More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

sweet terchi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:02:05 GMT

I'm missing something here, ethics and morals equal book smarts????

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Fire Slam — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:20:19 GMT

Soldier Course--

"A bad ride combined with an ethical or moral decision." Keep your book smarts away from race track blogs. No need for them.

Do you really think pulling Big Brown up in the Belmont was a moral decision? KD saw he was beat, and pulled up.

If C-BO had taken off of the filly, then that would have been a character flaw. Instead, he became the first jock to take off a Derby winner, did it for a filly at that, and then went out and won the race. That took character, courage, heart, and commitment.

Wait a minute, all of those things are what makes a hall of famer.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

stakes boy — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:43:46 GMT

Cot is generally right on Borel. As someone as put it,he blew it with Street Sense in he 07 Preakness(celebrating early) and never learned from his Street Sense year. He seems like a great guy, but clueless on doing his pre race homework, interviews, etc.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Fritzel — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:51:43 GMT

Cot Campbell's column was terrific; beautiful writing and right on the money.

Calvin will be OK and give us lots of great rides and "Chip" Woolley should get some sort of award for Gentleman of the Year.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

da3hoss — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:21:13 GMT

Soldier Course, KD would still get in because the vast majority of his hundreds & hundreds of rides have earned him that spot...Bill Shoemaker stood up too soon on Gallant Man, Chris McCarron takes the blame for a bad ride that cost Alysheba big time, Pat Day has misjudged the finish line...anyone who plays the game thousands of time in their career and makes only a few mistakes...albeit glaring ones if its a big race...just shows they are human.

I am totally mystified at KD saying "if he had enough horse"...that just boggles my mind...what a diss to BB and RQ, too bad he couldn't be bothered to give SB even one "atta boy" pat for getting him his goal of a Belmont win.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Soldier Course — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:06:53 GMT

da3hoss:

A bad ride in and of itself will not keep a jockey from being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

There's no better example of that than Bill Shoemaker. Mr. Shoemaker was inducted in 1958, just one year after the 1957 Kentucky Derby when he misjudged the finish line, stood up in the irons prematurely, and cost Gallant Man the win.

But if a bad ride is accompanied by something more, like an ethical or moral issue, that becomes another matter altogether.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Soldier Course — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:11:20 GMT

da3hoss:

Yes, isn't that interesting? KD was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, four years before the Big Brown debacle. Wonder what would happen if the voting on his nomination took place now?

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

da3hoss — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:25:11 GMT

Karen D., did KD actually say that "when he had the horse" he could win the Belmont??? With two TC's on the line and his questionable riding in both, especially his ride on Real Quiet, when (arguably) he also moved way too soon for that loooong stretch run, and he's saying BB and RQ weren't enough horse???

Soldiers Course: And he's in the HOF...

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

da3hoss — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:24:09 GMT

To everyone who thinks we "need" a Triple Crown winner...no we don't...we need a horse who can win the Triple Crown, whatever the track, whatever the competition, whatever "new and fresh" competitors run, whatever the traffic problems...that's what the 3 TC winners I've had the privilege of seeing did..no one "created" the optimal scenario so they could win.

Looks like Man O'War "spoiled" a TC bid by bypassing the KD and then having the audacity to win the Preakness and Belmont...racing may have "needed" a TC winner and he ruined it....

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Fire Slam — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:25:47 GMT

Soldier Course--

By the way, if the hall selects members based on character over accomplishments, then no one in horse racing would be in.

Every trainer, jock, and owner have been involved in the "giving a horse a race, or schooling them."

This is basically deceiving the betting public, which is anything but good character. I dont know how many times we had a horse making its first start, and would be 3-5 or so, and we would tell the jock to just school them. Needless to say, the horse did not win. Next time out, bam the horse wins

Better rethink character judgments.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

fire slam — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:20:02 GMT

Soldier Course--

When it comes to folks like you, manners need not apply.

