Irad

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Tom

So why does an incomptent chart caller still have a job?

The job of a chart caller, one of my first jobs in the biz in 1978, is twofold. Placing the horses at points of call and writing the footnote of the race.

The first is massively important. Literally the making of the past performances.

The second while important doesn't matter nearly as much. Because the comments are very subjective.

Two qualified chart callers could watch the exact same replay and write very different footnotes.

[zito61]

irad and jose benefitted greatly from ramon dominguez forced retirement.they would have had a much harder climb to get to the top of the jockey colony.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by zito61

irad and jose benefitted greatly from ramon dominguez forced retirement.they would have had a much harder climb to get to the top of the jockey colony.

Glad you waited 15 months since joining for this and your other illuminating post.

[Jeff P]

Sigh.

The screenshots below are from the head on replay of SAR R10 on Sat 08-12-2023 as the horses make their way up the backstretch.

The upper red lines indicate the two horses involved. Both riders have red/reddish colored helmets.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. is on the outer horse #10 Ice Road.

Jaime Torres is on the inner horse 4 What's Up Doc.

This first screenshot shows both horses a second or so before the incident happened. Note the space between the two horses.

The yellow line (which appears in all four screenshots) marks approx distance in terms of paths out from the rail for the inner or left front leg of Irad's mount before the incident took place.

The orange line (which appears in all four screenshots) marks approx distance in terms of paths out from the rail for the outer or right front leg of Jaime's mount.





The second screenshot shows both horses as the incident took place or when contact/the first bump occurred. Which horse initiated contact or came in or out the greatest number of paths?





The third screenshot shows both horses during the incident as Irad comes in further. Which horse looks to have initiated the most contact?





The fourth screenshot shows both horses after the incident and Irad has secured the two path putting Torres squarely behind the leader.




I'll freely admit the chartcaller HAS been a bit overly descriptive in pointing out these incidents this year.

In this race, he wrote:

ICE ROAD four then three wide early on in mid pack, bumped WHAT'S UP DOC twice pushing that foe to the rail in behind the leader and took over sole possession of the two path

And:

WHAT'S UP DOC coaxed from the gate, raced just off the inside early on, got bumped twice and was nudged to the rail in behind GUT FEELING by ICE ROAD who wanted the two path more

After seeing the replay the first time on Saturday, and then again before making this post:

I don't see anything the chartcaller wrote about the incident I would call inaccurate.


-jp
.

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by zito61

irad and jose benefitted greatly from ramon dominguez forced retirement.they would have had a much harder climb to get to the top of the jockey colony.

Welcome back Emd4me....

[the little guy]

Video tells the story of a race. Screen shots do not.

But everyone knows that.

[the little guy]

I just watched it again. Torres gave up the spot when he went inside and behind one of the leaders. He seemed to realize his mistake but it was too late because Irad had already gone for the spot. Why should Irad let him have that hole? Torres could have had it prior to moving over.

Frankly, this is a bug boy vs a journeyman situation. If it wasn't Irad, all the people whose heads he inhabits wouldn't be whining.

[Robert Fischer]

The stills and the video are pretty clear that Irad came over and initiated some contact, but it was such a benign, routine incident.

I also essentially agree with TLG that it was a matter of skill and experience.

Irad is many things. He's a hall of fame jockey. He's a top jock in a disproportionately top-

heavy concentration of owners and trainers. He intentionally and skillfully exploits the rules, and the politics and power-dynamics. Ditto for exploiting and capitalizing the incompetence of the stewards and the almost non-existent punishment for riding infractions as well as the non-existent punishment for uncoupled entries and tactics. He's aggressive. He rides more dangerously than average.

This race just was not a good case to whine about and exclaim how "If Irad keeps this up everyone is going to die!", etc...

[Jeff P]

Torres did give up the spot... AFTER Irad came in a few paths and began bumping him.

Not hard bumps. But bumps nonetheless. (And a minor incident in the grand scheme of things.)

Fyi, Andy, I agree with you... It WAS a big boy vs. journeyman moment.

If you are a big boy, sometimes you communicate that by holding your ground.

Like Pratt did in the upper stretch of the Jim Dandy.

One day Irad is going to miscalculate. He's going to bump his way into the wrong spot and cause an accident.

If you think that's whining so be it.



-jp
.

[Profesor]

Easy to be the best when you have a choice of the best horses in every race you ride

[cj]

Originally Posted by Profesor

Easy to be the best when you have a choice of the best horses in every race you ride

I'm no Irad fan, but it isn't like he rides top horses for no reason. He is obviously a very good jockey at worst.

[SG4]

Not an Irad apologist, but in watching that replay from the 10th on 8/12 nobody's pointed out the 2 horse outside of him was drifting inwards as well which didn't help matters either.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by Tom

So why does an incomptent chart caller still have a job?

Who said he was incompetent?

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by zito61

irad and jose benefitted greatly from ramon dominguez forced retirement.they would have had a much harder climb to get to the top of the jockey colony.

That's what I said, Jose is darn good, but Irad is better, and Ramon is better than both of em. No brag, just fact.

YouTube

[Tom]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Who said he was incompetent?

We have established that the chart callers have started to show unfortunate bias ( this was evident in the non-DQ race earlier in the meet involving Jose Ortiz ) yet apparently, and strangely, their word is gospel according to people on the internet. While I respect one of the chart callers in NY, I think even he would say to watch a race and form your ow

Believe whatever you need to.
To me, bias suggests incompetence.