Budget Handicapping The $150,000 Woodbine Turbo-Charged Pick Six

The Woodbine Turbo-Charged Pick Six with a guaranteed minimum pool of $150,000 kicks off on Race 5 on Sunday and I'm going to take a stab at handicapping this P6 on a budget. To assist with handicapping, I'm using the Daily Racing Form, a handy Pick Six Calculator borrowed from Del Mar's website and I will be wagering through HorsePlayer Interactive. This is the third time that Woodbine has offered the Turbo-Charged Pick Six which has been won each time it's offered. It is a difficult, but fruitful, test for handicappers.

Click here for the entries. This is a tough P6 with full fields run on both poly and turf and no real obvious singles to play. My first pass through this card "narrowed" my picks down to a $384 ticket. Granted, the June 28th P6 winner spent $576 on his ticket. I'll do my best to push this ticket under $40.

Let's get down to business on handicapping what should be a quick poly and a firm turf.

Race 5 - 2:57 PM
CLAIMING $12,500 – $11,500
Purse $20,100. (Includes $2,600 – State Bred). For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward Which Have Never Won Two Races. Seven Furlongs. (All Weather Track)

STRIKING CHEETAH - It's amazing that a race with 12 horses can appear to have a lone speed option, but that seems to be the case with the Nick Gonzalez trained Striking Cheetah. The 3YO filly has tried to wire the field in her past two starts at 1 1/16M only to falter in the stretch. Beth Wyard has the mount for Woodbine's leading trainer. (*Note - STRIKING CHEETAH HAS BEEN SCRATCHED)

ANGEL'S LUCKY DAY - On May 31st, this 4YO made her first start of the year a thriller rallying from 12th at the half to miss by less than a length at 6 1/2F. Jockey Constant Montpelier is back to ride. I'm a little worried that the late rally will not have the same speed to chase after today.

HATE YOUR MONEY - Scott Fairlie and Patrick Husbands team up on the likely favourite and there's plenty to like. Hate Your Money broke her maiden as the 2-1 favourite rallying seven wide to win by a head. Tyler Pizarro was aboard for the maiden breaker but is sticking with another in this race, Heidi's Bay, who happens to be trained by the jock Pizarro's mother.

WINDANCER'S CHARM - This 4YO broke her maiden last out at this distance nursing slow fractions from 3/4 on out to win going away. Steve Bahen sticks with this filly for trainer Tino Attard.

This is a dog's breakfast of a first leg and the most difficult race to handicap on the card. I would not be surprised to get beaten by any number of surprises in this race and will dig deep early to try and survive.

USING: Angel's Lucky Day, Hate Your Money.
REGRETS: The late scratch of Striking Cheetah means that Windancer's Charm may have a chance to repeat the slow fractions of the recent maiden breaker.

Race 6 - 3:27 PM Exactor / Triactor / Pick 3 (Races 6-7-8)
CLAIMING $32,000 – $30,000
Purse $48,600. (Includes $6,300 – State Bred) (Plus $3,600 – Other Sources). For Three Year Olds And Upward. One And One Sixteenth Miles. (All Weather Track)


RUMBLING CLOUD - Potential pace-setter for trainer Sid Attard continues his drop down the claiming ranks looking for a level. In 18 lifetime starts, the 4YO colt has only tried a route once...and won. The sprint-to-route angle is in play and if Todd Kabel takes this one to the front, he has only long shot Brigadier Rodney to hold off. Lots to like.

JACKNOWS - Patrick Husbands is aboard to try for two in a row with this 7YO who is doubling up in claiming price while others here are dropping. An 80 speed figure in latest says this one belongs in this group. This old-timer has 12 lifetime wins and 11 of them come at the distance.

SKIP CODE - Consistent performer has put up back-to-back 80 speed figures winning his most recent in a $37.5K Claimer. This 5YO vet was winning at this time last year for hot combo of Mark Casse and Patrick Husbands before being claimed to Sid Attard's barn. This gelding is at his best when near the pace and should be stalking stablemate Rumbling Cloud before swooping in the stretch.

THUNDER WOLF - The morning line favourite in this event was racing at the $12.5K claiming level as recently as last August - a race this 8YO won easily. The gelding knocked out two more wins in a row climbing the ranks before faltering late in the year. First time out this year, Rob Landry led the Wolf to a 4th place finish at the $50K claiming level recovering from a slow start at just 7F. So,is this horse dropping in class or just getting back down to his level? Four wins in ten lifetime starts is promising but this one does not hit the board if he doesn't win - no places or shows to speak of.

