Best rides are so hard to judge. The way I figure it if my jockey has to give the horse an outstanding ride in order to win, I've screwed up the bet because the horse should win relatively easily.

I really thought the only thing Bailey did on Sea Hero was find a seam to go a couple paths inside of Best Pal. But Sea Hero sure looked to want to run the distance to me. Didn't he win the Travers too?

As far as A.p.Indy goes I thought the further he went the better he was and it had little to do with the jockey. He won the Belmont and Breeders Cup. I seem to want to believe it was a light year in the Breeders Cup. Didn't A.p. lose the Jockey Club Gold Cup that year? It probably was already just 10 marks, my memory is getting bad.

One of the larger bets I ever made was a first time starting two year old that was a sure thing. (I know what you knowledgable are thinking..."how the heck can a first time starter be a sure thing?"..lol.) It was an early year five furlong sprint at Calder which are typically won by precocious horses that immediately bound to or very near the lead. My jockey was a leader at the track, but the horse still went off at more than acceptable odds. The jock however stiffed the colt right out of the gate. He wasn't ready for the start and not being so caused him to bump and then lose ground to last in the field. Came to find later he was repositioning his foot in the stirrup for some unknown reason when the gate opened. I know I'm beat and am bemoaning the cash lost on a two year old firster, so I go to the restroom not wanting to heighten my agony by watching. The track announcer is callin the race on the bathroom speaker and my horse is mentioned once or twice placed near the back of the pack. As the race is in its final call the goofy track announcer says my horse, like a comet, has come out of nowhere to photo at the wire. Not wanting to jinx my good fortune induced by not watching the race I decide I had better not watch the photo finish replay. Finally the race is official and the announcement is made that my horse has somehow become the winner.

It was a race where my horse really couldn't lose and one which out of the gate he really couldn't win and then somehow, (Probably out of fear of bodily harm), the jock was able to win when he shoulda but couldn'ta all at the same time.

Was it a good ride? Not from my perspective. The jock may believe otherwise.

lol

CtC