Jockey Quotes

[Pell Mell]

I have been reading the Handicappers Edge on Bris for about 12 years. After the recaps of stakes races they usually have a section called, "They said it" or something to that effect. They quote jocks, trainers and owners moste of the time.

In all these years I can't recall a jock ever saying he made a mistake if the horse loses. It's always the track, the other horses and jocks or the horse itself. Don't they ever make a mistake? Can't one of them say I misjudged the pace, I moved too soon or too late, etc. Most of the time they blame it on the horse; he didn't like the track today, he was rank, etc. The list goes on and on and it's never the jocks fault.

IMO it's usually more the jocks fault than anything else. If someone can tell some quotes they might have heard from jocks admitting mistakes I'd like to hear a few. :ThmbDown:

[onefast99]

I have been reading the Handicappers Edge on Bris for about 12 years. After the recaps of stakes races they usually have a section called, "They said it" or something to that effect. They quote jocks, trainers and owners moste of the time.

In all these years I can't recall a jock ever saying he made a mistake if the horse loses. It's always the track, the other horses and jocks or the horse itself. Don't they ever make a mistake? Can't one of them say I misjudged the pace, I moved too soon or too late, etc. Most of the time they blame it on the horse; he didn't like the track today, he was rank, etc. The list goes on and on and it's never the jocks fault.

IMO it's usually more the jocks fault than anything else. If someone can tell some quotes they might have heard from jocks admitting mistakes I'd like to hear a few. :ThmbDown:
Several years back a well known NJ jock got off our horse and told me and the trainer "even if I had a gun we wouldn't have won today". Same jock a week later on a different horse before a race at the Meadowlands where there were only 4 horses due to a herpes virus scare, "worst case scenario we finish 4th".

[JustRalph]

Borel admitted he moved to early on Mine that Bird in the Belmont.

He freely talked about it.

[tbwinner]

Mike Smith took all the blame for Zenyatta's loss in the 2010 BC.

[HuggingTheRail]

A couple here that are humourous


http://www.sportofkingstv.com/hosstalk/2004/jun2804.html (http://www.sportofkingstv.com/hosstalk/2004/jun2804.html)

[nijinski]

My Dad before his passing had great stories. This was one.

I think this may have been Arcaro after a loss.

The trainer was raging and asked him why he didn't move up sooner.
His reply was " What? and leave the horse ".

But back to the topic , I think most Jocks have too much pride to admit
mistakes and I also think they have alll heard the old saying that a jockey
can screw up in little over a minute what a trainer has worked months for.
That's not to say it's always their fault. I can't imagine the pressure.

[Robert Goren]

Jockeys are no different than other people. I haven't heard a whole lot of other people admit to a mistake except at a sentencing hearings.

[PhantomOnTour]

After winning the Belmont on Afleet Alex jockey Jeremy Rose, almost crying, openly blamed himself for Alex not winning the Triple Crown, citing his ill timed ride in the Derby which left him with not enough horse in the last 100yds or so.
I love that horse.

[pandy]

Gomez took full blame for his stranglehold ride of Hard Spun in the Belmont stakes. Jerry Bailey blamed himself for Cigar's loss that ended his winning streak.

[Horseplayersbet.com]

I've heard Chantal Sutherland take blame for a losing ride on TV before. I think it happens more often than we think.

Though I've always maintained that most of the time, the best ride is one with the fewest mistakes. I just look at the amount of horses who run great without a rider...it can't just be the weight.

[ManeMediaMogul]

Pat Day once got off a horse and said to me, "I couldn't have ridden that race any worse."

Chris McCarron bent over and told my assistant to go ahead and kick his ass after he botched a Grade 3 ride.

Bill Shoemaker rode one down the hill at Santa Anita for me and had him in all kinds of trouble. "Run him back quick," he said. "He'll win." A week later I ran him in a stakes race and he won.

[nijinski]

Cordero's famous line when he impeded another horse.
" I didn't do anything ".
I like when he said that to Mr Stephen's after Caveat hit the the rail and Woody said he had a picture of him looking right at at Caveat.

Another Jock who fessed up , but it took him a while. Ron Franklin admitted
he blew the Belmont with Spectacular Bid. Kind of felt bad for him , he
was just a kid amongst a fierce and talented group of jockeys on Belmont day.

[CryingForTheHorses]

The most famous line....Its either the blinkers,Tongue tie or the bit was too tight..These are excuses from jocks that were on favorites.On the horses that finished up the track...Took all these horses to beat him :lol:

[phattty]

a similar refrain always can be heard during and after almost every race!!!

one bettor to another...

''that f'n jock blew my bet for me..i know i capped and bet the race correctly''


couldn't possibly be that said player just plain blew his analysis of the horses chances?

[Robert Fischer]

a similar refrain always can be heard during and after almost every race!!!

one bettor to another...

''that f'n jock blew my bet for me..i know i capped and bet the race correctly''


couldn't possibly be that said player just plain blew his analysis of the horses chances?

heyyy i resemble that remark