USING: Rumbling Cloud, Skip Code
REGRETS: Thunder Wolf is a potential runaway winner but I'm looking to beat the favourite in a tough race.

Race 7 - 3:57 PM
MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT
Purse $38,300. (For Maidens, Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward. Six Furlongs. (All Weather Track)

PICTURE THE GOLD - Catherine Day-Phillips sends out this 3YO filly for her second start of 2009. This one has raced again tough competition previously including the excellent Tasty Temptation. The workouts are staggeringly consistent and she could improve off the latest.

BOOM TOWN GAL - Ian Black has two fillies in this race and this is the expensive purchase of the two. First time out, Boom Town Gal chased home two others finishing third to earn a 69 speed figure at seven furlongs. In her second start, she tried a mile on the turf and didn't seem to like that too much. Now she's sprinting on the poly and could wake up under Rob Landry.

INDIGO NORTH - Chiefswood Stable owned and bred has been in tough in three lifetime starts. Most recently you can toss our her turn in the difficult Woodbine Oaks which sent two favoured runners, Milwaukee Appeal and Tasty Temptation, to try the boys in the Queen's Plate. She earned a 77 speed rating first out at Keeneland back in April and her first try at Woodbine was excellent leading into the stretch in a 1 1/16M before faltering late to finish fourth behind two excellent fillies - Gore Bay and Soul of Nataka. Jim McAleney is aboard.

LOFTILY - Ian Black trains this one for Kinghaven Farms and I have a hard time ignoring this combination. Loftily had a difficult time in her one and only start losing her rider and going for a run. Since then, the filly has been training like a champ with a bullet work on June 17th travelling 4F in 46/4 and followed that up with a 5F work in 59/4 that was the second best try of the morning. Emma-Jayne Wilson is aboard and her experience could help this one find the wire first.

CARSON'S TWINKLE - A daughter of the prolific Carson City, this 4YO first time starter has been racking up speedy works getting ready for this debut. Trainer Malcolm Pierce is having a very good meet and this one would not be a surprise.

USING: Indigo North
REGRETS: I hate using a single on a horse well-beaten last out. Loftily and Carson's Twinkle both appear to have class and speed to win. If this bet was a $1 minimum, I'd have dug deeper.

Race 8 - 4:27 PM
ALLOWANCE
Purse $79,500. For Three Year Olds And Upward One And One Fourth Miles. (Turf)

KOENIGSBERG - 4YO raced in France last year winning once with four place finishes. One of the few in this field to have extensive turf racing experience and has tried the 1 1/4M distance with a strong 2nd place finish overseas. This will be his third start in North America, second at Woodbine and has been in the mix in the $77K Allowance level won by Reservoir who took that route to the Queen's Plate. Emma-Jayne Wilson rides for Kevin Attard and should be the favourite.

TUTTI BUONA GENTE - This one keeps trying to find the turf but has been rained out in both starts this year. Never mind, the 3YO was second in one and won the latest as the races moved over to the poly. Roger Attfield trains the son of Aldebaran and the colt looks to be heavy on grass breeding. This time he'll get his chance to shine on the firm Woodbine turf. Jim McAleney to ride.

COLD HARBOR - Jono Jones gets the mount on this one who finished just a length back of Koenigsberg two starts ago on the turf. In his most recent start, Cold Harbor finished 3rd less than a length back of the excellent local horse, Palmers.

SOLITAIRE - This one was on the Queen's Plate path a year ago and has travelled around BEL and GP breaking his maiden at 1 1/8M at Belmont. He has not raced since March 6th but has been training steadily at Saratoga. He has kept Cold Harbor behind him in the past, but it's hard to gauge where the big money winner of this field fits and 1 1/4M is a tough ask first out. Chantal Sutherland has the mount.

USING: Solitaire
REGRETS: Another single on a horse who is not so obvious. Koenigsberg was looking ready to score in most recent before being blocked and steadied.

