Gomez got ripped off

[Wickel]

What a shocker to see Edgar Prado win the Eclipse Award over Garrett Gomez and Russell Baze. Gomez led all jocks in almost every category, dominated riding on both coasts and was incredible in major stakes. Baze had a magical year, setting the wins record and all, but Prado?? He's a top-notch jock, but didn't have the kind of year that Gomez did. I think the sentiment with the Barbaro story won him over some votes.

[kenwoodallpromos]

The Barbaro story probably had something to do with it since writers vote the awards.

[Robert Fischer]

Gomez had a big year, IMO it wasn't dominating but it was big and he was always a good solid jockey.
Prado was a top guy again, he seemed to maybe put a little more energy into the big races?

[shanta]

What a shocker to see Edgar Prado win the Eclipse Award over Garrett Gomez and Russell Baze. Gomez led all jocks in almost every category, dominated riding on both coasts and was incredible in major stakes. Baze had a magical year, setting the wins record and all, but Prado?? He's a top-notch jock, but didn't have the kind of year that Gomez did. I think the sentiment with the Barbaro story won him over some votes.

I agree.

Gomez right now is far and away the best and strongest jock there is and this coming from a HUGE Dominguez fan. Time and time again this Gomez looks beat on a horse and somehow gets these nags to fight AGAIN and boots them home on top. He's unconscious man.

My opinion
Richie :)

[garyoz]

Ron Anderson deserves the eclipse for top jockey. He is representing both Migliore and Gomez at Santa Anita. Unbelievable agent.

[fouroneone]

I would want prado over gomez on my horse any day of the week. Prado kept coming up big when it counted this year.

[Ron]

I don't think Gomez led jocks in almost every category.

[Ron]

I don't think Gomez led jocks in almost every category.

Oops, I was looking at outdated stats, I think through 12/19. I can't even find where I saw those. Gomez must have pulled ahead of Prado in earnings in the last week of the year.

[boomman]

garyoz wrote:

Ron Anderson deserves the eclipse for top jockey. He is representing both Migliore and Gomez at Santa Anita. Unbelievable agent.

Ron is a super agent for sure, as he also did a great job when he worked for Gary Stevens...as for Gomez, I agree he should have won the award, but the national view of Prado assisting the severely injured Barbaro no doubt helped him secure the award. Not taking anything away from Edgar Prado who clearly is a great rider as well, but he's about 4th best in my book behind "Go Go", Dominguez, and Johnny V. right now...

Boom

[Valuist]

I thought Baze would get it; kind of a lifetime achievement award.

I thought it was surprising that a guy currently on suspension for a drug violation would win the Eclipse for top trainer.

[Murph]

I thought Baze would get it; kind of a lifetime achievement award.I traded emails with Dave Gutfriend on the subject and he was of the opinion that not making it on the So Cal circut hurt his chances of being listed as one of the best of all time. I think this sentiment carried over to this years eclipse voting. His peers are mainly in agreement with him on the subject.

I thought it was surprising that a guy currently on suspension for a drug violation would win the Eclipse for top trainer.I felt the same as you on this on, but the writers with the votes will tend to go with the top money winner in most cases. Pletcher had a good year and they chose not to let the past haunt him over this years award. Not a bad call but a bit suprising to me as well.

Murph

[Indulto]

Ron Anderson deserves the eclipse for top jockey. He is representing both Migliore and Gomez at Santa Anita. Unbelievable agent.IMO there is not a better rider right now than Gomez, but Prado is just as good.

It appears that Frankel uses Prado over Gomez and Pletcher uses Velazquez over Gomez, but Gomez wins everywhere on every surface, and horses for many different trainers seem to run for him that didn't for other jocks.

Maybe Gomez's ditching Jim Pegram (who worked with him during his comeback) for Ron Anderson had some residual effect on the voters.

[Valuist]

Since Pletcher had the won last two, I really thought they'd look elsewhere this time, especially with the suspension.

Murph-

Are you going to Miami for the game?

[PaceAdvantage]

Were the votes in before Pletcher started serving his suspension? Not that it would have changed anything, nor should it have, IMO.

[cj]

I think a drug suspension should make any trainer ineligible for an Eclipse Award in the year of the violation. Same thing for a horse that is caught, or a jockey. Would this be so bad PA? I think it would be good for the game.

[PaceAdvantage]

Would this be so bad PA? I think it would be good for the game.


Good for the game? Perhaps. I was never under the impression that the Eclipse Awards carried that much of an impact in terms of the game as a whole.

In any event, I'm not sure I am one who can invalidate an entire season's worth of accomplishments over the type of positive Pletcher was cited for.

I know I'm in the minority when it comes to Pletcher, but I'm not convinced he's a cheater. The man is too fastidious when it comes to his operation for me to believe he would do something like this on purpose.

I know everyone likes to point to the three horses who dropped dead on him in a week's time as proof (heck, you don't even need that anymore, as he's been found guilty of a positive and suspended). But, I'm still not convinced, for whatever reason.

