Kent's Ride: Stride-by-stride

[Travis Stone]

I spent some time this morning mapping-out what I thought were the pivotal moments in the Belmont Stakes over the weekend. Mainly because I feel Kent D. is unfairly being criticized for his ride in the race.

http://racecalling.typepad.com/blog/...ride-stri.html

I've virally posted this on other message boards too for those of you like me who frequent more than one stop.

I'm curious for your opinion!

[fpsoxfan]

Excellent work Travis. It clearly shows the trouble Kent was in from the time the gate opened. But I'm sure someone will try to come up with some psychobabble to try to create the illusion that Kent screwed up.

[obie1]

Great post there will always be sour grapes when you lose. Finger pointing is easy as is Monday morning quarterbacking. I can not blame the jock it just that hard to win the triple crown. Horses are not machines and they have good days and bad add to that racing luck and you get a horse 38-1 that wins. Now i think I am a good handicaper I studied the race over and over and at the finished I walked away with over $1,000.00 .....My wife plays #6 so go figure

[pweizer]

Great work which should debunk many myths.

Paul

[GBBob]

I'd be curious to see Bid's or Justin's view of the images here. They may see it differently? Although I have felt from the beginning (after the race...not before) the horse wasn't winning that day, period

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Coa did his part, thats for sure. He kept Big Brown pinned behing D'Tara early, then pushed him out on the backstretch. With that said, you give Big Brown a dream trip from the outside and he still would have lost yesterday.

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

yes, Kent was going to move out but Coa said "oh no you don't" and he had to tap on the brakes behind DaTara, thats when Big Brown got a little rank.
then Kent was PO'd and bulled his way out bumping Anak Nakal.
it all happened within 4-5 seconds.

good documentation of what I've already described from merely watching the pan shots.

[SniperSB23]

While I see Coa working to prevent Kent from moving out I am not seeing Kent clearly trying to move outside as you suggest. Also, the rail looks awfully open in that last picture. Seems like a move up the rail to the lead is a heck of a lot better option for Kent than going outside at that point.

[The Bid]

No brainer to come up the rail. Hes a buffoon

[justindew]

Look, if someone can convince me that it was Big Brown's fault that he almost ran into Da Tara and then played bumper cars with Anak Nakal, as opposed to Kent's fault for not keeping the horse relaxed early and then waiting a moment or two in order to get out in the open, then I will retract my criticism of Kent and blame the horse.

I read Travis' work. Seems solid. But while it shows Big Brown was affected to some degree by Garcia and Coa, it still does not excuse Kent's actions, in my opinion. There was a period of time AFTER Garcia and Coa's actions where Big Brown was relaxed and had his space. He may not have been on the outside, but there is no reason to think Kent could not have waited a moment or two, and THEN made the move.

I think too much is being made of the fact that Big Brown "wants to be on the lead or in the clear."

We have all seen it a million times, at every level of the sport. Huge favorites encounter minimal trouble early, and then fail to fire. In Big Brown's case, the early and brief traffic trouble hurt him, and he was unable to recover, in my opinion. And it was Kent who failed to keep him out of trouble, even though others were trying to bother the horse. Kent did not have to act. But he did.

[The Bid]

Not much bud, not with horses.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I spent some time this morning mapping-out what I thought were the pivotal moments in the Belmont Stakes over the weekend. Mainly because I feel Kent D. is unfairly being criticized for his ride in the race.

http://racecalling.typepad.com/blog/...ride-stri.html

I've virally posted this on other message boards too for those of you like me who frequent more than one stop.

I'm curious for your opinion!

Desormeaux does deserve criticism. If Brown was by far best, he should have been ridden confidently. He could have dead sent. He could have rated. Both of those would have been reasonable options for a steed that Desormeaux said "just had to get in the gate" to win. He did neither.

How does he not bear responsibility? Yeah, the horse came up empty but it is not as if Desormeaux knew that would happen during the first 3/16, is it?

It's not a shock the horse didn't win, trouble notwithstanding. 10 of the prior 10 in his situation failed as well. It's tough to win all three, especially on 3.75 good feet.

So it wasn't that steed's day. But Desormeaux didn't know that during his panic attack first quarter ride.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

With Big Brown throwing his head about, you want Desormeaux to try and come through the rail? I'm not seeing it.

I'll have to watch the headon replay again to judge whether it was a reasonable option. Tough to tell from a still frame to know exactly what was going on at that point. Just something I noticed, the rail is there and Kent is looking outside where there is nowhere to go.

[The Bid]

Who says they are the best in the world Hoss? I would be curious to know who gives whomever you are speaking of the title of "best in the world". You, the media, a couple guys who live in a tackroom, who decides?

[The Bid]

Its not pointless you are the one who brought it up. I want to know whos the best Hoss, and why you think they are the best.

A bad ride is a bad ride. It doesnt take much to recognize when a jockey makes a bonehead decision, it happens a thousand times a day. When the rail is open and you have the fastest horse you go up the rail. I dont care how slow the horse breaks, you put them in a position to win. You do not win races taking a hold of a horse whos never been snatched up. You will make a horse rank, you will get a horse aggressive, and you will do what Dedumbeaux did, which is run last.

[Strategic Mission]

The horse came up empty. Five very logical reasons why and none have to do with the jockey.

1) He was trained too lightly for a 12f race. Not much they could have done because his foot problem.

2) He didn't want to run 12f. Might just be a 10f horse.

3) The horse didn't like the heat.

4) 3 races in 5 weeks took a toll on him.

5) He is a wimp. Some horses just can't stand being knocked around a little. This was the first time he was tested a little and he folded like a cheap suitcase.

[justindew]

Originally Posted by Strategic Mission

5) He is a wimp. Some horses just can't stand being knocked around a little. This was the first time he was tested a little and he folded like a cheap suitcase.

Whose fault is it that he got knocked around a little?

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by justindew

There was a period of time AFTER Garcia and Coa's actions where Big Brown was relaxed and had his space. He may not have been on the outside, but there is no reason to think Kent could not have waited a moment or two, and THEN made the move.

So he waits, and Coa keeps him pinned. You don't "hope" they let you out when you're on the big favorite in a race, because they won't.

Big Brown was never settled until he got outside, which between at that point and the far turn, it was realized the horse was empty anyway.

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by justindew

Whose fault is it that he got knocked around a little?

His, for not getting out of the gate quick enough to gain position of both Da' Tara and Tale of Ekati.

Breaks and posts matter, no matter what the distance.

[justindew]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

So he waits, and Coa keeps him pinned. You don't "hope" they let you out when you're on the big favorite in a race, because they won't.

Big Brown was never settled until he got outside, which between at that point and the far turn, it was realized the horse was empty anyway.

And in a 6 furlong race, that would be a problem. But at a mile and a half on the dirt, at some point, there's gonna be an opening. Look what happened in the Preakness. Edgar tried to pin him in, and Kent just calmly took Big Brown back and guided him to the outside. In the Belmont, there was nothing calm about Kent's move.

Also, this still doesn't explain the prostate exam that Big Brown almost performed on Da Tara.

[Strategic Mission]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

His, for not getting out of the gate quick enough to gain position of both Da' Tara and Tale of Ekati.

Breaks and posts matter, no matter what the distance.

Sort of like the Cool Minute Man in the last race at Louisiana Downs on Sunday.

Horse killed me by costing me the double.