Kent's Ride: Stride-by-stride

[TravisVOX]

I spent some time this morning mapping-out what I thought were the pivotal moments in the Belmont Stakes over the weekend. Mainly because I feel Kent D. is unfairly being criticized for his ride in the race.

http://racecalling.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/kents-ride-stri.html

I've virally posted this on other message boards too for those of you like me who frequent more than one stop.

I'm curious for your opinion!

[njcurveball]

Mainly because I feel Kent D. is unfairly being criticized for his ride in the race.

!

Breaking from the rail on a horse that is known to be a bad gate horse, it is a head scratcher how the jock can be held innocent when his poor decisions in the first 1/8 of a mile cost this horse any chance to win.

His decision to pull up a horse who had no physical problems is also a glaring black mark against him being "teflon" for this ride.

It is just amazing to me how he turned into the "Bill Clinton" of the horse racing scene now. Not only were his mistakes blatant, they were also observed by millions. :ThmbDown:

[ddog]

T

Very Nice!

As in any type of war , the other side(s) get a say once the action commences!

Any plan never survives first contact(s) with the enemy.

Give the other guys some credit.
You just had to know that inside post could get a bit sticky.

[jotb]

I spent some time this morning mapping-out what I thought were the pivotal moments in the Belmont Stakes over the weekend. Mainly because I feel Kent D. is unfairly being criticized for his ride in the race.

http://racecalling.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/kents-ride-stri.html

I've virally posted this on other message boards too for those of you like me who frequent more than one stop.

I'm curious for your opinion!

I could of sworn he took some dirt in the Preakness when he was sitting behind Gayego. You can't say taking dirt was Big Brown's problem. In the Preakness Kent once again wanted to get outside and was able to accomplish that without the diffiuculty he had in the Belmont. It was an easy read for other jocks by watching these TC races to know what Kent's goal was and that of course was to be outside of horses. I really don't feel dirt was even an issue. I just think BB likes being outside of horses. He's the type of horse that needs to run at horses. Once he gets clear of the field in the stretch you have to keep on urging him. Some horses will stop running on (as saying to themselves where is everybody?) not keeping their mind on business. You may not think this is true but it does happen with many horses.

Joe

[46zilzal]

The colt tried to get out on the far side of the clubhouse turn in Baltimore. Rider blamed the colt outside of him for "coming in on me!" What crap.

[delayjf]

Thanks for the pictures, and I agree, it was not Kent's fault. Not sure how well it shows up, but BB may have shied away from the Starter who was walking towards the Gate as BB went by.

[joanied]

I spent some time this morning mapping-out what I thought were the pivotal moments in the Belmont Stakes over the weekend. Mainly because I feel Kent D. is unfairly being criticized for his ride in the race.

http://racecalling.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/kents-ride-stri.html

I've virally posted this on other message boards too for those of you like me who frequent more than one stop.

I'm curious for your opinion!

Those photos are great...and I also read comments in the blog...most seem to have the same take on all this as I do... and for me, the #6 photo is the one...I beleive Coa and the other jocks did with all intent, crush BB during the first 100 yards...Coa was especially intent and could have gotten someone hurt, horse or human...and I beleive Tale of Ekati came away from that with some cuts...
but in the last photo, the rail is wide open, BB is looking at the space there and wanting to go....but Kent wouldn't have it and thought it best to fight his horse to the outside....mistake, just a bad call on Kent's part...I do beleive the pressure simply cooked his brain, and in someway, history repeated itself...Kent D on a TC horse makes too many bad calls and all is lost.
I still believe BB could have gone neck & neck with Da Tara, and then pulled away in the stretch...even with the 'no training' 'light training' he got because of his feet...given his head, being allowed to find his stride without getting jerked around, and we'd have seen a way different race.
CRAP!!!

[highnote]

If it wasn't KD's fault (I'm not saying it was) then BB is not the superhorse everyone hoped for.

There is a reason so few horses have won the TC. The great ones overcome bad luck. The great ones don't need excuses. They great ones get the job done.

Secretariat won the Belmont by 30 lengths. Affirmed and Alydar battled ferociously.

What did BB do? He got boxed in and threw in the towel.

[joanied]

If it wasn't KD's fault (I'm not saying it was) then BB is not the superhorse everyone hoped for.

There is a reason so few horses have won the TC. The great ones overcome bad luck. The great ones don't need excuses. They great ones get the job done.

