Hey Joe
I enjoy most of your posts but cannot agree with the assessment that Desormeaux was at fault here aboard Czechers. While Kent D. is as volcanic and unpredictable as any jockey in our lifetime, he is also one of the most talented.
The pace, while quick saw the first three early, finish 1,2,and third. Graded events, this trip on firm turf, contested without the rail often feature lively splits.
Breaking very well from near the inside Czechers was very much under control early and finished nicely with a final pole in under twelve seconds. The 5yo Indian Charlie mare had class issues being 40-1 and 50-1 in her only other graded tries, yet in a front page DRF article prior to her last, trainer Glatt had the following quotes; (paraphrased) \"thruout her career, she\'s never been willing to drop the bit and finish\" and \"she just pulls and pulls... and pulls\". Plans to retire her have again surfaced and she has been booked to Candy Ride.
While the ticket construction police have repeatedly cited us for incompetence, hindsight says a VERY, VERY logical winner in eleven to ten Tuscan Evening, over some/all of them, over Czechers in a trifecta play would have been a good hedge.
Lastly find it very odd that some would question the agents/jockeys decision; it was a no brainer. Your a good player and due some luck. bbb