How does Jose Lezcano keep getting great mounts in big races?

[winningponies]

I am not one to usually call someone out, but I think this is gotten ridiculous. First, he blows the Derby on Ice Box (who I took for a huge Oaks/Derby double). He screwed up on Fly Down on several occasions (and is obviously not riding him tomorrow) and I have no idea what he did today on Winter Memories.

I was 3 for 3 (had Eldaafer as my top choice in the previous race) and headed to a nice 4-figure Pick-4 payoff on my main ticket that I pressed. When I placed my Pick-4s, I was thinking to myself, do I really want to single Lezcano in the last leg? It seemed Winter Memories should win easily. 2 for 2, a dominating victory in a G3 at Belmont, and a :58.2 B workout on the inner turf at Belmont, which I think is super impressive for a deep closer.

Could Lezcano screw this up? I was thinking just stay wide and clear and you will take it easily. At the backstretch, I basically already knew it was going to be deja vu. I was trackside at Churchill and everyone was moaning and groaning while they watched Lezcano do his signature "get in as much traffic as possible" ride.

Lezcano did file an objection and I thought maybe I had a gleam of hope. I couldn't really see from where I was sitting if it was a valid claim (haven't watched the replays yet), but I heard from one of our connections to the stewards that the video they were looking at was terrible quality (I'm not even sure why that is) and they couldn't determine anything, even if something did happen. So they let it stand. My hopes were crushed...With a clear ride, there wouldn't have been a need for him to rely on an objection to pull off the win.

What made it worse was that I also liked Keertana in the 9th at 32-1. With that move she made, I think another jockey might have pulled it off. I did bet her in all positions in exotics, but unfortunately didn't have Shared Account.

Sorry if I'm venting. It just amazes me that he gets these great mounts in big races and time and time again he blows it. Sometimes I think that if he rode Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes he would have found a way to lose. I really feel sorry for the connections of Winter Memories. He cost them $360,000 in purse money. Personally, I didn't miss out on quite that much But I think it's safe to say he won't be on her back next time around.

I'm curious what other people think...Maybe I'm just imagining things...

[turfnsport]

Since the beginning of the Saratoga meeting Lezcano has been poison to my bankroll.

Not since Pablo "No Go" Frogoso have I seen a guy with so many brutal rides.

[RXB]

While I'd agree that Lezcano has been riding a little below his best for the last few months, I didn't think he did anything wrong in that race. The horse had an okay trip until things didn't work out perfectly at the 1/4 pole. And the trouble wasn't that terrible; I'm not at all convinced that Winter Memories would've beaten More Than Real even if she hadn't steadied in the upper stretch.

More Than Real's maiden win, in my opinion, was superior to Winter Memories'. And Winter Memories beat nothing in the Miss Grillo.

[Stillriledup]

So, you're saying you wanted him to lose MORE ground than he actually did? He did a smart thing, he tried to save some ground, he must have thought he couldnt win by going very wide. I prefer my jock to save as much ground as possible in all circumstances.

[therussmeister]

How does winningponies keep betting Jose Lezcano in big races?

[Valuist]

The best horse won the Juvie Filly Turf. More than Real's Woodbine race was pretty impressive. New Normal went wire to wire, and the other horses were who 2nd and 3rd throughout finished 3rd and 4th. MtR was the only one who closed and that field was definitely stronger than the Miss Grillo.

[lamboguy]

maybe his agent jason got something to do with him getting top mounts. he is pretty good on turf.

[Grits]

He managed to win with his first mount in a BC race aboard Maram, for trainer, Chad Brown in the Juvenile Fillies Turf in '08. Wonder how that was?

Lezcano is a good rider, and saving ground, usually quite beneficial. At times, of course, it doesn't work out. Part of the game.

[Bullet Plane]

That Rosario ride on Blind Luck was really bad. He not seem to know when to get into contention with the closers. I think he got the horse beat last time too. I did have a betting interest, so maybe I'm just sour grapes.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Bullet Plane

That Rosario ride on Blind Luck was really bad. He not seem to know when to get into contention with the closers. I think he got the horse beat last time too. I did have a betting interest, so maybe I'm just sour grapes.

She's ridden the exact same way each time. Sometimes she gets there, sometimes she doesn't. You know this going in.