Best horse racing jockeys for you

**yahoonino** · 01-10-22, 01:27 PM

javier castellano

**chico2663** · 01-10-22, 01:28 PM

Mike smith and fuckk pat day

**ByeShea** · 01-10-22, 01:34 PM

Originally posted by chico2663

Mike smith and fuckk pat day

My two faves:

Mike Smith (has he retired yet?) and Jorge "Chop Chop" Chavez (don't know when he retired).

Both physically stronger than most jockeys and always seemed to give it 100%.
After that, I knew who the bigger names were but never developed favorites.

**slayer14** · 01-10-22, 01:41 PM

Frankie Dettori is world class jockey he probable won every major classics race worldwide

**cornmeal** · 01-10-22, 01:42 PM

Bailey and Smith big money riders

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 01-10-22, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by slayer14

Of all time who your top 5

Slayer, I love this question. As a Horse-Novice, I've thought about this.

I'd add one twist to your question: *Who has been the most PROFITABLE jockey for you to back?

IE, consider the results and then his ROI vs Track Odds. Sure, there are some great jocks (who also get good rides).

How do they do vs the Tote? Can you ever find an Under-rated jock that consistently turns profits for you?

There's a saying that the best jock is the one who best understands pace. With that in mind, I liked Gary Stevens. Felt like he knew exactly where he was at.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 01-10-22, 01:55 PM

Two jocks come to mind. They became name-jocks and got good rides. Invariably, they would go off at Even $$...so how can you make $$?

Garrett Gomez and Pat Day.

**slayer14** · 01-10-22, 02:21 PM

John Velazquez is one of my fav jockey from USA

**Ventura** · 01-10-22, 02:26 PM

Top five in my lifetime:
Garrett Gomez
John Velazquez
Gary Stevens
Chris McCarron
Patrick Valenzuela

Ask me again in five years and Francisco Arrieta tops this list.

**RangeFinder** · 01-10-22, 03:41 PM

Flavian Pratt

Not even close

**Foxx** · 01-10-22, 03:43 PM

Originally posted by ChuckyTheGoat

Slayer, I love this question. As a Horse-Novice, I've thought about this.
I'd add one twist to your question: *Who has been the most PROFITABLE jockey for you to back?
IE, consider the results and then his ROI vs Track Odds. Sure, there are some great jocks (who also get good rides).
How do they do vs the Tote? Can you ever find an Under-rated jock that consistently turns profits for you?
There's a saying that the best jock is the one who best understands pace. With that in mind, I liked Gary Stevens. Felt like he knew exactly where he was at.

Jockey is too obvious a factor to be of any value in my opinion. From my experience, it's so obvious that the public tends to over bet the better jockeys. Whenever I am measuring the ROI of an angle, much more often than not, the ROI of the angle will be better for the jockeys in the bottom half of the barrel for the race.

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 01-10-22, 04:19 PM

Exactly, Foxx. You're spot-on.

If you go to the races, it's >99% hamburgers. If the average bettor knows anything, it's the name of the top 3 jocks.

As you say, better to seek out value from the lesser name jocks. Top jocks bet to the hilt, so over-bet.

Side-note: movie "Let It Ride" is a classic. Really holds up well over time.

**jjgold** · 01-10-22, 05:00 PM

Ortiz Brothers will end up the best

**ByeShea** · 01-11-22, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by ChuckyTheGoat

Exactly, Foxx. You're spot-on.

If you go to the races, it's >99% hamburgers. If the average bettor knows anything, it's the name of the top 3 jocks.

As you say, better to seek out value from the lesser name jocks. Top jocks bet to the hilt, so over-bet.

And then Flavien Prat will beats your horse by a nose all day long until that one race where you throw in the towel and take the chalk...

I am adding him to my personal top 5, remarkable how smooth he can be especially on the turf ... so I'm

Smith
Chavez
Prat

**Ventura** · 01-11-22, 11:42 AM

Originally posted by ByeShea

And then Flavien Prat will beats your horse by a nose all day long until that one race where you throw in the towel and take the chalk...

