The Baffert Mystery

[voicemale]

I only bought the PP\'s for Saturday. But after listening to the seminar, I went back and something struck as more than odd about...McKinzie. Here is a horse - on paper at least - who looks just plain better than the rest. Having a great year. So I wondered when I saw this: McKinzie has had one rider for the last 2 years. Mike Smith. For the Classic? Mckinzie gets...Rosario. WTF?

Mike Smith is on Yoshida. This was stunning to me in light of what seminar indicated about Baffert horses as a whole. Smith gets off the Classic favorite to ride a horse in Yoshida who\'s winless this year. McKinzie ran in the Classic last year and was up the track in 12th at 7-2. You could probably say Smith knows this horse just doesn\'t have 10 furlongs in him. Which is a good assumption to make. But...

In an undercard race, Baffert has comebacking Roadster - once his main Derby horse this year - at 7-5. Smith had been on him 4 of 5 starts. Saturday? The NY based Irad Ortiz will sit his ass on Roadster for the first time. While Smith sits in the jocks room. Thinking Smith could be the idicator that the Baffert horses might be a pass on Saturday.

[dglass2232]

Not Smith\'s choice to get off McKinzie. Baffert took away the mount and likely others.

[voicemale]

Why?

[dglass2232]

He wasn\'t happy with ride last out.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/horseracing/2019/10/03/in-surprising-move-baffert-takes-jockey-smith-off-mckinzie/40241247/

[voicemale]

Not sure I buy that. Baffert and Smith go back a long time. McKinzie didn\'t lose because of a ride by Smith. He\'s ridden a lot more poorly than that. I think JB might be spot on about Baffert and the BC in general: his horses won\'t necessarily fire. And Smith knows it.

[TGJB]

Smith clearly was fired. Cause you can’t fire the horse.

[dglass2232]

With all due respect, Baffet horses not firing on a BC per JB\'s point is one thing. Taking the position, that Smith opted off the Baffert\'s because he feels he can\'t win on them or has better chances on other could not be more wrong. Mike Smith was essentially fired by Bob. There is no lack of articles, from numerous publicaions with quotes from Baffert himself that support that.

[Strike]

TGJB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Smith clearly was fired. Cause you can’t fire
> the horse.

\"I respect Mike and he\'s my friend, but I\'m entitled to change my mind,\" Baffert said Thursday. \"McKinzie is not a difficult horse to ride and my whole focus right now is to get him really right.\"