount on Noble Causeway, at least according to Zito.
Still a mystery in Arkansas, but here's a report out of Philadelphia just today:

Owners may decide to go with a new rider for Afleet Alex

By DICK JERARDI

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Afleet Alex answered almost every question with his dominating Arkansas Derby win on Saturday. One significant question remains. Who will ride Alex in the May 7 Kentucky Derby?

It won't be John Velazquez. It could be Jeremy Rose. It could be somebody else.

"The decision will be made in the next week," said Alex's trainer, Tim Ritchey. "Jeremy is definitely under consideration. We've had a lot of riders call wanting to ride this horse."

Velazquez had been committed to ride Alex through the Derby, but that commitment lasted just one race. After Velazquez won Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes with Bandini for principal client Todd Pletcher, it was obvious he would stay with Bandini for the Derby.

Rose delivered a perfect ride Saturday. In contrast to the Breeders' Cup, when he rushed Alex on the turn and rode like the finish line was at the quarter pole, Rose just let Alex run himself into the race at the top of the stretch. Then, the horse exploded in the final quarter mile to win by 8 lengths. The win was Rose's 48th of the Oaklawn Park meet, giving him the rider's championship by one.

"If he was here [pointing to his waist] at the start of the meet, now he's here [pointing to his eyes]," Ritchey said.

But is the young rider ready for the maelstrom that is the Derby? Or should the trainer and the owners look for a rider with Derby experience?

If they go with a Derby vet, Gary Stevens seems the most logical choice. He is the best rider without a firm Derby commitment. He has won the race three times - Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Silver Charm (1997). One of the stars of "Seabiscuit," Stevens is one of the best money riders of his generation and a man who understands the unique pressures of the Derby.

[Jinxed]

That's what I heard. My first guess was the ride on Afleet Alex might go to Nakatani, but I heard today that it is going to Stevens. We wait and see I guess.

[Jinxed]

I was misinformed. I don't speak horse language very well....my bet is Nakatani will get the mount, and yes Stevens is on Noble Causeway, but my thinking is he isn't going to win the derby. Afleet Alex got the heck whipped out of him by Rose in his race on Sat. I hope he didn't take everything out of that horse for the derby. It is possible he ran his best race Sat., but I sure hope not. Rose isn't experienced enough to go to the derby where there is a much larger group of horses to contend with. :)

[PaceAdvantage]

Afleet Alex got the heck whipped out of him by Rose in his race on Sat. I hope he didn't take everything out of that horse for the derby. It is possible he ran his best race Sat., but I sure hope not.

It's possible he ran his best race on Sat, but very doubtful Rose's whip had anything to do with it....

There's plenty of time between now and Derby day to recover from the couple of extra whacks he took. Leave poor Jeremy alone!! LOL

[JPinMaryland]

If the guy won the meet w/ 48 wins how bad can he be? Probably the fields are smaller, on the average, but can it make that much difference?

[Suff]

In a perfect and fair world.. Rose should get it. He started on the Colt Did'nt he? And he was on him this weekend when he "broke through"..

You remember the line from "Unforgiven" when Gene Hackman (littebill) said to Clint Eastwood (will money)..


Hackman: I don't deserve this!

Eastwood: Deserves got nothing to do with it!


Rose deserves the Mount. But unfortunatley, Deserves got nuthin to do with it.

[OTM Al]

Rose definitely deserves it. His whipping saturday was probably just an over reaction to not wanting to make a mistake like in the BC again. I kinda hate how the big time jockeys go angling for mounts this time of year. I see nothing wrong with the keep riding the horse (or in this case the jockey) that got you there mentality. Don't think Servis did too bad sticking with Elliot last year despite what some people say about his Belmont ride. At least for Jeremy's sake I hope they make up their minds quickly.

[DerbyTrail]

Rose is sticking on Afleet Alex. That comes direct from their press person..

[Pace Cap'n]

Rose definitely deserves it. His whipping saturday was probably just an over reaction to not wanting to make a mistake like in the BC again. I kinda hate how the big time jockeys go angling for mounts this time of year. I see nothing wrong with the keep riding the horse (or in this case the jockey) that got you there mentality. Don't think Servis did too bad sticking with Elliot last year despite what some people say about his Belmont ride. At least for Jeremy's sake I hope they make up their minds quickly.

Can't remember where I read this, but here goes:

Greater Good was the crowd favorite, having won all his races at OP. Every time he would parade past the stands, the crowd would go wild.

As the race unfolded, and AA made the lead, the crowd decided they had a new "favorite son" and let out a huge roar. Jeremy Rose, hearing the roar, thought that meant GG was hot on his tail. and got busy with the whip.

[Jinxed]

Rose keeps the mount on Afleet Alex for the derby. It was announced today. I disagree with you (even though you are admin). I think Rose whipped the heck out of AA and it will be his fault if that horse does'nt run good on derby day. For him to blatently state he thought "Greater Good was closing on him" is an innane statement by an inexperienced jock who showed on Sat. he lacked experience. Not once did he take a glance over his shoulder to see if there was ANYONE even close to him. He just went to work with that whip and whipped that horse the last few fg. I won't back down on what I witnessed.
For those of you who like Rose, please don't unload on me. I can't stand the guy so you are talking to the wrong person. :mad:

[Pace Cap'n]

No, not managment. Just a similar moniker.

That was from an article I read, I think in an Arkansas paper online. Can't cite the source.

[how cliche]

www.afleetalex.com (http://www.afleetalex.com)

[Elysium Stables]

Jinxed I don't know what you are used to seeing in a race but 2 taps at the quarter pole and 3 in the stretch is absolutely nothing. As far as Roses statement about thinking someone might be catching him due to the roar of the crowd, that's also fine and NO jock should be looking over his shoulder in the stretch run of a million dollar race, he rode Alex out perfectly fine. Anyone who thinks keeping rose onboard for the derby is a mistake needs to think again.
1. You would prefer not to have someones first ride aboard your horse not be in such a huge race
2. With Velasquez comitting to Bandini and most other top notch jocks already named look at the options...Stevens (yes a great rider but in my opinion hasn't been 100% since his injury), Nakatani?? despite the things printed in the racing form, he was never even mentioned for the mount on Alex's side of the fence, his agent was the one who said he turned Alex down for the AD, and well agents...you know. Or Rose, yes hes young, yes hes never been in a 20 horse field, but he has been on alex more than the exercise rider and he gets run out of him 8 mounts on him with 6 wins and 2 very very close seconds is nothing to sneer at. And I personally didn't think he was a very good rider last year but after talking to him on derby day at Oaklawn and watching him ride 10 races and win the riding title I not only saw an amazing improvement in his riding ability and decision making but in his demeanor as well, before the BC he was extrememly nervous and pressured, he was the opposite b4 the derby and has been even after being named on Alex for the KY Derby.

[JPinMaryland]

yeah, I just want to touch on the idea of him not looking back to see what's coming. I dont know a lot about riding but I recall when Go For Gin won the Derby (I think that's the one) his rider was talking about looking for Holy Bull to make a run at him. And as he was rounding the far turn, he was able to look up at the telestrator and saw that Holy Bull was nowhere to be seen. But it just goes to show you that sometimes the jockey doesnt want to turn around that much; he was able to use the telestrator for that purpose.

I dont know about other riders and other races. I know you see them sometimes just take a peak over their shoulder but it's not much. ANd I dont think they like to turn the whole way around. So if Greater Good was back there he might not want to turn all the way around to look that far back.

[LARRY GEORGE]

COREY NAKATANI I BELIEVE HAS SECURED THE MOUNT ON WILCO :confused: