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Don't discuss Red Bullet this week with Bailey
By Marc Connolly
ABC Sports Online
ELMONT, N.Y. -- From a distance, it's easy to fall prey to feelings of compassion and disappointment for jockey Jerry Bailey. Up close, it's a whole different story.
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Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey won the Preakness in convincing fashion aboard Red Bullet. |
After all, he rode a brilliant race on a less-than-satisfactory Pimlico track aboard an extraordinary colt just three weeks ago in a series once dubbed the FuPeg Open. Rather than get the chance to win his second Belmont Stakes and receive further glory as one of the sport's most successful figures, the 42-year-old jockey was forced to make other plans when Red Bullet pulled out last week.
But rather than give the press the expected, "Ah shucks, I'm very disappointed but all I can do is make the best of things, figure it wasn't meant to be and go from there," Bailey is taking the anti-sympathetic role. He's treating such inquiries as though you're asking about an ex-girlfriend, a sudden case of hemorrhoids or his thoughts on Howard Stern.
It's not to be discussed. And he won't talk to you if you mistakenly bring it up twice. In other words, do not feel sorry for Bailey.
Deep in the bowels of the majestic Belmont Park exists a clubhouse where the jockeys hang out, shower up, chat up their agents on cell phones and, occasionally, talk to media. That's where Bailey could be found on Thursday morning in the midst of a very busy week of racing. For the Hall of Fame jockey, it's business as usual -- days filled with as many as seven or eight different races to ride. The only exception being that the ninth race on Saturday is for a lot more dough, tons of prestige and televised to a national audience. It's something that Bailey has lived through 14 times here, and 35 times overall between the three jewels of the Triple Crown.
So the bad news out of Red Bullet's camp became Godolphin Racing's gain, as Bailey will be on Curule's mount, a dark bay Marlon St. Julien rode to a seventh place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
Bailey's services were requested almost immediately after trainer Joe Orseno told the world that his Preakness darling would not run in New York's one and one-half-mile. It was an easy transaction, says Bailey.
"I ride for [owner] Sheikh Mohammed [al Maktoum] quite a bit, and when I became available with Red Bullet coming out, he needed a rider," said the three-time Eclipse Award winner, who rode Sheikh Mohammed's Worldly Manner in the Derby last year. "You'd have to ask my agent about that, but as far as I know, it came together in 24 hours. It's a pretty good match."
Since the Derby, the Godolphin Racing team has kept Curule in New York to get used to his surroundings, and he's responded by a string of impressive workouts and a bit of a weight gain.
"I think we stand a good chance just from the way the horse has been training," said assistant trainer Tom
Albertrani. "He ran well in Kentucky; he's improved a lot since the Derby. I'm thinking we're going in with a pretty good chance."
"I feel like I picked up a very good mount," said Bailey. "Believe me, this horse is going to run very well. I think he's in with a chance. He's really on top of it, bursting at the seams is a good American phrase."
Like most of the 11-horse field, Curule is a come-from-behind horse and will rely heavily on what sort of pace Hugh Hefner and Globalize set.
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Sometimes I ride eight different horses in one day. Horses are horses. If you're good, you can adapt to different horses. Unless they're totally peculiar, it shouldn't pose a problem. ” |
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— Jerry Bailey |
"He comes from behind in a 1 1/8 and 1 1/4, so a 1 1/2 might be a little closer," said Bailey, who won the 1991 Belmont aboard Hansel.
With Sheikh Mohammed and trainer Saeed bin Suroor in England for the Epsom Derby, Bailey will have added responsibility with Curule this week. It's the third horse Bailey, who rode Neil Drysdale's War Chant to a ninth-place finish in the Derby, will be riding in this year's Triple Crown. But Bailey doesn't believe that gives him any sort of disadvantage or lack of familiarity. In fact, he scoffs at the mere mention of it being "odd."
"Sometimes I ride eight different horses in one day," snapped Bailey. "Horses are horses. If you're good, you can adapt to different horses. Unless they're totally peculiar, it shouldn't pose a problem."
Whatever the end results are, Bailey does intend to ride Red Bullet throughout the conclusion of the season in hopes of winning the 3-year-old championship. He says he looks forward to a possible rematch with Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus down the line.
"Whenever you can do something like that, it brings all the fans out and it certainly makes it more exciting for us," said Bailey.
Bailey brought up Cigar's name -- the two-time Horse of the Year (1995-96) that he rode to a record tying 16 straight wins -- when questioned about the horse most special to him. Outside of that, you won't stir much emotion out of this man about his craft. It's a business to Bailey, and one he mastered long ago.
Whether his next moment of glory comes on Saturday with the 15-1 shot he has in Curule, or down the line with Red Bullet in Saratoga, Bailey will keep using one of his standard answers when asked how he likes such-and-such a horse.
"All good horses are nice to ride."
We'll take his word for it. Any further prodding risks snarls of a Knight or Ditka magnitude.
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