Why jockeys ride at certain tracks

[Futchie]

I watch racing every day...and wonder too myself, do these jockeys not see track biases forming or realize you cant hang a horse 5 wide and expect it to run?? The rides at the b tracks, Belauh, Tampa etc...even the rides at Gulfstream this meet...I mean do they not think? Do they do what the trainer says...is it like another other industry where the people that can think for themselves and recognize patterns, ways to adapt, etc...thrive? Is it simlpy there are enough small people to go around so you take what you can get???

[affirmedny]

this article may go a long way towards answering your question:

http://espn.go.com/horse/columns/misc/1917087.html

[Overlay]

I remember a long-ago article by Ainslie where he talked about a time back in the '60's when Jorge Velasquez was dominating the races in New York (often with longshots) because he recognized that the rail was dead and tiring, and he was winning even more than his usual share of races by generally "taking the overland route", and keeping his mounts to the outside around the turns and down the stretch.

[mishka]

this article may go a long way towards answering your question:


I wonder if jockeys expect the trainer to give them directions on pace, etc, and if no instructions, it is just run for as fast as you can, for as long as you can. Maybe this is one of the secrets of the super-trainers. They know the competition and develop a strategy for the race.

[Dave Schwartz]

I remember a long-ago article by Ainslie where he talked about a time back in the '60's when Jorge Velasquez was dominating the races in New York (often with longshots) because he recognized that the rail was dead and tiring, and he was winning even more than his usual share of races by generally "taking the overland route", and keeping his mounts to the outside around the turns and down the stretch.

LOL - Yeah, and I remember a time when Angel Cordero ran the jockey room in NY and nobody but him was allowed to come through on the rail.

[LottaKash]

this article may go a long way towards answering your question:

http://espn.go.com/horse/columns/misc/1917087.html

I got a kick out of the end of the above article...:D

excerpt:
When somebody says, "The horse didn't get a hold of the track," that's probably another way of saying, "The jockey didn't get a hold of a Racing Form."

best,

[affirmedny]

I got a kick out of the end of the above article...:D

excerpt:
When somebody says, "The horse didn't get a hold of the track," that's probably another way of saying, "The jockey didn't get a hold of a Racing Form."

best,
Cronley is a very good writer if you're a horseplayer. I think he wrote the book that the move "Let It Ride" was based on.

[Futchie]

last race at Laurel today was just an obvious screw over by the jockey...he did not want to win this race....its clear...who in their right mind goes that fast with no pressure at all. Jocks do this on a regular basis....they cant be this stupid can they, nor can they trainer

[Robert Fischer]

I wonder if jockeys expect the trainer to give them directions on pace, etc, and if no instructions, it is just run for as fast as you can, for as long as you can. Maybe this is one of the secrets of the super-trainers. They know the competition and develop a strategy for the race.

A lot of good trainers believe that"less is more" when it comes to jockey instructions.

[davew]

I thought it was the super jockey agents who know the contenders and probable pace. It used to be many trainers did not have much of an idea how they were going to do in the race.

The last at Laurel looks like Break the Record just took off and Alexis Batista was along for the ride. A maiden $10,000 race probably not many potential graded stakes winners.

[5k-claim]

A lot of good trainers believe that"less is more" when it comes to jockey instructions.My very first race, I actually had 3 points written down on a 3x5' index card... translated into Spanish... with pronunciations beside them.

It has been a few years.

Now, I just get the very best jockey that I possibly can. I don't know how many of the jockeys actually study a form before coming out, but it is pretty apparent that some of them do. You can tell by what they say about possible strategy.

From there, I have now learned to just keep it very, very simple and agree with the "less is more" theory. Basically it goes like this:

Step 1: Get the best jockey possible, and trust that they have done the basic work to look at generic things like who the speed is in the race, what the pace might be like, who the top contenders are, any track bias, etc., etc.

There is no reason to waste time talking about any of that.

Step 2: Spend the available chit-chat time focusing on specific things about your horse.... especially personality traits that the jockey needs to be aware of or possibly reminded of that could hurt the horse's chances. Horse might fall asleep in the gate, so be extra vigilant for a good start or we are sunk. Or hates the whip- hit him a lot only if you are trying to get him to flatten out. Or don't fight early, it pisses the horse off and it will sulk and quit. More brave on the rail than coming between horses. Stay after him, he'll only do as much as you ask. Etc.

Even sticking with just personality information, I try to limit things to just 2 main ideas or reminders. Any more than that is just too much information. And once a rider has been on a horse a time or two, even that is something the jockey may already remember.