Secretariat won the Belmont by 30 lengths. Affirmed and Alydar battled ferociously.

What did BB do? He got boxed in and threw in the towel.

He got more:( than just boxed in...he had his head (and his mouth) yanked this way & that...forced to check abruptly, got bumped and pushed...he wasn't trained hard enough going in, and adding those things to everything else he was facing....maybe we'd have thrown in the towel also!!

I don't think anyone here has referred to BB as GREAT...we would have if the Belmont had turned out different...but, he's a hell of a horse to do what he has with his 'issues'...and I beleive we'll see him in the winners circle again.
:)

[Lose The Juice]

Yeah... in the Grade VI Edinson Volquez Stakes at Thistledown in December.:)

[ezrabrooks]

Nice analysis Trav...spot on..

Ez

[RichieP]

Do some folks really think that even with a perfect trip this horse could have won THAT race?

Going into the race:
4 lifetime starts
misses training due to foot problems and stays in the barn
1 workout in the 3 weeks after the Preakness. 1

Now remove the name Big Brown from the picture and if I showed you the above for a horse entered in a 12f race what chance/odds would you make him to win man?

15/1?
20/1?

I personally think Dutrow is a classless bullshit artist who didn't have the balls to come clean and tell folks his horse was not right. That's all he had to do instead of the lies and all the rest that spewed from his lips.

That joke of a walk around the ring with Kent "shussing" the crowd several times with BB looking like he was in a coma (every person and horse can be seen sweating except BB) was the last sign.

[Tom]

Ya know what really stinks, Richie?
You can explain the breakdowns to an ignorant public who is appaled when they see them, but what defense for racing to you offer for this crap from this barn? The word most lay people think of when they hear "horse racing" is "fixed."

[RichieP]

Ya know what really stinks, Richie?
You can explain the breakdowns to an ignorant public who is appaled when they see them, but what defense for racing to you offer for this crap from this barn? The word most lay people think of when they hear "horse racing" is "fixed."

Then you look at the opposite end of the spectrum and go to the Casino Drive team. They had a sick horse or at least a horse not 100% (who was gonna take a TON of money) and scratched day or 2 before the race.

I hope that the booing that went on wasn't directed at BB. Hell he is just a horse giving whatever he has. Dutrow knowingly sent out a horse WAY below 100% and for that should be more than booed. He and this Iavaronne con artist seem to have much in common.

[TravisVOX]

but in the last photo, the rail is wide open, BB is looking at the space there and wanting to go....but Kent wouldn't have it and thought it best to fight his horse to the outside....

So he goes, gets stuck in a speed duel with Da' Tara, they go 23, 46-change and he quits it with 5 furlongs to go instead of 3 1/2?

[cj]

So he goes, gets stuck in a speed duel with Da' Tara, they go 23, 46-change and he quits it with 5 furlongs to go instead of 3 1/2?

Nobody said he had to duel, but he could have secured a lot better position.

[Tom]

Had he dueld and got beat, at least they say the tried.
As it is, BB was a total embarrassment that day. Hardly a horse I could ever put the name Champion in front of, no matter what he ever does again. I see a broken sorry ecuse of a horse without any ability floundering against a field of pigs all the way from the break, Never a threat, ultimatley a joke.
BB had his day.....NEXT!

[sally]

Had he dueld and got beat, at least they say the tried.
As it is, BB was a total embarrassment that day. Hardly a horse I could ever put the name Champion in front of, no matter what he ever does again. I see a broken sorry ecuse of a horse without any ability floundering against a field of pigs all the way from the break, Never a threat, ultimatley a joke.
BB had his day.....NEXT!

Wow Tom, tell us how you REALLY feel...:D

But, isn't every horse allowed a bad day at some time in their career, AND in this case, the jockey contributed at least some...

[Tom Barrister]

At the very best, Big Brown is a reasonably good horse in a very bad crop of three year olds. If Big Brown races in the Breeders Cup, I'll be playing the other side of any matchup between him and a four year old. I don't see him staying within daylight of Curlin.

I looked at the photos and watched the headon several times, and as far as I'm concerned, Desormeaux rode the horse like an apprentice. Whether or not he can ride better than that isn't the issue. He certainly didn't ride well in the Belmont, in my opinion.

I would have gladly given up the few hundred dollars in winning tickets that I cashed in return for a Triple Crown winner. As it was, it didn't happen, and I do hope that the arrogant-now-deflated Dutrow has the good sense to use another jockey. Carolyn Stinn could have ridden Big Brown better than Desormeaux did (but then, she isn't that bad to begin with).

