GAMINE

[BarchCapper]

Originally Posted by cj

I wouldn't say he called him a cheater. He said he didn't follow instructions and that there is a conflict of interest. If I owned a horse and gave a plan for riding that was obviously ignored, I'd be pretty pissed.

Yesterday on Steve Byk, Richard Migliore was talking about this, saying that for the greater part he basically ignored instructions and rode to how he saw the race, both based on his study and on how it developed in real time. There were many times when he disobeyed instructions and won the race and was told "Great ride" and more than a few times when he DID ride to instructions and lost was told what a lousy ride it was.

Much of this falls in line with what Mike Tyson said: "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

[Robert Fischer]

Gamine is such an amazing filly.

I see a lot of negativity on twitter and social media with players trying to label her a 'miler' or a 'sprinter' (as if that were a derogatory or triggering term).

She's a great animal, in excellent condition, and she has both early speed and ability to commence a drive and keep running fast through the stretch for longer than other horses.

There's no reason she couldn't control a longer route, particularly if other rivals were intimidated to challenge early, or lacked the early pace. Often a longer route is actually less challenging early, depending on the makeup of the field.

Jockey instructions? - I believe that you follow the instructions to a word, to the best of your ability and circumstance. There are connections/trainers who prefer a jock to just 'do their thing', and that's great.

Do politics play any role in our game? I don't know.

Would Venetian Harbor have won on the lead? No. She would have been used up. The instructions were not the best way to win, but the horse is to be ridden to instructions. The Owners of the horse wanted to fight for the early lead, and aggressively challenge the favorite. That is their prerogative, and I can't imagine how frustrating that must be.

[GMB@BP]

I know one thing....Clocker Bob would have been proud and "liked" the initial tweet from the owner.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by cj

I wouldn't say he called him a cheater. He said he didn't follow instructions and that there is a conflict of interest. If I owned a horse and gave a plan for riding that was obviously ignored, I'd be pretty pissed.

In my very limited experience the owner discusses strategy with the trainer, the trainer gives the instructions, and then the rider does what he thinks was best given the quick real time decisions he had to make given the circumstances and how much horse he had underneath him that day. In other words, it often doesn't work out as planned.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

In my very limited experience the owner discusses strategy with the trainer, the trainer gives the instructions, and then the rider does what he thinks was best given the quick real time decisions he had to make given the circumstances and how much horse he had underneath him that day. In other words, it often doesn't work out as planned.

Did you see some event, or something 'off' in the horse, that would 'shake-up' the circumstances?

[cj]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

Did you see some event, or something 'off' in the horse, that would 'shake-up' the circumstances?

I think that is the thing, if the horse didn't break cleanly or some other horse unexpectedly went, you adapt. But none of that happened here.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

Did you see some event, or something 'off' in the horse, that would 'shake-up' the circumstances?

On paper Gamine was the vastly superior horse.

IMO, it was very foolish for Rosario to grab hold and concede an easy lead to the superior horse. That made his chances close to 0% because even if Gamine ran a "B" race she might still have won with that advantage.

IMO, what you are supposed to do is go, press, but without going all out. That gives you a chance to win if Gamine is less than 100% or your horse just happens to have a great day, but without saying "I want the lead at all costs" and it costing you a lot more than you bargained for both in that race and possibly very long term chasing a way better horse.

Some of these lightly raced speed horses will also surprise you and finish from just off the pace "IF" (the big IF) they are actually the best horse.

I remember tossing Covfefe in the Test last year because she looked like a speed horse that wanted the lead and I thought Serengetti Empress was faster. It went just as I planned. SE took the lead and I thought I was home. Then Covfefe closed her down. Of course those two were a lot closer than these two going in.