Dutrow openly criticizing Kent Desormeaux

[Lauruffian]

Wow. From this article at the Daily Racing Form online (bolding mine): http://www.drf.com/news/article/95324.html

Still unable to find anything physically wrong with Big Brown - who was vanned to Dutrow’s Aqueduct barn from Belmont Park late Monday morning - Dutrow turned his attention to jockey Kent Desormeaux and the ride he gave Big Brown, and why he felt the need to pull the horse up with a quarter-mile remaining in the race won by 38-1 shot Da’ Tara.

“I got people calling me from all over the world telling me I ran a sore horse in the race, the jock had to pull him up,” Dutrow said as he stood in his Aqueduct barn’s shed row waiting for Big Brown’s van. “I don’t know why he had to do that. If he felt the horse was sore, yeah, but the horse was fighting him the whole way through the lane and he was fighting the horse the whole way up till the lane. I just don’t get the whole thing.”

<snip>

“It was a huge race, biggest race I’ve ever been in. I feel like a loser right now and I don’t know why. Usually when I get beat I can handle it the right way, and I’ve handled this the right way, but I just feel like something’s not right. I know it’s not the combination that our stable has with the horse, me, [exercise rider] Michelle [Nevin], the groom. I know he went into this race unbelievable, so the rest Kent’s got to answer.”

Dutrow said the plan for the Belmont was to go directly to the front, as Big Brown did winning the Florida Derby. After an eighth of a mile, Big Brown was third as Da’ Tara went to the lead under Alan Garcia. Desormeaux attempted to get Big Brown off the rail, but first found Macho Again in his path, then Tale of Ekati and Anak Nakal.

Entering the first turn, Desormeaux took a hard hold of Big Brown and yanked him to the three-path, bumping with Anak Nakal before finding his running path outside of Tale of Ekati while Da’ Tara opened up a three-length lead around the clubhouse turn.

“Getting the horse from the gate to the first turn like that is not the way to play the game,” Dutrow said. "A lot of people say that it really confuses the horse. I’m sure he didn’t have [any] idea what the hell was going on going into the first turn the way [Desormeaux] was switching him all over the damn track. I don’t know what he was doing. Did he tell you what he was doing?"

Desormeaux’s explanation:

On Monday, Desormeaux, who was running a road race in Manhattan despite record heat, said that his plan was go to the lead, but that Big Brown slipped coming out of the gate and “I was immediately pinched back a length.”

At that point, Desormeaux said, he knew Da’ Tara was the horse to beat because he got the lead, and Desormeaux wanted to keep that horse honest.

“I wasn’t able to keep him honest,” Desormeaux said.

Desormeaux said that Big Brown was “very excitable the first quarter. I didn’t get my cozy spot till a quarter-mile” into the race.

“Certainly he was aggressive the first quarter-mile,” Desormeaux added, “but unlike the Preakness when he was attentive to my needs, he was not. Maybe three weeks off was too much time.”

Big Brown raced in third position down the backside and was wide. At the five-eighths pole, Desormeaux began to ask Big Brown for run, but the colt was not responsive.

Desormeaux said that he pulled Big Brown up only after all the other horses passed him. He said he did not feel the need to persevere on the horse, because he wasn’t going to finish anywhere but last.

"For every superfecta player, for every show-bet player, they need to rest assured that the horse quit a quarter of a mile before I did," said Desormeaux, who added that he felt like he was taking care of the horse.

[dressagetraks]

He did break badly, and that at least wasn’t Kent’s fault, I don’t think. Honestly, I’m more inclined to side against Dutrow on anything by this point because of his style (insert vomiting icon) , but I had figured on Saturday Kent would be the scapegoat for the loudmouth, arrogant jerk. BB was not himself; he looked mad/uncomfortable even before Kent pulled him roughly out on the first turn. True, not the best ride, but once you break that badly and go sideways, that knocks you onto Plan B from the start, and you aren’t going to make the lead.

Unless you are Slew in the Derby.

[Chiniko]

You can get a horse ready to break and break fast. You do have a lot of control in that department. I am ridiculously fast out of the gate. No one beats me and it’s a long standing joke with the gate crew (God bless 1/4 horses). If kent knows he has to “go” then set your horse to break RUNNING! It is possible… lot’s of great riders are considered “gate riders.” Knt is not one of them. My (not much of a ) guess is that he will not ride the horse back should he race again.

[dressagetraks]

Interesting. So when a horse has a craptastic break like War Emblem, about what percentage of the time is it at least partially the jockey’s fault, what percentage just “$$it happens”?

