TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1087484
DVD: In my mind, I didn't think I would lose the mount. I was thinking I had a nice horse to look forward to. Nice horses stay on your mind and you look forward to riding them again. He was one of them for me. After he broke his maiden so impressively and with all the hype building up for him, that got me more and more excited. But then I could kind of feel it coming. Whether I would get to ride him again? It was 50-50 in my mind. Mike Smith and I share the same agent. He gave me a call and gave me the news. He said, 'I'm sorry, the owners wanted Mike to ride the horse all along.' I think Bob just sort of threw me a bone to let me ride him that first time. That's where I'm lucky to be a part of his story because I probably wasn't supposed to get to ride him in that first start. TDN: Of course, the Justify story doesn't exactly end well for you as you were taken off and replaced by Mike Smith after that first race. That must have stung. DVD: He's got me really excited, almost like a Justify kind of excitement. I think he's really, really good and has all the attributes and abilities to be a major contender in the (GI) Kentucky Derby. We just have to get through the preps coming up and get some Derby points. If all goes well, I don't see him not getting into the Derby. He's really talented. TDN: While you missed out on winning the Derby last year, you could make up for it this year as you have a terrific candidate in Improbable. How excited are you about him?