Big Money Mike

[FrankD.]

The first whine that comes out of a bettors mouth when he loses a bet is the jock did or didn\'t do this or that. Sometimes it\'s justified many times it\'s not, your\'s truly is as guilty as anyone.

In this particular venue \"Wide Mike\" has been maligned as much as anyone over the years. We live and die on ground loss! A two time Eclipse Award winner, hall of fame inductee in 2003, winner of 4 Triple Crown races and the king of the Breeders Cup with an amazing 25 victories.

The hardcore everyday horse player in New York is hardly sensitive or rarely politically correct to say the least. Angel Cordero was booed anytime he lost on a favorite and was called \"the monkey\", when Chris Antley, Kent D. P. Val were in town they were always greeted with have another beer or lets do a line.

In the early 90\'s Mike was at the top of his game in NY, leading rider 91-93, 20 Grade 1 wins in 94, Eclipse Awards in 93-94, Prairie Bayou, Lure, Holy Bull. He rode as good as anyone whoever sat a horse for 7-8 years. In 1998 he broke a shoulder in March, was out a few months came back and was involved in one of the worst incidents on a race track that I\'ve ever seen at the Spa. Many thought he was dead. He broke a couple vertebrae in his back and spent several months in a body cast.

He came back in 99 and was not the same rider, started taking the safe way around the oval ala Johnny V, the past few years, Jerry Bailey at the end of his career.
He was booed off the NY circuit, lost most of his business, most crushing to him was losing the Shug/Phipps mounts, he was their guy. In 2000 he went out to Cali and struggled for a few years. He was done, toast, would never again be the same rider and was labeled Wide Mike, why would you ever bet him?

In 2005 he won the Derby on 50/1 Giacomo, a son of Holy Bull in 2008 he got aboard
Zenyatta and became relevant again.

All \"Wide Mike\" did the past 2 days was have 8 BC mounts, 3 wins, 3 seconds and a third not just on the even money big horses either. Finest City $19.40, Tamarkuz $25.80 and a 2nd on Coasted at 23/1.

He is now in my book officially Big Money Mike the King of the Breeders Cup.

Frank D.

[Silver Charm]

Incredibly well said Frank. I was around down here in S Florida in the early 90\'s when Bailey moved in and took his spot. Mike was also splitting off from his long time lovely wife. (How did Tiger Woods golf game do when dealt with this and rehabing from injuries?)

I\'ve heard Jerry Bailey marvel at how hard Mike works to stay in shape. Remember people he is an athlete in his 50\'s. I\'ve known people who rode him and all of them would say \"give him instructions and he will follow\". Why is he getting all these Top Mounts from Top Connections?

Lastly the guy is personally all class. Say the right rhings. Great quotes. Stops for a picture. It\'s more about the game than it is about him. Hear that NFL athletes?

[johnnym]

I wonder if Smith rode Chrome the outcome would of been different?
Reason I say this?I watched the race again and Victor to me rode not to loose. Victor was looking around way to much, kind of waiting on Smith horse to make his move.
Great post Frank did not know Smith history.

[mjellish]

I fully expected them to send Arrogate from the 10 post out of the gate, play catch me if you can and try to wire the field.  Was a little surprised when Smith didn\'t go early on, especially when I saw the first two fractions and was thinking what the hell is he doing letting Chrome get away like that?

Very patient, confident ride IMO.

The rail was open heading into the second turn and if Smith doesn\'t ask Arrogate right there to go, dart down to the inside and cut the corner I dunno if he would have got there in the end, and there\'s a lot of jocks who would not have made that move.

That\'s about as good of a ride, at least for the second half of the trip, as you will ever see.  Not to mention switching to the right handed stick in deep stretch to get a little more.

[Silver Charm]

Victor was horrible. Yucking it up in Distant warm up then Stellar Wind misses the break. Agree Johnny. Can\'t image Pat Day on Chrome with a all those body antics. Look at his ride on Cat Thief.

[FrankD.]