C-Bo is a blessing to horse racing. Leave the man alone. He chose the filly and won.

To take off the Derby winner and stick with a filly, who he has a heart felt connection with, knowing there would be critics, now that is character.

He listened to his heart and won. So go back to your clubs or societies, or whatever they are, and continue to judge people based on your standards.

Not really sorry for busting your bubble, but your not that important.

HORSE RACING NEEDS MORE FOLKS LIKE C-BO.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Soldier Course — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:29:03 GMT

fire slam:

Did you forget that you asked me a question yesterday (June 19 at 12:31)?

Your question was: How can staying with the filly stop him (Borel) from getting into the Hall of Fame?

In effect, you were asking me to provide further explanation of the two comments about Borel that I had submitted that morning. I did what you asked and submitted my answer to your question about an hour after you posed it to me.

Your rant posted on June 20 at 2:17 reveals that you not only forgot your question but also your manners.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Judy Conley — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:41:07 GMT

Mr. Cot Campbell

You told the world in one article what really happened during all three phases of the Triple Crown. Mine That Bird is a sensational horse. Nicely penned!!!

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

fire slam — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:17:37 GMT

Soldier Course--

Dont really care what societies you were head of. Not really sure how that is related to this blog????

However, if your fancy titles make you feel better then most, and more qualified, then good for you.

Pretty sure if panel members don't consider the following traits to be of good character then C-Bo don't want in the hall--hes too good for your kind: mucking stalls at 4 in the morning, paying tribute to parents after big wins, never turning down an autograph request, and always showing respect towards others when talking.

Hard work is an example of someones character. Some hide behind fancy titles (like you), others go out and actually work from sun up until sun down.

Whats is so ironic, is C-Bo don't bother anyone. He has discovered the secret to life. Find what matters to you, and forget about the critics like you who really don't matter.

Not bad for someone who never finished school and never would have qualified for your elite clubs based on academics.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

blacksmith1972 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:00:01 GMT

calvin is a true horseman an excellent jock and a great human being what other jockey do you know that cleans stalls gallops horses and is always smiling people make mistakes media attention will disuade most people remember calvin is from louisiana plenty of down home there he is "old school" there should be more riders like him now a days you put on a helmet and walla your a jockey when he came up you worked your way up congrats calvin . jessie baker

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Will W — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:00:21 GMT

I have to agree with Fire Slam. Borel did not blow the Belmont nor did he need an earlier race on the dirt the day of this Grade 1, as Cot Campbell maintains, to familiarize himself with the track conditions. The horse he rode in the Belmont was too amped up and too keen. Jerry Bailey saw that and asked Calvin before the race if the horse's pre-race behavior concerned him and whether Borel was worried

about getting Mind that Bird to relax. After the race Bailey commented that the horse was rank down the backstretch at the 5 furlong pole and that Borel was faced with the unenviable choice of fighting the horse and keeping him wrapped up on the rail or letting MTB move up prematurely on the outside and pull him to the lead. If Calvin fought the horse, he would have worn him out. If he did not, he ran the risk of making the lead prematurely with the horse's kick compromised, as Bailey said, to some degree. So it was not Borel's unfamiliarity with the track, but the rankness of his mount and the no win situation it put the jockey in that cost him the Belmont. Interviewed right after the race Chip Wooley said that he wished Calvin had kept MTB wrapped up on the rail and thought the making of the lead was a bit premature, but later acknowledged that MTB was too amped up before the race which placed Borel in a no win position down the backstretch when the horse turned rank. That's the difficulty in guaranteeing a win. There are too many variables in a horse race that no one - even an experienced, well-seasoned rider - can forsee, let alone control. After all, racing does exist on gambling revenue and try as you may no one can reduce it to a risk-free certainty on the level of a science and guarantee a win. There are just too many variables not under the control of a trainer or a jockey to call a race with the certitude Borel did the Belmont. Wooley is right that he had the best horse in the race, but MTB's rankness compromised that advantage. The rankness was more of a training and conditioning problem - not a riding issue. So let's let Calvin off the hook. His ride did not cost MTB the race. MTB's rankness was the culprit.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