Um, yeah, I’d say that’s a very safe guess. :yes:

[Chiniko]

Craptastic is one thing, gettin one to run away from the gate on top is another thing. What plays out when a horse tries to leave rapidly is out of your hands. If it stumbles, nothing that cold have been done

[Lauruffian]

I just watched the replay, and while that first furlong isn’t pretty, it’s not catastrophic. Big Brown was outbroke, and was boxed in quickly. Kent had to think fast to get his horse out of trouble, and he did. BB looked a little pissed, but those first 15 seconds do not seem bad enough to justify the rest of the race. The colt was placed in the clear for over a mile, seemed to settle (though the shot wasn’t close enough to tell), and just quit.

War Emblem IMO was a very different horse in the sense that he was so one dimensional. I remember studying his PPs and noticing that is he didn’t get the lead–and a clear lead, where he wasn’t headed–he threw in the towel and was off the board. The bad stumble guaranteed he wouldn’t get the lead, and Mr. Mercurial threw a tantrum the rest of the race. It seemed Big Brown was more talented, more flexible, and more mentally mature (and tolerant) than WE and would be able to handle a little adversity. He didn’t, for whatever reason, on that day. I don’t think Kent has any more blame than any of his other handlers. That’s more or less how I see it.

[DickHertz]

Dutrow is an a$$hole. It could never be his fault. I do think Desormeaux panicked and didn’t want to have BB run last while driving him to the wire, but Dutrow should just STFU and go eat another cheeseburger while doing lines of coke.

[system]

After Dutrow’s comments it will be interesting to see who is on BB back for his next race in in August.

I respect Desormeaux for what he did and it doesn’t surprise me that Dutrow is pointing the finger at Desormeaux. A lay person could see the horse was laboring and he was absolutely done.

The magic “button” just wasn’t working on Saturday. 58% humidity 90+ degree temperatures, oppressive heat with the air is so heavy you can’t breath, he IS a smart horse I wouldn’t have wanted to run a mile and a half either.

[hitchinmygetalong]

And it appears the OWNER and the TRAINER have a little difference of opinion:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/sports/othersports/10racing.html?ref=othersports

Snippet:

[QUOTE]Iavarone and Dutrow differed in their evaluations of jockey Kent Desormeaux, who has been criticized for wrangling with Big Brown early and finding trouble on the rail.

Iavarone said he did not think Desormeaux had ridden the colt poorly.

“We didn’t tell Kent to ease Big Brown,” Iavarone said. “But we’re glad he did. Kent was worried about the horse, and we’re all glad that he brought him home healthy.”/QUOTE]

[europa]

The horse expended alot of energy fighting and running with his head stuck straight up in the air the first part of the race. Dutrow did not prepare his horse well enough for the distance IMHO…he was tired and did not have his trademark kick…why? Because he was not in shape. The horse came in to the hardest longest race of his life in scorching heat off steroids, on lasix and with little to no electrolytes. Now…whose fault is that Kent’s? What is appalling is the Dutrow has no grace in him at all. If I were him I would have met my champion in the morning the day after with a special treat to tell him that I had failed him and that it wouldn’t happen again. There is NO reason, if handled properly, why BB had not been in the mix at the top of the stretch. NONE

Dutrow has to live with that and he is choosing like any self-centered individual to blame Kent. Try looking in the mirror. Dutrow needs to go to the Matz school of conditioning.

[Pronzini]

@europa;3277921

The horse expended alot of energy fighting and running with his head stuck straight up in the air the first part of the race. Dutrow did not prepare his horse well enough for the distance IMHO…he was tired and did not have his trademark kick…why? Because he was not in shape. The horse came in to the hardest longest race of his life in scorching heat off steroids, on lasix and with little to no electrolytes. Now…whose fault is that Kent’s? What is appalling is the Dutrow has no grace in him at all. If I were him I would have met my champion in the morning the day after with a special treat to tell him that I had failed him and that it wouldn’t happen again. There is NO reason, if handled properly, why BB had not been in the mix at the top of the stretch. NONE

On the flipside, the horse did just run a mile and a quarter and a mile and three sixteenths in 5 weeks. And to be fair, Matz has never had that accomplishment nor has he proven he can condition for a 12 furlong dirt race until he goes out and wins one.