Race 9 - 4:57 PM
ALLOWANCE
Purse $72,200. For Three Year Olds And Upward Which Have Never Won A Race Other Than Maiden, Claiming, Or Restricted Allowance Or Which Have Never Won Two Races. Seven Furlongs. (Turf)

If you thought this was going to be easy, take a deep breath, we're almost there. The late double is TOUGH. This race is a tough TURF test and in addition to the horses I've listed below it should be noted that jockey TODD KABEL is an impressive 4 for 7 on TURF mounts this season. Kabel rides 20-1 long shot AP VALOR who has been ineffective in four starts this meet.

RIVER HEIGHTS - Polite gelding puts others first with 7 place and 9 shows to with a lone win in 32 lifetime starts. In two turf starts this year, River Heights found 6 1/2F to be a little bit short and 1M to be just a bit too long. Perhaps 7F will be just right. Chantal Sutherland is aboard.

BEAR ALWAYS - Trained by Mike DePaulo for Bear Stables, this 3YO gelding came alive in latest to win a 6 1/2F turf event after being steadied and checked. A quick near-bullet work of 4F in 48/1 suggests that he's ready to fire again. Emile Ramsammy is back to ride.

LITE THE CIGAR - Patrick Husbands rides for Mark Casse as they look to avenge a sixth place finish as the beaten favourite last out. This 4YO gelding has two wins and has been in the money five times in eight turf starts. Most recently, he closed from ninth to be beaten less than four lengths.

IT's RIDICULOUS - Trainer John Mattine does well with turf runners (one win and two seconds in five starts) and this one missed by a nose last out posting an 87 speed figure at a mile. It was an impressive first try on the turf but this is definitely going to be a class test as he jumps up from $37K claiming level. Sutherland has chosen River Heights so Plate winner Eurico Rosa Da Silva gets the mount.

GONE TRAJECTORY - Drops in here after two Stakes events on the poly - fifth in the New Providence at 6F and most recently fourth in the Steady Growth at a 1/16M. This 5YO gelding has two second place finishes in three lifetime turf starts. Worked 5F on June 27 in 1:00/3 and should be ready to make a late charge for Emma-Jayne Wilson.

USING: Gone Trajectory, Lite The Cigar
REGRETS: Bear Always could be on the way to a distinguished turf career.

Race 10 - 5:27 PM
MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT
Purse $60,000. For Ontario Sired Maidens, Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward. Six And One Half Furlongs. (All Weather Track)

MOONLIT BEAUTY - A disqualified winner in her most recent returns looking for revenge with Chantal Sutherland back aboard. A tough inside position in this race for a horse that doesn't show early speed might be a bit much to overcome.

PLAYME OR TRADEME - a 5YO mare stands out in this maiden category with only three lifetime starts. Owned and trained by Sue Leslie, this girl has been second each start and tries today for the first time since December of 2008. A consistent string of works and the fact that she's run well in three well-spaced starts puts her in the mix. Rob Landry will ride.

SAFORICA - Patrick Husbands at odds of 15-1 is a rarity and I like the most recent workout of 5F in 59/4 which was the second best work of the day on June 28th. Two seventh place finishes in two career starts is nothing to write home about, but based on the above points, I'm considering.

WAKE UP COREY - High percentage trainer Josie Carroll sends out this 4YO who has three shows in eight lifetime starts. Most recently, she was fourth behind a runaway 9 length winner in Lady Elena. This is the third start of the year and could be rounding into form under jockey Jim McAleney.

Yonge's Harbour - This one finished second in the race won by Lady Elena and was two lengths in front of contender Wake Up Corey. Yonge's Harbour has three second place finishes in four starts in 2009 including an impressive outing on the turf that garnered a 74 speed rating. Emile Ramsammy gets the ride.

Using: Yonge's Harbour
Regrets: Playme or Trademe is a tough one to figure out. If she's ready, she could be a winner. Wake Up Corey might wake up to create an easy headline beating my ticket.

The Final Verdict
I will be playing a $16 Pick Six Ticket of:
Angel's Lucky Day, Hate Your Money
Rumbling Cloud, Skip Code
Indigo North
Solitaire
Gone Trajectory, Lite The Cigar
Yonge's Harbour

Best of luck to everyone playing from home. If you're giving this one a try, why not leave your picks in my Comments box. A full review to follow after the card is completed.

Down The Stretch, A Runaway Horse and the Woodbine Turbo-Charged Pick Six

The most recent issue of Down The Stretch is now on news stands across Ontario featuring colourful Queen's Plate coverage and a slew of savvy stories.

