Interesting and brief article on how the evolution of jockey’s riding styles has contributed to decreasing race times. The short video effectively illustrates why, if not immediately intuitive
Yep - see also New York Times 7-16-09 “Thanks to Jockeys, Horses Are Faster, Study Finds”
Even the Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey was skeptical of the study’s findings. He said that better training methods, horse shoes, nutrition and track conditions have lowered race times. Bailey also cannot ignore the golden rule he adhered to over a 30-year career that saw him capture virtually every major race and more than $295 million in purses.
“A great jockey cannot make a slow horse win, but a bad jockey can get a great horse beat,” said Bailey, now a racing analyst for ESPN.
Bailey again is hesitant to endorse form over function. He points to Ramon Dominguez, who leads the national jockey standings in victories, as a rider who tends to sit higher in the saddle, as well as Alan Garcia, whose mounts have earned more than $6 million, as opposite sides of the same coin.
“Alan sits like a lizard on a log,” Bailey said, “and they both win because there’s no substitute for a well-oiled jockey working with the horse, and that’s better than being a passenger.”
The trainer Bob Baffert started as a jockey, but quickly realized he had neither the temperament nor talent for getting a horse to do as he wanted at high speeds.
“I couldn’t ride a hog in a telephone booth,” said Baffert, who since has won the Kentucky Derby three times as a trainer.
He comes down on the side that race riding is far more art than science.
“A good jockey can improve a horse if he is a good fit for him,” he said. “That’s why we have speed riders and come-from-behind jockeys. The best stay cool and calm and horses can feel it.”
Interesting - Bob Baffert as a jockey (even as a lad) … having meet him I cannot see it.
I’ve always been a firm believer that jockeys can move horses up… I’ve seen Pat Day and Julie Krone do it numerous times, horses would just really run for them.