Dutrow is a big mouth but there is an interplay between the press and someone like him when stories like this come out. If the reporters didn’t have Rick Dutrow, they’d probably create him. They followed him around for five weeks, tripping on his every word and utterance which they then use to write stories and skewer him with. To be honest, I’m not sure how I’d handle that kind of attention. Matz did very well but I think we forget that before the Derby he’d already been the American hero and faced the international press both as the savior of those children from the burning plane and as the American flag bearer not to mention his worldwide exploits as a showjumper. Dollars will get you donuts, he was treated differently than a Dutrow by the people covering him just as Baffert “the clown” was treated differently than Lukas “the elder statesman” and the coverage generally reflects it.

But for all of his faults, Dutrow’s a lifer, a racetracker born to the game and he knows what he’s looking at out there and can see nuances about rides and races that are probably sailing over Iavarone’s head. When I watch races with people that have been in the game for 30 plus years, I’m generally amazed at what they can see but it comes from watching tens of thousands of races over the years and not only watching them but making the races your livelihood through the windows, claimbox or condition book. And Dutrow’s not saying anything that isn’t being muttered by other trainers (albeit quoted anonymously in Kerrison’s piece) who were utterly baffled by Desormeaux’s ride.

[europa]

I have to say that although the ride was not pretty he was trying to get him to the front like the gameplan. Did they have a plan B? I was concerned that he seemed to be ramming or not able to control the horse from ramming himself into the front horse. Seems like the smarter decision to save horse and wait it out might him been the ticket.

However, you can’t tell me that horse was in condition. He just couldn’t keep up the pace. The track from what I had seen did appear pretty deep. Did he train on that depth or had they added more footing for the race? If he trained on it then how did he handle it and how far did he train on it? All questions to ask. Did they blow him out the morning of the race like they did at the Derby or were they saving all his energy?

The horse only had a few workouts according to what I have read…that cannot possibly be good for preparing for a marathon. Surely Dutrow in all his track years knew this. I still think he should be taking the heat as he was the Captain of the ship.

[KatherineC]

You need to win gracefully and lose gracefully. Dutrow did neither. Michael Matz did both. They replayed the video of Matz after Barbaro won the Derby and he was greatful, humble and so happy. His reaction was heartwarming to watch. The trainer of Street Sense was very similar in how he handled himself last year (Carl…can’t remember his last name). Remember years ago when he called the race for the eldery owner of Unbridled because she couldn’t see the race (she was visually impaired). Another truly touching moment.

This is called sportmanship and it is something Mr Dutrow should become more familiar with.

[hessy35]

[QUOTE=europa;3278034]

The horse only had a few workouts according to what I have read…that cannot possibly be good for preparing for a marathon. Surely Dutrow in all his track years knew this. I still think he should be taking the heat as he was the Captain of the ship.[/QUOTE]

Horse was injured too with the bad hoof… However, I think arrogance is the true cause of the loss. Just because you think you have the best horse in the world doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do everything you can possibly do to prepare that horse for the longest race in his life - but that didn’t happen. It’s called resting on your laurels - Mr. Dutrow.

[paintjumper]

Michael Matz is a HORSEman…

For Matz, he is blessed to be in the presence of one of God’s greatest creations and he cares very much for their wellbeing. And is shows. I don’t care if Dutrow was born in a race track stall in the straw, horses are the bottom dollar for him, that and his warped ego is all he thinks about. He did not prepare BB for that race, it was the same heat, dirt, and humidity for ALL the other horses in that race and they made it to the finish line. Of course the jockey is the scapegoat, maybe he made the right decision maybe he didn’t, but he chose on the side of protecting the horse and in my book that is good thing. The bottom line is in the heat of the moment the jockey realized his horse was not anywhere close to what he had ridden before and short of a dangling leg or blood blowing back onto his goggles he knew something wasn’t right and saved a POTENTIAL threat to the horses’ life.
I don’t know the jockey or his history and I don’t care, but I think he did the right thing and that Dutrow should be begging BB’s forgiveness for letting him down.

[Acertainsmile]

I believe he trained on the surface, but there was lack of water on the track for the Belmont… I read that there was no water at Belmont Park for 2 hours that day.

The track surface most probably played a major part in BB not getting away from the gate as expected…not much you can do about that.

As far as Dutrow… It’s the same old story, you have a great jockey when they’re winning for you, when you get beat it’s the riders fault. Nothing really new here.

[JER]

If you don’t want a quirky jockey who goes with his instincts when the gate opens, don’t hire Kent Desormeaux.

Dutrow’s a jerk and this TC just put the word out to a national audience.