William Cacho.ex rider — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:42:52 GMT

I was thinking the same ,but u Mr Campell have to put in writing ,similar history was Smart Strike,maybe I see again in Saratoga.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Swapsfan — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:59:27 GMT

Thanks, Mr. Campbell, for the excellent article. You put the Triple Crown races in perspective. I'm a racing fan but not an insider, so I enjoy reading TBH blogs. I don't know much about Calvin Borel; he may be a perfectly nice guy. But I agree with Robert; I dislike "showboating." I hoped Mine That Bird would win the Belmont; but when Borel "guaranteed" a win, I said to myself: That's it. He's gone too far. Pride goeth before a fall. (Unfortunately, I didn't pick Summer Bird!) I did read a comment during the Preakness-Belmont interim that Borel had no (or little) experience with Belmont track; so, interesting comments from SFP, McBeck and Mark about New York racing.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Soldier Course — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:18:45 GMT

Mr. Campbell:

How about this scorching hot weather today in South Carolina? We could be in for several more days of it. Stay cool.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

INNIE — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:23:07 GMT

Fire Slam,your analysis of the race track experience was dead on!

I've only actually attended one race in person - Big Brown's very last race,at Monmouth Park last fall. I'm not a gambler at all, but I had such a blast picking horses in each race. Cheering on my choices was such an adrenaline rush!! Didn't matter that I'll probably never hear of those horses again,it was just such a high watching the competition of it all. I even managed to pick 2 1st placers in addition to my Big Brown pick.

My point is,just the WHOLE race track experience was such a rush to this newbie at the track. I had one of the best times of my life that day,and found myself addicted to racing and the track. Only not for the betting and gambling. And hanging trackside to get a jock's sig. is just the icing on the cake - makes a great day even better!

Thanks,Fire Slam,for putting into words that feeling that I always found so hard to describe.

Interestingly,I was SO looking forward to going to the MassCap at Suffolk this year(never been before) - was hoping my sentimental favorite Commentator would be running again(he won it last year,and Zito likes the Suffolk track),and I'd get the thrill of seeing that beauty run.

Just read here on BloodHorse that Suffolk is CANCELING the MassCap this year due to the economy. The track can't afford it since they increased purses 2 years ago.

Can someone explain to me how a track could make more money on a regular,everyday race day as opposed to an event day like the MassCap? If you can't afford a big event - which is probably one of the biggest days for the track, in both monies AND attendance - why not knock off a few of those regular race days? I'm sure the event would most likely bring in double,if not more,than any ordinary race,so the track wouldn't be out anything.

Even though I live in MA,going to Suffolk Downs on any given Saturday is a bit difficult for me. I WOULD,however(and planned to)make the trip for the MassCap and the chance to see one of my favorite horses. So they have essentially just LOST money on me by NOT running the MassCap. I may not bet, but I buy refreshments, programs,t-shirts,etc.

So Fire Slam is correct - racing should be focusing on the family aspect of racing. Anyone who thinks that making money off families is impossible has never taken a family of 2 or more kids to any kind of entertainment venue. A Saturday afternoon at the movies can easily cost over $30 per kid when you add in food,

drink,and the video games before and after the movie. Make that parents and 3 kids - you're talking in the area of $150 for a 2 hour trip. Make that a 6 hour day at the track, and you're probably closing in on $1000, just from that one family. And they haven't made any bets yet.

