Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

CARL — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:10:13 GMT

Jess Jackson does not win awards because he is a mercenary owner sitting on a mountain of money who swoops in once someone developes a champion horse, then makes the owners an offer they cannot refuse so that he can claim the glory for himself. He's in racing for all the wrong reasons, mainly to glorify Jess Jackson. Nobody will remember who bred and brought Rachel Alexandra to the racing world, but the history books will all say "owned by Jess Jackson", just like with Curlin.

He'll buy another Horse of the Year title for Rachel this year making Zenyatta the only back to back undefeated horse to retire after winning the year end Classic for the second time, and not being named Horse of the Year. The only reason Jackson has not bought Zenyatta is that the Moss family is way too rich to need his money. How many people doubt that he has had this conversation with his money men? I can hear it now, "aw sorry Mr. jackson, but the Moss family eat money salad for breakfast! Tough luck, old man.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Mark the Bugler — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:34:59 GMT

Sherpa: Mike Smith was inducted into the HOF in 2003.

Lisa Borel: Thanks for a great, insightful post. Nobody could have said it better.

Racing fans: Randy Romero accomplished much more in his career than Calvin Borel has so far. (Arguably, so has Alex Solis). Calvin WILL get in eventually. 3 Derby wins? - that's a mortal lock.

As will Jonathan Shepherd, who is regarded as more of a steeplechase trainer, indeed the best in his field.

As far as owners go, I don't even know why the are considered for entry into the hall of fame. Consider this: George Steinbrenner is not in the baseball hall of fame.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

rhoward — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:08:23 GMT

Hey Jason-dont here from you much anymore-the only sound i hear is the pop from the HOY award almost similar to a subprime crisis. Rachel cant even beat an grade 2 older mare, just as i suspected. Let me remind everyone, she has beaten not a single legitmate grade 1 animal. How could anyone vote for her HOY? What a travesty! No what a fix!

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Slew — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:06:40 GMT

Congratulations to Calvin Borel for winning the 2010 George Wolff award. Now that's better than an Eclipse award because it tells you what the other jockeys think. Bravo Calvin! To be awarded March 14th, Calvin will be at the Fair Grounds on March 13th on Rachel Alexandra. That's a lot of traveling!

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Paula Higgins — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:39:29 GMT

WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!! Zenyatta is racing in 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TVG just announced it. Thank you so much to Jerry and Ann Moss and all her connections.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

stardustyrose — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:06:11 GMT

LAZMANNICK...

Hey it is the weekend and just wanted to tell ya that I will be very tied up till Monday. On that note, I have all the horses in a folder and pretty much except for the ones I outlined to Greg are not there yet. On my Word document, they are in black writing so I know not to leave any horses out.

I was so into this that I started talking to everyone like a horse LOL. People were telling me to come out of the barn. LOL! OK anyway. Just poppin in to say hey.........

Where the heck is Jason?????????

♥RA♥Zenyatta♥

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

stardustyrose — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:58:53 GMT

moodygirl..

I like your post a lot! Only one thing that I don't agree with. I believe that 1977 when Seattle Slew won the Crown un-defeated was the most hisorical year. NOT to take ANYTHING away from Big Red. I love that horse.

Good Post I hope a lot of people read what you said. :)

♥RA♥Zenyatta♥

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

sherpa — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:09:43 GMT

Heads-up to other Jonathan Sheppard fans, DRF has a really nice article on his training techinque that I really appreciated:

www.drf.com/.../110095.html

If you haven't seen it yet, don't miss it. :-)

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Convene — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:07:25 GMT

Certainly think Jess Jackson should be in there. He put his horse's welfare above everything - including awards/accolades - and I think that's how it's supposed to be. Another trainer who did not race on a track he did not like was commended for his concern for his horse (and rightly so!). I wonder why Jess Jackson was criticized for doing the same thing ...

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Footlick — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:09:03 GMT

I miss jocks like Baeza.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Footlick — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:04:13 GMT

My point exactly stardustyrose.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

moodygirl — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:29:06 GMT

I don't understand these snubs either. Is there some kind of old boys club going on?

