High and Low Percentage Jockeys
The jockeys on any individual racing circuit may be divided into three categories. The middle category is the largest. It contains jockeys of similar ability who will win their fair share of races during a race meet. When it comes to these journeymen jockeys in the middle category, there is little reason to expect that one is more talented than the other. What separates these jockeys is the quality of horses they ride. About 90% of jockeys on any circuit fall into this category. Their win percentage averages around 10%.
The lowest group includes about 5% of the jockey colony. The riders in this group are legitimately less talented than their peers. They do not win many races nor do they ride very many good horses. You should identify these riders easily. Their win percentage will be less than 5%. You should almost always avoid these jockeys.
The cream of the crop also includes about 5% of the jockeys on a racing circuit. These riders are legitimately more talented than their peers and win 15% or more of their races. These are the jockeys that will contend for a riding title at the end of the meet. They can easily win more than 100 races during a single meet. Famous jockeys who fit this category include Russell Baze, Laffit Pincay, Jr., and Gerard Melancon. In many cases you can justify a bet on the horses these jockeys ride without any further handicapping.
Betting High Percentage Jockeys
Betting a high percentage jockey is straightforward and simple. The first step is to identify all jockeys in a race which are currently winning more than 15% of their races. Sometimes, a race will only include one of these jockeys. In most cases, however, you will find two or more jockeys who meet this condition.
Once you haven identified the winning jockeys, narrow down your possible selections to the horses they are riding. Next, apply your regular handicapping methods to the horses that remain in order to choose a winner. You will probably have three or so to choose from.
Using this angle can shorten the time you spend handicapping. If you are a bettor that does not have a long time to spend handicapping every day or are just a recreational bettor, this can be a fun way to pick your winners.
You can even tweak this jockey betting angle a little bit by restricting your eventual choice to horses that have odds of better than 3-1. In some cases, none of the horses will have such a generous price because winning jockeys are often bet down to low odds. In that case, just pass the race and wait for a better opportunity.
Betting Middle Percentage Jockeys
When you bet the jockeys that fall into the middle category you must rely more on your overall handicapping skills. This is because there is no strong difference between jockey ability in this category.
When you have a race that involves all middle percentage jockeys, you might do well to focus on other handicapping factors like speed, pace, or class to make your decision. Once you have narrowed down the betting field to three or so choices, then you might wish to consider which jockey has the best winning percentage. Just understand that making your choice based on a jockey will be less reliable in this scenario.
Betting Low Percentage Jockeys
Sometimes picking a winner is not the only way to win money at an online racebook. You can also make a profit by identifying horses which are likely to lose. Once you have identified these horses, you simply eliminate them from contention.
One of the easiest ways to narrow a field of horses is to eliminate all who are ridden by low percentage jockeys. If a jockey has an overall win rate of less than 5%, it is unlikely that they will win on the horse they ride today.
Yes, sometimes these jockeys will get lucky and win. If they beat you, so be it. You will be far better off in the long run when you stick to horses that are ridden by winning jockeys.
Get Free Jockey Stats With an Online Racebook
When you register an account with an online racebook you will have access to free past performances. The past performances for a race include detailed stats for each jockey. You can also qualify for free bonus money when you open your online racebook account today.