[RichieP]

But, isn't every horse allowed a bad day at some time in their career, AND in this case, the jockey contributed at least some...

Referring I believe to Conquistador Cielo winning the Belmont someone asked Woody Stephens when he thought he had the race won.

He replied with 4 simple words. "When I entered him"

How bout asking Mr. Dutrow "When did you know you were not going to win?"
If he had the guts to tell the truth (which obviously he doesn't) once again it could all be summed up with 4 simple words.

"When I ran him".

[jognlope]

Mike Veitch said this morning BB was bezerk in the retention barn, bucking, on his hind legs and it wore him out before the race.

[joanied]

So he goes, gets stuck in a speed duel with Da' Tara, they go 23, 46-change and he quits it with 5 furlongs to go instead of 3 1/2?

SPEED duel??? What speed... if BB had been allowed to hook up with Da Tara, going those fractions.....who knows if BB would have won, considering everything that was obviously going on with him...but BB would have no trouble going head and head with any horse given the fractions during the Belmont.

[joanied]

Nobody said he had to duel, but he could have secured a lot better position.

I agree:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[joanied]

Mike Veitch said this morning BB was bezerk in the retention barn, bucking, on his hind legs and it wore him out before the race.

Well now...too bad we find out that little morsel of info a week later...why did 'they' say after his initial bucking fit that he'd settled down there... did they tell a fib :liar: or was it failure to communicate:ThmbDown:

[PaceAdvantage]

Well now...too bad we find out that little morsel of info a week later...why did 'they' say after his initial bucking fit that he'd settled down there... did they tell a fib :liar: or was it failure to communicate:ThmbDown:His bucking was broadcast prominently on ESPN hours before the race.

[PaceAdvantage]

Then you look at the opposite end of the spectrum and go to the Casino Drive team. They had a sick horse or at least a horse not 100% (who was gonna take a TON of money) and scratched day or 2 before the race.Actually, Casino Drive was scratched the morning of the race. As of Friday evening, he was still in....

And if you saw video of Casino Drive BEFORE Friday evening, the horse couldn't put ANY weight on that left hind leg, so I wouldn't be so quick to praise these Japanese connections for "doing good" by the horse. They were trying EVERYTHING in the book to get that horse right for the race, but he was too far gone....

[Semipro]

It's time to call a spade a spade Kent rode a race that was uncharateristically horrendous. He jerked him around in a confused state of mind to the point he stopped the forward momentum more than once in a desperate attempt to get outside but damn he probably confused the hell out of BB.There was no need to panic that early when clearly he should have let BB run fast early. He should have been content to relax behind D'Tara and waited for an opening.I have my doubts if BB would have won anyway he wasn't right all that kicking and expending angry energy not at all a positve sign. Regardless even though I feel bad for Kent he CHOKED.:(

[joanied]

His bucking was broadcast prominently on ESPN hours before the race.

Yes it was, I saw it.... but, we were lead to beleive after that little bucking fit he had settled in and was quiet...truth be known, according to Veitch, he continued to act up while he was there.

[joanied]

Actually, Casino Drive was scratched the morning of the race. As of Friday evening, he was still in....

And if you saw video of Casino Drive BEFORE Friday evening, the horse couldn't put ANY weight on that left hind leg, so I wouldn't be so quick to praise these Japanese connections for "doing good" by the horse. They were trying EVERYTHING in the book to get that horse right for the race, but he was too far gone....

Right....he had that foot picked up while he was getting his bath...must have been quite painful that he would not put that foot down.
I agree... they did not exactly do right by Casino Drive.

[TravisVOX]

SPEED duel??? What speed... if BB had been allowed to hook up with Da Tara, going those fractions.....who knows if BB would have won, considering everything that was obviously going on with him...but BB would have no trouble going head and head with any horse given the fractions during the Belmont.

If Da' Tara and Big Brown go head-to-head, there's no way Da' Tara lets him find a beat. The pace picks-up for sure.

[joanied]

If Da' Tara and Big Brown go head-to-head, there's no way Da' Tara lets him find a beat. The pace picks-up for sure.

Maybe. And if it did, BB (if he's himself) would have no problem keeping up...but, IF it had been run that way...DT & BB hooking up, I doubt either jock would have allowed it to get out of hand...fractions would have stayed reasonable.
We'll never know!!