Editor Peter Gross comments on his long-time friendship with the Lieutenant Governor David Onley, who represented the Queen at Woodbine this year. There’s an update on the status of Fort Erie and the potential for a new owner partnering with the consortium that helped to keep the track operating this year.

The issue also includes a touching story on harness horsemen Brett Goodall, who shaved his head and went on a diet/exercise program to help a cancer-stricken friend. There’s an update on driver Jody Jamieson, who is on pace to break the Canadian record for wins in a year.

Contributor Bob Carson has a revolutionary (and funny) suggestion about what racetracks can do with unused space.


My own contribution is a look at some of the funny and unusual horse names that have made their way around the Woodbine track over the years. I speak to jockeys Rob Landry and Jim McAleney about their favourites and have a chat with track announcer Dan Loiselle about tongue twisters such as Medidocihospisurg. Lately Woodbine has seen a bit of a food theme with horses like Yummy With Butter and Chickenonastick, but I also reminisce over old faves Blondeinamotel and Fozzie Bear. Waka Waka!

We're all quite proud of this issue of Down The Stretch and hope you like it as much as we do.

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Horse racing takes up about 40% of my Internet time, but there's also a very big chunk of time directed towards music and football. When I say football, I'm talking Liverpool and Champions League and red cards, not the American grid iron version. The Guardian is the best, and funniest, spot to read about footy on the web. Yesterday the Guardian posted their weekly Youtube Report which featured the following clip of a horse joining in on a bike race.

Horse v Bike: I'm betting on the horse!


The Youtube Report often touches on horses or horse racing and I heartily recommend adding it to your list of places to visit on the web.

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Saturday's feature at Woodbine is the Clarendon Stakes with eight Ontario foaled two year-olds looking to jump to the top of the Queen's Plate futures list. This 5 1/2F event is headed by Takiddm who will have to work to fight off Mark Casse's Battle Royal who will be ridden by leading jockey Patrick Husbands. Scott Fairlie's Who's Big Daddy is the 5-2 morning line favourite.

FIELD FOR THE CLARENDON STAKES

POST - HORSE - JOCKEY - TRAINER

1 - Takiddm - Emile Ramsammy - Josie Carroll
2 - Who's Big Daddy - Gerry Olguin - Scott Fairlie
3 - Mobthewarrior - Emma-Jayne Wilson - Greg de Gannes
4 - Sir Heart Throb - Patrick Husbands - Mark Casse
5 - Doctor Jack - Tyler Pizarro - Dan Vella
6 - Southern Pride - Jim McAleney - Greg de Gannes
7 - Mobil Unit - Chantal Sutherland - Mike Keogh
8 - Battle Royal - Patrick Husbands - Mark Casse

On Sunday, Tyler Pizarro and Woodsmoke will attempt to make it two turf Stakes wins in a row when they take on four other fillies in the Ontario Damsel Stakes. Pizarro and Woodsmoke wired a strong field in the Alywow Stakes on Oaks Day at Woodbine and will be tough to beat here at odds of 7-5. The small, but competitive field, will sprint 6 1/2F on the turf course for a purse of $150K. Woodsmoke's biggest threat will likely be Gigolette under the guide of jockey Chantal Sutherland. The Damsel is one of three turf races on the day on a card that features some excellent Allowance features. The Turbo-Charged Pick Six with a guaranteed minimum pool of $150K kicks off on Race 5 on Sunday.

Tyler Pizarro and Woodsmoke Capture the Alywow Stakes


The Field for the Ontario Damsel Stakes - Race 4 on Sunday.

PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 How Far Is Heaven (ON) Husbands 118 M E Casse 6/1
2 Deeveetee (ON) Jones 118 M E Casse 8/1
3 Mullins Beach (ON)Da Silva 118 M Pierce 7/2
4 Woodsmoke (ON) Pizarro 123 M Keogh 7/5
5 Gigolette (ON) Sutherland 118 D R Bell 5/2

I will post my first preview of the Turbo-Charged Pick Six this weekend. The new feature Woodbine bet has been won in both attempts which would seem to prove that Woodbine's full fields and synthetic surface CAN be figured out. Granted, the June 28th winner spent $576 on his ticket. Rest assured, my preview will feature a far less costly ticket.

TGIF racing fans!

Canada D'eh Pride: A Video Review of Great Canadian Racing Moments

July 1st marks our annual Canada Day celebrations and with national pride in mind, I thought it would be fun to take a Youtube walk through some fun and historic Canadian horse racing moments.

