Fire Victor Espinoza

[mostpost]

Yeah, I know. Where does a guy who has ridden a horse once in his life get off telling a veteran trainer who to ride on his horse? In my opinion Espinoza is riding not to lose instead of riding to win. Instead of hanging his horse four wide in a half run in 49 seconds, he should have gone to the lead and said catch me if you can. California Chrome's best races have been when he has set or tracked a fast pace.

They also need to work Chrome faster. Prior to the San Antonio they worked Chrome seven furlongs. The time was quite slow-1:26 or slower I believe. Art Sherman was not happy, but Espinoza said he was afraid to let California Chrome work faster.

In my opinion, California Chrome needs to work fast; and he needs to race fast. Otherwise he gets in the habit of nonchalanting and when it is time to take off he continues to nonchalant.

I think the reason CC seemed to have such a kick in his earlier races is that he knocked the fight out of his rivals early.

[Dark Horse]

Clearly second best, but still a nice paycheck for Coburn and co.

[Saratoga_Mike]

Don't agree with you Most, but I think the owners will see it your way and force a change.

[Rex Phinney]

Got beat by a horse who was wider than he was around the far turn.

The winner today was the best horse hands down, there was nothing IMO that Espinoza could have done to change the outcome.

That being said Mike Smith embarrassed Espinoza in the San Antonio, the move Mike made to get CC on his toes early was brilliant. Espinoza is a good enough rider, but I don't think anything he does is going to propel a horse to a win. Meaning he wins only when he should.

[Relwob Owner]

Originally Posted by Rex Phinney

Got beat by a horse who was wider than he was around the far turn.

The winner today was the best horse hands down, there was nothing IMO that Espinoza could have done to change the outcome.

That being said Mike Smith embarrassed Espinoza in the San Antonio, the move Mike made to get CC on his toes early was brilliant. Espinoza is a good enough rider, but I don't think anything he does is going to propel a horse to a win. Meaning he wins only when he should.

Perfectly said

[johnhannibalsmith]

I don't know if I'd fire him but since I rarely can find common ground with mostpost, I thought it was a pretty sleepy ride.

I understand the horse's tendencies and likes and dislikes and all that, but the winner caught him totally off-guard and that was only the final time in the course of the running that he looked to be riding like he was 1-9 in the Belmont and worried to death about asking the horse a nanosecond early.

[Some_One]

Originally Posted by mostpost

Yeah, I know. Where does a guy who has ridden a horse once in his life get off telling a veteran trainer who to ride on his horse? In my opinion Espinoza is riding not to lose instead of riding to win. Instead of hanging his horse four wide in a half run in 49 seconds, he should have gone to the lead and said catch me if you can. California Chrome's best races have been when he has set or tracked a fast pace.

They also need to work Chrome faster. Prior to the San Antonio they worked Chrome seven furlongs. The time was quite slow-1:26 or slower I believe. Art Sherman was not happy, but Espinoza said he was afraid to let California Chrome work faster.

In my opinion, California Chrome needs to work fast; and he needs to race fast. Otherwise he gets in the habit of nonchalanting and when it is time to take off he continues to nonchalant.

I think the reason CC seemed to have such a kick in his earlier races is that he knocked the fight out of his rivals early.

The DWC pace was quite hot, the leader did the 6f in 72.77, now adjust for the standing start and the fact the track rides slower then SA or CD, I would figure the 6f split would be close to a 70.5 at SA.

[letswastemoney]

Fractions over there shouldn't be taken literally, since they start the timer when the gates open.

African Story and Hokko Tarumae were both cooked.

California Chrome ran a big race withstanding the fast pace.

[OntheRail]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

Fractions over there shouldn't be taken literally, since they start the timer when the gates open.

African Story and Hokko Tarumae were both cooked.

California Chrome ran a big race withstanding the fast pace.

No... it's our factions that should not be taken literary... with arbitrary run-ups and all.

[nearco]

Originally Posted by Rex Phinney

Got beat by a horse who was wider than he was around the far turn.

Yes, they both ran the longest distance of any of the horses in the race and both ran more or less the same distance according to Trakus

Prince Bishop 2042 meters
Chrome 2044 meters

The Japanese horse that made the running and faded ran the shortest distance at 2025.

[PaceAdvantage]

Awwww, come on mostpost...Victor was just riding under the illusion all Chrome fans seem to be under...that he was on a freak...a monster horse...Horse of the Year...all that jazz...all that nonsense...

Well, there you go then...that's what you get when illusions are shattered...once again...

[Vinnie]

Originally Posted by mostpost

Yeah, I know. Where does a guy who has ridden a horse once in his life get off telling a veteran trainer who to ride on his horse? In my opinion Espinoza is riding not to lose instead of riding to win. Instead of hanging his horse four wide in a half run in 49 seconds, he should have gone to the lead and said catch me if you can. California Chrome's best races have been when he has set or tracked a fast pace.

They also need to work Chrome faster. Prior to the San Antonio they worked Chrome seven furlongs. The time was quite slow-1:26 or slower I believe. Art Sherman was not happy, but Espinoza said he was afraid to let California Chrome work faster.

In my opinion, California Chrome needs to work fast; and he needs to race fast. Otherwise he gets in the habit of nonchalanting and when it is time to take off he continues to nonchalant.

I think the reason CC seemed to have such a kick in his earlier races is that he knocked the fight out of his rivals early.

Mostpost:

I really enjoyed your post and I believe that you hit the nail right on the head. Chrome is used to being geared up. I don't believe that he is at the normal level of fitness that he was accustomed to being in for most of this past season. What ever happened to that high cruising speed, and the fact that he had no issues at all in maintaining that speed essentially over the entire oval? I love Chrome and he is a very good horse, but, he just hasn't had that gear that you allude to where he more or less rips the hearts out of his opponents. I don't know, maybe when he was on that awesome run during his three year old year and running those fabulous races, maybe he was just in that rhythm of his life that could be difficult or maybe impossible to get back. I love California Chrome, but, he simply hasn't been the same horse since being off and returning from the injury that he incurred at the Belmont Stakes. Go Chrome! I hope that Art and company can get him back to that level of fitness that we witnessed during that great run of his three year old campaign.

[PaceMasterT]

Originally Posted by OntheRail

No... it's our factions that should not be taken literary... with arbitrary run-ups and all.

This is the post of the century. In this day and age, why can't everything be standard?

[pandy]

He ran gamely as he usually does. Four wide the entire race, game second. He's the same horse, just got beat by a horse that sat back off the pace and rallied. He's not a great horse, never was, but he is a very good horse.

[Some_One]

Originally Posted by PaceMasterT

This is the post of the century. In this day and age, why can't everything be standard?

Similar to the issue with camera work, it's the American way that is not standard. As far as I know, no one else uses runups.