Rich Strike wasn't going to be 40-1 if he had run in the Preakness. He should have been.
It's fine if you disagree.
Opinions and some randomness/chaos are part of what makes the game magical.
Happy Jack will finish ahead of Simplification in the Preakness, but Simplification will be much lower odds.
Sonny Leon isn't as great a rider career, or now, as Javier Castellano, but it's fine if anyone feels that way with their head or heart.
On Rich Stike mount in this year's Derby? I don't think Javier Castellano would have won. Maybe I'm wrong.
I do think Javy would win or compete for the Ohio jockey titles right now, and be a deity on the Ohio circuits in his prime.
I have a hard time evaluating jockeys.
Within our favorite tracks, Intra-circuit is relatively easy for fans and players.
'ABC'? = 'pretty good' leaders of the colony
'XYZ'? = 'bad' I blame these guys when I lose, and sometimes it's accurate.
'LMNOP'?? =
'mid-tier' guys within a circuit??
That's not as easy. I am already very biased about most of these guys. A lot of that is short-sighted on my part. Even if I could get past that, how can I weigh the mounts/stock they get, or their specialized situational skills?
I'm not able to do a great job comparing intra-circuit jockeys, especially the mid-tier guys within the circuit.
Comparing jockeys outside of their own circuit is even more difficult.
I'm not sure that I'm even able to do a 'good' job of comparing inter-circuit jockeys, between different jockey colonies at different circuits.
tip the hat to Sonny Leon. He's this year's Derby Champ.
