Talented Rosario Is Not There Yet
warrenthebull
Member
I noted this morning an article out of the Daily Racing Form concerning a talented young face named Joel Rosario. We spotted this youngster way back when he was scratching out a living in northern California. It's true he's improved eons and those of you who have read some of posts know once he began to listen to his former agent he blossomed.
I remember like it was yesterday when Vince DeGregory, who has worked for the best jockeys in the land, was tutoring Rosario. He was moving at the wrong time in races. DeGregory hammered him for not having the whip in his left hand during crunch time. Horses were drifting in behind horses when Rosario was riding mainly right-handed. Riding hard in crunch time was another thing DeGregory kept preaching. Little by little Rosario began to realize DeGregory was, in fact, passing along knowledge he should be applying.
To say I was saddened when Rosario fired DeGregory would be an understatement. But it should be noted his ex-agent had a great deal to do with his fast up the California jockey ladder. Those of you who still follow the racing in that state are aware DeGregory has been working with Alonso Quinonez. Little by little he is improving in the eyes of many trainers. I have known many jockey agents over the years. The majority of them have not been teachers while excelling in the art of massaging trainer egos. DeGregory has been, and continues to be, a great teacher in the art race riding.
Rosario is a genuine talent. He's not among the elite just yet. He's got a long way to go!!!!!!!!
It seems like this day and age we are too quick to attach greatness to many. This grizzled veteran of the horse racing world has seen many so called greats over the years. They, over the course of a long period of time, earned their stripes. Rosario is a long way from that plateau.
What is great? It can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. Bill Hartack comes to mind. You may not have liked his acey-deucy riding style. As a member of the press you probably didn't like his demeanor. But what you cannot deny is the legacy he earned in big dances over a period of time.
Greatness must be earned over a long period of time, in more than once century. Let's temper our raves, and also our rants, for a few more years when discussing jockeys who look to have it all.
It's sad, but we seldom ever hear names like Eddie Arcaro, Bill Shoemaker and Jackie Westrope mentioned. How soon we forget. In my first years on the racetrack I had no idea how lucky I was to see Arcaro ride. Shoemaker? He was quiet as a mouse but his "hands" made an indelible mark in horse racing history. And I'll never forget the day "the Rope" was killed at Hollywood Park. I was in the pressbox. Speaking of left-handed whipping. Not even his astute ability to hit left-handed could stop Cuter Yet from crashing into the fence midway through the stretch. Those guys earned their greatness titles.
The process of earning greatness does not come packaged after a jockey wins a few riding titles and a hand full of feature races. Rosario is only several rungs up the ladder of greatness. He could attain a lot of respect before it's all over, even in this day and age of depleted equine talent.
I remember like it was yesterday when Vince DeGregory, who has worked for the best jockeys in the land, was tutoring Rosario. He was moving at the wrong time in races. DeGregory hammered him for not having the whip in his left hand during crunch time. Horses were drifting in behind horses when Rosario was riding mainly right-handed. Riding hard in crunch time was another thing DeGregory kept preaching. Little by little Rosario began to realize DeGregory was, in fact, passing along knowledge he should be applying.
To say I was saddened when Rosario fired DeGregory would be an understatement. But it should be noted his ex-agent had a great deal to do with his fast up the California jockey ladder. Those of you who still follow the racing in that state are aware DeGregory has been working with Alonso Quinonez. Little by little he is improving in the eyes of many trainers. I have known many jockey agents over the years. The majority of them have not been teachers while excelling in the art of massaging trainer egos. DeGregory has been, and continues to be, a great teacher in the art race riding.
Rosario is a genuine talent. He's not among the elite just yet. He's got a long way to go!!!!!!!!
It seems like this day and age we are too quick to attach greatness to many. This grizzled veteran of the horse racing world has seen many so called greats over the years. They, over the course of a long period of time, earned their stripes. Rosario is a long way from that plateau.
What is great? It can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. Bill Hartack comes to mind. You may not have liked his acey-deucy riding style. As a member of the press you probably didn't like his demeanor. But what you cannot deny is the legacy he earned in big dances over a period of time.
Greatness must be earned over a long period of time, in more than once century. Let's temper our raves, and also our rants, for a few more years when discussing jockeys who look to have it all.
It's sad, but we seldom ever hear names like Eddie Arcaro, Bill Shoemaker and Jackie Westrope mentioned. How soon we forget. In my first years on the racetrack I had no idea how lucky I was to see Arcaro ride. Shoemaker? He was quiet as a mouse but his "hands" made an indelible mark in horse racing history. And I'll never forget the day "the Rope" was killed at Hollywood Park. I was in the pressbox. Speaking of left-handed whipping. Not even his astute ability to hit left-handed could stop Cuter Yet from crashing into the fence midway through the stretch. Those guys earned their greatness titles.
The process of earning greatness does not come packaged after a jockey wins a few riding titles and a hand full of feature races. Rosario is only several rungs up the ladder of greatness. He could attain a lot of respect before it's all over, even in this day and age of depleted equine talent.
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