If I Only Had a Brain: the Mike Luzzi Story

[the_fat_man]

Mike Luzzi is a gifted jockey. Witness his finish in today's 3rd at AQU where he held off the big Pletcher favorite ridden by Prado. (7/1, no less :jump: --they're giving it away)

Mike is a strong rider and can finish with anyone.

Knowing this makes it all that much harder to deal with some of his efforts. He is responsible for some of the worst rides I've seen this year.

Mike has absolutely no sense of pace.

And he's becoming more and more a proponent of that premature, wide, midturn move. Come to think of it, this would make him a John Velaz clone. Anyone else notice a sharp decline in John's riding lately?

[the_fat_man]

Looks as if we have a bit of a bias working.

[Robert Fischer]

My favorite recent Velazquez story - towards the end of the Keeneland meet... Early speed was certain death, and everyone was holding back for one late run. Velazquez was there for a later race and had a ride in the 7th.race as well( 1^1/8 allowance on polytrack). In the teeth of the bias, Velazquez took his horse THRONG out to the lead immediately. He then smoothly slowed things down trotting out 6f in 1:15.19 and rationing out a victory in 156.30. No one even wanted his position early, and he had plenty left late. As a spectator watching the days races, I thought he was out too quickly until the fractions were on the screen. I can imagine him thinking “I’ll show these guys how to race poly”

See the race @ http://www.keeneland.com/liveracing/video_replay.asp (http://www.keeneland.com/liveracing/video_replay.asp) (10/26 Race 7)

fractions 10/26 r7 25.54 50.43 1:15.19 139.29 156.30



Maybe he has been forcing the issue too much lately hence the premature wide moves? I haven’t followed him enough lately.
Luzzi seems ok once in a while on a late-running horse. He usually gets a price with those as well.

[the_fat_man]

My favorite recent Velazquez story - towards the end of the Keeneland meet... Early speed was certain death, and everyone was holding back for one late run. Velazquez was there for a later race and had a ride in the 7th.race as well( 1^1/8 allowance on polytrack). In the teeth of the bias, Velazquez took his horse THRONG out to the lead immediately. He then smoothly slowed things down trotting out 6f in 1:15.19 and rationing out a victory in 156.30. No one even wanted his position early, and he had plenty left late. As a spectator watching the days races, I thought he was out too quickly until the fractions were on the screen. I can imagine him thinking “I’ll show these guys how to race poly”

See the race @ http://www.keeneland.com/liveracing/video_replay.asp (http://www.keeneland.com/liveracing/video_replay.asp) (10/26 Race 7)

fractions 10/26 r7 25.54 50.43 1:15.19 139.29 156.30



Maybe he has been forcing the issue too much lately hence the premature wide moves? I haven’t followed him enough lately.
Luzzi seems ok once in a while on a late-running horse. He usually gets a price with those as well.

Johnny V, in my opinion, is real good on those precocious Pletcher 2 year olds at Saratoga. He seems to always be beating on them prematurely on this turn yet somehow gets them home (or close to it). Nice way to ride babies.

Needless to say, he was ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL in the BC.

My point with Luzzi is that he can be a fine jock if he used his head a bit more. Then again, I'd probably lose out on beatbacks after horrendous trips by Mike.

[cj]

Then again, I'd probably lose out on beatbacks after horrendous trips by Mike.

I thought you didn't bet. If not, who am I thinking of that said that recently?

[the_fat_man]

I thought you didn't bet. If not, who am I thinking of that said that recently?

I don't, normally.

However, I have the OTB channel on daily and every so often actually watch a race or two closely and keep a small watch list.

Should be 'BETbacks'

[Ron]

They're humans.

[Valuist]

PVal may be better from the gate than Johnny V and there's some better finishers. But nobody anywhere is better at sitting second in a race than him.

[the_fat_man]

I see alot of Cordero (influence) in Johnny V

problem is

he's just not as good a jock as Angel was

he's prone to making premature moves and he abuses his mounts

when Cordero moved prematurely and/or sticked early HE ALWAYS GOT HOME

[classhandicapper]

The thing I like about Cordero is that he understood the benefit of being loose on the lead. Some of today's riders are "too pace sensitive" because they learned watching Pat Day and some other famous chokers.

If you have a horse that is capable of 45 110 and he's the only speed, IMO you are way better off going 45.4 and opening 3 or 4 lengths than choking him back to 46.3 and having a bunch of horses of similar overall ability right on your heels. In the latter case, you often get outkicked even if you have a fresher horse than if you went 45.4.

IMO, if a horse is already running well within himself, slowing him down even further is often not as much of a benefit as being an extra length ahead.