I am adding him to my personal top 5, remarkable how smooth he can be especially on the turf ... so I'm

Smith
Chavez
Prat

I would love to see Flavien go ride full time in New York for the Belmont spring meet and Saratoga. Might actually be able to get a price on him in a turf race. Given how much he was going out this fall to ride horses Chad Brown it wouldn’t surprise me the least.

**DrunkHorseplayer** · 01-11-22, 12:10 PM

Pat Valenzuela, best speed jock ever and absolutely never got left at the gate.

**mcaulay777** · 01-11-22, 03:20 PM

1 Eddie Delahoussaye won more money on him than anybody ever. Known for being a great come from behind jock but because of that his speed horses got better odds and was just as great on a speed horse.
2 Pat Valenzuela,Great all around jockey if not for those demons PVal would have been best ever period.
3 Donald Pierce.Bieng a So Cal Guy the list is west coast biased remember until the late 80s there was no simulcasting so i nvere saw the east coast riders.Everybody remembers Toro on the Turf But Pierce was better.Maybe best turf jock Ever!
4.Laffit Pincay Jr Dominated America Powerful Strong.
5 Bill Shoemaker Cant have a list without it.
Honaorable Mentions, Wyane Harris, Alvaro Pineda,Life Ended Way TO early, Johnny Longden. Pat Day.

**floridagolfer** · 01-11-22, 03:45 PM

You never had to worry about not getting a good effort if Angel Cordero was riding a horse you bet on.

Love Frankie Dettori, Mike Smith and Johnny V.

**slayer14** · 01-11-22, 04:05 PM

Was Ramon Dominguez underrated jockey

**ByeShea** · 01-11-22, 05:18 PM

I forgot another personal favorite jock - Russell Baze who, again this is all personal, OWNED golden gate. Too many times to count I would chunk him on top of an exacta or daily double and clean up.

My guess is that he was an example of a jock who could dominate a local track like that where success begets success and gets all the best horses to ride. I think this was the 90s, maybe a little after.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Around the same time there was also an owner/trainer/jock combo who was active in Maryland/Delaware who used to kill going 6F or less. You could build a day around them - and I don't remember any of their names. I do remember that he had one of the biggest stables in the US, so this was not some obscure team.

**thezbar** · 01-11-22, 05:44 PM

The best riders

Shoemaker
Pincay
Bailey
R.Dominguez
A.P. McCoy

Jockey's who I hit major scores with:

T. Baze
Eddie D.
P.Val
Jackie Steward
Christina Davenport

**mcaulay777** · 01-11-22, 05:45 PM

Yes Ramon Dominguez was very talented career cut short with Injury. Golden Gate and Bay Meadows Jockey colony from 1980-1988 was all underrated you had some very talented riders than Ron Hansen who unfortunately like P Val had demons, Tom Chapman great on the Turf Marco Castenda Chris Hummel Cp ShaunaVeldt Randy Schact and Roberto Gonzalez one of the Best Speed Jockey ever.

**thezbar** · 01-11-22, 05:50 PM

I forgot to mention Danny Boag who won a race at the Pomona Fair in the late 90's Trainer told me the horse would not lose. Two dime score.

**slayer14** · 01-11-22, 08:03 PM

**ThaWoj** · 01-11-22, 08:50 PM

Jerry Bailey - Churchill
Pat the rat Day - Churchill
Rene Douglas - Arlington
Kent Desormeaux - KY/NY/CA
Chris Emigh - Hawthorne

Russell 'the muscle' Baze - Bay Meadows/GG
Edgar Paucar - Thistle/Beulah/River
Cody Jensen - Los Al
Ramon Sanchez - Los Al
Patrick Husbands - Woodbine
Tyler Gafflalione - Gulfstream
Garrett Gomez - Santa Anita
Scott Stevens - Turf Paradise
Quincy Hamilton - Lonestar
Gerald 'G-Money' Melancon - Evangeline
Jimmy Graham - Fairgrounds and Arlington
Joe Crispin - Portland Meadows
Alex Cruz - Emerald Downs

**ThaWoj** · 01-11-22, 08:53 PM

Dang I forgot all about Ramon Dominguez. Guy just demolished Laurel Park.