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Post was complete nonsense. Where would all these “qualified” drivers come from when multiple stakes were occurring all over the place?
Top drivers, the best drivers in the game, at any point in time, were/are well qualified to drive 2yo's. From the Campbell/O'Donnell days when catch-driving really took on a life of it's own, to Mike Lachance, to Ron Pierce, to George Brennan, Brian Sears, and Dave Miller.....all of them are excellent horsemen and all of them knew how to drive 2yo's.....from educating them, teaching them, getting them to develop, to stakes races. They knew. There were drivers who many people felt were, not better, but more focused on it, perhaps specialized in certain aspects of it. Up north, Trevor Ritchie was a perfect example, and Steve Condren in later years. I can't tell you how many trainers asked Jim Doherty, not to drive, but to sit behind their 2yo's. Sonny Patterson Jr. was not only a trotting specialist, but also got a lot of business on trotting 2yo's.Today, you can look at a case-by-case basis, but I wouldn't take for granted that every top driver has great, extensive experience training horses.....meanin g actually trained, managed, and ran a stable for an extended period of time. When Joe Bongiorno started driving, and doing well.....was he an excellent horseman? Because he grew up around his dad's barn? Because he sat behind horses when he was a little kid? Because he trained horses before? BS. That kid didn't know squat. He was not a horseman. What experience did he had baby-racing and driving 2yo's.....nevertheles s training them? Come on. There are many drivers today who are good horseman. I also think there are some who are not.
It is getting crazy you got to be a special driver to drive a two year old please stop the goofy posts.