Nice Ride! A Video Review of the Ways a Jockey Can Win a Race

After each race, one of the biggest talking points for any rail bird is, "the trip." Handicappers across the globe study day and night picking winners only to lose a race because:

- My jockey didn't get the horse out of the gate
- My jockey moved too soon
- My jockey moved too late
- My jockey was out ridden by the other jockey

Handicappers don't like to admit that they were wrong. But maybe there are times to admit you picked the wrong horse. Sometimes, there is nothing the 110lb athlete trying to steer your 1100lb horse could have done differently.

However, on that rare occasion, in a moment of brilliance, sometimes a jockey does everything right and turns the impossible into the probable.

Let's take a look at some of these moments.

The Steal
When perusing the Daily Racing Form I LOVE to look for lone speed. A horse that, on paper, appears to be the only candidate to try for the lead. This is a moment for a jockey to shine by lulling a field to sleep and hopefully leave a little in the tank for the end of the race. Call it rating.
In the Man O' War stakes, Jono Jones pulled off a marvelous attempt at, "The Steal", with Musketier. Jones hustled the big gray out of the gate, hugged the rail and then slooooowed the pace down to conserve a little energy in this 1 3/8M turf try.
Jones never allowed his horse to be headed and when the field turned into the long Belmont stretch, Musketier had the lead and the rail AND some juice in the tank.
At odds of 26-1, a masterful ride was only denied at the finish by the excellent Gio Ponti. Musketier paid $18.60 to place - roughly triple your win bet on the favoured Gio Ponti.

Jono Jones and Musketier in the Man O' War


The Closer
The most visually appealing type of ride is the come-from-the-clouds, last to first charge to win at the wire. In the Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, jockey Garret Gomez was aboard Pioneerof The Nile and facing stiff competition in I Want Revenge, Papa Clem and Bittel Road. All three of these combatants figured to be near the pace and when the gate opened it was long shot Brother Keith leading the way with the above trio stalking. POTN waited patiently near the back of the pack for his moment.
As the horses made the turn to the stretch, Gomez made a big sweeping move around the turn and went to work picking off horses one by one to nail Papa Clem at the wire. The patient ride by Gomez helped POTN avoid a trip-ruining speed duel and his horse was good enough to make up seven lengths when it mattered most.

Garrett Gomez Rallies Pioneerof The Nile to win the Robert Lewis


The Steer
Perhaps this ride needs a better name. You could call it The Hole or The Move. This is the ride where the rider has to jockey for position and find a hole. It's what happens when a horse is stalking a pace that refuses to tire. The leaders are well into the stretch and there is nowhere to go, so it's up to the jockey to steer the horse through a hole and get running. It requires vision and a ton of bravery for both the rider and the horse.
In the 2009 Fleur de Lis, Calvin Borel had the call on Miss Isella in a tough field that included Swift Temper, Distinctive Dixie and Santa Teresita. Borel was in his usual rail spot sitting in third position but faced with a problem - the leader, Distinctive Dixie, refused to tire and Santa Teresita had Borel boxed in. Borel couldn't go wide and he couldn't zoom along an open rail, what do you do? Garrett Gomez took Swift Temper wide around the turn and began his run. Borel stayed inside and waited. At that moment when it seemed impossible for Miss Isella to win, Borel willed the horse into a gap the width of bicycle and shimmied through to find racing room

It is worth watching the replay of the stretch ride for this one because there is NO WAY Miss Isella should have found racing room. Borel found the hole, Miss Isella made the run and the pair took the race by 3/4 of a length. Brilliant.

Calvin Borel and Miss Isella win the Fleur de Lis


The Bo-Rail
Back-to-back Borel. You knew this one was coming. It's a long distance race, a packed field, saving ground is of the utmost importance. I HATE it when my horse runs wide the whole way around the track at races more than a mile. I hate being pushed six wide into the turn. Never fear - that's where the rail trip comes in.
In the 2007 Kentucky Derby, Calvin Borel made his reputation on a ride burned into racing fan's memory when he guided Street Sense to victory over Hard Spun.
It was a huge field for the Derby and at the half mile Street Sense was 19th, a dozen lengths off the pace. While Hard Spun was busy working up a pace on the front, Borel was calmly cruising along the rail only ever leaving that comfort spot once on the backstretch to pass a fading long shot.
Into the far turn, Borel and Street Sense started picking off runners along the rail. One by one, the pair moved into contention and with one last move off the rail to round Sedgewick, Borel focused on tracking down a runaway Hard Spun. Street Sense surged. Hard Spun dug in. Borel and Street Sense blew past Hard Spun on the outside with ease and then as if re-claiming his rightful position - Borel moved back to the rail and crossed the wire.

Borel and Street Sense rail the field to win the 2007 Kentucky Derby


The Urging
It's deep into the stretch and your horse is tiring. It's been a tough race and all seems lost. Suddenly, the jockey goes to work. Tucked tight over the shoulder of the horse, the jockey starts to scrub. Arms, hands and legs churning in rapid rhythm. The horse responds and the race is on again.

In the 2007 Queen's Plate, Emma-Jayne Wilson had the call on Mike Fox. At 15-1, this was a horse not expected to get the 1 1/4M distance but Wilson had other ideas. Racing near the pace for much of the event, Mike Fox appeared to be done turning into the lane. Alezzandro was on the lead and widening under Todd Kabel. Jiggs Coz looked ready to pounce for David Clark. The turn into the stretch and Alezzandro sped to the front by several lengths. Jiggs Coz turned wide and tried to close from the middle of the track. Mike Fox was a well-beaten third - or was he?

Wilson never gave up. With a relentless rally, Wilson urged her charge to wake up and go. Inside the final furlong, Mike Fox was alive again and split two tiring foes to win a million dollar race. It was the sort of ride that forced handicappers to pick up ripped tickets and tape them back together. The horse came back from the dead.

I have no Youtube link for the race, but you can watch the 2007 Queen's Plate on the NTRA website by clicking here.

No race can be won by the jockey alone. The jockey needs to have something under the saddle to work with. But when the right ride pairs up with the right horse, horse racing becomes an art form unto itself.

I'll leave you with possibly the worst ride I have ever seen. I know I've posted this before, but I never tire of watching this one. It's the 2004 Hasta La Vista Handicap run at 1 7/8M. That's TWO circuits of the Turf Paradise track, but jockey Jorge Carreno has other ideas. As the horses make their way around the far turn, Carreno surges to the lead with Tiz A Coup. Into the stretch and Carreno applies two meaningful cracks of the whip and Tiz A Coup bullets to the front by seven lengths. One small problem...

Tiz A Coup wins the first lap of the 2004 Hasta La Vista Stakes


If you have a favourite type of ride, leave a comment and I'll add to the list for a future post. Have a great weekend everybody!