[lcw579]

[QUOTE=Pronzini;3277995]
On the flipside, the horse did just run a mile and a quarter and a mile and three sixteenths in 5 weeks. And to be fair, Matz has never had that accomplishment nor has he proven he can condition for a 12 furlong dirt race until he goes out and wins one.

Dutrow is a big mouth but there is an interplay between the press and someone like him when stories like this come out. If the reporters didn’t have Rick Dutrow, they’d probably create him. They followed him around for five weeks, tripping on his every word and utterance which they then use to write stories and skewer him with. To be honest, I’m not sure how I’d handle that kind of attention. Matz did very well but I think we forget that before the Derby he’d already been the American hero and faced the international press both as the savior of those children from the burning plane and as the American flag bearer not to mention his worldwide exploits as a showjumper. Dollars will get you donuts, he was treated differently than a Dutrow by the people covering him just as Baffert “the clown” was treated differently than Lukas “the elder statesman” and the coverage generally reflects it.

But for all of his faults, Dutrow’s a lifer, a racetracker born to the game and he knows what he’s looking at out there and can see nuances about rides and races that are probably sailing over Iavarone’s head. When I watch races with people that have been in the game for 30 plus years, I’m generally amazed at what they can see but it comes from watching tens of thousands of races over the years and not only watching them but making the races your livelihood through the windows, claimbox or condition book. And Dutrow’s not saying anything that isn’t being muttered by other trainers (albeit quoted anonymously in Kerrison’s piece) who were utterly baffled by Desormeaux’s ride.[/QUOTE]

I’m with you on this one. I feel a little sorry for Dutrow, he is being vilified for the very things that have made others such charming human interest stories.

For example: bad luck, hardscrabble background, overcoming addictions to make it to the top of his field. Does anyone remember the name of that jockey they did that long piece on a few years back? He had hit rock bottom due to addiction and then made it back to the top. It was all sunshine and roses about him, he was such an inspiration for those battling addiction - for Dutrow, people are still calling him an addict. Not really fair.

Loud and obnoxious, maybe, but so was Muhammad Ali and he didn’t always win either but he was beloved. The guy was riding high and proud of his horse, did it really hurt anyone to have him shooting his mouth off? Many sports figures are loud and obnoxious, met any pro ball players? Not so nice many of them, yet they are held up as roll models for children :eek:. Read the thread in hunter/jumpers that details GM’s antics during clinics - he’s considered a character and charming. I consider telling someone who is paying you to roll in the dirt more hateful than all the over the top bravado in the world.

Dutrow had the best horse for the Derby and the Preakness. Something went horribly wrong for the Belmont. It was probably a combination of a lot of things. Maybe Big Brown didn’t get a great ride (even great jockeys make mistakes), he missed some training, it was really hot and maybe, just like some people, he can’t handle the heat as well as some other horses can. We may never know the real reason. However, it doesn’t diminish BB’s earlier accomplishments and I, for one, am hoping to see him race again to prove himself and to justify, just a bit, all of Dutrow’s braggadaccio.

[findeight]

It was only a matter of time before this came up…horses are good at making liars out of anybody who ever touts their talents in any venue. God forbid anybody share any blame here, better to point fingers and blame somebody else instead of admit that’s what makes it a horse race.

Those that are truely horsemen know this and stay on the humble side because they know that they don’t know.

I missed the live race. Watched the replay and thought BB looked a little rattled loading and the first furlong or so. BUT he sure looked like it was his to lose going into that far turn even knowing what happened. Sitting right outside in third or so, seemed to be moving well and easily and looked interested. Then he just stopped. Even before KD started pulling him up he just stopped running…that was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. It looked like he was hurt even tho I knew he was not.

Soooo, does KD beat him to stagger home? Maybe take that mistep?

Nope, right decision…and seemed a good ride to the point he stopped. There was traffic, he got out of it. So what.

Mr. Dutrow should consider himself lucky he got a live and sound horse back and accept his dose of humility like a man and a horseman.

IMO the fault, if there is any, lies with the missed training days, extreme heat and humidity and the well known to be deep footing. RD made a mistake skipping those days and maybe one in running the horse-who knows. But he’s not one to learn from his misatkes now, is he?

[europa]

I have no problem with him bragging about his horse. I too love and believe in BB and still do. I just think he should be looking at the prep from his end rather then blaming the jockey. Bottom line is he needs to figure out what BB didn’t like and make sure the conditions don’t line up against him. I for one want to see the handsome bay in the winners circle again where he rightfully belongs.