Who was your favorite jockey when you started playing?

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

Eddie Maple, he brought home some big scores for me

I liked him too.....1981Travers Willow Hour score....great jock.

http://www.saratoga.com/much-ado/201...e-travers.html

But growing up in Saratoga its got to be Angel Cordero. I'll never forget when he won like 9 titles in a row up here and at the end of the meet they "crowned him, King of Saratoga"............Costume and all. I think he won 14 (Saratoga) titles total. The guy is a legend and I don't think he will be kept away from the race track or horses until his last day.

http://www.equestrianmag.com/news/sa...ordero-jr.html

[NY BRED]

Originally Posted by Ocala Mike

I go way back - Bobby Ussery circa 1960 coming down Ussery's Alley at the Big A.

I was about to name Bobby as well, then I remembered one of my
biggest losses was when I bet Forgoe in the Derby at double digit odds
with Mr. Ussery aboard.

Thereafter , always went against Forgoe /Gustines and incurred more grief ...

Therefore, I"ve changed my vote to:

Jacinto Vasquez, who rode the greatest filly of all time,Ruffain

[jahura2]

Randy Romero-Keeneland

[Robert Goren]

Bill Fleming the leading jockey at Aksarben in 1965-1966.

[BlueChip@DRF]

When I was a kid - Jorge Velasquez
Yes, Alydar was, is and will always be my champion.

2003 - Julie Krone on a closer
I hit a "zone" in the Vernon Underwood stakes as was deep into handicapping with the time fractions and found a "burst" that Debonair Joe had over the others and no one matched it. 50-1. A month later was The Malibu and I was surprised he stayed up around 25-1. I figured out when to play her and when not to. It helped cut down losses that would normally eat my winnings.

2004 - Edgar Prado for Win and Place every and any summer G1 stakes for males. After his Birdstone and score I started paying close attention to Prado. Of course, it only lasted for so long.

[MutuelClerk]

Get fat with the Cat.

Wayne Catalano DRC.

[Saratoga_Mike]

Bailey - best jockey in the past 30 years.

Pat Day - really?

[Inner Dirt]

Laffit Pincay. I remember once around the early 80's at Hollywood Park he and another rider who I don't remember stopped their horses just passed the wire and proceeded to duke it out. What I admired about him most even in his later years he was aggressive and fearless, he was still forcing his way through tight holes in his 50's, while most older riders would take the long way around or stay hemmed in.

[raybo]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

Bailey - best jockey in the past 30 years.

Pat Day - really?

Yup, could get the most out of a horse, regardless of its "chances", and had the best clock in his head that I ever saw. Problem was, at OP anyway, you couldn't bet on him, because on a good horse the odds would be bet down to nothing, and you couldn't bet against him, because he'd take a bad horse and beat you anyway.

[Prytanis]

Jorge Velasquez

[arno]

Manny Ycaza
He always gave 100% sometimes even more and then he would get days.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by burnsy

I liked him too.....1981Travers Willow Hour score....great jock.

http://www.saratoga.com/much-ado/201...e-travers.html

But growing up in Saratoga its got to be Angel Cordero. I'll never forget when he won like 9 titles in a row up here and at the end of the meet they "crowned him, King of Saratoga"............Costume and all. I think he won 14 (Saratoga) titles total. The guy is a legend and I don't think he will be kept away from the race track or horses until his last day.

http://www.equestrianmag.com/news/sa...ordero-jr.html

Probably one of the smartest jockeys at detecting a bias and taking advantage of it. I was based in Southern California and Cordero rode at Santa Anita during the winter meet in 86-87. For a few weeks the speed bias was so strong horses running 1-2-3 at the first quarter finished that way in all the sprints even 7 furlongs. On Cordero's first mount of the meet he whipped a usual stalker out of the gate to get on the lead and wired the field at 6 furlongs. Leery of the East Coaster I had only place bet the horse and got like $5.80, and it paid like $12.60 to win. The horse's name was Barb's Relic. That was the first $500 bet of my life, that is why I remember it so well.

[horses4courses]

Lester Piggott
Late 60s, 70s UK racing.

When I settled in US, Chris McCarron.

[SandyW]

I have to name three, Bobby Ussery, Angel Cordero Jr, and Laffit Pincay Jr.

[ldiatone]

Cesar A. Torres Penn nat