HE SPOILS US WITH HIS BRILLIANCE
Sunday, August 31, 2008
For me, today was great healing from last week’s Travers when I was riding Mambo in Seattle and got nosed out by Colonel John in the photo. It would have been great to win for trainer Neil Howard. But you have to move on. I’m just glad to have a Grade 1 victory at Saratoga. The fans here were so appreciative of Curlin – he knows when they cheer for him, he gets all swollen up with confidence, and he showed what he could do. Racing needs a star like Curlin. He always exceeds our expectations and puts in a great performance. He spoils us with his brilliance.
To take you through the Woodward, he hadn’t been leaving the gate real well his last couple of starts so today I wanted to be sure he was standing good and he got away equally with everyone, and he did. So that was the first step I needed. On the first turn I was wide and was between two horses, getting bounced around a little bit, but he’s a big horse and he handled it. On the backside, he tugged a bit, let me know he was there and on the far turn, they were still far enough in front of him that I needed to get him moving. Not aggressively call on him, but just get him moving. And he did it. He was making up ground fast on the turn and I thought I had a shot at them, knowing how fast they went up front.
I don’t like it, but I had to hit him a couple of times, just to get him going. He’s getting older, a little lackadaisical. I just spanked him a couple of times and he got by Past the Point – who ran a huge race -- and he eased up the last couple of strides. It was fine with me, it wasn’t a nose finish like the Travers.
GETTING READY FOR THE BIG RACE
Friday, August 29, 2008
On Woodward day, even though I ride eight, eight good races, I’ll still be focusing on Curlin and the big race. It’s always that way. All day long, you catch yourself thinking about the big race. I know I am going to doing things over and over again, replaying different situations, different scenarios in my head. I think about Plan A, Plan B, if this happens I’m going to do this, or if that happens I’m going to do that. All throughout the day, you think about it. A lot of it is split second decisions. Sometimes I’ve found myself in a situation I didn’t have an answer for. Sometimes the horse is good enough to overcome it, sometimes they aren’t. Other times I’ve ridden races and I’ve won the race and it worked out exactly like I wanted it to happen. With Curlin, the two Dubai races and the Stephen Foster worked out exactly like we wanted them to. You know, when they’re much the best, sometimes it’s easier. Curlin was much the best in those races, so you just perch and let him do his thing.
BACK FROM LOUISVILLE
Thurday, August 28, 2008
I got back from spending two days at home, in Louisville, with my family. Did I play golf? Of course! I live on the golf course -- my home is on hole No. 5, a tough 1-handicap par-4. I shot well on Tuesday, and even better yesterday -- a 75, which I was pretty proud of. I also got to take my boys, Kaden and Kash, dirt-biking on a piece of property I own, doing “normal-life” stuff. Sometimes, in racing, you lose track of your priorities. Before you know it, they’re grown and graduated and out of the house. That’s why in September, I take off most of the month and just ride on weekends.
I was born in Louisiana, and sometimes people ask why I love Kentucky so much. It’s different down there. It’s similar to Saratoga in many ways because horses permeate the whole culture. If you play baseball, you’d want to be in Boston or New York. If you play hockey, you’d want to live in Canada. If you were into rodeoing, you’d want to be in Texas or Nevada. College football? Florida. Horse racing? Kentucky. People in Kentucky are so knowledgeable about racing. I never have to explain to people what I do for a living. You get educated questions. People don’t ask simple stuff like, ‘What horse do you ride,’ it’s more like ‘What happened at the quarter-pole?’ Just like everyone at Saratoga has been to the races, everyone in Louisville has been to Churchill Downs, and everyone in Lexington has been to Keeneland. It’s a way of life.
FORE!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
If you want to find me when I’m not riding or with my family, look no further than the nearest golf course. I try to play two to three times a week. It’s a good release from riding every day – it’s four hours, just being in the outdoors, enjoying a safe sport where I can’t get hurt. I used to enjoy playing basketball, but it’s too dangerous. A lot of trainers and owners and other jockeys play – Filiberto Leon, Mike Luzzi, Jerry Bailey are some of them When I’m in Saratoga, I play at Saratoga National, which is just down the street from the racetrack. I shot a 76 the first time I played there this year. It must have rained every day the first three weeks of the meet and not only did it compromise turf racing, it messed up my golf game, too.
Before I started playing, I could never understand why people played golf, or why they would even watch it. I found it boring. One day, I just woke up and decided to take up golf. Now, I would play every day if I could. I’m about a six handicap. I used to find it frustrating. I would play a golf course, play mad, and leave mad. Now, I take it all in. I taught myself how to play – I never took an official golf lesson – and I tried to play with better players than me. It’s like riding with better riders. I know I’m not ever going to be a professional golfer, but I am good enough to enjoy it.
It goes without saying that I would love to meet Tiger Woods one day. The funny thing is, since he has not played, I really haven’t watched a golf event. The Ryder Cup is in Louisville, too, but since Tiger isn’t in it, it’s changed the game.
SARATOGA SPECIAL
Monday, August 25, 2008
This is my eighth season riding here full-time, but I’ve taken the last couple of years off and gone to Chicago. This year, I had some momentum coming here being the leading rider at Churchill Downs, and trainers like Kenny McPeek, Ronny Werner, and Neil Howard were bringing some horses here as well. All it takes is 1 or 2 good horses. I didn’t come here specifically for Curlin, but it’s always good to be around him.
I don’t breeze him in the mornings – Carlos Rosas is his exercise rider and he does a great job – but periodically I’ll swing by the barn and take a glance at him, go by his stall. Sunday morning, I went to breeze a different horse for Steve Asmussen and Curlin was already cooling out. I watched him for a while, which is a treat. I don’t know if he recognized me, but I’d like to think that he knows me. I’ve ridden him in all but one of his races, and Carlos is the only other one who gets on him regularly, so, yeah, I think he knows me.
I think anyone could ride him, especially now. Early on, we kind of learned together. He had some quirks early in his career – he would drift out, and he didn’t want to switch leads. But now, I just pilot him around. All I have to do is be a good passenger.
When he was schooling in the paddock the other day, he had a crowd watching him. That’s how popular Curlin is. I had a 10-year-old kid ask me the other day how Curlin was doing. If a 10-year-old is asking about a specific horse, then that horse has made a pretty powerful impact. I think that’s what we’ve got to do, is target young fans, because that’s the future. Curlin even has a page on his website for kids where they can play a game with photos of him [http://www.gocurlin.com/fan-kids-corner.shtml] which I think is great.