Is Calvin Borrel omitted because he's just a hick from the sticks? He did have an incredible year, but most importantly he rode the perfect ride in the worst conditions, with the longest shot at the Kentucky Derby.

He was always humble, sincere & likeable. When was the last time a jockey was on the Tonight Show? Yes, he did go far beyond his jockey responsibilities and promoted horse racing to a public that has lost interest in the sport.

I do know someone who met Calvin at the track. He went back to ask him to sign a picture he had taken. My friend said he was so nice & gracious, just being the country boy that he is and spent 15 minutes talking to him.

Why do those in charge of major operations, associations, ect. keep shooting themselves in the foot?!!!!! They say the industry has to grow, they need young fans, but they continue to do things the same old way. These snubs are just one example.

2009 was the most historic year since Secretariat, yet the industry does not take full advantage. For example: not allowing co-winners for Rachael & Zenyatta.

It would make most people in the industry happy & certainly the public. These wonderful fillies would recieve more publicity, more fans & interest in the sport with people who don't even know what the difference is between a filly, a gelding or a stallion!

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Paula Higgins — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:35:43 GMT

Good news maybe. Art Wilson interviewed Jerry Moss and it was a very interesting discussion. Essentially, Wilson came away with the view Zenyatta might not be done racing. I read the interview and it is clear they have not made a final decision. We can only hope.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

ElonGrad97 — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:49:58 GMT

Lisa Borel is my new hero! Kudos to you and thanks for "keeping it real"!

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

stardustyrose — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:26:05 GMT

OK pardon the ignorance with this but would someone please tell me that a whip that does not sting a horse would do any good for changing leads? I used to use the reigns to change leads on my horses or my knees. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm why can't they do that? OK rose is going to go and hide now. :)

♥Zenyatta♥RA♥

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

dispute — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:59:42 GMT

Jess Jackson did not start RA's carreer this year. Yes, he put her in races that were quite demanding for a 3 year old filly (older one since her real bday is January) but anyone of them could have ended her life and then you all would be singing a different tune. She also had chip removal surgery and Hal Wiggins always gave her more than 2 weeks off after a race. It seems when Eight Belles broke down many horseplayers were outraged that a trainer would run a filly against the boys in the Derby, etc.

The only horse that Jess Jackson had worth noting was RA, after the million dollar buy.

Calvin is a great rail rider and terrific at Churchill. He had difficulty riding at other tracks such as Saratoga (1 win) and Keeneland. Garret, Ramon and Juilian ride all over, on all surfaces and win.

Jonathan Sheppard on the other hand has been running his horses everywhere on all surfaces doing so successfully.I admire him as a good trainer and a trainer you can approach and get an honest answer. He travels everywhere without excuses. Very unfair that he was not included on the trainers ballot.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Footlick — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:05:50 GMT

Paula- I never said that a horse needs to be beaten over the head. The quotes I've read from the jocks who have used them think that they don't really work. Even Mr Borel doesn't like them. I'm sorry I brought it up. As for owners, I'll give you two examples of horses whose owners put the race and the sport before the horse. Swaps and Majestic Prince. I'll probably be sorry I brought them up too, though-lol!

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Paula Higgins — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:43:51 GMT

I don't think the new whip is ineffectual. The horse gets the idea and knows what it means. You don't have to beat them over the head. How many owners would tolerate their horse being abused? None of the major players that's for sure.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Footlick — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:40:42 GMT

rmitch- Well, I'm going to drop it, because I don't want this to go on and on. My whole point to begin with was that it was unfair of Ms. Borel to single Jose out as a hater. And many people took exception to my statement. I'm so tired of contention no matter what is said anymore. All this confrontation is very tiring. I do know that most Europeans are a little taken aback by the amount of whip use in this country since they have seen that you can get just as good results out of a horse with less use. But, to each his own. Everyone believe what they want, and that's the end of it for me. Have fun.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

rmitch — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:32:55 GMT

Footlick,

I will conceed to you that some Jocks do get heavy handed, but I never saw him raise the whip above his shoulder and again we don't know what he was thinking. (trying to keep her attention on business and not the crowd) Like I stated before everything in a race happens in a matter of milliseconds and to comment on him smashing the horse I thought was out of line. I don't like the new whips and the change was made to appease the public of which most of them watch 3 or 4 of the big races a year. They think that qualifies them to comment about what is right and what is wrong. Some of the rule changes are for the better and some of them are for the worse.

