Rosario did a fine job on Cry Me No River in today's opener at SAX. He got a great break and didn't try to reign his speed in. He cruised home thanks to a comfortable lead at the top of the stretch. Compare that to what a much more popular jock, Espinoza, did in the feature on Baffert's Diamond Fury.
Diamond Fury figured to get a nice early lead in a four horse field (3 scratches) going 6.5 furlongs. Speed had done fairly well up to that point, but Espinoza must not have noticed. The horse seemed a little unruly after the start (off for a year), but there was no excuse for not using him more in the early stages. By slowing the pace down, he kept the mid-pack runners too close and Solis saw an opening. Solis moved his horse, Street Boss, coming out of the turn and passed Diamond Fury along the rail. Unluckily for Solis, that move may have been a bit premature because he got caught at the wire by Bejarano on Doppio (the other mid-pack runner). But it was the smart move at the time.
Some times I think the late bias on the fake stuff has a lot to do with the jocks thinking too much.
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