If you were in a critical position where you needed your horse to win it's race at all costs. Perfect trip and timing, everything had to be done right. Which living United States based jockey, active or retired would you use? Id use Bailey every time, there is no better jockey out there active or retired.
I tend to agree with you, but them's fightin' words with some people on this forum.Originally Posted by BaileysBest
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans - Betty Talmadge
Peace through strength - Ronald Reagan
Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your own experience or convictions - Dag Hammarskjold
Political correctness is tyranny with manners. - Charlton Heston
Obama got a Mulligan - but will he still blame Bush?!~ - Ballerina
I couldn't possibly answer this as different riders suit different horses. Although not a popular choice, PVal used to be a great money rider when he was showing up. Cordero seemed to be a win at all costs kinda guy too.
Bailey would be my choice as well. But there were a few years when no one was better than Eddie Maple.
Everyone come home sound
Angel Cordero Jr....
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on
the support of Paul.
~George Bernard Shaw
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
~Cicero - 55 BC
He's a good choice and he seems to be mentoring JV well, too.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans - Betty Talmadge
Peace through strength - Ronald Reagan
Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your own experience or convictions - Dag Hammarskjold
Political correctness is tyranny with manners. - Charlton Heston
Obama got a Mulligan - but will he still blame Bush?!~ - Ballerina
The statement 'win it's race at all cost' made the pick of Cordero a no-brainer for me.
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on
the support of Paul.
~George Bernard Shaw
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
~Cicero - 55 BC
Most of you probably aren't old enough to remember Shoemaker and how dominant he was.
If the question is what jockey understands a race profile knowing the other horses/jockeys as well as he knows his own and puts his horse in the best position to win throughout the race, then I'd vote for Chris McCarron.
If the question is what jockey saves the most for last, be it on the front-end throughout or in dramatic from last to first style, then it's Eddie D.
If the question is coulda woulda shoulda for a lifetime, then its PVal.
Honestly the question is unanswerable without considering other factors. I'd opt for the jock that likes the horse, believes in the horse, listens and respects the trainer, knows the circuit and tries. That may or may not be a Hall of Famer.
^^ This exactly.
If the question has anything to do with a strong left handed whip and the sheer ability to literally carry a horse home the final sixteenth, then it's got to be Laffitt Pincay.
If you want to stay at home on a small circuit and dominate your competition year after year, then it's Russell Baze.
I think that about almost every horse i lead over, so i've been in that position many,many times and was lucky enough to secure almost all the top east coast riders at one time or another. I'd take Cordero hands down. Angel would do anything to win, and do it with flair. As an aside, if the OP added a stipulation that the rider had to be under 22, the slam dunk winner would have been The Ant. At that tender age he was as gifted as any rider that anyone has ever seen.
How about best/funniest jockey stories over the years.
For example, some of the Cordero/Pincay agressive riding tactic stories are legendary and fun to look back on.
One of my favorites was from waaaay back, I think it was Hollywood Park and the jocks were meeting in their room to vote, many were scared about the condition of the track as some water had pooled near the far turn and they thought it was unsafe just as the horses were straightening away for the stretch drive. Shoemaker came up with the solution......let's take some white chalk out and just paint a big circle on the wet spot and then everybody will know where to aviod, it was about 15 feet wide from the rail out. So they do exactly that, and the next race goes off on schedule, the horses on the far turn began to float wide out to miss the danger zone, and Shoemaker sitting in about 8th place at the time hugged the rail, went right through the wet spot, saved ground and won the race! Congrats LOL.
Johnny V. Union Rags jockey.
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