Jockeys
are important.
MAXIM
As
factors in handicapping, jockeys are relatively unimportant.
Most of them can give a contender a good ride. The exceptions
are stakes races and grass races where the finishes
are routinely close and driving. Low-percentage jockeys
have a more difficult time defeating their more talented
colleagues.
The
important fact to remember about jockeys is that they
can be important in combination with other changes,
such as a drop in class, change of surface or distance,
or change in equipment or medication.
Trainers
do prefer certain jockeys when the horses are especially
well placed, so trainer-jockey combinations in combination
with any other interesting change can be a sign the
barn expects to win or run close. This is local knowledge
handicappers must accumulate through experience or in
consultation with statistical products that supply the
information.
