alm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think that you nailed it.
>
> If you want to see his all-time bonehead ride,
> watch the Real Quiet Belmont Stakes. If he sits
> still in the saddle and rides the horse through
> the lane, he wins. But Kent D cannot sit still.
>
> He got all over the horse, moving around in the
> saddle, whipping him, turning his head to see
> Victory Gallop coming on. Everything that he
> could do to throw the horse off balance. He loses
> by an inch...goodbye Triple Crown.
True, I wanted to strangle him after his \'06 Derby ride on Sweetnorthernsaint, though he really redeemed himself in the \'09 Belmont with his perfectly timed move on Summer Bird. He said in his post-race interview that he let Mine That Bird and other horses pass him with their premature middle moves, determined not to make the same mistake. That horse really improved when Kent started ridding him and earned the 3YO colt Eclipse.
Speaking of interviews, I always get a kick out of Kent\'s. While its sometimes funny hearing him use the wrong words, it\'s also a refreshing change from many other jocks who merely repeat the usual boring cliche. So the guy doesn\'t have a college degree, but he at least tries to sound intelligent and original.
I guess it\'s the same with his rides. He shoots for the moon. When he fails it\'s a disaster, but when he succeeds it\'s a work of art.
Bob