Without a doubt, the biggest influence in Canadian racing and a profound effect on the breeding game is the brilliant Northern Dancer.

Northern Dancer wins the 1964 Kentucky Derby


It's the first Kentucky Derby that I remember clearly and what a race it was for all of us Canadians.

Sunny's Halo wins the 1983 Kentucky Derby


Sandy Hawley has 6,450 career wins. He's won the Queen's Plate a record four times and has taken pretty much every trophy Woodbine has to offer. In 1976, Hawley won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in the United States after he broke thoroughbred racing's all-time money-winning record for a single year. Pound for pound, Hawley is arguably Canada's greatest athlete.

Sandy Hawley wins the Living Legends Race


Woodbine has the best turf course in North America and I LOVED watching Sky Classic put on a show. With the International bringing in G1 talent from the U.S and Europe year after year, 1991 marked a huge thrill for me when Sky Classic won in front of an adoring home crowd.

Sky Classic wins the 1991 Rothman's International


Sky Classic was a dominant turf force for a few years across North America and he represented Canada across the continent.

Sky Classic wins the 1992 Manhattan at Belmont


Sky Classic wins the 1992 Caesar's International


Sam-Son Farms have provided plenty of proud Canadian racing moments and Chief Bearheart is one I remember fondly.

Chief Bearheart wins the 1997 Breeders' Cup Turf


Sitting at home in an old Liverpool kit bag, I have dozens of old racing programs from the 80s and 90s. Dance Smartly features prominently in several of them.

Dance Smartly wins the 1991 Breeders' Cup Distaff


Kinghaven Farms is Sam-Son's biggest rival from my racing youth. Horses such as Play The King, With Approval and Izvestia are legends locally and deserve more fanfare.

With Approval wins the Canadian Triple Crown


Canadian Triple Crown winner, With Approval, sets a world record in the 1990 Bowling Green Handicap


Izvestia died tragically young but his legend lives on through these old racing clips. Check out his incredible acceleration into the stretch in winning the Queen's Plate. He's a horse who got it done on any surface against all types of competition.

Izvestia appropriately wins the Canadian Club Turf Handicap at Gulfstream


Izvestia wins the 1990 Queen's Plate en route to a Canadian Triple Crown


Izvestia wins the 1990 Molson Million


Why not end this on the most recent "Canadian" success. Our local hero, Mine That Bird, was a Sovereign Award winner as a two year-old and went on to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby after being sold to new connections. Just don't forget that the bird got his start here at Woodbine.

2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird breaks his maiden at Woodbine


Happy Canada Day, eh!

Jockeying For Position in the Woodbine Clubhouse

Through June 29th of the Woodbine meet, some 39 jockeys have made double digit starts. It must make for a crowded jocks room on the weekend when there are full fields for all ten races. Granted, there is a top ten of sorts as 10 of the 39 jockeys are making the vast majority of the starts ranging from 164 to 321 starts each. With such a deluge of talent at handicapper's disposal, it begs the question - What do we know about our local jockey colony?

Woodbine's Leading Jockey Patrick Husbands


One thing we know for certain is that Patrick Husbands is a stats monster. Through 321 starts, Husbands is 19 wins ahead of his closest rival, Chantal Sutherland, and maintains the top In The Money Percentage (ITM%), 53.3, of those riding regularly at Woodbine. Young Tyler Pizarro is making a name for himself with 37 wins placing him one win ahead of Queen's Plate winner Eurico Rosa Da Silva. Best of all, Pizarro is accomplishing all this with fewer mounts than his veteran counterparts. Jim McAleney is making the most of his 208 starts with 40 wins thus far in 2009.

TOP JOCKS BY STARTS
1. Patrick Husbands (321 Starts, 68 Wins)
2. Chantal Sutherland (310 Starts, 47 Wins)
3. Emma-Jayne Wilson (282 Starts, 32 Wins)
4. Emile Ramsammy (270 Starts, 41 Wins)
5. Eurico Rosa Da Silva (249 Starts, 36 Wins)
6. Justin Stein (237 Starts, 18 Wins)
7. Tyler Pizarro (226 Starts, 37 Wins)
8. Jim McAleney (208 Starts, 40 Wins)
9. Gerry Olguin (186 Starts, 11 Wins)
10. Jono Jones (164 Starts, 13 Wins)

While the above listed riders take the majority of the starts, there is a secondary group of jockeys performing regularly and WINNING. I wonder how many Woodbine regulars would correctly guess that Luis Contreras is maintaining a 52.9 ITM% while riding almost exclusively for the Steve Asmussen stable. With 16 wins in 87 starts, Contreras is one of the best kept secrets at Woodbine. Wiley veteran Richard Dos Ramos has carved out twelve wins in 109 starts hitting the board 31.2% of the time and should you manage to find Dos Ramos on the turf his stats elevate to a 53.8 ITM% success rate.

