Re: My take on the Belmont (532 Views)
Posted by:
alm (IP Logged)
Date: June 07, 2004 09:13PM
Just before the actual race, in an interview, Elliott said that he didn't think that his unfamiliarity with Belmont would make much difference. After all, he said, he had ridden about sixteen races there.
Sixteen races. Wow.
When your entire career is spent making moves at the half mile pole on 8 furlong tracks, you can be forgiven, I suppose, for not realizing that the half mile pole at Belmont is not in the same place.
Elliott tried to make a six furlong brush with SJ, which was a quarter mile too long. Prado revved up around the real half mile pole and just got the job done.
Experience won...inexperience cost SJ the race...the guy who said that Birdstone is unlikely to ever beat SJ again was right...as insurance Servis had better get the horse a jockey for the course...wherever it is.