Less really is more. Just get the best rider you possibly can, and hope they do their job.

.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Step 2: Spend the available chit-chat time focusing on specific things about your horse.... ...

This is about the only thing worth even talking about with most jocks in my opinion. From time to time you find yourself facing a possible scenario with a jock that is on the same page about exploiting that scenario and its worth mentioning it. But, I've known plenty of people that like to try to run the race in the paddock complete with how many lengths to sit back from this horse if these three horses send or sit off that horse if the opening quarter is so many seconds and then to switch outside at this specific point and then do this and that with so many yards to go... those people never seem to get a very satisfactory ride.

[camourous]

I really don't think jockeys watch replays of races or if they do they really don't pay much attention to how the track is playing, there is no other explanation for them angling to the rail in the stretch when the inside is stone cold dead.

[johnhannibalsmith]

I really don't think jockeys watch replays of races or if they do they really don't pay much attention to how the track is playing, there is no other explanation for them angling to the rail in the stretch when the inside is stone cold dead.

They aren't much different than a lot of professionals in everyday capacities away from the track. Some take the job far more seriously than others and try to find every nuance to get the job done, taking every mount personally. Others show up in the room expecting to collect a few mount fees and hope to get lucky, relying on the morning line to gauge their chances.

[5k-claim]

This is about the only thing worth even talking about with most jocks in my opinion. From time to time you find yourself facing a possible scenario with a jock that is on the same page about exploiting that scenario and its worth mentioning it. But, I've known plenty of people that like to try to run the race in the paddock complete with how many lengths to sit back from this horse if these three horses send or sit off that horse if the opening quarter is so many seconds and then to switch outside at this specific point and then do this and that with so many yards to go... those people never seem to get a very satisfactory ride.I agree with every bit of this. Like you said below, some guys take it more serious than others and put more work in. Those are the guys you want to try and get. They are professionals.

I also go with the theory that the most you can hope for them to remember is just a couple of things. So if you bombard with too much, it won't all be remembered and the main points you wanted to address will just get washed away in all of that. If I only really say two important things, then there is a pretty good chance that those two things will be remembered and hopefully acted upon.

Plus, there is the little matter of the gates actually opening and all of your paddock plans just whisking away...

.

[Valuist]

I wonder if jockeys expect the trainer to give them directions on pace, etc, and if no instructions, it is just run for as fast as you can, for as long as you can. Maybe this is one of the secrets of the super-trainers. They know the competition and develop a strategy for the race.

Do you really want riders thinking too much? Last time I owned a horse, I hated it when the trainer would give riding instructions. Trainers tend to be biased against wanting their horse on/near the lead, or racing anywhere toward the inside. To a trainer, a dream trip would be 4 wide thoughout and no closer than mid pack.

[PaceAdvantage]

they cant be this stupid can they,Seriously...you have to ask?

[Robert Goren]

Because jockeys are not as smart as handicappers. Why do you think they are jockeys and not bettors? One of problems of betting horses is that you depending on the actions of people who not as smart as you.

[pondman]

Those are the guys you want to try and get. They are professionals..

The high end jockey won't listen to anyone, anyway. They try and get the horse in the best spot...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

[5k-claim]

The high end jockey won't listen to anyone, anyway. They try and get the horse in the best spot...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.Very true.

I think my last "instructions" consisted almost entirely of, "She's strong today, so you can ride pretty confident." (In other words.... try.) Followed a minute later by simply, "Alright, we'll meet you in front of the winner's circle." (In other words.... don't forget to... try.)

And that was it.

It didn't work, though. We finished third. I don't think there is anything that I could have said in the paddock that would have made much of a difference. They just ran by us, is all.

.

[startngate]

I really don't think jockeys watch replays of races or if they do they really don't pay much attention to how the track is playing, there is no other explanation for them angling to the rail in the stretch when the inside is stone cold dead.
Spent several years working in the jocks room. Can tell you that 90% of the jockeys watched every race they were not riding in, and also watched the replays. In my experience most also looked at the PPs for at least the races they were riding in.

How well they comprehended what they saw was highly varied between riders. The better one's definitely figure things out, but even the best prepared can have everything go out the window once the gate opens.

[BeatTheChalk]

Speaking of jocks and tracks .. Can you tell me how much money the jockey
Agents make on average ? Thanks

[redshift1]

Can't imagine riding a 1000 lb. horse inches from other 1000 lb. horses all running at 35 mph and doing anything except holding on.