Onion Monster
05-05-2009, 01:12 PM
After watching the second at Philly today (a four horse field in the slop) and with the Derby fresh in everyone's minds, I began to think about rider tactics.
In today's Philly race, I witnessed a jock on an odds-on horse give one of the worst rides to a front-runner you'll ever see. Moncrieffe, a fast mare in declining form, broke alertly and was quickly in front. Two of her competitors were cheapish stalkers and the only legitimate threat was a decent closer named Rubbernecker. Moncrieffe's jock seemed content to slow down the pace and allow the stalkers to stack up along side and harrass her through slow splits. The jock on Rubbernecker sat chilly and watched until a lane opened up on the turn and went right on by. Moncrieffe finished last (no bridge jumpers drowned in the place pool, though).
In today's Philly race, I witnessed a jock on an odds-on horse give one of the worst rides to a front-runner you'll ever see. Moncrieffe, a fast mare in declining form, broke alertly and was quickly in front. Two of her competitors were cheapish stalkers and the only legitimate threat was a decent closer named Rubbernecker. Moncrieffe's jock seemed content to slow down the pace and allow the stalkers to stack up along side and harrass her through slow splits. The jock on Rubbernecker sat chilly and watched until a lane opened up on the turn and went right on by. Moncrieffe finished last (no bridge jumpers drowned in the place pool, though).