Subpoena - Belmont's 8th Race

[tribecaagent]

Love to hear what Lozcano said to Matz after this one. WTF was that? Is he kidding?

[affirmedny]

Love to hear what Lozcano said to Matz after this one. WTF was that? Is he kidding?

I bet that one. It looked like her head was completely turned to the right the whole stretch.

[RXB]

Love to hear what Lozcano said to Matz after this one.

"Your filly is still a little green, Mike."

"Yes she is, Jose."

[tribecaagent]

Did you not watch the whole race? Did you only see the stretch run? If you bet this filly, you might want to go back and watch the race again.

[tribecaagent]

"Your filly is still a little green, Mike."

"Yes she is, Jose."

Did you see the race? Do you believe she was green or are you just being facetious?

[RXB]

Yes, I saw the race. No, I wasn't being facetious, not in the slightest. She was hard to handle for much of the trip.

[tribecaagent]

Yes, I saw the race. No, I wasn't being facetious, not in the slightest. She was hard to handle for much of the trip.

Hard to handle? Unless he lost an iron or rein (which I apparently missed) then I'll go along with that. However, I've watched that race at least 12 times and I don't see any difficulty with the equipment. What I see is a jock who never let his horse free from a tight hold. Ever.

This was clearly a "test run". The question was answered that needed to be answered. Yes, this horse can handle grass. Next time...bet.

[RXB]

What I saw was a horse who was throwing her head up when she encountered traffic on the late backstretch and far turn, then tried to lug in during upper stretch, then seemed hard to guide toward a clear path farther outside in midstretch. Finally at about the 1/16th pole she got a clear lane with nothing in front of her and then she got down to business and showed a decent turn of late kick.

If you watch her Lrl maiden win, she was doing the toss-the-head thing when in a bit of traffic in the early backstretch, but was just too good for them so the jockey simply steered her wide and let her roll from there. She needs to learn to relax amongst other horses, otherwise she's going to be one of those runners who has to take the overland route each time. The problem today was the horse, not the rider.

[tribecaagent]

What I saw was a horse who was throwing her head up when she encountered traffic on the late backstretch and far turn, then tried to lug in during upper stretch, then seemed hard to guide toward a clear path farther outside in midstretch. Finally at about the 1/16th pole she got a clear lane with nothing in front of her and then she got down to business and showed a decent turn of late kick.

If you watch her Lrl maiden win, she was doing the toss-the-head thing when in a bit of traffic in the early backstretch, but was just too good for them so the jockey simply steered her wide and let her roll from there. She needs to learn to relax amongst other horses, otherwise she's going to be one of those runners who has to take the overland route each time. The problem today was the horse, not the rider.

What are you talking about?

Here's the replay http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/USA/BEL/2010/10/31/8/good-mood-s

She did NO "throwing her head" and found ZERO traffic late backstretch and upper stretch. Lug in upper stretch? Perhaps this whole conversation is moot and you're just confusing the wrong horse. Please take another look.

Please look again.

[RXB]

We'll have to agree to disagree, because to me it's quite obvious from watching this race and her Laurel race that she is not yet comfortable being between or behind other horses. And yes, in the late backstretch and on the turn I can see her reacting not so well, and I don't know how you could say she didn't encounter some closer quarters at those points.

Did you watch the Laurel race? Not only did she toss her head and climb a little behind horses near the 3/4 pole, she also drifted to the rail when she straightened in the homestretch despite repeated left-hand urging. So today, Lezcano is trying to get her off the rail in the stretch for clearer running but she is not particularly amenable to that effort. He's not holding the horse to prevent her from running; he's trying to steer her to the outside but she's not taking directions too well. (Notice he goes to a left-hand whip inside the 1/8th pole.) By the way, I just watched her Delaware debut race; guess the first thing she did when she straightened into the home stretch? Lugged in and nearly clipped heels with a horse that was a path inside of her.

You've suggested that either the jock took it onto himself to hold the horse, or that the connections wanted to do a "test run" to see if "this horse can handle grass." Considering she finished way up the track in her first two races on the dirt but then won easily in her first grass start, I think any surface issue was probably the last thing they had to worry about. And I don't know why Lezcano would stiff a 13/1 shipper. The horse is still a little green, that's all. Not uncommon for a 2YO.

[tribecaagent]

We'll have to agree to disagree, because to me it's quite obvious from watching this race and her Laurel race that she is not yet comfortable being between or behind other horses. And yes, in the late backstretch and on the turn I can see her reacting not so well, and I don't know how you could say she didn't encounter some closer quarters at those points.

Did you watch the Laurel race? Not only did she toss her head and climb a little behind horses near the 3/4 pole, she also drifted to the rail when she straightened in the homestretch despite repeated left-hand urging. So today, Lezcano is trying to get her off the rail in the stretch for clearer running but she is not particularly amenable to that effort. He's not holding the horse to prevent her from running; he's trying to steer her to the outside but she's not taking directions too well. (Notice he goes to a left-hand whip inside the 1/8th pole.) By the way, I just watched her Delaware debut race; guess the first thing she did when she straightened into the home stretch? Lugged in and nearly clipped heels with a horse that was a path inside of her.

You've suggested that either the jock took it onto himself to hold the horse, or that the connections wanted to do a "test run" to see if "this horse can handle grass." Considering she finished way up the track in her first two races on the dirt but then won easily in her first grass start, I think any surface issue was probably the last thing they had to worry about. And I don't know why Lezcano would stiff a 13/1 shipper. The horse is still a little green, that's all. Not uncommon for a 2YO.

Are we talking about yesterday's race or the Laurel race you're referring to?
During yesterday's race, at Belmont Park, this horse had NO trouble around the far turn as well as through the turn. None. Actually, the rail even opened up. From the three eighths pole on, Lezcano never loosened the rein. This horse was never rank, never threw her head, nor was she ever stopped or checked. On top of that, she was clearly held through the lane. To say she was green is just not correct.

I ask anyone who disagrees with me to please click the link above and see for yourself.

[Rise Over Run]

Looks to me like she is still very green and was a complete handful for alomst the entire race. There was no way Lezcano was going to try to fit between horses on the inside through the stretch considering how poorly she ran between horses on the backstretch and turn.

I'm pretty sure she even jumped a shadow or change in grass color entering the backstretch from the turn/chute.

I'll agree it may have appeared to be suspect, but I don't think it was anything more than Lezcano protecting everyone in the race, including himself and Subpeona.

[sammy the sage]

Jock CHOKED her down from the get go...she WAS NEVER in traffic...he hit her once on the way in but she wasn't going anywhere...wall in front of her by then...but he definitely didn't give 100%