[cj]

I wouldn't want to be the one splitting hairs over which type violations would make one ineligible. If you get caught, you are out. That is how I would play it. Eclipses certainly have a big influence on the breeding aspect of the game I would think.

I'm not sure he accomplished all that much anyway given the horses he had in his barn, but that is another story.

I'm not sure how you aren't convinced he is a cheater. This isn't his first suspension. To me, the question isn't if he cheats. He does as his multiple suspensions prove. The question is, "to what degree?"

[Murph]

I'm not sure he accomplished all that much anyway given the horses he had in his barn, but that is another story.Pletcher earned more purse money than the next two behind him (O'Neil and Frankel) put together. For the year, he put 58% of his 1168 starters in the money.

What more would a trainer have to do before you would consider that he had accomplished all that much with his runners?

Murph

[cj]

Whether you like it or not, the only races that really seem to be true racing tests anymore are the Triple Crown, especially the Kentucky Derby, and the Breeder's Cup. His horses came up empty when it counted most.

Plenty of trainers win a bigger percentage and put more horses in the money. He won because of purses earned. With the horses in his barn, isn't he supposed to win the money title by a bunch?

I was more underwhelmed by his work with Travers winner and BC Classic runner-up Flower Alley than I was impressed with any of his victories. That is just my opinion. I would be willing to bet that his owners, as a group, lost more money percentage wise than the average joe does.

[Murph]

Whether you like it or not, the only races that really seem to be true racing tests anymore are the Triple Crown, especially the Kentucky Derby, and the Breeder's Cup. His horses came up empty when it counted most.

Plenty of trainers win a bigger percentage and put more horses in the money. He won because of purses earned. With the horses in his barn, isn't he supposed to win the money title by a bunch?

I was more underwhelmed by his work with Travers winner and BC Classic runner-up Flower Alley than I was impressed with any of his victories. That is just my opinion. I would be willing to bet that his owners, as a group, lost more money percentage wise than the average joe does.The reality is that all of the races count in the standings for leading trainer, whether you like it or not. Considering trainers that had more than 500 starts in 2006 (less than half of Pletchers') only three have an ITM% that is greater.

The triple crown and breeders cup races represent less than 1% of his starts. Basing any trainer accomplishments on a single runner or that few races is hardly a fair or accurate picture of his accomplishments for an entire season.

Maybe you can explain why most of the "money losing" owners you refer to are lined up to employ Pletcher again this season along with others who would like to get on the bandwagon? I don't expect you to agree but I say that his overall results speak for him quite nicely.

Murph

[BIG49010]

C.J. - I would disagree with you, I would think by the time you figure in the future stallion earnings of Flower Alley, Bluegrass Cat, Bandini to name a few, I would think that many of Pletcher's owners are very happy.

It is a very big picture these guys look at, I don't think the daily bills or purses mean a thing to them.

[JimG]

I traded emails with Dave Gutfriend on the subject and he was of the opinion

Murph

Next time you talk to Dave tell him I sure do miss the radio show "The Starting Gate" that he used to do and was broadcast on drf.com

Jim

[PaceAdvantage]

I'm not sure how you aren't convinced he is a cheater. This isn't his first suspension. To me, the question isn't if he cheats. He does as his multiple suspensions prove. The question is, "to what degree?"

I see your point, but something in me just can't put it on Pletcher, and again, it's because of what I have heard from those who know the man and his operation.

In any event, I know where you are coming from. I feel the same way whenever somebody can look at the video from the 1995 Kentucky Derby and tell me with a straight face that nothing was passed between Pat Day and Gary Stevens....:faint:

[Murph]

Since Pletcher had the won last two, I really thought they'd look elsewhere this time, especially with the suspension.

Murph-

Are you going to Miami for the game?NO - I can't afford the tickets. Too far from my neighborhood to get a buddy deal.

Murph

[Valuist]

In any event, I'm not sure I am one who can invalidate an entire season's worth of accomplishments over the type of positive Pletcher was cited for.



I believe it does. Anytime somebody gets caught cheating, it makes you wonder how many other times they've gotten away with cheating. Does anybody on earth believe that Sosa only corked a bat once? Or that Barry Bonds didn't know "the clear" was a steroid? Plus it sends a bad message if you give awards to somebody who's cheated. Apparently its not only ok to cheat and not get caught, but its ok to cheat and actually get caught.

[PaceAdvantage]

What if he didn't cheat? Ever wonder about that?

Mepivacaine is classified by the Association of Racing Commissioners International as a Class 2 drug, meaning it has a high potential to affect performance. Racing regulators said a veterinarian determined the drug had been administered to the horse within a prohibited seven-day period prior to the race.
This strikes me as more of an error, and not deliberate cheating. Pletcher's been around the block a few times. You don't think he knows that they're going to detect this drug if he deliberately tries to have it administered in time to affect the outcome of a race?