There's money in them thar families, and it has nothing to do with gambling.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

jaw jacker — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:31:35 GMT

What I find most amazing is this: Year after year, riders on favored horses blow the Belmont in the exact same fashion. The old "don't move too early in the Belmont" piece of advice is not a complex one but time and again the same thing happens.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

TerriV — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:32:26 GMT

This Triple Crown season was unusual, fun and full of extraordinary moments and people. I loved it! And Calvin was a huge part of the joy of these races. Sure, we can play the "if" game, and the "if" game can be lots of fun, but mistakes will always be made - even by horses. Calvin is hard-working, honest and, most of all he loves the horses. I love to watch him ride, I love to see him win and I love the way he strokes his horses both in the paddock and after the race. As far as guaranteeing a win - I'd be willing to bet he'll never do that again.

And, by the way, NeedlerinVA, quite a few of us were not mad at Kent D for a month - he'll never be a hero. I'm in VA too - where are you?

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Robert — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:18:31 GMT

On all three points, Mr. Campbell is right. First, no one, other than Joe Namath, ever gets to guarantee a victory. Never. Period. Second, Calvin let the stars get in his eyes, as if having dinner with the Bushes and the Queen wasn't enough. Third, he let the the Bird take off too soon in the Belmont.

But I've got a couple of other problems with Calvin that Mr. Campbell didn't mention. Whether it's a football player high-stepping into the end zone, a basketball player with a dippsy-doodle wide-open slam, or a baseball player running "broken-winged" around the bases after a homer, I don't like the showboating. And let's face it -- Calvin is the worst offender among well-known jockies, whether it was whooping it up on Street Sense in the '07 Derby, rear-view hamming on Rachael in the Oaks, or that ridiculous finger-wagging on Bird in the '09 Derby. Ride the damn horse Calvin; the celebration begins on the other side of the finish line. Plus I think he quit riding Street Sense in the '07 Preakness, letting Curlin catch him at the wire. Watch the replay at full speed and tell me what you think.

And besides -- no one is engaged to the same girl for eight years. Marry the girl, Calvin, or call her your permanent girl friend, but she's not still your fiance.

Oh, and one other thing -- Mr. Campbell may think that switching jockeys on the Bird would have given us a Triple Crown winner, and he knows a lot more than I do about such things. But ABC's "virtual" rerunning of the Preakness was totally bogus; you can't put Calvin on Bird, run him on a different route, but have all the other horses run the same race. Me? I think Rachael doesn't lose that race. It may have taken the heart out of her, and she may never have run again, but I think she looks Bird in the eye, wherever Calvin puts him, and she beats him to the wire.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

Soldier Course — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:45:34 GMT

fire slam:

In a previous career I was a high school teacher. In addition to teaching, I also served as the advisor for the National Honor Society for eight years. I was responsible for tallying the faculty's votes regarding induction into NHS. Not every student who had the requisite GPA got inducted. The criteria were scholarship, leadership, service, and character, and I saw the individual tallies for each one.

I'd like to borrow a few words from Laura Hillenbrand to share what I learned from my NHS experience:

Character reigns preeminent in determining an honor. The faculty members saw character before they saw anything else.

I doubt that the panel members who vote for induction into the Racing Hall of Fame see things any differently.

re: More Hero; Less Goat - By Cot Campbell

fire slam — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:31:43 GMT

Soldier Course and Easygoer--

Borel did not move too early. MTB was pulling. If you know anything about riding (which i doubt you do) it was best to let him go, rather then fight him. How tired would he had been if Borel had strangled him?

C-Bo was not riding him into the turn. MTB was pulling down the backside, and Borel did what a Hall of Fame Jock is suppose to do--let the horse run.

How can staying with the filly stop him from getting into the hall of fame? He loves RA, and made a very heart felt decision to stay with her. Oh by the way--he won.

He has won two of the last three Derbies, and ran third in the other on Denis of Cork. Also won a Preakness, and in recent years, has won the Alabama, Jim Dandy, and KY Oaks.

Pretty good for someone who has derailed his Hall of Fame chances.

There is no other jock who could have gotten MTB around the track in and out of holes like C-Bo did.