How do jockeys time their rides?
 

Some jockeys have an uncanny ability to judge when to start their closing moves and finish just a nose or a head at the finish line...I've always wondered how jockeys time their rides? How do they know how fast they are going? They must use the poles as a guide....but I'm wondering if they count something else during the running of the race...anybody have any ideas here?

I really don't know. Some jockeys used to say they had clock in their heads.

But, I wonder if they are allowed to wear a stopwatch or a regular watch.

In all seriousness, I wouldn't be surprised if some jocks had an ear piece in their ear with someone telling them the pace looks slow/look out for middle mover/close the rail/speed it up.


In jest, at NYRA I think most jock's internal clocks are broken as they choke like there is a 21 44 in front of them. Meanwhile the leader is running a 24 2/5 Q1 in a 6F sprint.

There must be some sort of rule against anything electronic, wireless, etc...anything that would give an advantage...but if I was a jock and there were no rules like that..I'd definitely wear something...so there must be some rules somewhere to that effect that we are unaware of.

If you think about it, if you do something frequently and you're good at it, you should know how long something takes e.g., handicapping races, driving home from work or wherever or when you tell someone you'll meet them at a certain time. All of these examples involves estimating time.

I don't see why wearing a watch or stopwatch would be against any rules.

Looking for cover is key for riders and drivers...then they can see holes better and let the horse run without strangling it...watch the winner on race 2 at Keeneland sunday ...the rider positioned the horse behind a wall of horses rather than wrangle the horse back and go around the field...all the jock had to do was wait for a hole turning for home....most horses aren't push button horses and the best riders know where to put them...so to answer the question...not so much when but where just as much

Top jocks shouldn't need to know the exact time as long as they have a feeling of how fast they're going for that specific horse I have to imagine most good jocks know. Of course when good jocks make inexplicable errors 3 times a day it makes you (and me of course ;) ) 'wonder' what's going on.

In a dirt race where horses are generally decelerating are they really timing their closing moves?

Don't most jocks launch their move at a certain pole?
1/2m pole is a popular spot

I've been keeping a look out for when the launch begins...and I guess it depends on the inside wait for the hole to open approach versus the rally wide. If you are going to rally wide and grind it out then yes, start at the half pole..Jockey Lanerie seems to pick the point where the final turn curve meets the top of the stretch.

He and others look for sent horses to swing wide at his point due to centrifugal force, which sometimes creates the opening along the rail for those in the 2nd flight to fill and rally through.

I think a lot of jockeys see the merits of this move but it isn't always successful and can be dangerous and at times self-defeating if the hole does not materialize.

So their timing is actually connected to a physical point along the rail where they want to unleash their mounts remaining energy toward the finish line.

It makes the difference between good jockeys and bad jockeys imo. I think it's easier to ride a frontrunner but being on a closer you must have the perfect timing plus the ability to avoid traffic and to find a hole in time.

Each race and perhaps more importantly horse is different. The great jockeys know how to maximize each horse's performance.

As for timing it just right to win by a head or a nose. Believe me that's not by design. No rider would cut it that close. When horse's rally to win by a short margin it's an all out, hells bells, balls to the wall competition.

If they had their druthers the jocks would prefer to cruise by and win by open lengths with the least stress required.

It might upset the traditionalists and it might upset the usual outcomes of races but I'd like to see fractions posted around the track where jockeys could see them during the race. OK. Let the flaming begin. :lol:

Why?

Vic, I was wondering what you thought of Donworths performance in Sat Charles Town Classic....Mario still seems to want hold back this horse which he did this time at the beginning of the race....Castellano on Stanford was able to rail skim on easy pace to wire the field. The tight turns didn't help Donworth at all as he went wide throughout...They should just let this horse run up closer to the lead where he wants to be...