Double Digit Wins in Minimal Starts
Luis Contreras (87 Starts, 16 Wins)
Richard Dos Ramos (109 Starts, 12 Wins)
Constant Montpelier (128 Starts, 11 Wins)
Rob Landry (123 Starts, 10 Wins)
Steve Bahen (156 Starts, 10 Wins)
David Garcia (119 Starts, 10 Wins)

Chantal Sutherland continues to chase for the jockey's title


A third tier group could be comprised of situational riders such as leading Fort Erie jockeys Rui Pimentel and Melanie Pinto who ship in to Woodbine with varying degrees of success along with local vets who pick their spots. Journeyman Rocket Ray Sabourin has five wins in just 48 starts but is collecting at a 31.2% clip. Kentucky Derby winning jockey Stewart Elliott has six starts at Woodbine winning twice and most impressively in the money at a 66% clip thanks to Oaks winning filly Milwaukee Appeal. Of this group, the Fort Erie based Pimentel and Roderick Da Costa are ones to watch as they find the tote board 40% of the time and do not garner the wagering attention of a Patrick Husbands. It's something to think about the next time you draw a line through Pimentel or Da Costa on your program.

Selective Vets and Ship-In Specialists
Todd Kabel (48 Starts 7 Wins, 27.1 ITM%)
Ray Sabourin (48 Starts, 5 Wins, 31.2 ITM%)
Jerry Baird (43 Starts, 2 Wins, 27.9 ITM%)
Melanie Pinto (37 Starts, 3 Wins, 13.5 ITM%)
Rui Pimentel (10 Starts, 1 Win, 40 ITM%)
Roderick Da Costa (12 Starts, 2 Wins, 41.7 ITM%)
Stewart Elliott (6 Starts, 2 Wins, 66.7 ITM%)

This myriad of choices got me to thinking about stereotypes. What do we assume we know about Woodbine jockeys? Here's a few stereotypes I've heard around the track:

* Patrick Husbands is not a turf jockey
WRONG - Husbands is the LEADING turf jockey with six wins from 37 mounts and a consistent 56.8 ITM%. On the MAIN TRACK, Husbands has a 52.8 ITM% which means you have a better chance with Husbands when he's on the grass. Granted, he does have some 250 additional starts on the poly which skews the stats.

* Jono Jones is the best Woodbine turf jockey
Jones has 3 wins in 29 starts on the turf collecting 41.4% of the time. Statistically speaking, it is safe to say that Jones is a better rider on the turf when you compare his turf numbers to his 27.4 ITM% figures on the poly, but Husbands (6), Sutherland (5) Da Silva (4) and Ramsammy (4) all have more turf wins. Regardless, I hear enough horsemen rate Jones' skills that I cannot help but ignore the stats. Plus it's hard to discount the opinion of veteran trainer Roger Attfield who uses Jones almost exclusively.

* Emile Ramsammy is at his best in sprints
WRONG - While Ramsammy is certainly an effective jockey, the stats say that the journeyman has a 51.7ITM% in distance races compared to a 37.6ITM% in sprints. Husbands is the leading sprint jockey with a 21.8 Win%, and I was surprised to find that Tyler Pizarro is next best with a 19.6 Win%. You might be interested to know that Jim McAleney is an efficient 10 for 43 in distance races to lead all the Woodbine jocks with a 23.3 Win%.

Benjamin Disraeli, the 19th Cetury British Prime Minister, is famously quoted as saying, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." Wise words and ones I think we can all agree apply when it comes to handicapping. Patrick Husbands is a great jockey but he also gets a lot of live mounts. If a rider was in the money more than 70% of the time after 60 starts, it would make me think twice about how I wager. Until that trend appears, I will continue to use jockey statistics as just one more of the many reference tools at my disposal.

Please click on the following link to catch up on all the latest Woodbine meet statistics.