Silver,

You mean Pat \" I\'ll wait all Day\" LOL

Next time we chat I\'ll tell you the story of my flight back to Chicago after the 87 Travers the biggest one race score of my life, Java Gold, Cryptoclearance, Polish Navy as the skies opened up in a monsoon during the post parade!!!

I sat with Pat and Phil Tenowitz, Crypto\'s owner in a row of 3 seats.

[P-Dub]

I have been calling him that for years. Best in the game.

For years around here I\'ve taken ridicule for defending this guy. The \"wide Mike\" thing got so ridiculous I just stopped commenting. If people want to perpetuate a myth in their minds, you\'re not gonna change it. Many jockeys take horses wide, when Smith does it, its because he \"always does that\". When he goes inside or cuts the corner, something he does more often than you want to believe, its ignored.

I have no idea why it took this long for you guys to recognize how great he is, but you\'re finally coming around.

Frank,
Great post. Thanks for sharing it. Hope you had a great weekend.

[FrankD.]

Paul,

A Wide Mike post gets you up this early on the left coast!!!!
LOL  I should have dedicated it to you.

[TempletonPeck]

Without taking any position on whether Wide Mike is a bum or a legend, there appears to me an extremely high correlation between \"Guys who have the most Breeders\' Cup victories\" and \"guys who are of an age that they\'ve raced in a lot of Breeders\' Cups.

[johnnym]

I would love to hear that story as well.

[SteveB]

From today\'s San Diego Union newspaper.

\"Shortly after the Smith engineered upset was complete, Team Arrogate was asked about whether the newly minted star would compete next year. Garrett O'Rourke, racing manager for Lexington's Juddmonte Farms, said all signs leaned that direction.\"

O'Rourke: "That's the good news. The bad news is we're going to bring him to
England."

Smith: "I'll go to England. Call me English Mike."

[johnnym]

Heffernan(SP) ride on Highland Reel was equal to any of Smith\'s ride. That was a great ride.

[P-Dub]

Good one Frank.

I\'m never up this early. But I went to bed early...for me...and woke up around 7am.  Noon flight back to the Bay Area.

You didn\'t think I wouldn\'t chime in about my guy, did you??

BTW 72,811 the reported attendance and 45,000+ on Friday for the biggest 2 day attendance since they\'ve gone to 2 days. It didn\'t feel cramped at all, unless you wanted a corned beef sandwich, That line was long. The betting lines weren\'t bad at all, and the mutuel machines never had more than 5 people in front of you.

Don\'t know how many of you have been to SA, but its perfect for the BC. Huge property, plenty of seats - with many places set up with tables/food and drink/mutuel clerks, lots of parking, several ways to get to the track from the freeway. Beautiful grounds, fountains, landscaping, the San Gabriel mountains sitting behind the backstretch. The weather is usually perfect.

Thanks JB and staff for putting out another outstanding BC seminar. Hard to not make money if you bought it.

[P-Dub]

johnnym Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Heffernan(SP) ride on Highland Reel was equal to
> any of Smith\'s ride. That was a great ride.


He rode a nice race. He took a speed horse and took him wire to wire. Opened up down the backstretch and never gave the closers a chance.

Heffernan rode a very good race, but c\'mon. That doesn\'t compare to what Smith did on Arrogate. The patience, timing, stick work, dropping to the rail (yeah people, he does that too), getting every last bit of effort out of that horse down the stretch. That was a Great ride.

People can say he has the most BC wins because he\'s old. Bullshit. When the money is on the line, this guy will more often than not give you a great ride. The stats don\'t lie.  Check out the prices on the winners, lots of prices. Hits the board a lot too. He isn\'t always riding Cadillacs.

[johnnym]

Never will I take anything away from Smith he showed up big on his home court.Yes that was a good ride, if he didn\'t drop down he for sure would of lived up to his nick name and lost the race.
Early Derby thought; I hope Classic Empire goes in as the Favorite unlike Smith I just cannot trust Frenchy come Derby day.