And yes I agree that maybe the new whip is probably ineffectual.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Footlick — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:42:02 GMT

rmitch-although jocks get penalties in Europe because of their stringent rules- I think a horse in France can be hit 8 times total for a race- I don't feel that stewards do whip violations in this country unless the whip hits a horses face or interferes with the other horse. There was another case recently where a horse was whipped 17 times in the final furlong, and I don't believe there was even a stewards inquiry. If these whips that are being used now don't even sting, can they really be used effectively is what I am asking? There is a difference between a lighter, kinder whip and the "pop" whip that one jock said was like using a marshmallow. If we have made the whip ineffectual, can it really help a horse change leads and stop them from veering in or out? I have never been a fan of heavy handed riding, Braulio Baeza being my all-time favorite jock, but many a great jock has had a heavy hand. I think there is only so much pressure from the whip that is going to make a horse run harder and after that it is punishment. If a horse is giving their all, whipping them more won't make them give more. If the whip is so light that it doesn't do what it was intended to do, then maybe jocks shouldn't carry them and then we won't have to discuss it. And I do understand why Jose93 has a problem with it. It looks like it was needless excess with alot of force. I'm not saying it was, but that's what it looks like. And the people who have responded to him have acted like he doesn't know what he's looking at and he does. Maybe we should say that our whip rules are extremely lenient and our jocks are allowed to whip a horse as many times as they feel necessary with whatever force they feel is necessary as long as you don't hit the horses face or hit another horse. If that is not our whip rule, then maybe we should say that our stewards don't really penalize it unless it interferes with another horse or the horse being ridden gets hit in the face. Great Britain and Europe were at the forefront about whip restrictions. Instead of adopting more stringent rules, have we just replaced the whip with an ineffectual model?

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

stardustyrose — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:32:35 GMT

LAZMANNICK...

OK weekend is just fine with me LOL. I am taking a couple of days off from the pc and just gonna lie down on the couch, sleep, eat, and watch TV. In other words. I am going to be a couch potato for a couple of days....... Soooooo much to do...... :)

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

rmitch — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:18:30 GMT

Just a Fan,

No not only riders can comment but I speak from experience. I have ridden horses (show, barrel, and race horses) for 40 years and until you are in their shoes you don't actually know what they were thinking or their reason for doing what they did. The public is always the first to blame the Jockey for losing, or riding wrong or anything else that they don't like about the outcome of the race.

The stewards will and have suspended jockeys for excessive use of the whip and they did no such thing here so I don't really see why Jose93 has a problem with it.

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

mz — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:07:11 GMT

OK, yet again I'm coming in late to this talk fest but I feel I have to make some comments:

1. I think it is not wrong to state an opinion (eg) Calvin Borel appears to have "whipped Rachel too many times". I agree with this comment. It did seem excessive to me. THIS DOES NOT MEAN ONE IS SAYING THAT CALVIN BOREL IS A BAD MAN. It's not just in England that there are now rules on how many times and where you whip a horse regardless of the type of whip you use. Woodbine just came up with such a rule and I think that Chantal Sutherland had her horse disqualified in a race because she fell afoul of that rule. I still am not sure what the point of hitting RA so many times was -- but I wasn't her jockey and I repeat: I AM NOT SAYING CB IS A BAD MAN, I JUST DIDN'T LIKE IT.

2. Lil Darlin: you did NOT win the War of 1812. WE did. Nyah, nyah!

(that last comment is as adult as some of the previous comments in this blog!)

re: Three Eclipse Award Snubs Worth Noting

Seattle Slew — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:45:37 GMT

Zenyatta is so talented that she spotted the "Breeders Cup Classic" field a furlong and a half before Mike Smith put her on her correct lead.