Dynamic Duo

Tweet Looks like Johnny V has taken his rightful spot next to his main main, The Toddster. Upon opening the package Monday morning, my first thought was that the guy who I bought it from (on eBay) colored in a mustache on the bobblehead, but I guess he had the porn stache going back in the day. It was Johnny V who gave Pletcher his first Triple Crown victory with the filly Rags to Riches in the 2007 Belmont Stakes.

The reunion on my shelf reminded me of my first race track experience at the Spa. The Saratoga Resident and I had gone to the races in August 2004 and he was teaching me how to read the Form, when we came across a horse Johnny V was riding. He immediately educated me about the love affair the Spa crowd has with the jockey/trainer combo of Pletcher/Velazquez. He told me the horse would be underlaid (like I knew what that meant) and hugely overbet (that's more like it), but never to discount the combination as they were perennial winners at the Spa. Fast forward to Sunday's opener at Gulfstream and the combo grabbed back to back winners with Blues Street and Quality Road and a third place with Inner Groove.

So that being said, I wanted to actually see how well they've clipped over the past five years (by year). Try finding that information on the web. Via Equibase I could find individual statistics for each, but not the jockey/trainer combo wins and percentages. Why is it so hard to put my fingers on this kind of information? Why is it so frustrating, when you can grab MLB batting averages, NFL QB ratings or Tiger's 2009 greens in regulation? All for free, mind you. Ease of access to information for horseplayers and fans didn't make Alex's year end wish list, unless you count "improved education and development efforts for new fans," but I don't think that's what he meant. Help me, people, help me!?!